Help need with new strings!

[macclad]

Hi i'm in the market for a set of lower tension strings to suit mostly pizz although a small amount of bowing might happen ,Clarky has recommended Innovation silver slaps but i'm not sure if they are ok for bowing, has anyone any suggestions ,many thanks in advance!

[thisnameistaken]

I just went string shopping today with similar criteria to you. I ended up ordering Spiro weichs for the E and A, and Evah weichs for the D and G. I currently have a full set of Evah mediums on my bass but I'm not getting enough sustain from the lower strings although I like the tone of the higher strings, and I think my bass will sound better with lighter gauges.

I made that decision based on another bass I played recently that had Spiro E & A and Belcanto D & G.

I suppose I'll let you know tomorrow whether I bought the right strings.

[franzbassist]

[quote name='macclad' post='1036947' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:06 PM']Clarky has recommended Innovation silver slaps but i'm not sure if they are ok for bowing, has anyone any suggestions ,many thanks in advance![/quote]

Silver Slaps bow just fine and are lovely played pizz

[macclad]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1036962' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:14 PM']I just went string shopping today with similar criteria to you. I ended up ordering Spiro weichs for the E and A, and Evah weichs for the D and G. I currently have a full set of Evah mediums on my bass but I'm not getting enough sustain from the lower strings although I like the tone of the higher strings, and I think my bass will sound better with lighter gauges.

I made that decision based on another bass I played recently that had Spiro E & A and Belcanto D & G.

I suppose I'll let you know tomorrow whether I bought the right strings. [/quote]
Thanks ,i did read your earlier post ,but i've no clue about DB strings, i presume weichs means light gauge?

[TheRev]

If you've got £230 to spend, I can thoroughly recommend a set of Velvet Garbos. Nice, light, responsive strings with a great sound but not cheap....

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='macclad' post='1036974' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:23 PM']Thanks ,i did read your earlier post ,but i've no clue about DB strings, i presume weichs means light gauge?[/quote]

Exactly yes. I found mediums to be fun to play but I think lighter gauges will work better on my bass. Also I'm just getting over tendonitis in both wrists so I reckon lighter strings isn't a bad idea really.

Edited November 25, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='TheRev' post='1036989' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:32 PM']If you've got £230 to spend, I can thoroughly recommend a set of Velvet Garbos. Nice, light, responsive strings with a great sound but not cheap....[/quote]

£230 for strings ?

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='macclad' post='1036947' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:06 PM']Hi i'm in the market for a set of lower tension strings to suit mostly pizz although a small amount of bowing might happen ,Clarky has recommended Innovation silver slaps but i'm not sure if they are ok for bowing, has anyone any suggestions ,many thanks in advance![/quote]


Innovation Honeys could do the job, I reckon. They're not incredibly low tension, but much looser feeling than most steel cored strings like Spirocores, and they're easy to get a decent bowed sound out of.

[TheRev]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='1037002' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:41 PM']£230 for strings ? [/quote]


Oh yes. Could be worse, a set of proper orchestral gut strings can set you back £350 or more. Velvet are great though, well worth the money as long as I get a couple of years out of them.

Edited November 25, 2010 by TheRev

[mybass]

[quote name='macclad' post='1036947' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:06 PM']Hi i'm in the market for a set of lower tension strings to suit mostly pizz although a small amount of bowing might happen ,Clarky has recommended Innovation silver slaps but i'm not sure if they are ok for bowing, has anyone any suggestions ,many thanks in advance![/quote]

Maybe Thomastik Weichs?
Although D B strings are costly to expensive, they do last a long long time.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' post='1037024' date='Nov 25 2010, 09:58 PM']Innovation Honeys could do the job, I reckon. They're not incredibly low tension, but much looser feeling than most steel cored strings like Spirocores, and they're easy to get a decent bowed sound out of.[/quote]
I happen to have a near-mint set for sale (see other thread in DB/EUB forum)

[macclad]

So to summarise,nylon core strings tend to be looser but are fatter than steel core,whereas steel core can have a a higher tension but they are generally not as thick??? Is this correct?

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='macclad' post='1037785' date='Nov 26 2010, 02:01 PM']So to summarise,nylon core strings tend to be looser but are fatter than steel core,whereas steel core can have a a higher tension but they are generally not as thick??? Is this correct?[/quote]

Not necessarily, no - it seems to me that materials and also the structure of the core play a part. The synthetic core in my old Evahs certainly didn't make them any less stiff, they were brutish strings. Whereas I just stuck spiros on my bass today and they are much easier.

If you look you can maybe find tension figures for the strings you're considering, many of the manufacturers publish this info.

[TheRev]

[quote name='macclad' post='1037785' date='Nov 26 2010, 02:01 PM']So to summarise,nylon core strings tend to be looser but are fatter than steel core,whereas steel core can have a a higher tension but they are generally not as thick??? Is this correct?[/quote]

As a general rule of thumb, yes.

But steel core strings can vary a lot in tension between solid steel core and braided core. Some players use solo tuning steel core strings detuned to concert pitch to get a suitably low tension.
As for thickness, the Velvet Garbos (silk core) on my Eminence are pretty thick and are almost the same size from the G to the E, which takes a bit of getting used to at first, but Velvet Animas are similar in thickness to a set of mmedium Helicore Hybrids.