D'adario helicore pizz and the eternal quest

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Sergio Netto

I was using D'Addario Helicore Pizzcato medium strings in my bass and their sound was pretty good for jazz pizz, but when I bought my first set, the E string broke when I was tunning it. I contacted D'Addario and they sent me another E string. Then when I bought my second set of the same strings and put it on my bass, the same problem occurred with the E string. It has broken at the same place, near the roller.
I read in internet an advice for blending the Spirocore S42 E & A Med. double bass strings with Pirastro Obligato D & G bass strings.
I'm currently using Thomastik Spirocore Solo medium, but I don't like the D and G sound pretty much. I would like to try mixing the Spirocore E and A with Pirasto Obligatos D and G, but it's an expensive experience.
Can anyone help me?

You posted this twice, so I'll answer you a different way here. I have used Spiro Mittel E and A with Obligatos and I think it is a good combination, especially if you use the bow and want an easier bowing D and G string. I don't think the solo spiro E and A would match up too well with the Oblis as the tension would be very different.

[Mark Stefaniw]

Nobody's talking about these strings over at the TB forum, and I am happy to see that we are over here -- albeit a while ago.

Currently, my setup is: Spiro mitt extended-E, spiro weich A/D, Olive G. The A is a bit weak on my bass, and I'm getting tired of having to muscle the E string around with the bow. The Olive-G is glorious, and the D is "meh-OK". I'd like a bit more growl and power on the E and A, and hopefully be easier to bow.

So I want to try a "poor man's" version of this same setup: Helicore Pizzicato med extended-E and A, with Zyex medium D&G on top.

1. Has anybody tried the extended-E helicore pizzicato string?
2. Would pizz meds be a good combo with zyex meds?

- Mark

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Mark Stefaniw

Nobody's talking about these strings over at the TB forum, and I am happy to see that we are over here -- albeit a while ago.

Currently, my setup is: Spiro mitt extended-E, spiro weich A/D, Olive G. The A is a bit weak on my bass, and I'm getting tired of having to muscle the E string around with the bow. The Olive-G is glorious, and the D is "meh-OK". I'd like a bit more growl and power on the E and A, and hopefully be easier to bow.

So I want to try a "poor man's" version of this same setup: Helicore Pizzicato med extended-E and A, with Zyex medium D&G on top.

1. Has anybody tried the extended-E helicore pizzicato string?
2. Would pizz meds be a good combo with zyex meds?

- Mark

If you want an Orchestra set-up, stay with bowing strings. Having a modern bass, you will get plenty of pizz from most sets. Using a Pizz string will make bowing very difficult and not pleasing to the ear. To MY ear, Helicore orchestra strings ARE Pizz strings than can be bowed. They are not as mellow as Belcantos of Flexocors and even those Pizz well to my ear as I have used them on several OLD English and Italian basses for Jazz gigs as well as Orchestra playing with the exact same set-up.