The search for the holy D and G strings!!! Any advice can help!

[larry]

Originally Posted by gangsterska

I have just tried the garbo d and g string on my bass .. and I don't know if you guys (or gals) own cats .. but put a cat in the back of your car and drive it to the vet ... do you hear that kind of deep gutural crying sound .. well thats the closest example I can give to explain the sound of these strings on my bass !!!! Now .. that being said .. there are many things I like about the strings .. the snap ... the low thud when you attack.. and the warmer less metallic sound .. but I miss the the focus of my obligato d and g strings ... is there any advice on a string which can find the middle ground between the garbo and the obligato?

Have not tried the Garbo, but I've gone through a few sets of Obligatos. Every bass & player is different, but I think you'd probably dig Olivs. Maybe drop the cash for a G string and check it out - get the D if you like the G. You can always sell it if you don't like it. Give it a couple weeks to settle in before you decide. I use Superflexibles for the E & A.

My last bass had a nasty nasal quality around the heel positions. Olivs made it sound great - MUCH better than Obligatos.

BTW, I have not tried Dominants either. I'm sure they're great, but the stories of them breaking causes me urinary incontinence.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by martinc

Troy:
Maybe you did not like Weichs on your bass but many others do. They are worth a shot (with another G) because they are very popular....which is all I was suggesting.

It's not that I don't like them. I've gone through the "chasing the gut sound" thing, but have actually been using Pirastro Jazzers for a while now. I chose not to deal with things that break, unravel or otherwise require maintenance and have gotten used to brightness to help me cut through the mix.

My only point was that if someone says they want the classic gut, Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, Mingus sound, I don't think I would guide them to bright, growly jazz strings.

Listen to Ray Brown through the decades and you'll hear the sonic difference going from Gut to Spirocores.

-tk

[martinc]

Originally Posted by TroyK

It's not that I don't like them. I've gone through the "chasing the gut sound" thing, but have actually been using Pirastro Jazzers for a while now. I chose not to deal with things that break, unravel or otherwise require maintenance and have gotten used to brightness to help me cut through the mix.

My only point was that if someone says they want the classic gut, Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, Mingus sound, I don't think I would guide them to bright, growly jazz strings.

Listen to Ray Brown through the decades and you'll hear the sonic difference going from Gut to Spirocores.

-tk

Troy:

Well..without beating this into the ground...I don't agree Weichs are bright and nasally, with exception of the G. At least not on any bass I have owned. Another thing....Jazzers and Weichs are so close in sound and feel I put them in the same category. I have used both brands on several basses over the years.
As for tracing the sound of gut to steel...I have done it myself over the years. Unfortunately for me, Ray Brown
and I play differently but I did use the Lycon strings for a while that he used back in the 60's. Too bad they are no longer available.
I mentioned in my earlier post that some steels (eg: Weich, Soloflex) can be good substitutes for gut...to a point. You just have to decide how much you want to give up in exchange for less cost and aggravation, especially in the winter.
In my case I get a full, round sound out of Weichs and Soloflexes (with a Super Silver G for both) that gets me close to a gut sound. I would not put up with bright nasally -sounding strings in any circumstance.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by martinc

...Jazzers and Weichs are so close in sound and feel I put them in the same category.

I agree.

[gangsterska]

This post has turned into a Weich battle!!! ... A little update about the Garbos (if anyone is interested anymore!!!).. I've done two concert gigs and 2 jazz club gigs since the last thread and man ... they're starting to sound amazing ... like ...really good ... that focus that you get instantly with the obligatos (I was complaining that the Garbos didn't have focus earlier) are almost no match to the focus I get with the Garbos ... this may seem weird . .. my bass is clearer then it used to be .. I don't know if its because the action is higher now .. or if its the strings ... but all I know is I don't have to second guess if my sound is muddy anymore .. I KNOW everyone on the bandstand can hear me now... you can just tell by the way people are reacting to my playing .. and the whole business of gut strings being quieter is false as well .. I find myself turning down the amp almost a quarter more then I used to .. this thread is to thank the people who urged me to wait it out more with the Garbos .. you guys were right .. and thats why I love this website!!! thanks again

[Uncletoad]

You might try the rest of the set. Velvet strings work best as a set rather than mixed with other things. I remember first using Animas. They really knocked me out.

[TroyK]

Glad to hear that you found that sound you were looking for. It's funny how it takes time for both strings to settle in and for your bass to adjust to different strings...and sometimes your technique.

Good on ya!

[TimoMetzemakers]

Originally Posted by gangsterska

and the whole business of gut strings being quieter is false as well .. I find myself turning down the amp almost a quarter more then I used to ..

Well, on my bass, plain gut strings might be quieter than steel in the woodshed, but they have a way of making themselves heard on the bandstand...

But for what it's worth, Garbos aren't gut strings. Their core is made of silk. And they are indeed loud as hell. Glad to hear they are working out for you!

[gangsterska]

I knew something was up ..they're not gut ! Silk eh .. clever little guys at Velvet .. you know they're Swiss right .. they got nothing else to do but make cheese, chocolate and great strings !! (To all people of swiss nationality .. I've been to your country over 10 times .. and I'm only kidding !)

[Andy Allen]

Originally Posted by martinc

Well..without beating this into the ground...I don't agree Weichs are bright and nasally, with exception of the G...

I haven't found this at all - the G that is. A new set sounds pretty much like a banjo for a couple of weeks, and then starts to settle down so that after about six months they are nicely smooth and warm - for a steel string. The challenge is leaving them on for six months...but once they're broken in, if you like them, you know there is a good two, three or more years good life still in them.

If anything it's the D string that has faults - I've always found it to be a little nasal around the A at the heel - and this on a number of different basses. Maybe it's just my playing, but the D string always seems to be the most problematic on any bass I've tried.

Andy

[stefaniw80401]

Originally Posted by Andy Allen

If anything it's the D string that has faults ... the D string always seems to be the most problematic on any bass I've tried.

Last month I broke my dom A and D strings, so I replaced them with spiro orch A and D. My long-E is a 4 month old spiro orch. I left the 6 month old dom G on. The spiro D string sticks out (a bit louder) from the E and A, and the remaining dom G is just no match for the spiro D. I play a fair amount of arco (orchestrally), and have been getting a decent arco sound despite what you hear about bowing spiros. I've been inspired to work up my jazz chops with the spiro A & D sounding as good as they are. Now I need to decide what to do with this dom G. I find myself playing up the D-string because the dom G is so weak. Should I replace it with an orch or weich G, or something different altogether?