String Glossary?

[MK1]

Hey all,
I'm pretty new to the DB side of TB. I've played DB for quite a while but I have always used whatever bass and strings the school I was attending had. I'm trying to absorb as much as I can over here but there have been some terms that I have come across that I was not familiar with and had to do some searching to figure out what they meant. I thought Weich, and Mittel were string brands until I did some research. But if I've read correctly Weich=Light and Mittel=Medium? Are there any other terms I should be aware of, or is there a sticky somewhere of essential DB terms that I'm missing?

Thanks for the help,
Matt

[Bobby King]

Yes, "Weich" means 'weak' or 'light' in German. "Mittel", also German, means 'middle' or 'medium'. Several prominent string makers are from German speaking countries, Thomastik is Austrian, and Pirastro is German, so they often will use those terms to describe gauges.

[MK1]

I haven't figured out what "Gamut" is.
A couple other things I've learned is:
You don't adjust the "Action" on a DB but you adjust the " String Height"
And DBs don't have "Headstocks" but "Scrolls" or " Peg Boxes".
What other terms should us noobs know so we don't get made fun of by the veterens?

[TPugh]

Originally Posted by MK1

I haven't figured out what "Gamut" is.

Dan Larson makes gut strings for a variety of musical instruments (including double bass) under the brand name Gamut.

http://gamutstrings.com

Welcome,
TPugh

[iiipopes]

The word "gamut" originally meant "from the lowest note" or "the full range" on a scale consisting of seven overlapping hexachords, containing all the recognized notes used in medieval music, covering almost three octaves from bass G (or the Greek letter Gamma, hence gamut) to treble E. Hence, especially for the "from the lowest note" part of the definition, the use of the word as a marketing model name for Dan Larson's bass strings, which being of gut, also have medieval origins as the original material for making instrument strings.

[TroyK]

Well, to round out the gauge glossary, "Stark" is heavy. (maybe not directly translated, but that's how you should think of it.

[MK1]

Are "weedwackers" a wound string with some sort of core or are they plain?

[Bobby King]

Originally Posted by MK1

Are "weedwackers" a wound string with some sort of core or are they plain?

They're plain nylon cord strings, like on your weedwacker. Not highly recommended for bass, IMO.

LaBella Supernil and Innovation Silver slaps are nylon core with a winding. Much better than the weedwackers if you're looking for an inexpensive nylon string.