If anyone here uses Velvet 180's, would you be willing to sell me an old set when you put on a new one for a reasonable price so I can try them out? I've been using the 360's and just put a new set on, so I won't need a new set for about a year but I'm tempted to try the 180's on my next set, but at $220, I want to know what they sound like on MY bass. There have been some disparate views regarding the use of these orchestral strings for jazz, with some liking and some not, so I think it depends on which bass and the player. I know the strings will be dead, but I think I'll be able to tell enough to know whether I'd like them or not.

In addition, if someone wants to do the same with the set of 360's I took off after a year, send me an e-mail. I'm extremely pleased with the pizz, but might be willing to forgo some of the pizz sound in exchange for a better bowing string. I've also thought a lot about Oliv's, but they are even more expensive.

Thanks for any help,

Monte

Originally posted by Monte
I'm tempted to try the 180's...

In addition, if someone wants to do the same with the set of 360's I took off after a year, send me an e-mail. I'm extremely pleased with the pizz, but might be willing to forgo some of the pizz sound in exchange for a better bowing string. I've also thought a lot about Oliv's, but they are even more expensive.

Monte, if you recall, I mentioned to you I'd be trying a "pre-broken-in" set of Anima strings, after having used Olivs for about 13 months. I've had the Animas on my bass now for about two weeks and love them. If all I did was play arco, I might stick with the Olivs. But now that I'm use to how I have to play the Animas, I can't say for sure.
When I first put them on, I could tell they'd be good for jazz, but I was really worried about how they'd be arco. There was much more sustain when played pizz, the arco was very weird for about a week. For starters, they are lower tension than Oliv so I had to adjust my technique, and they also have a narrower sweet spot. That was all easy enough to adapt too. The real problem at first was the sound arco produced, especially on the A and E strings. It was downright trashy. The G string is wrapped with silver, the second with a combination of silver and copper, the third and fourth are all copper wound. I think it was the harmonics produced by the copper that sounded like I was bowing an oil drum.

After about a week of beatin' up on 'em they began to settle in. A sax player I work with comented that the pizz sound really jumps out compared to the Olivs. And they're sounding pretty damn good when I practice the Bach and excerpts I'm doing. The cat I study with didn't curse me out when he heard them. I got to listen from in front, it was nice. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied.

Cool,

Lou Roten mentioned those as good Pizz/arco strings. I broke down and bought a set of 180's which will be put on this afternoon when my new tailpiece is put on. I bought the Mike Pecanic compensated tailpiece as I've been meaning to get a different tailpiece for awhile; the one on there is a HEAVY ebony 5 string, and I'm curious to try the Ray Brown method of a lighter one, since my bass is being used as a 4 string anyway. The tailpiece wasn't much more than a conventional one, and it is made of wenge. Always willing to try something new, Lou also threw in a new tailpiece cord that Velvet developed. It is a light weight cord that can hold up to 1500 lbs pressure and is supposedly better than aircraft cable. It ties on rather than crimps. I don't know if I'll be able to tell the difference, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I think Don Higdon is right; you're never completely satisfied with what you have..........

Monte