daflewis Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Hey, no worries Johnny - i seem to recall you've been kept waiting in the past! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Are these still going round? It's been a while with no comments on the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 (edited) Hi Beer, Yes, things had gone a bit quiet, but i PMd Johnny a few weeks ago and he said he was getting them off to FloydElgar... So they should be coming your way soon....ish... i hope! Cheers, Daf Edited July 31, 2014 by daflewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 (edited) [quote name='philparker' timestamp='1390825585' post='2349879'] I've just finished testing these and made a quick YouTube comparison between these and my previous Evah Pirazzis and most recent Belcantos. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvNuVif43-Y[/media] I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with the Innovations. In the very short time that I’ve been playing DB I’ve managed to try out 7 sets of different strings (including 2 sets of Daf’s trial Innovations). The Arco/Jazz is aptly named if they want to remove the ‘Hybrid’ tag. They are very similar to the Evah’s in ‘feel’ and I think they bow and pizz very similar as well, with just a slightly more neutral tone compared to the darker tone of the Pirazzis. They also have a little less tension even though they feel to be about the same gauge. I’ve only used the Belcantos for a short time now and they seem to bow a little bit better than both the Evah’s and the Innovations and the dynamics are easier to control with the bow. The Innovations must be a 10/10 for value although I don’t know how durable they will be over time compared to other makes. [/quote] Um, hate to say anything, but in the titles of your video, aren't the Bel Canto's a T-I product? Mine are. And yes, they are designed to be better under the bow. Edited August 16, 2014 by iiipopes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 [quote name='owen' timestamp='1392589877' post='2370495']Slightly lower tension than Spiros, but really nothing in it, but they have the same immediacy and sound focus (is that even a concept?). For me, on my bass.[/quote] Which set of Spiros? There are at least seven different sets that can be used for jazz pizz, not counting the Red Mitchell quint sets: 4/4 S42 in weich, mittel and stark, 3/4 3885 in weich and mittel, and solos tuned down in both 3/4 and 4/4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philparker Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 [quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1408212463' post='2528142'] Um, hate to say anything, but in the titles of your video, aren't the Bel Canto's a T-I product? Mine are. And yes, they are designed to be better under the bow. [/quote] Yes, of course, they are indeed Thomastic Infelds, and I realized my mistake on first watching my YouTube recording, but it was too late to amend. You are the first person to bring that up, so well done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 [quote name='iiipopes' timestamp='1408213012' post='2528146'] Which set of Spiros? There are at least seven different sets that can be used for jazz pizz, not counting the Red Mitchell quint sets: 4/4 S42 in weich, mittel and stark, 3/4 3885 in weich and mittel, and solos tuned down in both 3/4 and 4/4. [/quote] Ummmm...... it is a long time since I did the Spiro thing, but iirc they were 4/4 Weich. I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 could I be added to the list of guinea pigs pls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hi Steve, Consider it done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 [quote name='daflewis' timestamp='1408440414' post='2530079'] Hi Steve, Consider it done! [/quote] thanks Daf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 These have just arrived with me, and so far I've only tried the G string. My bass is a carved German flat-backed instrument with 41.5" string length which has previously been wearing a 3/4 Spirocore Weich set. I'll change the other three in the next day or two, but the G has made quite a good first impression. Playing pizz, the body of the note is darker sounding than the spiro G but there's a fairly bright woody snap on the attack of the note which can easily be brought out with the right pizz technique. This gives it a little more articulation than I remember from the Honey G when I used those. It starts easily and plays cleanly with the bow, though it's quite a light, airy arco sound on my bass, without the midrange focus of the spiro weichs or the rich darkness of a dedicated arco string. Very usable though. More to follow when I've changed the other three over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Having tried the rest of them it turns out that these are really not the string for me. On my bass, they feel notably softer than 3/4 Spirocore Weich and from memory I think they're much softer feeling than my old Honey set too. It's interesting that several players noted that the G feels slightly stiffer than the other three. I think I like the way the G feels and would prefer it if the other three had more tension to match. For pizz playing, the G is my favourite and the rest are rather too dark for my tastes. The D in particular comes out almost tubby sounding on my bass. I'm sure there are players who could enjoy this sound, but I found myself putting the Spiro Weichs back on rather quickly. The new set are very easy and satisfying sounding to play arco, a much mellower sound than my Weichs, but for me the pizz sound just isn't what I'm after. So I think the answer for me is Spiro Weichs and keeping practicing the arco playing! This does make me appreciate the string trial scheme, as it's great that I could find this out without having to buy a set. Who's next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted August 30, 2014 Author Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) Hi Beer, Thanks for that; the unevenness of the G has been sorted in the latest prototype, by dropping the tension of the G slightly and bringing up the others to match. I really must get the latest version out to replace the one that you've tried... That said, they retain the "gutty" sound that characterises Innovation, so they probably wouldn't be right for anyone who likes the growl you get from spiros. (More Charlie Haden than NHØP if you know what I mean...) They're really aimed at people who do a fair amount of acro as well as pizz, like show and classical players, who also play jazz; though if you prefer a darker more gutty sound then they're a reall nice jazz string anyway... Here are two sound files of the latest prototypes played pizz and arco on a quality German flatback (the one T&G Martin screwed up and then overcharged me by £1000 for work on! ) She's now playing beautifully after being rescued by our very own "henrynorton" (Lawrence Born) in Letchworth They're recorded perfectly flat with a high quality Ehrlund condenser mic... contact me for more details! [url="https://soundcloud.com/daflewis/polychrome-pizz-1"]https://soundcloud.c...lychrome-pizz-1[/url] [url="https://soundcloud.com/daflewis/polychromes-arco-1"]https://soundcloud.c...ychromes-arco-1[/url] Edited August 31, 2014 by daflewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) I guess the difference in response between different basses might be part of it. The Honeys with their firmer feel worked better for my particular pizz style than the new set do. It was mostly the D string which I couldn't get on with, the others had a little more definition and focus to them - this could easily be a quirk of my bass. One synthetic core string I did really like when I used them are the Thomastik Dominants, which are stiffer feeling than any other synthetics and offer a more organic version of that Thomastik growl. But the Dominants have a terrible habit of breaking and after three breakages in six months I decided I couldn't keep using them. So I was almost hoping for a touch of whatever it was I liked about the Dominants in the new strings. I can see the new strings being good for walking jazz and they do bow very nicely. But at the moment Spiro Weich are working well enough for me both pizz and arco that that I feel perhaps I shouldn't mess with that. Edited August 30, 2014 by Beer of the Bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Galbraith Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Hope your good Daf I'm looking at buying one of these bad-boys for my upright : [url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/2503-HIPSHOT_FREERANGE_XTENDER_UPRIGHT_BASS_STRING_DROP_TUNER.html"]http://www.gollihurm...DROP_TUNER.html[/url] - I've been doing a gig recently where there are lots of jazz charts with low D and low Eb, am using my 5 string electric at moment, but conductor wants me to use upright bass as that's the sound required. * While reading the link above (who will be my supplier), I noticed the '[b]Strings NOT RECOMMENDED for use with Detuner' [/b]section (just under 1st YouTube video 1/2 way down the page)... do you think [b]Innovation Polychromes[/b] will be compatible with the drop-tuner I'm looking at once you've got them 'commercially released' ? Or can you make them compatible, lol Cheers UPDATE : I phoned the company in the link above, the guy asked me what strings I was wanting to use and I said [b]Innovation[/b] , he said they would be good as they have a steel core so are more resilient to tension changes. Turns out this company worked with HipShot to develop the drop-tuner in the link above. Just bought the product : [b]Subtotal:[/b] $127.50 [b]Shipping:[/b] $27.25 [b]Total:[/b] $154.75 = £95.27 PS : The [b]Polychromes[/b] are sounding nice on SoundCloud Edited October 12, 2014 by Paul Galbraith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) [size=4][color=#000000][font=Helvetica]Hi Paul,[/font][/color] Nice to hear from you! [color=#000000][font=Helvetica]Ooh, that looks like a fun new toy! I composed this reply and then saw your edit - a little confusing, because none of Innovation's strings use a steel core. That said I don’t think that the polymer core would be a problem anyway, as it has virtually no stretch in it. I think my only real concern would be the barrels that are the ball ends of the innovations - It’s a bit difficult to make out exactly how they locate in the Xtender, but i’m not sure how secure they’d be. It might be worth emailing Golihur - i know they stock Innovation strings and I’m sure they’d be happy to take a look… That said, if it is a problem, I’m sure the factory could make you up a set with some “normal” ball ends. Hope that helps! Cheers, Daf[/font][/color][/size] Edited September 30, 2014 by daflewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eubassix Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 (edited) Hi Daf Thanks for your return call and advice. having just sourced a full-scale EUB (with extremely 'stiff' strings) looking to try a few sets which are more comfortable ... so add to this list. Edited November 10, 2014 by eubassix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 Thanks David, it was good to chat after all these years! You're on the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daflewis Posted November 10, 2014 Author Share Posted November 10, 2014 The string trial programme is now closed to new applicants - sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts