Durability of fine gut strings

juuzek · #1 11-21-2007, 11:54 AM

Hello,
I was curious to know if you all could share your experience with gut strings, specifically with durability.
How much life can one expect to get from a set of gut strings? I am specifically refering to Gamuts and Dugolecki strings.
Thank you all for your insight!

David Kaczorowski · #2 11-21-2007, 12:34 PM

I get a at least 12 months out of Olivs and Eudoxas, playing a lot. I had some used Dugolecki strings that I kept on the bass for about 6 or 7 months, after the original owner used them for a month or so. I could've kept them on longer but wanted to switch back to Oliv G and D strings. Because of the price of gut, I don't change an entire set at one time anymore, just a string or two at a time. That also helps dealing with the break-in period. One string stretching and going flat constantly is easier to deal with than four, and it doesn't get too much in the way of gigs.

salcott · #3 11-21-2007, 01:04 PM

In my gut string days, I got a couple of years out of the plain G and Ds. On Oscar Zimmerman's advice, I bought and rendered a couple pounds of lamb fat and used the resultant lard to keep the strings from drying out. Just don't treat the bowed part of the string. I think I got two Pop's containers worth. If I remember correctly, the process took a couple of hours and didn't smell TOO bad. The lard should be kept in the fridge so it doesn't turn rancid. I stopped using gut before the lard ran out.

juuzek · #4 11-21-2007, 01:27 PM

Good to know. I read two different posts, one TB-er who broke down the cost of guts vrs the length of time he was able to play them, and they proved to be quite a good value.
The other post was a TB'er who's experience left him with broken strings after 3 months. That would not do!
I am looking to buy a set of lightly used Dugolecki strings from a fellow TB'er and was wondering how much life would be in a set of strings for that amount of $$$.

PS: I doubt I would be able to lard up my strings....

Uncletoad · #5 11-21-2007, 07:42 PM

I burn up spirocores in about a year. Some people burn them up in a decade.

I've burned up some plain guts in 6 months, some have lasted longer. I know some fellows that get several years out of plain gut.

Point being it all depends on you, how you play and where you play.

I'm hard on stuff. I beat the crap out of strings and play in some pretty hideous conditions.

The only way to know for sure is to buy them and find out.

Report back what you discover.

salcott · #6 11-21-2007, 07:57 PM

A lot of gut string life,IMHO, is in how abusive you are. I played gut G and D exclusively for about ten years and never had one break. I was careful to tune them down according to anticipated humidity and temperature changes and keep them "larded up" with my homemade concoction. I got on average two years on a set and probably could have gone longer. I try not to beat the crap out of my instrument, no matter what the conditions. I have in the recent past, used and really liked Olivs, but found them to be more trouble than they're worth due to winding unraveling. I play for a living, and don't have time to deal with finicky strings. Obbligatos on all my vertical type basses is my solution. YMMV.

**Adrian Cho** · #7 11-21-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juuzek

Good to know. I read two different posts, one TB-er who broke down the cost of guts vrs the length of time he was able to play them, and they proved to be quite a good value.
The other post was a TB'er who's experience left him with broken strings after 3 months. That would not do!

I don't know which post you're referring to but I would ask what "broken" means? If they (could even have been me that wrote the post) were referring to the windings on the strings then I would say the windings are a weak point of wound gut strings. That's why I don't play them anymore (e.g. Olivs and Eudoxas) after having gone through plenty of grief with them and it costing me a lot of money. On the other hand, unwound gut strings will last a long time. The gut cores are very durable. I recently changed my G and D Gamuts and I think the first set I had were on there for about two and a half years or something like that.

salcott · #8 11-21-2007, 08:59 PM

My point exactly-plain, unvarnished gut strings have, IMHO, a pretty much infinite useful life, given proper care. I've got a set of Black Diamond strings from the 30s in their original oiled paper envelopes that I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to use; they look brand new. I'll probably put'em on a couple of years before I retire just to go out in style.

rzakota · #9 11-22-2007, 01:06 AM

I'm the one who broke plain G & D in 3months as I mentioned in"Dlugoleckiguts-http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378418"
I'm also curious about the durability of plain gut string. What do you guys do to take care of them?

When I asked Damian about it, he said "Do nothing"(if I remember correctly) So I didn't do anything to the strings(just played at least 5hours of pizz a day) What I remember is that the strings were getting thinner and thinner where I pluck,and 3months later G broke where my right hand was playing and after a week D broke in the same spot. It was so stressful cause I loved them!!
And then I got Gamut, and Dan told me to oil them with almond-oil. Since then, they lasts a lot longer;however, the strings still get thinner and thinner, and I eventually break them. So sad. I wish I could play them at least a year.

What do you guys think? thanks! ryoichi

**Adrian Cho** · #10 11-22-2007, 02:07 AM

Quite frankly it just sounds to me like you play on the strings a lot (at least 5 hours of pizz a day is a lot to me) and you pizz a lot in the same place. I don't oil my strings (Gamuts) although I do use varnished strings and I think that helps add life to them since they don't wear down as quickly in the place where you pizz them.

Uncletoad · #11 11-22-2007, 06:36 AM

Sounds to me like short string life is part of your cost of doing business. I suggest getting used to replacing strings regularly as part of your routine.

juuzek · #12 11-22-2007, 08:14 AM

Thanks for all of the input! Give thanks.

JeffKissell · #13 11-22-2007, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rzakota

What I remember is that the strings were getting thinner and thinner where I pluck,and 3months later G broke where my right hand was playing and after a week D broke in the same spot. It was so stressful cause I loved them!!
And then I got Gamut, and Dan told me to oil them with almond-oil. Since then, they lasts a lot longer;however, the strings still get thinner and thinner, and I eventually break them. So sad. I wish I could play them at least a year.
What do you guys think? thanks! ryoichi

It sounds like the combination of your technique and your body chemistry are conspiring against you. I've known guitar players who have to change their strings every other day because of this. The strings literally rot off of the guitar in a week and it doesn't matter what they do.

My only suggestion is to keep your hands and the strings as clean as you can. Wash and dry your hands every time before you play and wipe the strings down really well with a clean dry towel frequently, especially before it goes back in the bag. I hope you can find a solution.

-J

Dave Speranza · #14 11-22-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rzakota

I'm the one who broke plain G & D in 3months as I mentioned in"Dlugoleckiguts-http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378418"
I'm also curious about the durability of plain gut string. What do you guys do to take care of them?

When I asked Damian about it, he said "Do nothing"(if I remember correctly) So I didn't do anything to the strings(just played at least 5hours of pizz a day) What I remember is that the strings were getting thinner and thinner where I pluck,and 3months later G broke where my right hand was playing and after a week D broke in the same spot. It was so stressful cause I loved them!!
And then I got Gamut, and Dan told me to oil them with almond-oil. Since then, they lasts a lot longer;however, the strings still get thinner and thinner, and I eventually break them. So sad. I wish I could play them at least a year.

What do you guys think? thanks! ryoichi

I had a similar problem with my G string from damian. The string wore down where I pluck, and finally broke after about 10 months. The D string still looks fine.

As far as maintenance, I do as damian recommends - "nothing." I just wash my hands everytime before I play, and wipe the strings down after each set.

It's a great string and breaking them every so often is I guess just the cost of doing business. Its worth it.

rzakota · #15 11-22-2007, 03:41 PM

Adrian-
Yes, I do use varnished one, and it helps greatly from wearing down.
Dave-
Yes! Its worth it!! I love them and don't even think about going back to steel or nylon strings.

thanks you so much for your comments guys! I'll try to keep my hand and strings clean!

P.S.-I personally think Damian was the easiest to bow. Maybe varnished or not varnished isn't really a big deal for bowing if the string is high quality.