New Eurosonic Orchestra Strings!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Joel Larsson

Hm. I am for obvious reasons quite interested in strings that seem to fare well with a Pöllmann Bussetto. A Bel Canto set should arrive soon; if I am not satisfied, I suppose I could do some pioneering with those Eurosonics.

These are sweeter sounding than the Bels which I think are slightly dry sounding and with slightly less color.

You are in Europe? There they are sold under the Presto name but make sure it's the new Orchestra set, light gauge. That is what I have and use here.

[stkowalski]

hi ken,

first time posting here. after reading this thread for a few months i decided to take your advice. now, i have tried many strings in my day and have never been impressed with any strings for orchestra playing/solo playing. the best choice for me was always the flexocor (red bottoms) thin verison for the upper three strings and a stark spirocore for the E string. I tried the bel cantos and they where great sounding strings in the lower end of my old italian bass. but i hated playing anything in thumb position, the tension was just too much. since i am always looking for the best string i tried your eurosonics light tension for the upper three strings and the medium for the E string. at first i was a little sceptical, i like the way the strings felt with the bow and everything seemed easy for the left hand. the only problem was that it seemed the D string and A string were a bit tinny, bright, almost metalic sounding. the following week i was teaching a lesson and asked my student to play my italian bass with the eurosonics. after moving only five feet away i was blown away with the sound. the bright, tinny, metalic sound disappeared and the bass sounded louder and fuller then ever!! these strings are amazing, thank you ken for talking about these strings.

[Anselm Hauke]

Originally Posted by stkowalski

..... my old italian bass. .....

hi mr kowalski, welcome to the forum where everybody wants to see pictures of old italian basses...

[Eric Rene Roy]

Yes Mr. KOWALSKI, lets see some pictures!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by stkowalski

hi ken,

first time posting here. after reading this thread for a few months i decided to take your advice. now, i have tried many strings in my day and have never been impressed with any strings for orchestra playing/solo playing. the best choice for me was always the flexocor (red bottoms) thin verison for the upper three strings and a stark spirocore for the E string. I tried the bel cantos and they where great sounding strings in the lower end of my old italian bass. but i hated playing anything in thumb position, the tension was just too much. since i am always looking for the best string i tried your eurosonics light tension for the upper three strings and the medium for the E string. at first i was a little sceptical, i like the way the strings felt with the bow and everything seemed easy for the left hand. the only problem was that it seemed the D string and A string were a bit tinny, bright, almost metalic sounding. the following week i was teaching a lesson and asked my student to play my italian bass with the eurosonics. after moving only five feet away i was blown away with the sound. the bright, tinny, metalic sound disappeared and the bass sounded louder and fuller then ever!! these strings are amazing, thank you ken for talking about these strings.

Ok, first off, message me with your real full name as required for the Forum and then update your 'Profile' with an actual location. Please, thank you.

Then, maybe instead of this,

first time posting here. after reading this thread for a few months i decided to take your advice. now, i have tried

you can post like this in the future,

First time posting here. After reading this thread for a few months I decided to take your advice. Now, I have tried... etc..

Oh, and the typos .. Late for a Gig with that old Italian bass?.. lol

Oh, and yes, these strings do sound good for the money on all of the Basses I have tried them on. Under the ear (like on so many basses and strings) they are not as pleasant as they are from a distance.

Because they do not make a low C extension string (and I like all 4 matched for sound) I don't use them on any of my regular Basses which are all Low C/Extension equipped. Other than that, they are a good string to add to the menu.

[Calvin Marks]

Ken, are these the Eurosonics (aka Prestos), you speak of?

http://www.presto-strings.com/nw.html

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product...S_STRINGS.html

I notice they come in ultra light, light and medium but on the PRESTO sight they mention that you should use SANDPAPER on the strings where you bow...

[Drake Chan]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Ken, are these the Eurosonics (aka Prestos), you speak of?

http://www.presto-strings.com/nw.html

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product...S_STRINGS.html

I notice they come in ultra light, light and medium but on the PRESTO sight they mention that you should use SANDPAPER on the strings where you bow...

Nope. Those are the regular nylon-wound Eurosonics. They're meant to be used by bluegrass and rockabilly players who slap, as they are a low-tension "gut substitute" string.

The Eurosonic Orchestrals are a steel-wound strings for orchestral playing (duh). Quinn carries them (the second row).

http://www.quinnviolins.com/qv_eurosonicbass.shtml

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

Ken, are these the Eurosonics (aka Prestos), you speak of?

http://www.presto-strings.com/nw.html

http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product...S_STRINGS.html

I notice they come in ultra light, light and medium but on the PRESTO sight they mention that you should use SANDPAPER on the strings where you bow...

The ones we have which Presto I believe makes to a design I developed for JR Music is a steel string like a Flexocor. I only have the light gauge but we did develop a medium gauge. I re-termed them as Regular and 'Firm' I believe as the Lights feel normal and just about the same gauge thickness. The Mediums are just stiffer. I have the proto-type medium set on a bass at home. I only carry the ones they call light.

Unfortunately, JR Music is using the exact same name to sell both styles of strings hence the confusion. Contact them for more information if you need.

[Martin Sheridan]

Ken,
I got around to trying these strings recently and I think they're fantastic.
Rich sent me a set called "light" but they are really a medium gage to me and he commented that they were going to change the designation to that. Anyway, they pizz and bow very well and are therefore a great string for me to use to show my basses. I'm planning on getting two more sets asap.
Thank you for telling us about these strings.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Martin Sheridan

Ken,
I got around to trying these strings recently and I think they're fantastic.
Rich sent me a set called "light" but they are really a medium gauge to me and he commented that they were going to change the designation to that. Anyway, they pizz and bow very well and are therefore a great string for me to use to show my basses. I'm planning on getting two more sets asap.
Thank you for telling us about these strings.

Yes martin, I agree on that Gauge naming thing. Measuring these and the set they marked Medium while testing the samples I found them to be almost the same exact diameter for each string.

I call this Light labeled set 'Regular' gauge and the one they call medium, 'high tension'. I happen to have that 'medium'/high tension set right here at home on my '97 Shen/Gemunder 1000 model.

I agree that they bow well and Pizz well. They are not the best Bowing or the best Pizz/Jazz string one can buy but they do deserve a spot in line with them. My problem with these strings is not the strings themselves but the fact they don't make a c-extension model. I was told that their machine cannot make them any longer than they are now. Also, when trying these on bigger basses like my 4/4 Gamba or 7/8 Mougenot, they barely reached the most upper Tuning gear. The Mougenot is closer to a 4/4 in its string length need as the neck is quite long and the peg box is as well.

They are what they are to me. A good string that works well for the bow and fingers combined. The price is slightly cheaper than the Pirastro or Thomastik line of strings. Still, I use the more expensive ones because of the C-extension issue. I am not one to mix brands or styles within a set. I like the tone and tension even across the bass.

I am glad to hear you like them. I got just about 'zero' credit for helping with their design. My fingers remember them well from changing and testing strings but unless I tell someone, they will never know I was even involved in their development. I worked only with/thru Rich at JR and in turn, JR worked with Presto. Presto probably doesn't know I was involved unless someone tells them. No problemo, I just wanted the string in the end and got it..