A warm wound gut or gut-like string that won't break?

Radkins · #1 06-19-2009, 04:20 PM

I've tried animas, garbos, velvet blues, eudoxas, and olivs on a few different basses and they all cost a fortune and fall apart after a few months at most. Nylon-cores, like obligatos, seem to last a little longer, but sound more nasal to me. Unwound gut is nice, but they are quiet and pretty limiting with the bow and many of them fall apart, too.

Are there any solidly-wound warm-sounding strings that last?

**Francois Blais** · #2 06-19-2009, 06:20 PM

If you tell us what you mean with warm-sounding strings, we could better help you.

Did you try orchestral strings like Flexocors, or Helicore Arcos?
The Jargars are the warmest, darkest steel strings I know.

Mark Perna · #3 06-19-2009, 06:23 PM

I'm using Gamut guts and there is nothing quiet about them. They boom right out. Louder than (or at least as loud as) the Spiros that were on there before.

mark

MT Spaces · #4 06-19-2009, 07:10 PM

You might want to check into Innovations .... 140H and/or 140B .... Maybe 140B for G & D / 140H for A & E. That is from The Esteemed Nashviller Bobby King ... He Is No Dummy.... Unlike me

. Or maybe a full-set of Innov SuperSilvers ..... Innov strings are reasonably-priced and seem to last. I really-liked the SS's for bluegrass .... Untill I tried real-guts ..... Gamuts

.

As Always ..... Make sure your bridge and nut slots are smoothed-out edge-wise and lubricated with graphite. Maybe a tad of pure silicone grease in the right places .... That's what I did ... Being a Rookie ... However .... If you ever want to stain / finish a nut / bridge .... Never Use Silicone .... Nothing sticks to that crap.

Tune the new strings up-slowly ..... Maybe at 2 or 3-hour intervals .... Take It Easy .... Over a 1-day period ..... The strings will be Happy. I'm probably not-telling-you anything you don't already know. You Are A Real Bass Player

.

Play'em and tune'em sweetly for the first few days .... No Homer Simpson kind-of-moves on the tuners. The Innovs seem to be priced-right, last-OK in my experience, and are "warm".

P.S. Rad-Man

..... Innov 140B's ..... I believe they have a steel rope-core with flat-wound surface .... Innov 140H's have a "perlon-type" (Fancy Name For Nylon ?) core with flat-wound surface. The Innov web-site is "Mysterious"

.... But Michael Moore seems to like the Honeys

. WhatEver ..... I ain't Michael Moore .... Never Will Be.

They say .... Use 140B for Orch/Jazz and the 140H for Jazz/Orch .... Lots of Help Right There Huh

??? No Info on diameters and tension .... C'Mon Innov .... Fess-Up

!! All I Know Is .... I think my SuperSilvers .... I used 2 years ago .... Were Good.

I also think the core "Fancy Perlon-Nylon" of those SS's may be the same as 140H's. But the 140H Honeys have a flat-wound steel outter-wrap which Is A Good Thing. The ribby-clear outter windings of the SS's are sorta-hard on the fingertips .... And if yer Nuts ain't lubed-proper .... The clear spiral windings on the SS's will separate and Give You Grief

.

AnyHow .... Jake The British Columbian Luthier is going to fit-up a full-set of Innov 140H's on my beater Kay for bluegrass .... I'll post My Impressions Later

! Not That That Will Really Help AnyOne Reading This

.

Carl Johnson · #5 06-19-2009, 07:40 PM

I've had animas's that lasted close to 3 years, still have them as spares

MT Spaces · #6 06-19-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Johnson

I've had animas's that lasted close to 3 years, still have them as spares

Yes Carl ... I had have Garbos A & E that are going-on 2+ years on the Kay-bass which is about to-go to 140H's.

I Like Velvets .... New Anima A & E on my re-worked-Epi-bass. I Absotively and Posilutley Think

...

Them Swiss silk-core string-elves know what they are doing ... But Hey ....

Sometimes the Strings Might Bust

. (Ask Jake) ....

Just Like Swiss Banks When Examined-Real-Close for Foreign Client-Names

.

txstatebass · #7 06-19-2009, 08:50 PM

Never heard of a Swiss bank going bust, regardless of clientel. I'm going to venture IMHO a set-up change might be in order for the OP, with all due respect

larry · #8 06-19-2009, 09:35 PM

Check your nut and bridge slots.

I would think that the gut shrinking and expanding is only a problem if the winding is getting pinched and can't move. I've used Olivs and Eudoxas for years now with only one string getting loose winding on me, and I think it was because I put it on right before a major cold front hit. I ran the heat for several days and was too lazy to clean the humidifier - so I let the house dry out too much. I was lucky my bass didn't crack.

MT Spaces · #9 06-19-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txstatebass

Never heard of a Swiss bank going bust, regardless of clientel ...

Say Hey Texas Bass

.... Even The Swiss Ain't Made Of Teflon

.... Follow This Thread and All-Related Topics ....

http://www.newwest.net/topic/article...seths/C35/L35/

http://www.newwest.net/city/article/...pai/C396/L396/

Even a Great Article in The NY Times recently ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/bu...1&ref=business

Big-Time HollyWood Crap that we don't need here in The BackWoods of Montana. Search "Credit Suisse" Resort Real-Estate Lending Practices ... Good Fun Reading

.

So Sorry for the hi-jack Francois

.... Last night I thought I was on TalkPredatoryLending.com instead of TalkBass.com.

txstatebass · #10 06-19-2009, 11:10 PM

Sorry about the de-rail guys. I agree, it could be the bridge slots. I've used all those strings as well and never had a problem since the last set that was on my current axe were gut and properly set up. Texas weather is famous for changing on a dime too. Good luck!

MT Spaces · #11 06-20-2009, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txstatebass

Hey Bob! Seems like a kindred spirit in Montana! Don't worry, I'm sure Texas has it's own plans to deal with this ....

Yes Sir .... The Free Republic Of Texas

...

txstatebass · #12 06-20-2009, 08:44 AM

Have you tried the new "Carlos Henriquez" Chorda's? They are supposedly slightly thinner. There's a thread about them here somewhere.

**Francois Blais** · #13 06-20-2009, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txstatebass

Have you tried the new "Carlos Henriquez" Chorda's? They are supposedly slightly thinner. There's a thread about them here somewhere.

Here.

AndreasH · #14 06-20-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radkins

Unwound gut is nice, but they are quiet and pretty limiting with the bow and many of them fall apart, too.

If your bass has a proper setup for unwound guts, they're anything but quiet! And if you have problem with them falling apart, you're probably not giving them the care they need. Unwound guts (if not varnished) needs to be lubricated with some sort of oil regularly. String makers usually recommend almond oil. And if they delevope "hairs" you need to get rid of them, using for instance toe-nail clippers. If you don't look after them, they will most likely dry out and eventually fall apart.

If you have problems with string breakage after just a few months (!) there's probably something else that's wrong. I had my Obli's for 9 months before switching. They were in very good shape. I had my Garbos for more than a year (still got the E-string!). I broke a Garbo A-string due to that the slots at the bridge was too tight and the string got stuck.