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Thomastic Medium String Set.
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of A-string.
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Recognised as the "standard" string for jazz players
worldwide - the "Meds" are an absolute King of strings
for the pizzicato player. The sound is nice and bright, there is
punch, there is growl and there is lots and lots and lots of sustain.
Using the bow produces loud, hard-scratchy sounds which don't sound
good at all to UK musicians. On the other hand some Continental
orchestral players and soloists just love the clarity and projection
that these strings can make. At a distance the hardness is not
perceived or heard by the listener.
Spirocore strings are much favoured by jazz bassists
because they are well suited for amplified pick-up tone. The sound
is full and homogenous, balanced and voluminous and the strings
are very stable in keeping their pitch.
Players with specialist requirements are really
well catered for with Spirocore Medium. Available to order are
a low-C, low-B and high-C in both 4/4 and 3/4 size with an extension-C
available in 4/4 size. In addition sets are available in 1/2 and
1/4 size.
For those of you who use A (first string), D (second
string), G (third string), C (fourth string) tuning there are sets
available in both 4/4 size and 3/4 size. This tuning was made popular
by Keith Moore 'Red' Mitchell (20/09/27 – 08/11/92) and are
known as the Red Mitchell Set.
The quality of sound that a particular string makes
is largely due to the type of material used for the core and the
type of material that is spun around the core. The core of the
Spirocore string is made from a flexible spiral steel which has
a greater elasticity than that of a conventional string. According
to the manufacturers this translates to "less inertia and a higher
propensity to musical vibration".
Yes - in terms of the steel string it certainly
does. It was in 1919 that violin maker Dr Franz Thomastic and civil
engineering specialist Otto Infeld co-founded the company Thomastik
Infeld in Vienna and invented a string that was to revolutionise
the way in which strings were manufactured.
Today the company has around 190 employees, produces over 3000
different types of string annually and exports to more than 100
different countries.
Yes - the company employs a team of specialized
technicians who work in its very own research lab while in other
workshops the company even constructs and manufactures its own
string making machines.
Yes - a simple Roman numeral stamped on to one side
of the ball end of each string has made putting a string onto the
wrong cog virtually impossible. The G-string being identified as ‘I'
- the E-string being identified as ‘IV'. On the other side
of the ball end an ‘O' identifies that the string is of
Orchestral pitch - an ‘S' identifies the string as being
for Solo tuning.
Thomastic Infeld has always maintained a close working
relationship between many of the stars of the classical, jazz and
pop world and their highly trained staff. The policy has certainly
paid dividends for the Company on two counts. One - it insures
that the product is consistently high in quality and two - it insures
the product benefits from the patronage and endorsement of a
long and mighty-impressive list of big names.
Endorsing artists past and present include;
Ray Brown (See inside front cover of Double Bassist
No 17 - Summer 2001, 18, 20-21. See also the 70th Birthday celebration
advert on the back outside cover of Double Bassist No2 - Autumn/Winter
1996. Issue 22 - Autumn 2002 inside front cover Farewell Tribute).
Marc Johnson (See inside front cover of Double Bassist No 27 -
30, 36-37).
Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson (See inside cover of Double Bassist
No 32 + 33).
Wayne Darling (See inside cover of Double Bassist No 19. Also page
60 of Double Bassist No 3 - Spring/Summer 1997).
Essiet Essiet (See inside cover of Double Bassist No 31 - Winter
2004. Also issues 32 + 33).
David Friesen (See inside cover of Double Bassist No 32 + 33).
Yes - you couldn't really ask for anyone with a
bigger profile than Ray Brown to endorse your product. In a career
that spanned over half a century Ray played in just about every
major night club and concert hall in the world and is credited
with over 2000 recordings - making him one of the most recorded
artists in musical history. Ray was a founding member of the Dizzy
Gillespie / Charlie Parker Quintet and was for 16years a member
of the Oscar Peterson Trio. He was also the regular bassist on
Norman Grantz's "Jazz
at the Philharmonic" tours and was husband and musical director
to Ella Fitzgerald. Ray won Grammys, readers polls and critic's
polls and over the years formed a close friendship with Peter Infeld
(1942-2009) - the former owner and CEO of the Thomastic Infeld
Company.
Yes - the "Show your colour" advert was used regularly
in the Double Bassist magazine (See Double Bassist inside cover
issues No5 - Spring 1998, Nos 6 - 8, 11 -14, 23, 34 - 35) and really
stood out from the crowd. In the full page advert - a warmly wrapped
bassist is playing at night on what appears to be a street in Vienna.
It seems strange - considering it is at night - that we are unable
to see the musician's eyes as he is wearing dark glasses - but
get the vibe from the blurred movements of his hands and the strings
that he is in a bit of a ‘zone' and thoroughly enjoying himself.
The instrument that he is playing is strongly constructed in the
Viennese tradition and has five strings. The advert is in black
and white - all except for the word ‘Colour' and the lower
string windings which - because they are in brilliant red - metaphorically
speaking hit you straight in the eye. Rather like a trade-mark
you immediately identify that the strings being used by this musician
are the hand-made Spirocore Medium made by the Thomastic Infeld
of Vienna. Excellent stuff.
After some nine years of highly successful usage the "Show
your colour" advert was finally modified. The modifications
were only slight though. From Double Bassist Issue 40 - Spring
2007 the advert shows a coiled string with the new - much more
modern - style of packet superimposed over the original advert.
A truly great product, a huge range of specialist
strings and great marketing has enabled the Thomastic Medium to
dominate the world's jazz scene for over three decades. Indeed
- it really is difficult to imagine how the brilliance of this
string can ever be surpassed.
Set number: S42 (4/4 size); 3885,O (3/4-size);
String length: 4/4 – 110cm; 3/4 – 104-106cm
Gauge: 3/4 G – 1.35mm, D – 1.65mm, A – 2.16mm,
E – 2.93mm
Tension: 4/4 G – 30.0kg, D – 32.0kg, A – 34.0kg,
E – 34.0kg
Tension: 3/4 G – 30.5kg, D – 31.0kg, A – 32.0kg,
E – 33.0kg
String description: Spiral steel core, chrome wound
Pegbox colour code: Red
Tailpiece colour code: Red
Special orders: 4/4 Low C (S40), Low B (S41), Extension C (S44),
High-C (S35)
Special orders: 3/4 Low C (3885,6), Low B (3885,7), High-C (3885,1)
Special sizes: 1/2 (Set No 3887,0), 1/4 (Set No 3874,0)
Special sizes string length: 1/2 - 96.5cm; 1/4 - 90.5cm
Special order: Red Mitchell Set (tuning in 5ths): 4/4 size (Set
No 3986,0), 3/4 size (Set No 3985,0)
Price : UK£165.00
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