I'm never really sure whether I should be in the Dead Spiros Club as while I keep the same set for a long time, I like them lively and will clean them with alcohol whenever I feel they're losing the brightness. I've just done this with my current set of Weichs after about 18 months of playing (they were 6 months used when I got them) and it feels like taking a blanket off the bass. I must have a dark sounding bass or something! I'm still contemplating whether I might return to Mittels some time too.
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Double Bass Time for a Dead Spiros Club
- Thread starter iiipopes
- Start date
Awesome to hear! I'm glad you at least learned something. I think part of trying strings (for me at least) is knowing what doesn't work because you can then forget about it. I just got my bass back and will be putting a Stark E on because I want a little more power on the E. If that doesn't work then I'll put the medium back on and have the knowledge that I'll have to deal with it.
Just cleaning the surface or soaking the whole string in alcohol?
Do you bend the string a bit to get the dirt out?
Might be a nice way to keep the lower strings bright and, by not cleaning them, the higher strings dark.
I lower the string a whole step (one at a time) and run a paper towel with a dab of rubbing alcohol across the string. The reason is because this allows the most dirt to be taken off of it. then I tune it back up and move on to the next string. I like my brightness across all strings. I've started to love the high Spiros!
My cleaning method is more or less like this, slackening an individual string, dampening some kitchen towel with isopropyl alcohol and rubbing up and down until I stop seeing dirt come off. The string does get flexed a little, which might help. I'd tried soaking my old Mittels and it seems like just thoroughly wiping them down with alcohol works about as well. It doesn't quite bring them back to the full obnoxious banjo-twang of a brand new set (or at least not for long), but it does bring some life back to older strings.
I thought I would post this here rather than starting a new thread, since it seems to be serving as a bit of a Spiro megathread at the moment. I'm currently on 3/4 Weichs, and I used 3/4 Mittels before that which I still have stashed away. The airier tone of the Weichs works nicely in the more sensitive acoustic outfit I was playing in but I've started doing some jazz gigs with a drummer again and I'm missing that solid front to the note that the Mittels had.
I'm wondering if S42 4/4 Mittels might make for a good halfway house between the two with a bit more of that Mittel tone but not much more tension, or whether I'd be as well just putting the 3/4 Mittels back on since I already have them. With any luck I can seek out a used set if I try the S42 mitts, since cleaning keeps 'em going for years.
I'm wondering if S42 4/4 Mittels might make for a good halfway house between the two with a bit more of that Mittel tone but not much more tension, or whether I'd be as well just putting the 3/4 Mittels back on since I already have them. With any luck I can seek out a used set if I try the S42 mitts, since cleaning keeps 'em going for years.
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Try an Oliv, Evah Weich or Dominant G with the Spiro Mittel.
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I'd stay away from the Oliv. Had one come unwound on me in a week. Loved the sound though
I hate to "poo" on such a great sounding string, but I'm with my man bskts on this. When Oliv Gs are working, they're freakin AWESOME, but the whole "falling apart thing" is a deal breaker for me...YMMV.
I had one Oliv A fall apart in under an HOUR!!!
It wasn't a G, but still...
Joe
It's beautiful but at a horrible cost! When pirastro gives me an enforcement I'll start using them.
That's the reason why I recommended other strings too. But for those where the Oliv work and doesn't fall apart in a short time it's a good mix, I think.I'd stay away from the Oliv. Had one come unwound on me in a week. Loved the sound though
The Dominant may break on some basses, but there is still the Evah Weich...
Why is it that all our favorite G strings have issues? Oliv, Velvet, Dominant, Gut. We can't win!
What's the issue with naked gut?
No problem with steel wound wound Velvets like Compas 180 and Classico (except maybe production issues).
If you think all these nice G strings have issues, you haven't tried high C strings...
No problem with steel wound wound Velvets like Compas 180 and Classico (except maybe production issues).
If you think all these nice G strings have issues, you haven't tried high C strings...
bskts; No problem with Zyex medium G. Or Flexocore DeLuxe. Or Lenzner/Dlugulecki/Gamut(varnished) plain unwound guts. Those are just a few that have tensions of 64 lbs or less and have a solid fundamental without issues. There are others but any of these could become one of your favourite strings.
