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-   -   Thomastik Bel Canto Strings (http://www.smithbassforums.com//showthread.php?t=83)

Mike Cox 02-03-2007 12:56 PM

Thomastik Bel Canto Strings
 
Does anybody have any info on the playability/sound of Thomastik Bel Canto Strings?

Ken Smith 02-03-2007 08:15 PM

T-Bells..
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Cox (Post 442)
Does anybody have any info on the playability/sound of Thomastik Bel Canto Strings?

I played these on a few Basses up at Arnolds and they were nice. Not as sweet as Flexocors on some Basses I have played but thicker sounding and better Bowing than any other string I have played from Thomastic which include a few of the Spirocore gauges and the Superflexibles.

Since they are in the same range price wise as the other Bowing strings, I would give them a shot if I haven't found my string yet.

Arnold seems to like them as do many others that have discussed it over on TB but the reviews were mixed as well. I think the Bass and the playing style has a lot to do with it as well not to mention the Bow you use and how well you use it!

Nick Hart 02-04-2007 02:04 PM

Belcanto's work the best on new basses. That is the consensus from a lot of people. They aren't as heavy a tension as many of the bowing strings and have a lot more spin to them, so on newer basses (such as mine) that really need caressing to be played, they sound great. Also there is virtually no break in time. These things are great right out of the package.

In the studio here, everybody with a new bass has them and the sound has improved 10 fold, because of the lighter tension and because of the ease of playability. The kids with older basses don't use them but a couple have use the E (which is a great string) and Mr. Laszlo just started using the E and A on his Ruggieri.

Ken Smith 02-04-2007 05:11 PM

Just new Basses?
 
How do they work on old Italian and English Basses from 100-300 years old? I doubt they would make a bowing string that doesn't work well on them.

In fact, lighter tensioned strings is just what is needed on many older and distressed Basses. It is usually the New Basses that need heavier strings to vibrate and break in the fresh wood.

Nick Hart 02-05-2007 01:16 PM

The problem with a lot of new basses is that they have a lot of wolfs and need consistent vibrations put on them in order to open up and create a good sound. If you have a very heavy string, with less spin, the vibrations aren't consistent.

I had Original Flexocores and a Heavy Helicore E and they just had no spin. The sound was very dead, but with the Belcantos, my bass sounds much better than it ever has.

Hey Ken, I'm pretty sure we can put some plastic strings on those 100-300 year old Italians and they will probably sound amazing.

One kid here has a old Italian attributed to Montagnana, and he has four different strings across the board. And Mr. Laszlo has 4 different strings on his Ruggieri. When you're in that situation, it's all about preference, and hopefully I'll be there some day.

Charles Arms 02-07-2007 01:08 PM

I am using them right now. I would compare the tone to Flexcor in terms of depth and color. However, they are easier to start and more supple under the left hand.

My bass is a new hybrid. It sounds better bowed than it ever has.

JoeyNaeger 02-18-2007 11:40 AM

A lot of people had their basses strung with these at TMEA. After playing on them some more, I think I will get a set. They have the fastest bow response of any string I've played, and have plenty of volume. You can't dump lots of arm weight into them like some other arco strings because they're so low tension, but I feel like its not necessary with these strings anyway.

JoeyNaeger 02-23-2007 09:05 PM

I just put a set on my bass finally, and am very pleased. The G and the D are basically perfect. I wish the A and the E were stiffer but I seem to have this problem with every set I try so perhaps it's more of a setup issue. I was worried they would be too dark, but on my bass they have plenty of color while still being very warm.

Eric Swanson 01-02-2008 03:53 PM

I have had BC's on my bass since Christmas. So far:

- Easy under the stick
- Take less arm weight than I am used to...they work better with a lighter touch
- While better than anything else I have tried except Flexocor's for arco, they lack some of the Flexo's punch, on my bass. Not worse, just a little different.
- Even across all strings
- No "choking out" when I put more arm weight/less speed on the bow and play down near the bridge...a nice, piercing sound there, when playing in TP, on all four strings (yes, even the E).
- Consistent sound from the bottom note to the top of TP
- I like the pizz sound/feel. They don't have the fretless EB thing going like Spiro Weichs can (endless sustain without effort), but they growl plenty for me. A clear, warm pizz sound, to my ear.
- Soft under the hands, supple feeling, a nicely polished surface
- A little "floppy" but not troublesome...no rolling or anything like that
- Hold their tuning really well. Virtually no stretching after the first day or two.

I like them way better than Obligatos, Helicores, Corelli's, Spiro Weich, or Thomastik Superflexibles for arco, hand's down. Not as much as Flexo for projection and edge, but they are nice in their own way.

Haven't tried the Evah Pirazzi's, Eurosonic's, or Permanents, so can't compare to those.

Katie Long 01-14-2008 07:32 PM

It seems that almost everyone over in London is switching to BC's so I'm waiting for my set now. They've got a really good reputation over here so I'm going to give them a try on my bass. Other than that I quite like the sound of the evah pirazzis that lots of people are hyping at the mo. I'll let you know what I think when I eventually get them.

Calvin Marks 01-23-2008 11:07 PM

I completely agree with Ken in terms of "what bow you use." If you don't have the most refined bow technique and you play with a heavier bow these strings will most likely roll on you. It takes a lot of patience to get these strings to work well, but when they do they sound amazing. I love every one of the strings except the E is a bit too low in tension in my opinion. My A used to roll a lot but that had to more so do with getting used to relaxing my bow arm with my new orchestral bow. Definitely try them, they are really loud and sound very warm.

Brian Casey 02-06-2008 06:16 PM

I just put a set on my 7/8 Christopher 401 Monday night and the transformation was amazing. Orchestra rehearsal Tuesday and I left happier with my personal performance than I have in a long time, probably a combination of the BC's and the Oak rosin I received on Monday as well. I had been playing 3 year old Helicores, so anything was an improvement, but I think the BC's will be my string for awhile. Yes, a little soft, but they're still solid feeling, and I'm learning to finesse them better every day.

I was most surprised by the pizz sound, which I was really enamored with. I'm now considering leaving the Pfretschner home on some upcoming jazz gig when I know I'll have plenty of room and try to big Chrissie on a night of pizz. I'll always go back to the Pfrestschner with Olivs and Spiros, but the BC's have revitalized my feelings about the Christopher. I can see some validity to the comments about BC's working best on newer basses, but can't address which ones really do better under more or less tension.

Also, my luthier, who I bought the strings from, mentioned that you can tune the BC's up to solo pitch without problems. He said he's done it himself a couple times. Anybody else hear anything like this?


Brian Casey / Tanglehead

www.myspace.com.tangle_head

Richard Prowse 07-01-2008 06:57 AM

Bel Canto Down Under
 
Take one old set of Weichs and trash them to death. Hey, these strings last forever. (Imagine a green smiley guy here)
I've just replaced my trusty set of Weichs with Bel Cantos. I bow a lot, but have to do pizz gigs too. Weichs have been kind to me... kind of like a Fender Bass (no offence Ken; I hear that your basses are miles better, but a Fender always gets the job done!) (Imagine the little face guy three rows down on the right here).
At first I noticed how similar the BCs and the Weichs were... the D & G are slightly stiffer and the E & A slightly floppier. The pizz quality is down a bit, but the arco quality is a step up! Ah, they bow well! (now imagine the white face on the left, second row down) Bow articulation is actually similar to the Weichs, on my bass, but the sound is a little darker. These strings are good! I think we'll be friends for a long while.

Eric Swanson 07-31-2008 11:59 AM

I am checking out a prototype set of Belcanto Solo. Had them on for about a week, tuned at EADG (orchestra). So far, G and D are brighter than regular BC's, A seems a little flat, and E is way too loose/quiet.

The low tension is sweet and the jazz pizz sustain is better than regular BC's. Probably going to tinker with regular BC A and E over the next few days.

I'll report back. You can get them from Thomastik-Infeld if you email them. The only "cost" is that I have to fill out a questionnaire when I am done mulling it all over.

I am hoping that they will eventually expand the line to offer Weich, Stark, and Solo. Time will tell all...

Richard Prowse 08-02-2008 08:26 AM

E Buzz
 
I've had my Bel Cantos on for a while now and I'm really happy with them. The bow sound is very good. The pizz sound has a strong bottom and I like it, though it was harder to play pizz at first... probably still is, but I really like the sound. Problem is, though, I've got this buzz in my peg box whenever I play (imagine bass guitar frets) 9th on G, 14th on D and 21st on G. Ive checked that the screws on the machine heads are tight and that the strings are securely wound. I'd really welcome any ideas on what the cause might be. When I had the Weichs on, I sometimes seemed to get a buzz on 2nd on G and 14th on G (A).

Eric Swanson 08-11-2008 02:10 PM

The prototypical set of Belcanto Solos I have been trying, tuned at orchestra pitch (EADG), are too loose for my bass, arco. Put back on the regular BC's, over the past couple of weeks.

For jazz pizz, they were sweet; like a warmer Spiro Weich. They just didn't drive the bass enough under the bow.

Oh well. I am glad that I tried them.

They were made for a whole step higher, so not a huge surprise.

Still looking for a brighter G string, so maybe I'll see how a Superflexible or Permanent G works with the Belcanto D, A, and E...

Abe Gumroyan 10-01-2008 05:46 PM

everyone in the LA Phil bass section is using Bel Canto. My teacher, oscar meza, was a long time original flexocor user. He switched over and hasn't looked back since. I heard his bass before and after the switch and hear much more nuance and depth of color. That seems to be the consensus among the entire section. The instruments in the section help a bit also .... Panormo, Gagliano, Carletti, & Fendt :D ... And that's just 4 of the instruments ... Drooool LOL

Richard Prowse 04-16-2009 08:09 PM

I've just put my Bel Canto strings back on The Gloria. They're a shade darker than the Weichs and a shade softer for pizz (the Weich pizz is better).

Joel Larsson 04-19-2009 05:35 AM

I had them on for two weeks now. It's the best set seen as a whole I've ever tried; I usually have to combine strings from different sets to make things work. At last I got A and E strings which rumble! I usually have to use gut core strings on my bass to get this sound. Flats and Flexes seem to choke the lower regions of my bass. The sound is extremely even all over the bass, and the volume is quite loud. For solo playing, I can feel that they lack some of the brilliance up high that a good solo string can provide, but it still responds well (and who cares about solo playing anyway). Pizz I found was very neutral. No annoying "mmmMMWAAAH" that can be embarrassing in a section.
Oh, and my bass is 27 years old. Maybe the age theory presented by Nick isn't out of place.

Richard Prowse 04-19-2009 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joel Larsson (Post 12367)
I had them on for two weeks now. It's the best set seen as a whole I've ever tried; I usually have to combine strings from different sets to make things work. At last I got A and E strings which rumble! I usually have to use gut core strings on my bass to get this sound. Flats and Flexes seem to choke the lower regions of my bass. The sound is extremely even all over the bass, and the volume is quite loud. For solo playing, I can feel that they lack some of the brilliance up high that a good solo string can provide, but it still responds well (and who cares about solo playing anyway). Pizz I found was very neutral. No annoying "mmmMMWAAAH" that can be embarrassing in a section.
Oh, and my bass is 27 years old. Maybe the age theory presented by Nick isn't out of place.

I played at a folk club tonight (see the Down here (NZ) thread).
I waited a long time for my turn to play and was a bit tired when I played - I think that I leaned into the Bel Canti a bit too much, but my brother, who was at the back of the small hall when I played a solo bass piece, said that the sound back there was great! I think that, when I learn not to bow them too hard, they will really come up with the goods. Their pizz sound sounded good tonight too!


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