Setup and Strings

When playing the bass in the way described in this thesis, using pizzicato- and arco harmonics in conjunction with “traditional” bass playing the result will vary somewhat based on the setup of ones instrument. In this section, I will briefly explain the differences between the most common setups in the field of jazz and why I have chosen my own setup. 

Strings. 

Doing some “on sight” research on bass players playing in the city of gothenburg during the fall of 2019, I came to the conclusion that the most common set of strings used are the pirastro evah pirazzi strings, a set in which all strings are made of chrome steel on a synthetic core. The next most common were the Thomastic Spirocore Original (flexible spiral rope core chrome wound) and the Velvet Blue strings, which has copper windings as it’s standout feature. Less common were mized setups and Gut strings. The most common sizeused was the ¾ upright bass, with larger basses being quite rare and smaller basses missing altogether. 

In my experience, having tried the three most common strings, all steel strings work perfectly fine for bringing out the sound of the harmonics. The Gut strings have a stronger treble than the steel strings, but lacks the sustain and purity in the harmonics. Size does not seem to matter except that larger basses give slightly more volume to the player.

My own setup is a 1850 7/8 gamba shaped german bass with Thomastic Spirocore Weich strings, a slightly lighter variant of the Thomastic Spirocore Origial. I like how the lighter string makes the bass a bit easier to handle and the harmonics sound distinct and clear.

Conclusively, setup is less important than a solid technique, however one should consider switching to steel strings rather than gut strings if the music in question demands a lot of harmonics to be played. 

I have purposely chosen not to discuss microphones and amplifiers due to a lack of time and budget.