Hi, it's Geoff from discoverdoublebass.com.
That's the home of online video double bass
lessons, and there's also a whole bunch of
string reviews over there.
And I'm doing one today for Thomastik-Infeld's
Spirocore Weich sets, which is the light gauge
Spirocore string currently provided for me
by Thomastik, so big thanks for sending these
across.
I'm going to do some playing examples, both
pizzicato and arco, and let you know how I've
got on with these strings on my bass.
So, let's get into it.
So Thomastik Spirocore are the string which
really all of the strings are judged against.
They're a very traditional set that have been
around for ages, and if you've listened to
any recordings by bass players, such as Ray
Brown, Dave Holland, there's a whole bunch
of wonderful players who will have used Spirocores.
Pretty much every jazz bass player, at some
point, will have played a double bass with
Spirocore strings on.
I'm a big fan of the light gauge, the Weichs,
which are the ones I'm trying out today.
And I know that Ray Brown, at the end of his
career, used this set.
There are also some really amazing modern
players, such as Marco Panascia, who use these
and get a great sound from them.
Now, they're a bit brighter than many of the
synthetic strings that are out there, such
as the Evah Pirazzi which I often play, so
they cut through the mix a little bit more,
and they've got a great kind of clarity of
tuning.
You can really hear exactly what's going on
under the left hand.
Now, one of the things that people talk about
are, because they're quite bright, it can
mean that they're a bit more challenging with
the bow than, say, a full orchestral string
like Thomastik Belcanto, which is a great
orchestra set.
But I found that the Weich gauge set that
I'm using now actually start really easily,
and I like the clarity of pitch.
So let's hear how they sound, just the open
string.
They all sort of start very cleanly.
I don't have any problems with these.
I think they've got a really singing quality
that I like, and there's a lot of clarity.
I can really hear what I'm playing.
Yeah, they really cut through very well.
I think they're a fantastic kind of string
under the bow.
They might be a little bit bright if you're
playing in an orchestra section, but I actually
really like them.
Also, pizzicato, they're just terrific.
They've got a really classic kind of tone.
Yeah, they're a really nice kind of sounding
pizzicato string.
I like the clarity that you get from them.
You can really play quite quietly and still
hear all of the notes under the fingers, especially
if you're playing chords.
So, for instance...
Another thing to consider when you're choosing
strings is how long they last, and the great
thing about Spirocore and other metal core,
steel core kind of strings, is that they last
for years, and they generally sound better,
in my opinion, over time.
I find that a new set of Spirocore strings
is too bright and it takes a little bit of
playing, maybe a couple of weeks, just to
settle down, and I've really enjoyed hearing
that with my playing whilst I've had these
on my bass.
So, sort of bear that in mind, that these
strings will improve and they will literally
last for years and years and years.
You could probably do a decade's worth of
playing, and I'm sure there are many bass
players who've done more than that, whereas
a synthetic string is likely to need to be
changed, I don't know, maybe annually, as
they'll lose their brightness and eventually
become too dull.
With Spirocore, they just kind of mellow down,
but you can keep the strings on for years,
which is a really nice kind of benefit.
So yeah, fantastic string.
I've really enjoyed having them on my bass
for the last month.
I've done a whole range of different gigs,
some using the bow, amplified, pizzicato gigs.
They've worked great.
I really like the way that they feel under
the left and right hands, there's not too
much tension on my bass, and the clarity of
pitch is really appealing.
It helps me play more in tune when I can hear
better while I'm actually playing.
Anyway, that was my experience.
Let me know what your thoughts are.
I'm sure that many of you will have played
Spirocore strings at some point in the past,
so jump into the comments, let me know how
you got on.
Keep practicing hard, and I'll see you next
time.
