Gamut G string... thin

[AndreaVeneziani]

I am interested in ordering a Gamut G string for my bass, but I'd like to order a custom made, thin one, probably around 1.5mm (more or less like a G Evah Pirazzi) to couple with my Spirocore 3885 Weich. Do any of you have tried a thinner gut G string? Would it be too low tension or feel strange?

[salcott]

Plain gut strings are the thickness they need to be to produce their notes. A gut string the size of an EP G would probably be tuned to C. Even a wound (Oliv/Eudoxa) G is fatter than a metal or synthetic core G string.

[DoubleMIDI]

My high C Efrano gut is 1.8mm. Still too less tension for 3/4 Spirocore Weich (3885.0W) to match tension.
The only option might be wound gut, but even this is larger in diameter than the Spiros.

An Innovation 140H (Honeys) G is 1.5mm, but is darker in sound. An Innovation 140B has too less tension for the 3/4 Spiro Weich, but has the requested diameter, still a bit darker than the Spiros, but a bit brighter than the Honeys. An Obligato G should do the job better, I think. A Velvet Compas 180 or Classico G is an option too, probably also a Dominant G. But all these are metal wound synthetic core strings.

An Olive G might be what comes closest, since it is a wound gut string and smaller in diameter than naked gut. Also a really good string I heard. But expensive and with limited lifetime.

If you want to use gut with Spiros, it would be a good idea to switch to downtuned Spiro Solo strings, probably the 4/4 version, since it has a bit less tension than the 3/4 on the same scale. You might use the Gamuts with them, but with at least 2.1mm diameter for the G, probably a bit more. And you might want to get a gut D too...

[AndreaVeneziani]

I see, yeah I spoke with Dan and he said he can do the string but tension will be 13kg (!!). I love EAD Spiro 3/4W (very different from S42!), probably Evah Pirazzi is the best G then... Olive has very similar sound but more expensive and too thick.

[AndreaVeneziani]

So actually these Innovation seem to be interesting, you suggest the 140H but i found that they are .065 so around 1.65mm. Which other is good for traditional jazz pizzicato (no slap). The Ultra Black? They seem to be thicker though?

[DoubleMIDI]

I played on a 3/4 bass with the ultra blacks last year for some minutes. I did like them, but since they are hard to bow it was not the right one for me. I think tension was similar to the 140B and 140H. But totally different to the Spiros, I would not mix them.

The 140B mixes well tensionwise with Spiro 4/4 Weich (S42W), probably also with downtuned Spiro Solo 3/4.

Innovation 140H G: 1.74mm
Innovation 140B G (old version): 1.70mm
Innovation 140B G (new braided, probably not available yet): 1.50mm

For a G close to 1.5mm, here are a few:
Velvet Compas 180 (regular) 1.50 mm
Velvet Classico 1.50 mm
D'Addario Zyex Medium ?
D'Addario Zyex Light 1.50 mm
Evah Pirazzi Weich 1.47 mm
Evah Pirazzi (regular) 1.54 mm

This is from my personal incomplete string database.

Evahs are rather dark, the regular one is completely different from Spiros (on the other end of the sound spectrum). I would not recommend them.
I haven't tried the Zyex, they might do the job for you, but I would try the medium first.
The Compas 180 is one of the brighter synthetic core strings. The Classico a bit darker and better for bowing than the Compas 180. Both have a bit less tension than the Spiros, but might fit. The Compas 180 (and probably also the Classico) is a bit strange to mount. It takes a lot more time to mount them avoiding damage to the string, but you can get used to it (it is much harder on the first peg).

The Obligato with about 1.7mm would be too thick, I think, but is often used with Spiro Mittel (probably 4/4 S42) and Weich (probably (3885.0W).

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by DoubleMIDI

Evahs are rather dark, the regular one is completely different from Spiros (on the other end of the sound spectrum). I would not recommend them.

I had success with EP weich G with spiros. +1 for oblis, too. It really depends on your bass' response and the sound you are after.

[AndreaVeneziani]

I see. EP Weich are good, and couple well with Spiro 3885W but honestly they don't have a very woody tone.. It seems these Innovation might be more similar to gut, so the 140B that is 1.5 is not available on the market? It seems to be more like a bow string rather than jazz pizzicato?

[DoubleMIDI]

This new string is in development. I'm a tester for the high C, so I also got the set below to compare the high C to them. At the moment I'm not happy with some of the strings and very happy with the others. But definitely not a gut like tone. I'm not sure if they already make the set and sell it, if it is the new version braided set called at the end or something different.
The Evah Weich G is a nice string and works tensionwise with 3885.0W Spiros (at least worked with S42 Spiros, which have a similar tension on the same scale). But the sound is different, specially amplified. Might depend on personal taste if you can accept that.

Both of the Velvet strings are brighter, the 140B in the middle. The 140H has a gut like attack, but again a bit dark, but not as dark as the Evahs and the sustained part doesn't sound like gut. Innovation strings have less tension than Evahs and the two Velvets and therefor might feel a bit weak compared to the 3885.0W Spiros.

Personally I would use the same string on the G and D, if they differ in sound from the lower ones more than a little bit. But this is my personal taste. A lot of people are happy with a single Oliv G on top of Spiros as I read.

I'm afraid you need to buy some different G strings to find out what you can accept and what doesn't work for you. I did this with my high C strings and bought about 10 Strings at the end until I found something useable for me. It does cost some money, but nothing helps better than trying them yourself. You only might get some hints which you don't need to try or which to start with.

Since some strings are hard or nearly impossible to bow, we also need to know what kind of music, pizz/bowed and how much of each in percent you usually play for better advice.