Good old Weichs!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Terry McDougal

But the Weichs are easy enough to bow. Which was where I started. I've just changed my strings around again lately. I settled on BCs because they are easier for quick bowing, but it was a close contest with the Weichs. As we say back home:
We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns!

Yes, the Weichs are easier to Bow than the full reds no doubt. The BCs/BelCantos are far better for bowing as are the Pirastro Orchestra strings as well. Personally, I use and like Belcantos but favor the Pirastro orchestra strings for tone. The new Passione strings are actually fun to play whereas the Belcanto's work as well, just not as much fun.

[Terry McDougal]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Yes, the Weichs are easier to Bow than the full reds no doubt. The BCs/BelCantos are far better for bowing as are the Pirastro Orchestra strings as well. Personally, I use and like Belcantos but favor the Pirastro orchestra strings for tone. The new Passione strings are actually fun to play whereas the Belcanto's work as well, just not as much fun.

Are the Passione strings a bit stiffer? What are they like for pizz?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Terry McDougal

Are the Passione strings a bit stiffer? What are they like for pizz?

I have only tried the regular gauge so far and they are so so soft under the fingers. They Bow so smooth and easy I just love them on all 4 basses I have used them on so far. As for Pizz, it's not a buzzy jazz type sound at all like the Spiros. Kind of like a mix of Belcantos and Flexocor 92s in a blender. More of a 92 type gauge/thickness and the tension similar or in between the Weich and regular Evahs. Not too loose unless you pound it with the bow and not tight at all. As a matter of fact, I raised my strings slightly on the two basses I have them on that I use most.

Not a Hybrid string if you want a plain jazz string. The sound is deep and shorter on the pizz with a true fundamental in tone.

For a bowing hybrid string, the Spiro weichs work well for some basses. Still, they might be a bot bright or thin sounding as compared to an orchestra bass with orchestra strings.

Guys n Gals, I want to point out that I am judging this from playing mainly older Orchestra grade basses. Some not as old but still, finer instruments in price and tone than any ply, hybrid or modern factory bass in general. If the bass you have is in that range then my findings might be different than yours. You must judge for yourself what works for your bass, your ears and your playing.

[Eddue Johnson]

Questions for the more experienced arco players:

I know spiros will stand out in an orchestra but what about for solo or maybe auditions, would spirocore weich be a good choice?

Second question:

Does the compromises that have to be made to be a good hybrid string prevent it from excelling at both arco and pizz? Or is it possible for a string to be excellant for both (not just adequate) jazz and orchestra?

[Bin Hire]

Number two is a tough question Euddie.
I must be honest and say that I have not found the answer.
I accept that we are all different. We all see beauty in different things.
Nothing stays the same. Could a perfect string actually exist?
Maybe it is our quest as musicians to take something that isn't perfect and to make it work on our terms?

[Terry McDougal]

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh. "
George Bernard Shaw

Bin, I see your point.

[Bin Hire]

Yes and...
"There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic. "
Anaïs Nin

[Eddue Johnson]

Yes, point understood.

But since we are discussing hybrid strings, I think it might be asking too much for a string to excel at both jazz and orchestra settings as long as it can perform well at either. And considering that Spiros (weich included) are designed to be an orchestra string which is accepted by many to be the go to string for jazz it seem to qualify as a good hybrid string.

[Scott Pope]

OK, now that TI has two sets of Spiro Weichs, the 4/4 S42 set and the 3/4 3885 set, which set is being being referred to in the above posts? Thanks.