| Guts are great. Believe me, I've spent plenty of time on them pizz/arco/slap. What you will get is a slightly unfocused pizz., a frustrating arco and a great slap. Now, breaking down your needs into percentages, what will you do the most and what will you do the least?
I think, especially since you are new to the bass (relatively speaking) you want to reduce your frustrations to a minimum. You're already used to steels so I would encourage you to stay in that general vibe. After using guts for a few years now and telling everyone how great they are, I've switched back to steels. Why? Because overall it is a more versatile string, holds it's tuning, cuts through almost any mix of instruments, has great volume and is the easiest to bow. That's a lot of pros. I love the gut sound, it's warm and full. I love the feel for slap, it's organic and springy. However, I am really learning to appreciate the steels, the evenness, the power, the sustain (and what music you can create with it) and the feedback from the other musicians. I went with the Bel Cantos on the G and D and my old Spirocore Weich's on the E and A. They don't slap as well, or I should say, I haven't found the slap sound I love yet. But they rock in every other category. Band members I have played with for four years all agreed that they loved the new sound. I also think the Innovation Picatos are nice all around and lean towards a better slap feel as well. | 
humm.. 
