Aquila Nylgut strings? anyone?

CB3000 · #1 12-01-2006, 09:33 AM

Anyone tried these yet? they are nylon core with silverplated copper windings. i think they are kind of new... i think they could be ordered thru Aquila usa.

Marcus Johnson · #2 12-01-2006, 01:09 PM

Thanks for the heads up...you wanna go first?

I do have Nylguts on my ukes. They're great.

CB3000 · #3 12-01-2006, 01:27 PM

i probably will--i put in an email to aquila usa to see if i can order them. not sure who else i can order through.

Peck_Time · #4 12-01-2006, 02:36 PM

Hey CB3000 (and others), I ordered a set of these from Aquila in Italy a few months ago.

They look and feel very close to silver wrapped guts, a bit less flexible.

I put the E on my bass first. Unfortunately the E string did not want to 'unkink' itself from being curled up in its envelope.

Even when tuned up to pitch, the string still had twists and bends in it. That made it impossible to pizz. Open E sounded great arco, but I couldn't get any other notes.

In fact, I just had another look at the E, and its still like that.

That discouraged me, so I took off the E and put on a spiro.

Aaron Cohn · #5 12-21-2006, 04:12 AM

Hi all,

After seeing this thread I became curious about the Nylguts, and despite Peck Time's bad experience I couldn't resist trying them. I ordered a set, and I installed the G today (yesterday now, I suppose) and played it on my gig tonight.

I had been a loyal Eudoxa user on all four strings for a few years, but lately they've been unraveling on me a bit too often, so I thought I'd experiment some. Tone and feel-wise, I probably would never have thought about changing strings from the Eudoxas.

My impression of the Nylgut G is that it's very impressively gut-like. The tone is close to gut, but what I like the most is that it can be played like a gut string. I can really lay into it with the right hand and get a nice percussive tone for hammering on or off with the left hand. The string I had on right before was a Kolstein Heritage I had lying around, which, treated the same way, would only give me a thuddish tone and a pain in the left hand. The Nylgut G is loud, too.

With the bow, the Nylgut is quite unforgiving, but if I do everything right I can get a decent tone out of it. I'll give a further report on this after a few days.

Within a few hours of installing it, the string came pretty close to staying in tune--very un-gut-like in this regard.

The set is all roundwound in silver-plated copper. The G and D are wound in a very fine wire and so feel smooth nonetheless, while the A and E are wound in a coarser wire and have a rougher feel. I think I'll install the rest of the strings tomorrow, and I'll make sure to report my impressions here.

Aaron

Aaron Cohn · #6 12-24-2006, 04:12 AM

Edit: please see my later posts for updated information--in particular, I no longer think the E is useless.

For anyone who's interested, I put the rest of the set on a day after the G. The E is useless on my bass--it sounds thin and weak with next to no sustain. That said, my bass doesn't have a particularly strong fundamental on the lowest notes, so it might be usable on a different instrument--can't really say. I put a Eudoxa E I have back on today and it's much better.

The D and A are a bit less brilliant and thuddier than the G. They project well though. I still need to get a bit more comfortable with them before I have much more to say. A good player sat in on my bass on tonight's gig, and the bass sounded good, and loud, in the room.

To summarize, so far, for me,
G: an absolute bargain
D and A: I'll defer judgement for now
E: no

update: after a week, I'm liking the D and A quite a bit

basstef · #7 12-24-2006, 04:51 AM

Hi.

Just for your information, a couple of months ago Me and Mr. Peruffo (owner of Aquila strings, Italy) were taking about the possibility of having a set of Kaplan Golden Spiral replica G & D.
We've had a few meetings and now I have to say that they have come out extremely well. They're similar to old Kaplans in look and diameter s (gut core with a nylon wrapping), and they're maybe even more responsive of the original ones, especially the D, that has always been a bit of a problem for the Kaplans.
I guess they will be availble on the market soon.

We also added an optional "Nylon on Nylgut" G to the Nylgut set. This is a Nylgut core G with a Nylon wrapping, instead of the metal wrapping. This is supposed to be matched to the other 3 Nylgut strings, or to whatever else can work. I LOVE this G and have it on my bass with spiro solos D,A and E.

Funny to work with a string maker

boombloom · #8 12-26-2006, 02:16 AM

[quote=basstef;3650966]Hi.

Just for your information, a couple of months ago Me and Mr. Peruffo (owner of Aquila strings, Italy) were taking about the possibility of having a set of Kaplan Golden Spiral replica G & D.
We've had a few meetings and now I have to say that they have come out extremely well. They're similar to old Kaplans in look and diameter s (gut core with a nylon wrapping), and they're maybe even more responsive of the original ones, especially the D, that has always been a bit of a problem for the Kaplans.
I guess they will be availble on the market soon.

Please keep us informed regarding the availability of replica Kaplans!

Paul Warburton · #9 12-27-2006, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Thanks for the heads up...you wanna go first?

I do have Nylguts on my ukes. They're great.

Your ukes? Marcus, I had no idea!

Marcus Johnson · #10 12-27-2006, 03:25 AM

Sure, I've got three of 'em, laying around the house, just for screwin' around on. Uke was my first instrument, when I was a little kid. Blame Arthur Godfrey.

Peck_Time · #11 12-27-2006, 05:51 AM

Hey Marcus, you might be interested in this band I play bass in!

Marcus Johnson · #12 12-27-2006, 11:00 AM

That's very cool, nice website! Great song list.

I've found that the Aquilas really improve the sound of my ukes, especially the less expensive ones.

I, for one, will be really interested in the development of the Golden Spiral knockoffs.

vitoliuzzi · #13 12-28-2006, 05:41 AM

http://www.aquilacorde.com/home1.htm

Probably I've been the first to test the "Nylgut" patent by the italian rope maker Mr. Mimmo Peruffo. He called these first attempt of nylgut strings "Pizzicato" and he game me them as a pesent and also to have an idea of the new material. Sorry, but I don't know English very well and I will try to describe you my experience. And I'm not a jazz player

But I decided to test them both with bow and pizzicatos. Well, there's one thing to tell before. Mimmo told me that to have more sound and response It needed to overtuning them for few days (i.e.: La-Mi-Si Fa#). He told me it wans't impossible they would have broken. Well, when I turned them to Orchestral tuning the sound was absolutely great: not similar to a gut string, but I could hear the exact "gut sound", but without any problem with temperature or humidity. Wonderful! This experimental set was really equal on every string in matter of power and response, with a big sound and with an incredible sustain, more than Thomas. Only one problem. The cauge probably was to large and I needed some days to familiarize with it. I played these Pizzicatos also with a french bow and I can say that It was possible to play them with a bow, even if they hadn't build for it. I had to press a lot with bow, but all harmonics also in the upper register worked very well. Better than Pirastro Eudoxa I tried two years ago.
Mimmo told me that he was impressed by my experience, so with Stefano Senni (a jazz player) they were working for a better set of Nylgut strings, with a better gauge and to have the chance to resume the "Kaplan sound".
The Nylgut, the filaments or fibers, are worked in high torsion. I' ve seen them. Now I don't Know if the new set is ready. But with my first attempt to have Pizzicato Nygut Strings for doublebass I can say to you my conclusions: incredible gut sound, very powerful in every position, great response, very long sustain.
Please, tell me if the new developed set is ready for the market. Probably yes. I would like to test them, expecially with bow ... it's not a joke

!

Vito Liuzzi

CB3000 · #14 12-28-2006, 08:59 AM

i'd like to know when the golden spiral type strings are available! i was using goldentones but they are really hard to get sometimes. i'd like to try these nylgut strings too.

Marcus Johnson · #15 12-28-2006, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the post, Vito! Your English is fine.

As a guy who's never tried the Kaplans, now I'm gettin' kinda excited. I'm a little confused, though... the Pizzicato set you tried is synthetic core, right? I checked out the Aquila website, and that seems to be the case. Is the newer string a gut core string?

Thanks....

vitoliuzzi · #16 12-28-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Thanks for the post, Vito! Your English is fine.

As a guy who's never tried the Kaplans, now I'm gettin' kinda excited. I'm a little confused, though... the Pizzicato set you tried is synthetic core, right? I checked out the Aquila website, and that seems to be the case. Is the newer string a gut core string?

Thanks....

Marcus,
how can I explain you? Naturally it's a "gut" core but extremely special. Poli-filaments are made in Nylgut, this new specific substance. Mimmo has studied old gut strings on Dragonetti Gasparo da Salò bass in Venice and he decided to reproduce the same sound. So, kept account that is a chemist, he has patented thin new substance called Nylgut.
All of these poly-filamentes (probably for one string there are hundred and hundred) are rolled up in high torsion, and then wrapped in a special alloy. The question is: how much alloy must we use in comparison with polyfilaments twirled? In our first experiment we had an incredible gut sound but probably with a gauge too large. But sound, sustain, powerful of proiection, powerful on the place, punch (no climatic influences), great stability in tuning and so on were absolutely incredible.
I would like to tell you that I've tested also Velvets string (I don't know why they choose me) and I relationed about Compas 180. But I don't earn one dollar. The only advantage is to receive a new strings set for free.. Well, now Mr. Mimmo Peruffo with this jazz doublebass player, Stefano Senni (if I well remembered), are testing the "NEW OLD KAPLAN". I've talked a lot with Mimmo by phone, telling him all my sensations. I Know that Stefano has changed his G string with this new Nylgut string. Probably all the set is now ready for the market, but I'm not so sure.
I would like to express to all you my esteem for Mimmo Peruffo (he has made also the gut strings for Nicola Moneta's Octobass ... incredible), a very sensible man.

Regards

Vito Liuzzi

p.s.: with Pizzicato Nylgut Strings, naturally not made for bow, after one week and the period of "over strength", suggested me by Mimmo, I was able to play all Dragonetti Three Movements Concert (not the one played by Gary Karr and that we all know; it's not a Dragonetti Concert, he probably was written by Nanny. This one is the only placed in the British Museum ... Ok! it's OT!). Well, I needed a lot of weight in my arm, but it has been a unique sensation. Probably the "new old old Kaplan" might react better to bow, using less efforce, because its gauge will be thinner.

Marcus Johnson · #17 12-28-2006, 01:28 PM

Thanks again, Vito... it's nice to get information from an "inside guy". I got a bit confused, since the Aquila website also lists real gut strings.

vitoliuzzi · #18 12-29-2006, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Thanks again, Vito... it's nice to get information from an "inside guy". I got a bit confused, since the Aquila website also lists real gut strings.

Marcus, I'm also a journalist and I like to provide some News

.
In fact, today I've called with Mimmo Peruffo and he is going to send me the G Nylgut string that's ready. I've asked him if he's going to make all the set with the help of Stefano Senni. Well, as soon as possible I will set this G string to understand its main caratheristics (surely in better).

Regards

Vito Liuzzi

basstef · #19 12-29-2006, 02:34 AM

Hi all.

Vito, you will enjoy the nylon on nylgut G as I do, but only when you play pizz. This is a pizz only string and you are a classical bassist. This G string is not meant to be bowed. I mean, you technically can, but it doesn't work for a classical set up at all.

This said, I don't know much about the other 3 strings of the Nylgut set. They are all metal wound. I had a set on try about one year ago but I wasn't so impressed.

The G we are talking about is offered in alternative to the metal wound G of the current set. So you can get a set either with a metal on nylgut G or a nylon on nylon G. Hope this helps.

Too bad this G really don't work with the bow.

There are no plans by Mimmo (to my knowledge) to make a set made of nylon on nylgut, for clear reasons...E and A would be thick as an octobass string... we tried a few D in nylon on nylgut but without success.

As to the "new kaplans", I think they are already finished (I have a set here at home) and Mimmo will put them on the market soon. Please email Aquilacorde directly for any other information

Have fun

Stefano

Mimmo · #20 12-29-2006, 09:29 AM

Hi friends,
I am Mimmo, the stringmaker.

My work concerne to produce gut & syntetics for many kind of instruments, doublebas enclose.
I have seen some comunications made by Vito and Stefano about my new pizzicato set. It concerne an application of the Nylgut, our specific material developed at Aquila few years ago.
It is quite good for ukuleles, charangos guitars etc and recently, to doublebass
I am here to any questions.
Ciao!
Mimmo by aquila Italy
www.aquilacorde.com