GHS Strings

[bassist1962]

Has Anyone heard of or tried these strings? I have used GHS on my BG for years. I was wondering if they would be good DB strings.

http://www.fqms.com/GHS_Upright_Bass_Strings_C2243.cfm

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

Has Anyone heard of or tried these strings? I have used GHS on my BG for years. I was wondering if they would be good DB strings.

http://www.fqms.com/GHS_Upright_Bass_Strings_C2243.cfm

Any company that markets their strings as "Upright Bass Strings" cannot be taken seriously until they learn the proper nomenclature.

And I'm a GHS dealer!

[bassist1962]

I kinda figure it's another BG string company that is trying, after years of success on that side, to break into the DB market. I.E. Rotosound, and D'addario.

[Steve Boisen]

Originally Posted by bassist1962

I kinda figure it's another BG string company that is trying, after years of success on that side, to break into the DB market. I.E. Rotosound, and D'addario.

I beleive D'Addario has actually been making bowed instrument strings for years, both under their name and the Pro Arte brand.

As far as nomenclature, the original Helicore packaging said "Bass Viol" and the word "Pizzicato" was mispelled on the original Kolstein Heritage packaging. I don't care what the package says as long as it's a decent string.

That being said, I do agree that Double Bass would be a better term to use.

- Steve

[Uncletoad]

It's 2007. Marketing companies cannot afford to make those kinds of mistakes.

It shows a serious lack of awareness of the market.

[Jeremy Allen]

Originally Posted by Steve Boisen

As far as nomenclature, the origibal Helocore packging said "Bass Viol" and the word "Pizzicato" was mispelled on the original Kolstein Heritage packaging. I don't care what the package says as long as it's a decent string.

That being said, I do agree that Double Bass would be a better term to use.

- Steve

"Bass Viol" is what we called it even before "double bass," I think. If you look at really old orchestra parts or facsimiles from the nineteenth century, that's commonly what the string bass was called. Maybe from the mix-up about whether the double bass comes from the violin lineage or the viol lineage, with many people in the past assuming the latter?

But I too detest "upright bass," almost as much as "acoustic bass," because the terms obviously only came along after 1950 and the advent of the bass guitar. Why should the name of our instrument have to change to reflect the existence of the new kid on the block? Nobody talks about "acoustic violins" even though the electric kind has been around for some time now. (*end rant*)

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

It's 2007. Marketing companies cannot afford to make those kinds of mistakes.

It shows a serious lack of awareness of the market.

...i couldnt even find the strings on the ghs webite...

[glivanos]

Originally Posted by Steve Boisen

I beleive D'Addario has actually been making bowed instrument strings for years, both under their name and the Pro Arte brand.

As far as nomenclature, the origibal Helocore packging said "Bass Viol" and the word "Pizzicato" was mispelled on the original Kolstein Heritage packaging. I don't care what the package says as long as it's a decent string.

That being said, I do agree that Double Bass would be a better term to use.

- Steve

+1 on as long as its a decent string. We all know what they are talking about nomenclature wise.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

It's 2007. Marketing companies cannot afford to make those kinds of mistakes.

It shows a serious lack of awareness of the market.

Actually it may not. It's possible that they are targeting the "string bass/upright/doghouse" end of the market knowing that they won't get the rest of us until they've been here for a decade. Might be very shrewd marketing, actually.

Troy

[Steve Boisen]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Allen

But I too detest "upright bass," almost as much as "acoustic bass," because the terms obviously only came along after 1950 and the advent of the bass guitar. Why should the name of our instrument have to change to reflect the existence of the new kid on the block? Nobody talks about "acoustic violins" even though the electric kind has been around for some time now. (*end rant*)

I don't really like those terms either, but they are in common use and I find that people don't always understand what instrument I am referring to when I use the name Double Bass.

My business card says "Bass: Upright & Electric" and has a picture of me with my Double Bass. My band's web site has me listed as playing "Acoustic & Electric Bass" and I use this on my personal site too. In these cases, I am using the terms to differentiate the Double Bass from the Electric Bass and I think they are good terms for that purpose. My e-mail address is bassfiddlesteve which I also use for my eBay user name, even though I like the term Bass Fiddle least of all. It would be much easier if the Double Bass had fewer names, but the fact remains that there are several in common usage.

BTW, To add to the confusion some of the names applied to the Double Bass can be can be used to describe other instruments. "Acoustic Bass" can now also be used to refer to an acoustic bass guitar, "Bass Viol" also refers to the viola da gamba and there is a type of tuba called the "Upright Bass".

But anyway, wasn't this thread about GHS Double Bass strings?

- Steve

[Uncletoad]

Originally Posted by TroyK

Actually it may not. It's possible that they are targeting the "string bass/upright/doghouse" end of the market knowing that they won't get the rest of us until they've been here for a decade. Might be very shrewd marketing, actually.

Troy

Probably right. I had considered that. They'd still need to change the name at some point or the Orchestra Folks won't consider them.

For the record I don't personally care what they call them. I'm not offended at all by "Upright Bass". I'm just pointing out the that I think the lions share of Double Bass string consumers are less likely to buy Upright bass strings than Double Bass strings.

I could be wrong about that.

Regardless I'd have called them Double Bass strings and put a little sticker on the package that said Upright or something.

Originally Posted by stevieB

But anyway, wasn't this thread about GHS Double Bass strings?

Clearly nobody cares about GHS Double Bass Strings. No one even replied to the thread until I started bashing GHS.

[Jake]

GHS bass guitar strings last for like a week before they start sounding like a washtub bass or something, at least in my experience.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Clearly nobody cares about GHS Double Bass Strings. No one even replied to the thread until I started bashing GHS.

Yep, we're always up for a good bashing!

I seem to remember not liking their bass guitar strings either, so, I have no interest. If people start swearing by them, I'll wait two years before I dip my toe in those waters. I'm willing to bet that I never hear of them again after this thread dies.

-tk

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by Jake

GHS bass guitar strings last for like a week before they start sounding like a washtub bass or something, at least in my experience.

Not true at all. I've had the same set of GHS Boomers on my J-bass for two years. They sound brand new.

Of course, I haven't played electric bass in 103 weeks.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

Of course, I haven't played electric bass in 103 weeks.

Wow, that's like my mom telling her friends that I'm 480 months old now...which it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she's done recently.