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Double Bass Gerold Genssler-RED LABEL

Kristian

Kristian

Dec 5, 2008
523
248
Austria Vienna
www.lindkristian.com
#1
When I called Göran Ehrlund and asked him about writing a review of his pickup on a
Swedish Basblog site, he suggested that I also get in contact with Gerold Genssler
beacause ”my pickup sounds very good with his strings” -he said.
I emailed mr Genssler and I described what I play, what bass I have and a link to my ”
myspace”.
This is the letter mr Genssler sent me:

Hello Kristian,
as you know I make custommade strings, mainly gutstrings for doublebass.
Generally speaking there are 4 types of core I use:
-thick black gut (stabil in tune, no breaking) - sets are: sonores ORIGINAL
2010, sonores ORIGINAL Jazz, sonores ORIGINAL solo
-thin black gut (stabil in tune, no breaking) - sets are: sonores DRAGO
orch./solo
-thin fibre core (similar to steelstrings but easier to play, loud and
clear) - sets are: sonores RED LABEL basso/solo/cool
-pure gut (plain gut or wrapped) - sets are: sonores WRAP, sonores B-Roque
Most interesting for "gut players" are ORIGINAL 2010 which work great as
well both pizz and arco and ORIGINAL Jazz which are special designed for
acoustic Pizz-players.
The DRAGO's are thin strings for modern bowing technique and jazz as well.
RED LABEL are thin metal wound strings which are easily to bow, in the
"cool" version they are also great for modern jazz.
Last but not least I make also some sets from natural gut for "purists"
which are of superb sound quality but with the disadvantage that they aren't
so stabil in tune.
For further information please contact me: [email protected]
Best regards
Gerold Genssler
Bassist and stringsmaker

Now I´ve had my REDLABELS(cool) on my bass for about 2 weeks and I couldn´t be happier! My
bass has never sounded this good and has never had this much volume.
The strings are also very easy to play, both pizz and bow. The sustain is really sweet and they
have a very ”open” sound.
At first I was afraid that I should have problems to play them because of the low tension but
after one gig I had gotten used to them and now I can´t think of using a string with heavier
tension. :-) Mr Genssler gives you a 2 year guarantee on all his strings!! He also makes all kinds
of gutstrings so next time I guess I´ll try one of these. If he can make a steelstring sound this
good then I have to know how his gutstrings sounds!
And yes, the Ehrlund pickup sounds very good with these strings!
 
#2
+1 for Sonores strings (and Gerold Genssler - great guy) - I've tried both the Red Label (cool) and the Twine gut core (he doesn't list them there for some reason? Maybe he renamed them). I've had the Twine set on my bass for almost a year now - they sound amazing. The Red Labels were, for me, nearly as good but I had to choose - can only have one set on my bass at a time :)
 
#6
And wonderfully smooth sounding, easy to bow, very warm... maybe more of a solo string than an orchestra string, but just maybe. For me the warmth plus ease of play make them a major step up from the Corellis I used to use...

(I have Brian's other set)...

Terrific on my small DeAnda bass. I'm very happy with them.

best,

louis
 
#7
i've been using the original jazz set for about a year now. great strings. was wondering if someone could compare the diameter, tension, tone and flexibility of these red label cool strings to another string such as the velvet anima or compas 180 or the spirocore weich and evah pirazzi weich.
wondering if they bow as well as a flexocore or they are more like a spirocore.
and would like to know if they are bright or dark sounding strings. i'm using the wrapped gut so i'm used to a darker sounding string...........thanks
 
#8
pipeman said:
i've been using the original jazz set for about a year now. great strings. was wondering if someone could compare the diameter, tension, tone and flexibility of these red label cool strings to another string such as the velvet anima or compas 180 or the spirocore weich and evah pirazzi weich.
wondering if they bow as well as a flexocore or they are more like a spirocore.
and would like to know if they are bright or dark sounding strings. i'm using the wrapped gut so i'm used to a darker sounding string...........thanks
Click to expand...

The diameter and tension are probably closest to the Corelli strings. Tonally, they're not like any string I know - bright, clear and also warm.

They are really NOTHING like flexocore or spirocore strings. They bow extremely well also. Louis has been using them for a bit - more than me. Maybe he can chime in...?
 
#9
thanks for the reponse. i have never used corelli strings but what i've read is that they are very thin. don't know, probably need a little more information on these cool strings. hopefully someone else can describe them a little more............
 
#11
I had the red label ( I am assuming they are the same as the Rabbath formulation-if not these comments will not apply)
on a Kolstein Panormo model and then put the Compas 180 on that bass. The Velvets are fuller and punchier, arco and pizz, and work a bit better for a bass that sees more jazz than classical use presently. The red labels went next on a very old and great Juzek but I went back to Eudoxas with Spiro E ext. because that bass sometimes is played in orchestra and again the sound is bigger with the wrapped gut and also sounds great for jazz. However , the Gennslers are fantastic and would stay on the Juzek if I used it as a solo or chamber music arco bass predominantly. They sing out beautifully, arco and pizz, but are not as great when I want to dig in. Of course the touch and attack of each player is unique and someone else will feel differently about those factors.
So now the Gennslers are on my Clevinger EUB and they are excellent there as that bass likes light resonant strings and has never sounded nearly as good arco as it does now.
 
#13
yes Red Label is another string type than Rabbath. Actually Genssler provides 3 types of fibre core strings:

1. Red Label Basso / Solo -> orch / solo string;
2. Rabbath -> orch/ solo and less jazz/pizz and baroque;
3. Red Label jazz -> jazz/pizz and less orch;

Best way is to contact Genssler and ask for his leaflet in which this info is included. I think idd, that in this post you describe the Rabbath type...
 
#17
I wondering if anyone who has/is using red label jazz could comment on how rich or deep they sound. I get that they are flexible and play well with good sustain. I'm wondering that if they are thin perhaps the sound isn't that bassy if that makes sense.

My ideal strings would be somewhere between Eudoxas and EP's. before you say it I'm aware this may be asking a bit much. Hmm, how about an 8 string bass strung with a set of each... Joking
 

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