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Double Bass What Strings do the GODS use?
- Thread starter powermans
- Start date
francois said:Thanks a lot for the kind words, guys!
As a matter of fact, there's only one string giving me some trouble right now: the G.
My favorite, sound- and feeling-wise, is the Oliv, but this thing is kind of expensive!
I threw one in the waste-basket recently. The windings were separating.
That's why I started a thread about the Chorda strings.
Francois
There are a quite a few guys here in Ottawa that had the windings separate on the G string not to mention others - Pirastro replaced the strings in all the cases I know of (once they answered their e-mails). I had it happen to me once and they replaced the strings but since I've been detuning the strings between playing sessions, I've never had a problem and my last Oliv G was on for about 18 months before I decided to switch to the Chorda G for a different sound. And on that note I should say that I've been using the Chorda G, Oliv D and E, and Eudoxa E setup for quite a few months now and I'm loving it.
I tell everyone that I think it is absolutely vital that the the Pirastro wound guts be detuned between playing sessions, if the bass is going to be subject to temperature and humidity fluctuations, especially if the bass will be left for long periods at a time. The time that it happened to me, I had to leave my bass in my office when I was moving house. It was in very dry conditions for a few weeks without much playing at all and I belief that when the gut cores dried up, the windings just had nowhere to go and hence they separated.
Adrian
I just want to once again say how impressed I have been with Pirastro, I had a problem with the windings on a set of Obligatos and after an e-mail to Pirastro detailing the problem I had a replacement set on my door within the week ....Germany to Australia.Not Bad!
And I also received a sample set of Jazzers for my trouble .....
Long Live Pirastro!!!
I'm one Happy Chappie!
And I also received a sample set of Jazzers for my trouble .....
Long Live Pirastro!!!
I'm one Happy Chappie!
Thanks for the input, Adrian.Adrian Cho said:
I just bought a solo-tuning Innovation braided G string.
This thing is a beauty!
The string I know that is the most similar is the Oliv G.
The Innovation solo G is very easy to play, has a clear yet warm, very singing tone.
It's on the bass since two days, and is settling in, but tuning is not a problem. It stretched to tune almost instantly. Within a few hours, the stretching had almost stopped.
If it looses some of its initial brightness soon, it'll become a keeper for me!
francois said:
Francios - can you please clarify which string this is? Is it the 9014ABS detuned to G or the braided G 9014GB. I'm using Superfs at the moment but was considering braided Inovations or maybe Velvet Animas. The full list of their strings is [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
Many thanks
Hi Mike.Mike Crumpton said:
It's the 9014ABS tuned down to G.
This gives quite low tension though.
I'm not sure the other strings would be okay for me on my instrument (an EUB). (maybe they'd rattle)
Maybe you should consider regular orchestra-tuning instead.
Thomastiks, I believe. He's on the endorsers list. (I think he uses the Super Flexibles)
Link Removed
Link Removed
Glad to be of service!
I don't think that it mentions at the Thomastik site which flavor he uses, but it seems to me that I saw the SuperFlexible bit on the credits of some album cover. Maybe one of the Eliane Elias CDs?
I don't think that it mentions at the Thomastik site which flavor he uses, but it seems to me that I saw the SuperFlexible bit on the credits of some album cover. Maybe one of the Eliane Elias CDs?
I'll have a look out thanks Ray - On the Thomastic site they put his biog by a Spiro label but who knows?
Following on from my rave a few weeks back on Red Mitchell (Bassist Section) I have become addictive to that Ovation Program featuring Oliver Jones / Herb Ellis / Ed Thigpen among others and of course THE WONDEFUL RED MITCHELL.
While I have gained a TRUCKLOAD of info on Red through the pen of Paul Warburton regarding 5th tuning etc.... however,it just occured to me that we didn't touch on WHAT STRINGS THAT GOD USED ?
Paul, maybe you'd like to give us a complete run down?
Many Thanks,
Mick
While I have gained a TRUCKLOAD of info on Red through the pen of Paul Warburton regarding 5th tuning etc.... however,it just occured to me that we didn't touch on WHAT STRINGS THAT GOD USED ?
Paul, maybe you'd like to give us a complete run down?
Many Thanks,
Mick
Red was playing on Spiros.
Thomastik still offers the fifth tuning set, BTW.
But Paul will more likely give a more extensive, historical description than I can!
Thomastik still offers the fifth tuning set, BTW.
But Paul will more likely give a more extensive, historical description than I can!
powermans said:
What Ovation Program is this? The only video footage I have seen of Red is on this "masters of jazz guitar" video were he is playing with Tal Farlow.
There have been some threads before discussing getting a sound/timre similar to Red's but tuned in fourths. I have come closest to this with the solo spirocores tuned down and more recently with the solo obligatos tuned down. Also using a magnetic pickup by itself or blended with a piezo pickup helps get that real legato sound when amplified.
Does anyone have any other ideas as far as strings go?
On his last Bass Player Mag interview he says he's using Thomastik Spirocore Weichs.
Someone asked about John Clayton's strings. It appears he is now using Obligatos: (sorry for the terrible quality of pics - had to use my mobile phone as my digital camera was left at my folk's house)
Hey, Franswa. Old thread huh?
According to Red, in 1971 he called Thomastik and talked to "this young renaissance man who was the head of the company. He was twenty nine, was a jazz fan and knew who I was."
Edit: From Gene Lees' book "Cats Of Any Color"....The return of Red Mitchell.
