I also somewhat wince at the suggestion that it's easy to get a good pizz tone from hybrid or arco strings. If you're used to Spirocores, don't expect other strings to sound and definitely not to "cut through" like them.
There is mega truth to what is being said too about your bass and set up making a big difference. I played an E. Wilfer with Helicore Orchestral strings on it once that had very good Pizz tone (in a shop) but every other bass in that shop with Helicore Orchestral strings on it sounded deader than a door nail pizzicato. So beware, it's a search, a journey and it can get expensive. I've had some good luck trading with other people experimenting and it's saved me some money.
Now, that being said, with all of the disclaimers about how I have no idea what you will like or what will sound good on your bass here are a few things you could try:
Thomastic Superflexables - This is an easy safe step for you. Will be similar to Spirocores, but more bow friendly. If you bow the low Spirocores O.K. but get scratchy on the G, maybe just try a G string. Experimenting with one string at a time is a lot cheaper than full sets. The chances that you will like the first thing you try are, I'm afraid, not very good.
Pirastro Permanents - I like these strings. They're steal core, durable bow very easily (I have no fine ear for things like "fundemental", but they're easy for us jazz guys to bow and I think are a quite suitable Pizzicato string. They cost about the same as Spirocores or anything else of that variety. They will not last for years like your Spirocores did. Depending on how sensensitive you are to them getting deader.
People use Helicore Hybrids. I don't personally think that they as good of steel string pizz tone as Spirocores and they don't bow nearly as well as other hybrid-type choices, so I think that you're giving some things up without gaining enough in return. My opinion, a lot of good players use them. I don't dislike them, I've never had them on my bass. I do know that the is or was a problem with some string breakage with them. Don't know if it got resolved or not.
Hardly anyone uses Helicore Pizzicatos. I've heard them on two basses and in both cases the sound was striking. I would say that I liked it. It struck me as specifically loud. I don't know much about them, you don't see them much.
I personally can't recommend the synthetic core stings; Obligatos, Dominants, Heritage, Innovations. Which is not to say that you shouldn't try them. They work great for some people. They all will bow great compared to Spirocores all all are designed to have good Pizz response. The tone you will either connect with or not. I loved Obligatos, but they fell apart on me, Pirastro replaced them, they fell apart on me again. I've read about Dominants and Innovations breaking. No reports on durability of Heritage yet, but I'm just through with experimenting with perlon core steel wrapped strings until one has been on the market for several years with none of these problems reported. Some people use these strings without these problems, from my visual observation, they tend to be people who play mostly with a bow or who don't dig in that hard with their right hands, ususally converted bass guitarists. If this describes you, they might be great strings for you. I wish they worked for me, but they don't and be warned if you start to experiment. It can get expensive. Especially if you're coming from a place of having the same strings on your bass for years at a time. Just not going to happen with these types of strings.
Exodus E and A/Oliv D and G - Reportedly the holy grail of jazz strings. Gut sound, good sustain, good arco response. 2 or 3 times more expensive than steel strings and by all reports the windings will come off in a gig one day, so you need to have spares with you. I suspect that these are the perfect strings for me, but I'm afraid to try them, because I just don't need the issues.
The Velvet Strings are kind of an animal to themselves. Don't order these, but seek them out on other people's basses and play them. They really feel different. No opinions from me. I've had Animas on a loaner and played a few other basses. I've heard them sound AMAZING from the audience. I don't know if I could live with them and haven't tried them on my bass yet, but I've been tempted and maybe I will some day.
And there is a bunch of stuff in between; Jargars, Varicores, various orchestral strings that tend to sound gut-like so some people use them for jazz. I haven't tried them all. I play every bass that I can and ask what strings are on it if I don't recognize them because it is a constant search. The only real answer though....brace yourself is to live with a different kind of string on your bass for a while in different playing situations. If you love strings on someone else's bass, you may hate them on yours. If you love the sound when you put them on, you may hate it in 2 weeks when they've settled in (or vice versa). You may also find that you like something, but that you have to replace it every 6 months to keep it sounding that way. I know a top local guy who replaces his strings every 3 to 4 months. It get's expensive.
Try something and post your experience, then post it again after they've been on for a while. It is cool to start hearing different things from your bass and I think it has both helped and hurt my playing at different times.
Troy
