Thomastik Spirocore Solo Double Bass 3/4

This review does not actually pertain to the 3/4 Solo's I just bought, it pertains to the 3 sets of Spiro's I bought earlier, in '83 and '84. All are still doing well, and I did not buy the new set as a replacement, just for another instrument.

In my mind Spiro's are the ultimate jazz strings, and arco they do well too, but require precise bowing. Beyond that, their character is described sufficiently elsewhere.

If after 10 years or so they get darker because of dirt, grime & BLO, you can take them off & wipe them clean with a rag & solvent, and they are back to the perfect 1 year old string. So while I originally thought they were very expensive (then about the same as now, but back then that was quite a lot), they are actually very cost-effective strings.

Any upright player knows these strings. They are excellent quality, medium to low tension, bright sound and great sustain. The tricky part comes when you have to play arco: depending on the bass and on the setup, many (me included) find the G and the D string a little too bright, especially when the set is brand new. The highest pitches do not sound great with arco on the top Spiros. I'll repeat, of course it always depends on the bass, but I wouldn't recommend to have a G spiro to play Bottesini or Koussevitzky. On the other side, I would never exchange the punch and the power of the A and E strings, even when bowed. Right now my bass is E and A Spiros and D and G Obligatos.
Last but not least: of all the strings I tried, Spirocores are definitely the ones with the longest lifespan.
Conclusion is that if you have to only play jazz with your bass, this set will probably suit you fine. For those who need to play different styles, try them on and find out what do they do for you!

These strings are really fun to play! And they're a great all-rounder for pizzicato, arco and slap.

I use Thomastik Spirocore Solos at concert tension (EADG) rather than scordatura/solo tuning (F#BEA). This gives the low-tension feel of gut strings, while providing a decent string surface for bowing which is important to me.

At this lower tension, Solos are considerably darker sounding than the rest of the Spirocore range, and have less sustain. I find this easier to control than the heavier Spirocores, which have a tendency to almost 'play themselves'.

Again, at this pitch they are relatively quiet when played acoustically, but behave better when amplified. And they still have that signature growl.