Helicore orchestra heavy

[Thomas Erickson]

Put a set of these on a new bass and have been playing it for a couple of days. At first I wasn't digging them at all - they just scratched and squawked under the bow and were disagreeable to my left hand because they just wouldn't get moving. After having played them for about six or eight hours though I think I may have found (another) new favorite string - they've settled in very nicely and while they are still thick, stiff strings that take some effort to dig into, they really pull a rich, dark sound out of the bass and put a lot of energy back into my hands, which I like -

Anybody else want to comment on these strings?

[Eddue Johnson]

I haven't used the Helicore heavy gauge string but I currently use Thomastik Spirocore Starks.

On many basses with Thomastiks and Pirastro strings, strings are more balanced, in tone and volume, when the E(IV) is a larger gauge then the rest of the set. How well are the Helicores matched for tone and volume across the set? Is the E string overwhelmed by the other strings?

[Ken Smith]

Never heard of these. Stark strings can choke the top as well and sink it gradually so keep a close eye on your bass. It will sound darker and maybe louder but the health of the bass comes first. I only use Starks on super strong health tops and those with some decent arch to them.

On weaker tops, lighter strings let the wood vibrate more freely.

[Thomas Erickson]

Helicores (orchestra, anyway) come in three gauges; light, medium and heavy - they have the same color silks top and bottom, but there's a ring at the top to distinguish between them. Yellow ring is light, blue is medium and red is heavy.

I put this set on a new bass that is perfectly healthy and seems to be stoutly constructed - I can't imagine the heavy strings doing any harm.

As for the balance from string to string - I agree that in some sets the E tends to be on the weak side - so far these seem to match pretty well though. That could change as the bass settles in, and the strings as well. I'll be playing this bass in a few different settings over the next couple of weeks, and probably making some adjustments too - I'll post back later...

[Thomas Erickson]

Actually, yes... the E is weak compared to the rest of the set. :mad:

Anybody have an idea what might be a good match? I may try a spiro stark E, but somehow I don't think that's going to sit very well; maybe if I had one that was like twenty years old... :D

[Eddue Johnson]

What about a Helicore, hybrid or pizz, heavy of course. I'm guessing that they might be brighter and have more presence. Tonewise, should be a good match for the rest of the set.

[Thomas Erickson]

What about a Helicore, hybrid or pizz, heavy of course. I'm guessing that they might be brighter and have more presence. Tonewise, should be a good match for the rest of the set.

Good idea; a hybrid might have a little more bite with a similar feel. I've never tried the heavy hybrids or pizz before since I don't even like the medium version of either, but I'll see if I can come up with one to try.

[Thomas Erickson]

Turned out that these strings were too much for this new bass - while they sounded very good and seemed to pull a lot of sound from the rather "closed" sounding instrument, as it "opened up" over a month or so of constant playing the bass became very wolfy and uneven in its response. Switching to Original Flexocors helped, and ultimately Flexocor 92s gave more volume, slightly less overall tone produced but greatly reduced wolfiness and more even response.

I'll be interested to try these strings on some other basses now and see where they work well...