Another Question - Shoot me if I missed it somewhere.

ElwoodGruff · #1 06-09-2008, 10:17 AM

I've been looking through the newbie links and have found some valuabel info, but I have one question I have not found the answer to yet (If I missed it, just point to the right link).

What strings do you guys recommend for Old-Time and Rockabilly? Brand and Type? I've always used Red Label Steel strings because of their price, but they just don't offer the volume, tone, or lifespan I would like. Any suggestions, volume and tone are my priorities?

billyfalconer · #2 06-09-2008, 10:57 AM

Gut, baby. But, they won't fit your need for more volume or lifespan than your steel strings. Tone will be great, though.

Jake deVilliers · #3 06-09-2008, 02:32 PM

Search the String Forum.

Carl Johnson · #4 06-09-2008, 05:12 PM

You'd be hard pressed to find a louder string than the Thomastic Spirocore Orchestral. Great tone and they're built like a tank, last for years and years.

Velvet Animas are artificial gut strings that have IMHO a great gutty tone and seem to last a long time too. All though I have no idea how they'd hold up to slapping. I could image that they’d unravel

TroyK · #5 06-09-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

Search the String Forum.

Ditto...but I don't think that Animas are gut. I seem to remember that they are silk cores or something synthetic. I don't remember stories of them unraveling, but they are a love 'um or hate 'um string.

Search and research in the strings forum. There is a vault of information, opinions, data and experience in there.

christ andronis · #6 06-09-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyK

Ditto...but I don't think that Animas are gut. I seem to remember that they are silk cores or something synthetic. I don't remember stories of them unraveling, but they are a love 'um or hate 'um string.

Search and research in the strings forum. There is a vault of information, opinions, data and experience in there.

I believe you're right. They are synthetic core with copper winding. They are presently my string of choice. Nice on the hands and a "gut-like" sound, or so I've heard from guys who play guts.

Nuno A. · #7 06-10-2008, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christ andronis

I believe you're right. They are synthetic core with copper winding. They are presently my string of choice. Nice on the hands and a "gut-like" sound, or so I've heard from guys who play guts.

Just to clarify that Animas are not made of gut and are not synthetic, they have a silk core and a copper winding. About slapping the Animas, it can be made although in my opinion just for slapping purposes there are much better options.

Nuno

christ andronis · #8 06-10-2008, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuno A.

Just to clarify that Animas are not made of gut and are not synthetic, they have a silk core and a copper winding. About slapping the Animas, it can be made although in my opinion just for slapping purposes there are much better options.

Nuno

...so there you go; right from the horse's mouth (so to speak). Thanks Nuno. Whatever they're made of, I like 'em.

Jet Nero · #9 06-10-2008, 08:01 AM

I use Thomastik Spirocore Weich strings for rockabilly, country and blues. But that's mostly because that particular string works so well for all of the types of music I play. I guess you can say it's my favorite "all-rounder".

I played a lot of rockabilly and country several years ago and had a bass set up with guts just for those genres. I found the tone consistency of guts when slapped to work much better than steel strings. I experimented with lots of synthetic strings at that time but nothing came close to the guts tonally. I recently tried Eurosonics and while they are much better than the synthetic strings available years ago, still, guts rule IMHO. I've heard a lot about Upton Silver Slaps as a good alternative to gut however I have no experience with them.

Jake deVilliers · #10 06-10-2008, 10:30 AM

The only professional Rockabilly bassist I know uses Innovation Blacks. They make a warmer sound than steel and don't chew up the fingerboard quite so much!

They're available mail order from Upton Bass as UB Upton Blacks.

Bass · #11 06-10-2008, 11:30 AM

I use Innovation Rockabilly's - they'd be fine for "old time and rockabilly". And they seem to have both volume and tone. I would guess the UB blacks and Innovation Silver Slaps are similar but I've never tried them.

ElwoodGruff · #12 06-11-2008, 10:14 AM

Thanks for all the input.

Carl Johnson · #13 06-12-2008, 12:50 PM

Just for the record

Quote:

Velvet Animas are artificial gut strings

I use the term artificial gut because they sound and play much more like gut than 90% of the non-gut strings out there. Animas are made for the player who wants the broad tone and low tension of gut with the volume and stability of steel. Animas are a great string; they are currently on my playout bass. I’m always surprised that more folks don’t use them, but on the other hand they are a bit clunky to bow…