Double Bass best strings for bluegrass

[onemadmando]

I have to get some new strings put on this old Kay bass and it will only be used to play bluegrass and pizz. Now I need to determine what kind on strings to use. It think has Labella 710's on it now. I dont particularly care for the feel of these strings. The G is small in diameter and doesn't have the full rich sound I want. I have ask other DB players around here what strings they use and many of them use Labella 7710's. I like the feel of these strings better but I'm am not really satisfied with the sound. Some use Thomastick Spirocores and I like the sound better but they seem have a harder feel.
I guess what I would like to know is if anyone out there has used velvet garbos for bluegrass and if so how do they sound, feel, and how does temperature changes affect them in comparison to others. How long will they last? What changes will I have to make to the setup on the bass? and any other info you feel might be of assistance. We play unamplified many times and I have read garbos have good volume. What kind of string tension do they have in comparison to others?Thanks for any input. Roger

 

[TimoMetzemakers]

I guess what I would like to know is if anyone out there has used velvet garbos for bluegrass and if so how do they sound, feel, and how does temperature changes affect them in comparison to others. How long will they last? What changes will I have to make to the setup on the bass? and any other info you feel might be of assistance. We play unamplified many times and I have read garbos have good volume. What kind of string tension do they have in comparison to others?

I'm not a bluegrass player, so you might want to take my comments with a grain of salt, but I'd think that Garbos would be a very good choice for that kind of music.

I moonlight as a sound engineer, and some time ago I recorded a friend's quartet. The bassist, Yoni Zelnik (a very good player, BTW) uses Garbos on the recording. You can check it out for yourself here: Link Removed

I currently have a set of Garbos on my bass, too, so here are some random comments. They're the loudest strings I ever had. There are very thick strings, and have very low tension; as a matter of fact, they share a lot of physical characteristics with plain gut strings, although the sound is not exactly the same. I'm not sure how long this set will last, but I think that one can reasonably expect a lifetime of two or three years. Temperature stability is great after the break-in period.

Ah, and when you install a brand-new set, they have a piano-like tone that is a bit annoying, but that goes away after a few weeks.

Hope that helps (a bit).

Timo

 

[Reuben]

I would consider Pirastro Obligatos as an alternative. They're relatively inexpensive and sound great for bluegrass. They're even slapable if you're into that sort of thing.

 

[nordic27]

I have an old Kay bass that I played when our band "Last Kansas Exit" won the international bluegrass band championship in Nashville in 1985. Back then and still today I use SpiraCore strings.

 

[Gufenov]

I'm using Innovation SuperSilvers on my Engelhardt - good sound and feel, and they stay in tune well for the temperature / humidity changes common to outdoor venues.

 

[Ron Lacey]

I've got Obligatos on my bass and play bluegrass. They have a pretty good tone but the E is a little weak on volume, no matter how hard I pull. There has been some discussion on strings over on bluegrassbassplace which might give you some ideas.

 

[jimclark68]

Mike Ramsey of the Linville Ridge Band is a member here, and I'm fairly certain he uses Garbos on his American Standard and guts for recording and more climate-controlled gigs. Do a search for his posts (M Ramsey) in the string section. I played an old Kay once that had Garbos and it sounded great.

 

[mchildree]

I'm using Innovation SuperSilvers on my Engelhardt - good sound and feel, and they stay in tune well for the temperature / humidity changes common to outdoor venues.

Same here. If you like a pseudo-gut tone with easier maintenance and a little more tension, these are a good choice to try. My New Standard ply loves 'em.