BassInMyFace Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Starting to get up and running now with the upright and am coming up against an issue. This whole string thing is a way bigger deal than electric bass and seems to be ridiculously crucial in terms of(A) being able to play the thing at all without gouging holes in your fingers ( sounding even remotely like you Want a bass to sound. So far I Have tried stock strings which were breaking at nut and bridge, flat wound and pretty disgusting. Job lot from bass chat Inc cheap steel core flat wounds which were very high tension and pretty uncomfortable. A set of Corelli solo tuning strings which whilst very nice quality, aren't useful practically for my style of music. At present I have a set of Superior sound silk core nylon strings bought from US on eBay. 25 bucks and a bit silly but have opened my eyes to nylon comfort. Trouble is the E is literally the width of a 5p piece and doesn't sit in the nut groove. Basically unplayable but you get the idea. My band is swing so realised that nylon or gut is probably sensible for that thumpy sound. They also allow me to dig in and play aggressively which is a crucial for this band where it's all About spectacle and heavy electro swing grooves. What are my options and please note I'm definitely averse to spending big money. I hate that trap of GAS which equates price with quality, obviously you get what you pay for but 150 quid strings cant be the only option. There must be a sub 50 quid set of strings that aren't stupid but will thump along and stay in tune and be friendly to fingers. I'm not being a tightwad but whilst I'm experimenting with string choice I don't want to blow big money on something that doesnt work for me. In summary, Nylon, gut or otherwise softer coated strings Tension medium or low Diameter not an issue as quite used to the giant superior sound strings now. New, used whatever Reasonably priced Music style, old fashioned thumpy swing mixed with modern electro/hip hop grooves, some minor slapping. Would be very grateful for your opinions because I'm a bit lost here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artisan Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 i'm a DB newbie too,i'm playing old 1950's rockabilly & rock 'n' roll tunes so need that old school thump. i was recommended Innovation Super Silvers which are perfect form me,medium tension nylon jobbies which are nice to play & sound brilliant. £75.00 for a full set [url="http://www.stringmail.co.uk/dbass6.htm"]http://www.stringmail.co.uk/dbass6.htm[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Fair bit of useful info here, even if you don't go with the brand in the end. Might help you if you see a second hand set. http://basschat.co.uk/forum/78-innovation-double-bass-strings/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I would definitely try the Super Silvers as recommended above, not as high tension as steels or synthetic-core / steel hybrids, not stupidly thick, nice old-school sound. They are over £50 but if they're the right strings it doesn't matter, you'll be playing the same set for years. If on the other hand they're the wrong strings you can sell them on here and get some money back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Frankly, it's a bit much to expect a decent set of low tension double bass strings for under £50. A large percentage of your sound is in the string you use, so skimping on strings is ultimatley detrimental. But, between £75-£120 there is a lot of choice. Super silvers, as previously mentioned, Silver Slaps, Velvet Blues and Kolstein Heritage to name just a few. Yes, DB strings are expensive compared to electric bass strings, but you only change them once every couple of years, so the cost over time is pretty much the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I get that you only change them once a decade or so but, if you are starting out and want to know what is best for you, how the hell can you find out wihtout spending thousands on sets you buy just to try? I have Evah Pirazzi Weichs (I wanted a hybrid for pizz and arco) and they are fine but I have no idea if a set of Spiros will be 10% better or 90% worse and the only way to find out is to spend £150 on a set (I need high C as well as the EADG). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Bilbo: FWIW I tried a mixed set of E&A spiro and D&G evah weich on my bass, they felt pretty good as a set but I felt I should've bought a spiro D not an evah. The evah G was definitely the right buy though, I find spiro Gs are a bit too sizzly for me. I would imagine a spiro C would be harsher still. So there's my advice - if you want to try them, try just replacing the E, A and D first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Research is the key. Read threads on this site and on talkbass, doublebasschat, Gollihur's etc... You can get a feel for what you think might work for your bass, budget and tone. I read so much that I knew Spiros in any form were out for me, totally not the sound I was after. My budget dictated that expensive guts were out. With my cheap bass I assumed the table was thicker and heavy tension strings would choke it (which it does). So, I tried Honeys to start, Evah Weichs next thinking they were lower tension than they are on my bass, and am now running Velvet Animas after reading that they offer lower tension that is even across all strings. A used set came up here. I'll go back to Honeys when the Velvets wear out. All these decisions were from reading the entire interweb about double basses and strings. Hours and hours were lost But, 2 out of 3 choices were good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 TPJ, I recommend a set of Velvet Blues to replace your Animas. Same feel as Animas, but much cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah thomas Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 My bass came with D'Addario Hybrids which I found to be tough on my newbie fingers, so I bought a set of Innovation Golden Slaps. (Same as Silver Slaps but a different colour.) I'm very happy with these and despite what others have said, they don't seem to be too bad bowed either - although again, I am a complete beginner with the bow. My teacher, who's in his final year of a jazz degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama was impressed by them and is thinking of getting a set for his spare bass. It's difficult knowing what to go for, but these are good value for £75 and much gentler on the fingers than steel strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I have this irrational fear of low tension strings. I have convinced myself that the best way to build up technique is to deal with the more demanding action of a bass with higher tension strings. I have this idea that, if I go for really light strings, I will have the r/h technique of a big girly wuss and sound like a lightweight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330595076' post='1559829'] I have this irrational fear of low tension strings. I have convinced myself that the best way to build up technique is to deal with the more demanding action of a bass with higher tension strings. I have this idea that, if I go for really light strings, I will have the r/h technique of a big girly wuss and sound like a lightweight. [/quote] Maybe it's the action that needs looking at. The Velvets are lower tension than Spiros, but you can nearly slip a piece of toast under my strings. That firms things up a bit for sure and offers more tension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassInMyFace Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 A lively debate as ever, thanks for responses folks. Think my plan of action now is to wait for new adjustable bridge from gollihurs to finally arrive, get the action sorted and charge the band for a new set of silver slaps, or maybe super silvers, or the rockabilly ones, or maybe some weed wackers off ebay, or my corelli solo tuned down to regular, oh dear I've gone cross eyed..... If anyone has any secondhand sets lying around I would be more than happy to purchase. As bilbo said, its all about experimenting and I want to try as many as I can before committing big bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330595076' post='1559829'] I have this irrational fear of low tension strings. I have convinced myself that the best way to build up technique is to deal with the more demanding action of a bass with higher tension strings. I have this idea that, if I go for really light strings, I will have the r/h technique of a big girly wuss and sound like a lightweight. [/quote] I love light strings, Evah weichs, belcanto, helicore lights, and spiro weichs all work great. Of course I am a bit of a wimp! :-) Christian Mcbride isn't though. Saying that whenever I hear anyone else playing spiro mittels I get serious string gas but never seem to be able to make them work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I don't give a monkey's arse whether I'm a big girly wuss or not. Low tension strings work well on my bass and work well for me and my playing style, so that's all that matters really. Why make life more difficult for yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='BassInMyFace' timestamp='1330598817' post='1559936'] A lively debate as ever, thanks for responses folks. Think my plan of action now is to wait for new adjustable bridge from gollihurs to finally arrive, get the action sorted and charge the band for a new set of silver slaps, or maybe super silvers, or the rockabilly ones, or maybe some weed wackers off ebay, or my corelli solo tuned down to regular, oh dear I've gone cross eyed..... If anyone has any secondhand sets lying around I would be more than happy to purchase. As bilbo said, its all about experimenting and I want to try as many as I can before committing big bucks. [/quote] I'd avoid weedwhackers if I were you. The E string has almost no pizz sound whatsoever. My recommendation would be Innovation Super silvers or Honeys or a set of Velvet Blues. I love the Velvets on my bass at the moment - enough thump for the country stuff, enough growl for the jazz stuff and loose enough to be able to throw in a few slaps here and there. I started a string trading thread a few months ago, so it's worth digging that up if you want to try different strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero9 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I've some Innovation Psycho slaps lying around, which I'll let go cheaply (used for about 3 months). i've finally settled on Rotosounds RS4000 for one DB and Spiro weichs for the other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiki613 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 and why not the corde Lambert Gut Twin 47' ? actually , this is probably the best Gut substitute on the market [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFseGALRM&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AJFseGALRM&feature=related[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah thomas Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330595076' post='1559829'] I have this irrational fear of low tension strings. I have convinced myself that the best way to build up technique is to deal with the more demanding action of a bass with higher tension strings. I have this idea that, if I go for really light strings, I will have the r/h technique of a big girly wuss and sound like a lightweight. [/quote] Hey Rob, didn't you hurt your wrist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='tiki613' timestamp='1330603795' post='1560084'] and why not the corde Lambert Gut Twin 47' ? [/quote] Can you actually buy those now? They sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiki613 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 this is possible to buy but only by mail [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] , he serious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='tiki613' timestamp='1330615611' post='1560443'] this is possible to buy but only by mail [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] , he serious! [/quote] Is there a website for that or only an email address? Thanks for the tip. I fancy these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 [quote name='tiki613' timestamp='1330615611' post='1560443'] this is possible to buy but only by mail [email="[email protected]"][email protected][/email] , he serious! [/quote] There's a bit of a [url="http://www.doublebasschat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11965"]waiting list[/url] for the Gut Twins..... They do sound fecking amazing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin spangles Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Used Spiro Weichs g d and a with a mittel on the E. should get them at a good price. You can raise the height to get a good 'thump' or lower them for a that growl. They last forever and have a sound that delivers in so many situations. Strangely on my bass the lower tension weichs are louder than the mittles. Easy to bow too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.