Gut String help

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Allen

It's true, though: I have to laugh when people describe Obligatos or Evahs or Dominants or Jargars or Velvets (except Garbo) as "gut-like."

I don't take as much offense as some here seem to regarding the description "gut-like". It's a relative thing and it comes in many variations/gradations. I think that most of the strings that you mentioned here are in some degrees "gut-like", but you could say that some are also "steel-like" compared to plain gut strings. Since we've been talking about arco, IMO a string like Obligato or Evah Pirazzi has things in common with Olive and Eudoxa in their arco tone and response. There is a certain feeling to the way the note starts, the way the core vibrates, the "throaty" tone, that they have in common. At least this is true in comparison to many steel strings. And pizz-wise, Velvet Garbos and even Animas have some similarities to gut in the feel, the note "blossom", etc. Yes, when you compare any of these to plain gut strings you're going find substantial differences, but I don't think that all comparisons are necessarily laughable. That is IMFO.

[anonymous02282011]

Have any of you guys found that the Silver lining on the Olivs comes unwound after a few months of regular bowing? I have not found that to be the case with the steel wrapped Eudoxas.

I've been enjoying the evahs on the bottom and the eudoxas on top. they darken up my bass and give it more of a "old school" jazz sound.

[Jeremy Allen]

Originally Posted by Bobby King

I don't take as much offense as some here seem to regarding the description "gut-like".

My laughter is not a sign of taking offense but rather of amusement. (When offended, I usually slowly clench my fist until the wine glass shatters and then, bowing stiffly, say "I bid you good day" before turning on my heel and walking either out of the room or at least over into the corner.) Mostly because, with the exception of you, the people saying such-and-such a string is "gut-like" have never played on guts before. It's like there's an imaginary land of gut goodness, a sort of "Norman Rockwell's American Past of Bass Strings," being referred to with sentimentality. I know I was guilty of fantasizing about the "gut-like" qualities I sought in strings before I ever played on the real thing.

I can dig the relative comparison thing, but when a string I don't regard as sounding/playing/feeling like gut happens to share some quality with a gut string (greater diameter than a steel string, lower tension than a steel string, or whatever) I try just to go straight to a description of the characteristic rather than using the metaphor.

[Jake deVilliers]

Originally Posted by drurb

you can essentially hear how well such strings work for arco.

My point is that you can't say what it sounded like 200 years ago - period. You can say you like the sound of baroque orchestras, you can say you made a trip and photographed cool old instruments, you can say you prefer plain gut on your bass, but you CAN'T say that they sounded great 200 years ago.

If you want to argue (and you usually do) I would say that if gut strings bowed so easily and sounded so beautiful at the 412 Hz A of the time, every orchestral bassist wouldn't be playing on steel wound strings today.

[drurb]

Originally Posted by Jake deVilliers

My point is that you can't say what it sounded like 200 years ago - period. You can say you like the sound of baroque orchestras, you can say you made a trip and photographed cool old instruments, you can say you prefer plain gut on your bass, but you CAN'T say that they sounded great 200 years ago.

If you want to argue (and you usually do) I would say that if gut strings bowed so easily and sounded so beautiful at the 412 Hz A of the time, every orchestral bassist wouldn't be playing on steel wound strings today.

I see, so in order to evaluate them, we must hear them 200 years ago. Uh-huh, okay.

[LouisF]

'Scuse me, er... Can I ask a simple question or two...

Has anybody actually played on Chordas for orchestra/chamber music playing? Does anyone actually have any experience with them?

That's all.

Thanks

LF

[ablumley]

Here are two string players who work with the bow on more traditional (raw and round wire wound) gut:

Anner Bylsma-a cellist. Unlike Casals, there are very high fidelity recordings available of him playing on gut strings (raw A, round wound other strings). He is known for specializing in Baroque performance practices, but often plays with a more modern Tourte-style bow. You can really hear the amazing harmonic colourations possible with gut strings on his 1992 recordings of the Bach suites.

Wilbert de Joode-is an improvising bassist who plays all gut (plain G, D, wound A, E). His use of the strings runs from very light, pure and traditionally beautiful to growling, creaking, shrieking tones. He has a solo record called Olo that demonstrates the wide tonal spectrum he has found in gut strings.

[bassist14]

Originally Posted by ablumley

Wilbert de Joode-is an improvising bassist who plays all gut (plain G, D, wound A, E). His use of the strings runs from very light, pure and traditionally beautiful to growling, creaking, shrieking tones. He has a solo record called Olo that demonstrates the wide tonal spectrum he has found in gut strings.

"olo" can be heard here:
http://www.parliament-of-music.de/mu...de/joode2.html

[AndreasH]

Originally Posted by bassist14

"olo" can be heard here:
http://www.parliament-of-music.de/mu...de/joode2.html

Thanks for posting this link! Amazing playing!