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The Best in Double Bass Strings by Maureen Pandos
The Best in Double Bass Strings by Maureen Pandos… Wow, bass strings… I could talk to you about them until I’m blue in the face. There are so many to choose from and, unfortunately, they’re not so “budget friendly” for most of us. This is where (I hope) my experience as a Luthier, who specializes in double bass will come in handy.
I’m going to start by separating this into a few sub-categories.
#1. Best strings for the money.
In my personal opinion, D’Addario makes the best strings for the money. Their Helicore series is exceptional. I personally recommend the Helicore Orchestral for my classical students and clients, and probably recommend the Helicore Hybrid’s most to clients who play an array of musical styles. Also, check out the synthetic gut Zyex strings. I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from customers. Generally, all their strings are reliable and consistent. They warm up well without an awful amount of “break in” time and sound pretty darn good under the bow or pizz.
#2. Most versatile set.
Hands down, Tomastik Spirocores. Initially marketed as an Orchestral string, the Spirocores have transgressed all genres. They are specifically popular among jazz musicians because of the deep growl they possess. They can be a little bit aggressive for the beginner bassist, but once you get used to their beefiness, you won’t be disappointed! Also, this string has the longest life of any string I’ve ever used; they just won’t die!
#3. Best Orchestral set.
Pirastro Obligatos or Permantents depending on whether you want darker (Obligatos) or brighter (Permanents). Both are a helluva string and you won’t be let down by Pirasto’s products. Pirastro is an older company that has been making strings for a long time (over 200 years!) So, in other words, they know what they’re doing.
#4. Best jazz set.
Spirocores. Thanks for playing.
#5. Best solo set.
Tomastik Dominants or the Helicore Solo series. The Dominants are a bit more rigid but have a wonderful upfront, but song-like quality. The Helicores are a bit more friendly under the left hand and also have a beautiful solo voice.
#6. Best Bluegrass/Country set.
I’d have to go with the Helicore Hybrids. Very versatile and user friendly. Great under the bow, amp, and finger (pizz).
#7. Best Slapping set.
LaBella Supernils take the cake on this one. If you’re into Rock-a-billy and/or all it’s sub-genres, this is the string for you. Nylon wound and beer/sweat proof, this string slaps like no other. Plus, it’s reasonably priced so go for it! Slap the heck out of those things!
#8. Best gut-like set.
I’m a pretty big fan of the Velvet Compas strings. They are warm and user friendly and sound fantastic with very little “break in” period. Very gut-like.
#9. Best gut set.
Handmade strings by Damien Dlugolecki. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it.
#10. My personal favorite set.
Pirastro Original Flat Chromes because that’s what my teacher Homer Mensch loved and I listened to him without question.
#11. My secret personal favorite set.
Jargars. Known more for their cello strings, the Jargers are clean and bright and don’t compromise darkness for a good, straight forward sound. Give them a try, let me know what you think….
Thanks for reading! Now get practicing!
Bass Player Health
Preparing for Performance with Dr. Randy Kertz
Preparing for Performance…
This month we discuss how to prepare for a performance and easy strategies that go a long way.
Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!
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Gear Reviews
The Frank Brocklehurst 6-String Fretless Bass Build
A few months ago, my Ken Bebensee 6-string fretted bass needed some TLC. You know, the one rocking those Pink Neon strings! I scoured my Connecticut neighborhood for a top-notch luthier and got pointed to Frank Brocklehurst, F Brock Music. He swung by my place, scooped up the bass, and boom, returned it the next day, good as new. Not only that, he showed up with a custom 5-string fretted bass that blew me away. I couldn’t resist asking if he could whip up a 6-string fretless for me.
Alright, let’s break down the process here. We’ve got our raw materials: Mahogany, Maple, and Holly. Fun fact – the Mahogany and Maple have been chilling in the wood vault for a solid 13 years. Frank is serious about his wood; they buy it, stash it away, and keep an eye on it to make sure it’s stable.
First up, they’re tackling the Mahogany. Frank glues it together, then lets it sit for a few days to let everything settle and the glue to fully dry. After that, it’s onto the thickness planer and sander to get it nice and flat for the CNC machine. The CNC machine’s the real star here – it’s gonna carve out the body chambers and volume control cavity like a pro.
While the Mahogany’s doing its thing, Frank goes onto the neck core. Three pieces of quartersawn maple are coming together for this bad boy. Quartersawn means the grain’s going vertical. He is also sneaking in some graphite rods under the fingerboard for stability and to avoid any dead spots. The truss rod is going to be two-way adjustable, and the CNC machine’s doing its magic to make sure everything’s just right.
Now, onto the design phase. Frank uses CAD software to plan out the body shape, neck pocket, chambering, and those cool f-holes. I had this idea for trapezoid F-holes, just to do something different. The CAD software also helps us map out the neck shape, graphite channels, and truss-rod channel with pinpoint accuracy.
Once everything’s planned out, it’s CNC time again. Frank cuts out the body outline, neck pocket, and the trapezoid F-holes. Then it’s a mix of hand sanding and power tools to get that neck just how we like it. Oh, and those f holes? We’re going for trapezoids of different sizes – gotta keep things interesting.
Next step: gluing that neck into the pocket with some old-school hide glue. It’s got great tonal transfer and can be taken apart later if needed. Then it’s onto hand-carving that neck-body transition.
For the custom-made bridge, Frank uses brass for definition and Ebony for tonal transfer and that warm, woody sound.
BTW, for tunes, Frank went with Hipshot Ultralights with a D Tuner on the low B. This way I can drop to a low A which is a wonderful tone particularly if you are doing any demolition around your house!
Now it’s time for the side dots. Typically, on most basses, these dots sit right in the middle of the frets. But with this bass, they’re placed around the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, and 12th frets.
Frank’s got his pickup hookup. Since the pickup he was building wasn’t ready, he popped in a Nordstrand blade to give it a whirl.
It sounded good, but I was itching for that single-coil vibe! And speaking of pickups, Frank showed me the Holly cover he was cutting to match, along with all the pink wire – talk about attention to detail!
A couple of things, while it is important for me to go passive, it is equally important for me to just go with a volume knob. Tone knobs are really just low-pass filters and the less in the way of a pure sound for me, the better.
Finally, it’s string time! As usual, I went for the DR Pink Neon strings. Hey, I even have matching pink Cons…Both low tops and high!
Once we’ve got everything tuned up and settled, we’ll give it a day or two and then tweak that truss rod as needed. And voila, we’ve got ourselves a custom-made bass ready to rock and roll.
I want to thank Frank Brocklehurst for creating this 6 string beast for me.
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Bass Videos
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes…
It is always great to meet a super busy bassist who simply exudes a love for music and his instrument. Erick “Jesus” Coomes fits this description exactly. Hailing from Southern California, “Jesus” co-founded and plays bass for Lettuce and has found his groove playing with numerous other musicians.
Join us as we hear of his musical journey, how he gets his sound, his ongoing projects, and his plans for the future.
Photo, Bob Forte
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www.lettucefunk.com
IG @jesuscsuperstar
FB@jesuscoomes
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Bass Videos
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
“These stories from the front are with real-life, day-to-day musicians who deal with work life and gigging and how they make it work out. Each month, topics may include… the kind of gigs you get, the money, dealing with less-than-ideal rooms, as well as the gear you need to get the job done… and the list goes on from there.” – Steve the Bass Guy and Shawn Cav
Preparing for Performance with Dr. Randy Kertz
Interview With Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #2 – Financial Elements of Working Musicians
Tour Touch Base (Bass) with Ian Allison
