Spirocore Red's, Orchestral ??

[Ken Smith]

If anyone has protested Spiro Reds for Orchestral Bowing on line, I was one of them and made no secret of it. So, let me voice my new interest about this.

Years ago when I played in NY using my Old Italian Bass, I used a few kinds of strings from time to time but most often, I used Spiro Reds. I bowed on them just fine and usually used that string on all my other basses as well. I don't think there were Starks on the market yet. I think I heard of Solo/Yellow tips and later on Weich/purple tips but had never used or even seen them that I can recall.

Now, with that said, I have seen a few classical soloists using Spiro Solos and in Europe, I have seen a bass or two with Reds on them, Orchestral players. Now, Belcantos came out only a few years ago so if Reds weren't being used by many in the Orchestras then that would mean Thomastic was selling Spiros to mostly Jazz players. Sounds right? Well, I could easily be totally wrong here on that.

I think here in USA we like that smooth sound under the Bow but many of the European players play with a bit more edge in Orchestras from what I have seen in Youtube videos. Maybe it has something to do with playing their own domestic-like music, maybe not.

A few weeks ago I had some basses come in from Europe to set-up and sell here. One had super high action mainly due to a low overstand on the neck but, it had Spiro Reds on it. The G about 11-12mm and the E about 13-14mm off the end of the fingerboard. By the way, that set-up is about what Virtuoso Bassist Leon Bosch uses. He told me this but when I played his Bass, I saw how that felt. I could barely press the strings down!

So, Mr. Bosch and his action preference aside, this modern English copy with super high actioned Spiros, bowed as smooth as anything. When I sent the Bass with a few others out for set-up with one of the Luthiers I gave him some new sets of strings for the other Basses but said "put the Spiros back on that Bass after you move the Neck out".

Now, on my main personal Bass I have used various sets over the last few years including Flex 92s, Belcantos, Jargar med., Passione Starks and now the new Kaplans, in that order. I have tried at least as many strings that I didn't like for that Bass but those 4 sets mentioned are welcomed any time. Of the others I have tried, they found homes on other basses of mine so nothing went to waste. Also, of the ones I used for just a few months, they went on to other basses.

So now, when these Kaplans wear out of I get tired of them, I think I owe it to my own curiosity to try some Spiro Reds.

I will point out that in the past few years, I have had a few basses come in with Spiro Solos and Weichs as well. They Bowed ok for Spiros on those basses that were however set-up for Jazz but, the tone was too thin for my ears.

So please share your thoughts, opinions, observations or experiences with Spiro reds for Orchestral Bowing.