Double Bass Innovation braided, orchestra

M

MartinBorgen

Jun 21, 2010
402
1
4,846
Stockholm, Sweden, Europe
#1
Hello. I'm trying a new bass, fully carved, and allthough the sound is wonderful, I hear a slight high-frequency buzz (similar to that of a tape casette while "silent") when I bow it. It's, like the title says, Innovation braided strings, orchestra.

Is this anything you've experienced? I should also mention that I have black hair, carbon bow and use pops rosin.

I can imagine it being due to the strings are new (or even the bass being new). But just to get some input.


Of course, some buzz is always there, but this sounds like it transmits through the bass pretty well.
 
#2
Hi Martin,

I'm not sure what you mean exactly. As you said, there is always some buzz with bowing, probably a bit more than other string types made for bowing, but not annoying to my ear. With less bow weight and more bow speed it could be reduced a bit.
What are the strings you are familiar with and that don't buzz that way?

My advice: Play the strings intensivly with the bow for at least two weeks. If G and D sound OK the A and E may need some more time to get there.

Also black hair, the simple Glasser fiberglas german bow and Nymans rosin.

Maybe you would be happier with the Honeys. The Braided have some high frequencies that I like pizzed, the Honeys don't have the highs but more lower midrange. Could be bowed too, but I liked the Braided better for bowing. (I changed from Honeys to Braided for orchestra two weeks ago because of the better bowing. But the bass needed three or four days to accomodate to the new strings. I changed a bit late.)

Jörg
 
#3
Ah, yes, I'm comparing mainly to Obligatos - and some various other strings of extreme age that I don't know the brand of (in other words, school basses I borrow on the spot for rehearsals).

Since It's a borrowed bass, I'm reluctant to change strings, even a single one, and I'm worried that maybe this bass amplifies unwanted noises - even though It's probably a relatively small possibility.

Basically, if I find these to buzz more than (new) obligatos, is everything in order or does this sound very weird?
 
#5
I only tried a high C Obligato yet, but I would say that there is less high frequency content the sound of the Obligato than in the sound of the Innovation Braided. The reason could be the higher tension, probably also the higher stiffness (at least when new) of the Obligato.
But think of naked gut strings. There is always some buzz going on when bowing. Maybe I still have a bit the viola da gamba gut string sound in my head so this is nothing I would care about personally. You might think different about this.
I'm happy that I can hear my intonation better with the Braided than with Evah Weich. Obligato has too much tension for me on the 109 cm scale and doesn't feel good in my left hand.
 
#6
I tested to change the G string to an obligato, and the result was sligtly better. Somewhat less low end perhaps (hard to tell on the G-string), but less buzz and easier to bow. Slightly more raw-metallic-ish tone though. Made me feel better about the bass, the unwanted characteristic is the string and not the bass.
 
#7
A (wound) gut might be possible for the G too.
There are some other braided synthetic core strings you might want to try:
Super Sensitive Sensicore (probably even lower tension than Innovation Braided)
Kolstein Heritage
Evah Pirazzi (high tension, very dark and limited sustain)
Evah Pirazzi Weich (dark and better sustain)
(downtuned) Evah Pirazzi Solo

An downtuned Evah Pirazzi Solo A as well as the Sensicore might fit the Innovation Braided tension best, if you only want another G. Don't know the Heritage's tension.

If it's only the G that buzzes, contact Innovation for a replacement string, it might have been faulty. (I had problems with a aluminium wound high C that was folded into my mailbox. It buzzed, the replacement was fine.) If the unpleasant sound goes with all four strings you might want to try something else.

Some people like an upper strings Obligato lower strings Spirocore mix. More tension than Innovation Braided, but if you don't mind...
 
#8
Ah, I changed the G only because I diddn't want to change all the strings on a bass I diddn't own. The G is the least tension, so less hassle and less things that could go wrong.

The most buzzy are both G and D, while the A and E fills my whole room with a wonderful rumble. I just bought the bass though; so soon I will see how it behaves with a full set of Obligatos, then I can compare the two and see if there's any direction I want to go from there.

I did however realize that I need to keep some fresh rosin on to get the Innovation strings to follow where I want to go (minimizes the buzz too), and that also applies to the obligatos on this bass compared to obligatos on my hybrid. Weird...
 
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