strings for r&b, country, pop, etc..

[brianh]

I've been doing more and more non-jazz/classical recording sessions on upright bass and have been thinking about exploring some other setup options. My main bass is great, and I try to get a very refined tone from it...i.e. the big modern jazz sound. However, variety is good in the studio and I want to experiment with some rougher sounds.

I have a plywood bass that I'm interested in setting up to obtain something totally different and I'm just curious what guys are using if they're not at all interested in playing jazz or classical on the instrument. Nashville guys? Also interested in something kind of trashy sounding...more metallic..more gut...totally synthetic...detuned... any of the above, just different than a traditional sound. I'm sure it sounds weird but you never know what might translate in the studio...and more sounds = more calls.

Thanks!

[Gearhead43]

Try some all plain guts like Lenzners or Clefs for starters. Plain gut was THE sound back on the old Rockabilly, Western Swing, Honky Tonk, and old Classic Country records.


It takes a bit of a different technique to play them, and quite a while for them to stretch in, but I love them. Plus, they have a great natural slap sound, too. If you can't hang with the plain E & A, you can use the traditional round wound wrapped E & A.

Some more modern and less pesky alternatives to gut are the Innovation Rockabilly series strings. I have played the Silver Slaps and I think they are a wonderfull all-around string - for pizz and slap (not for arco).

[Bobby King]

I'm a "Nashville Guy" and I'd recommend that you use plain gut for the G&D. Gamut is the best but they're pricey. There are many options for the E&A. I wouldn't recommend plain gut on the lower strings unless you're doing all slap or want a total thud on those notes. You can use the traditional roundwound gut or a bunch of other choices. My personal favorite is Pirastro Pizzicato, a semi-flatwound, gut-core string. This set up is great for all types of "roots" music, as well as an older jazz sound.

I'm not sure about "more metallic" (I thought that was the "modern jazz sound" ) or "totally synthetic". The fake guts like Innovation or Supernil give a puffy, somewhat gut-like sound. I always liked the Velvet Animas and Garbos for an in-between string.

Some of these slap/rockabilly guys use solo gauge steel strings
at regular pitch. I think that gives a lot of clickety-click sound at a lower tension.

I have two basses, one has steel (currently Spirocore Weich) and the other has the above-mentioned plain-gut/Pizzicato wrapped-gut combo. They are very different sounds but I like them both. For most of the studio work that I do, it's the gut sound that's needed. Usually it's for bluegrass, blues, retro-Elvis, Patsy, Ray Price, Bob Wills. Gut records well, giving a punchy note that gets heard. Use a dynamic mic (RE-20, 421, M-88) or ribbon mic (RCA 44, 77) rather than a condenser when recording gut bass.

That's my 2¢.

[Uncletoad]

Spirocore on the bottom Gamut Plain gut on the top works really well for me on that stuff. You get the authority in the low register giving you supportive long money notes and you have the Gut on top to get that old school sound.

Whenever i get another performance bass my ply is going back to that.