Damian Dlugolecki Strings

[JeffKissell]

Joe,
You can oil the whole length of the string and work it with your fingers to loosen it up, then go back with alcohol to clean the section between the bridge and fingerboard. I used 70% isopropyl alcohol from the drug store but vodka might work just fine...plus it's better for the operator.

[William Hoffman]

Originally Posted by DC Bass

Well, this is a little odd...

The string isn't stretching like any of the other guts I've used...it settled into pitch rather quickly, and I seldom need to adjust more than a quarter step. Not sure of what to make of that. My (purchased used) Gamuts are still stretching in- the G has been on a couple weeks, and the D about a week.

Joe, my Gamut plain A settled right in too, very little stretching in time, and while it is pretty stable even in humidity fluctuations, tuning it rarely requires even a quarter turn. My G and D stretched a lot longer, and need more turns when tuning. Maybe this has to do with the thicker diameter...

Any more comments on the change in sound? I don't recall experiencing such a dramatic change in sound with the Gamut.

[JayB]

My experience with the Gamut Plain A is that it basically is what it is. Mine opened up a little over the 6 weeks I used it, but nothing day-and-night besides tuning stability. Joe, I don't think my bow hold is on the same level as yours, but I REALLY had a hard time getting a smooth arco start on the big, plain sausage. The arco was the main reason I gave it up, actually.

I wouldn't mind giving it a try again with an Anima E, which I bet would sound much more balanced (and might tighten up the set) compared the the Garbo Light E I used at the time. I use the A in thumb position a lot these days, and would have trouble giving it up! My Pistoy D is great up there, fwiw.....

[DC Bass]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the info and encouragement.

William and Jason, which gauge of Gamut A did/do you use? I think I'm going to try a Pistoy A some time soon, even if the DD does come around.

Jeff, I got a little bottle of almond oil and I've been working with that rascal! I have a bunch of gigs coming up, so I hope it comes around soon- other wise I might have to dig through "ye olde string drawer" to find a suitable sub!

I'll keep y'all in the loop!

Joe

[JayB]

I used a light. It was HUGE (like, double the size of the E and gut D) and had some serious stiffness, tension, and volume. I couldn't imagine going any heavier.....

[William Hoffman]

Mine is a plain unvarnished medium Gamut Pistoy A. On my bass to my ears it is the perfect match for the Pistoy light D and medium G that are next to it in terms of tone, volume, balance, tension. The A is extremely responsive under the bow, fundamental starts immediately, the deep sound in the belly of the bass commences when I pull the bow. I was truly surprized at how immediate the arco response is.

I've been playing Gamuts for 4 years now, and had my current Pistoy G and D on for the last two years, and in the past paired them up with copper wound E and A. So anyway, just two months ago I put a fairly new Pistoy A back on. (I tried it out two years ago, but I was put off by the "optical fatness" of the string, you know, just how it looks compared to the other strings, the eyes being used to steel strings and how they look -- NOT a reason in my book nowadays, hey, don't look, listen!) Two months ago, in mid-October, I started thinking the plain A would be less prone to reacting to humidity fluctuations and might not need constant tuning in winter. And Lo and Behold! The Pistoy A is very stable. The only string I need to check and tune regularly is the heavy wound E, which is a Lyon with copper winding.

Sorry to go off topic so much on this DD thread. How is the DD plain A doing?

Bill

[DC Bass]

Originally Posted by William Hoffman

Mine is a plain unvarnished medium Gamut Pistoy A. On my bass to my ears it is the perfect match for the Pistoy light D and medium G that are next to it in terms of tone, volume, balance, tension. The A is extremely responsive under the bow, fundamental starts immediately, the deep sound in the belly of the bass commences when I pull the bow. I was truly surprized at how immediate the arco response is.

Sorry to go off topic so much on this DD thread. How is the DD plain A doing?

Bill

That is exactly how I would describe the sound, feel and response of the DD A string before it got...uh...wonky? I can't help but wonder if it is either defective or if I somehow damaged it during installation.

Last night was the end of the first week- sometimes it seems like it's getting better, but then that crazy chainsaw overtone thing starts up again...fwiw- this is only arco- pizz and slap are okay, given allowances for the slowness of the large string.

I think I will not be truly satisfied until I try a Pistoy A- the nagging "what if"...someone said something about the stiffness of the Pistoy A, but I can't find it now- can anyone offer any comparison between a DD plain A and the Pistoy? I think the Gamut will be more flexible...which is why I selected the DD in the first place btw- I was hoping stiffness (if they actually are that is) might be more to my liking...

Again, thanks a lot to everyone who has chimed in here! I really appreciate the help!

Joe

[William Hoffman]

Joe, it is hard to tell what could be wrong with your string without actually seeing and hearing it. you could go to a luthier and ask what the difficulty is. it could be a set-up issue like bridge or nut grooves.

on the other hand, if you are sure your bridge and nut grooves are wide enough, you might contact Dlugolecki and ask him to take a look at the string. it's not uncommon for a maker to replace a string...

good luck with that! I haven't tried the DD strings yet, but by reputation they are high quality and if it is defective you shouldn't wait too long to ask for a replacement.

[DC Bass]

Thanks Bill,

I will be drafting a note to send to Damian in soon- I thought it would be appropriate to wait a reasonable amount of time first, and in the mean time to gather as much information as I could from people with experience.

The main problem I have is that there is a reason everybody doesn't use plain A gut strings! I knew that coming in- so I need to make sure I manage my expectations. After all, the string could be fine- and merely shining a bright light on a dark area of my technique!
I'll definitely be bringing a spare string or two to this weekends' gigs though- just in case.

I'll keep reporting!

Happy New Year everyone- stay safe out there!

Joe

[William Hoffman]

Originally Posted by DC Bass

...there is a reason everybody doesn't use plain A gut strings! ...

there's probably lots of reasons for that, most of them related to the reasons why most bassists don't use gut strings.

like: the price of guts, availability of cheaper alternatives, difference in technique needed, etc.

with the plain gut A, the price alone is a huge factor: it is a very expensive string compared to the alternative materials. also, the less expensive brands of plain gut A may not have the clarity of sound that most bassists would like. there is the optical thing (the "fat sausage").

for me at least, before I really came to like the sound of gut, there was also the perception that it was too "old school/1950 sound" and that "progress" was evident in today's ever widening selection of steel and synthetic non-gut strings. ironic it may be, but a good number of the string makers advertise their non-gut strings with the sales pitch that their strings produce a "gut-like" sound (but the truth is only gut sounds like gut). go figure.

[DC Bass]

I have just returned from a nice, long jazz trio gig. Man, the DD plain A works well in ensemble situations- I even received complements on it's arco response! While its bowed sound doesn't match the Gamut strings that surround it, it works unless I'm completely exposed.

For pizz and slap- it is a freaking DIESEL!- and I mean that in the best possible way!

As nice as it is for the pizz and slap- I think I need a better arco blend with my Pistoys- so I'm gonna pull the trigger on a medium Pistoy A...I think...gonna talk it over with Dan Larson prior to ordering.

I'm still going to talk things over with Damian- and I intend to hang onto his plain A...

I really appreciate all the help and information, all y'all! Look for me over in the Pistoy thread!

Joe