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Double Bass Broken Anima E, Advice Please!

Bobby King

Bobby King

May 3, 2005
2,632
1,822
69
Nashville, TN
www.phillysoultributeproject.com
#1
Tonight I go into my music room and my Anima E string is busted. :crying: Wah! :scowl: :rollno: :mad: :atoz: @#$%&*!

I have been so happy with my current setup too!

So, it busted where it wraps around the the tuning peg. Now the thing is, unlike with the other strings where it's only the cord being wrapped onto the peg, on the E string, part of the metal-wound portion has to be wound onto the peg in order to tune up to pitch. This is where it broke. What are you supposed to do to minimize the chance of breakage?

I'm pissed, the string was only a few months old.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
#6
Nuno - I sent you a picture and my address. Thanks for your excellent customer service!

I love Velvet strings and so I hope this is just an odd E string.

I believe that I had it wrapped so the metal wrap was resting on top of the cord, and it wasn't bent hard in one direction or jammed against the inside of the peg box. If there's a "best" way to wind on the E to avoid this, please let me know.

I've been using an Anima E, Garbo A&D, and a Gamut plain gut G. This is the best set-up I've ever concocted, sounds great acoustically and amplified, very well balanced in tone and tension on my Strunal hybrid bass. I put on a Pirastro Pizzicato E for the time being but I miss that Anima E.

Thanks again!
 
#7
Bobby King said:
Nuno - I sent you a picture and my address. Thanks for your excellent customer service!

I love Velvet strings and so I hope this is just an odd E string.

I believe that I had it wrapped so the metal wrap was resting on top of the cord, and it wasn't bent hard in one direction or jammed against the inside of the peg box. If there's a "best" way to wind on the E to avoid this, please let me know.

I've been using an Anima E, Garbo A&D, and a Gamut plain gut G. This is the best set-up I've ever concocted, sounds great acoustically and amplified, very well balanced in tone and tension on my Strunal hybrid bass. I put on a Pirastro Pizzicato E for the time being but I miss that Anima E.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Im at home now, but tomorrow morning ill send you the string, i go see the pic and ill get back to you
thanks Bobby

Nuno
 
#8
Bravo, Nuno! It looks like Velvet customer service has improved a lot since you've been around. I had problems a few years ago and couldn't get a reply to either a phone call or email. I'm glad that's changed.
 
#9
Bobby King said:
So this is a common problem?
Click to expand...

Not for me, I'm just now on my third set of Animas in 7 years. The first set (which was about 3 years old) was no problems, I just changed strings when I had some work done on my bass is Sept 05. The second set was still going strong till the D string finally broke last week (so three years on the second set). I'm pretty happy with that performance.
 
#10
Ed Fuqua said:
Not for me, I'm just now on my third set of Animas in 7 years. The first set (which was about 3 years old) was no problems, I just changed strings when I had some work done on my bass is Sept 05. The second set was still going strong till the D string finally broke last week (so three years on the second set). I'm pretty happy with that performance.
Click to expand...

Well that's good to hear, Ed.

Anyway, I can't say enough good things about Nuno and Velvet customer service. He spotted this thread and is sending me a replacement, without me even asking!
 
#12
Bobby King said:
Tonight I go into my music room and my Anima E string is busted ...... @#$%&*! ... it busted where it wraps around the the tuning peg. Now the thing is, unlike with the other strings where it's only the cord being wrapped onto the peg, on the E string, part of the metal-wound portion has to be wound onto the peg in order to tune up to pitch. This is where it broke .... I'm pissed, the string was only a few months old.
Click to expand...
@#$%&*! INDEED !! I know it is past tense ..... But once again let me remind that Bambi still loves Thumper (That's You Bobby) .... http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5176921&postcount=636 .

I remember a recent thread wherein you got me all hot'n'bothered about tryin' out some Velvet Anima strings ..... And I have :D .
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461951 . In that thread I said ....
Bob Knebel said:
...... Shut Up Bobby ;) ... "Something terrible about to happen" ?? Don't be jinxin' yerself and bringing The Wrath Of The Bass Gear Boogey Man down on yer butt !! .....
Click to expand...
See ..... It's yer own Dang-Fault :D !!
Nuno A. said:
I'm at home now, but tomorrow morning i'll send you the string, i go see the pic and i'll get back to you ..... Nuno
Click to expand...
Ed Fuqua said:
.... I'm just now on my third set of Animas in 7 years ...... I'm pretty happy with that performance.
Click to expand...
Gearhead43 said:
Great to see a company with good customer support.
Click to expand...
From my own limited experience ..... Velvets have been great. It is comforting to me to hear Nuno backing the product and to hear of the positive experiences from Ed. I have become a Gamut Pistoy G & D / Velvet A & E Nerd on two of my basses. I have had no Velvets bust on me yet (knock-on-wood). I have used both Garbos and Animas now. The copper windings on the Garbo E on my Kay wrap around the peg precariously but ..... No problems. I couldn't resist (based on the Gut Vs. Anima thread) ..... I put on the Anima A on a different bass (Epi) and was happy so I quickly ditched the Spiro Weich E and also got an Anima E. The copper on that Anima E-string also dives over and around the peg precariously but it seems to be pretty happy and is now starting to sound excellent.

Bobby ..... It's good to get a new string from Velvet ..... But not so good to wait for that new-string-banjo-boinggg to disappear .... Hang In There Pal !!!
 

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#13
It's stories like this that scare the heck out of me. Fortunately me, all my Velvets only have the threads on the pegs. One suggestion: if you don't already have a compensating tailpiece, you might want to think about getting one. This will move the D, A a E strings further down towards the tailpiece and may get the metal part of the string off the peg.
 
#14
Adrian Cho said:
It's stories like this that scare the heck out of me. Fortunately me, all my Velvets only have the threads on the pegs. One suggestion: if you don't already have a compensating tailpiece, you might want to think about getting one. This will move the D, A a E strings further down towards the tailpiece and may get the metal part of the string off the peg.
Click to expand...
Adrian ..... That Is Swell Advice (No Doubt) & I Appreciate That :) ..... But I am an American PlyWood Bass BoneHead .... I just won't be changing-out my original cool-lookin' Kay and Epiphone tailpieces just becuz they bust real-expensive strings and may make my basses sound better :p :D :p !

That is what I like about my Gamut Pistoy plain-gut strings .... They are gut all-the-way-up-and-down ..... No funky transitions. Velvet / Thomastik / Pirastro / Innovation / Etc. Etc. .... Well I just think they need to git-there-sh!t-together. Are they (you) telling us we have to buy a new-and-expensive space-age tailpiece installed by experienced luthiers that don't exist here in Montana ;) .... Just so their spendy-dang-strings won't bust ?? ;) ;)

I haven't had much trouble with Velvet Garbos or Animas so far..... But I did add a-buncha washers to a Dom E I usta use ...... Down on the tail-end to get the syntho-transition off'n the E-Peg at the top-end .... I busted one Dom E ..... Connolley & Co covered my butt quite-well ..... They were Great ... But from then-on .... I was spooked about winding strings onto the E-Peg.

P.S. ...... No offense intended Adrian :) ... You know more about bass strings than anyone I know 'round here (sept maybe Toad) :) and I have always listened to what you have to say !! Carry On AC :D .... I will be keeping my ears open for more good advice fro you.
 
#15
I agree with you that Velvet should just get their sh!t together when it comes to the manufacturing of these strings. If I have a breakage with mine I will swear off them instantly. The thought of having a breakage on a critical gig really concerns me. I've never broken any other kind of string and I don't see why I should start now.

You know, you can get really nice looking compensating tailpieces. Mike Pecanic for example makes them and yes they will make your bass sound better too. But of course there is the problem of that cool little Kay logo.
 
#18
In the meanwhile, I have a Pirastro Pizzicato back on for the E until I get a replacement Anima. I'd been using the Pizzicatos previously before I got on this Velvet kick. It's interesting to compare again. The Pizzicato actually has a bit more tension than the Anima, and sort of a more "springy" feel. The tone is more growly, too. The Pizzicato is definitely as loud or louder than the Anima, it also sounds good amplified and some of the growliness goes away through an amp. But the Anima is easier for me to control and is better matched with the other strings that I'm using.

On my bass , the Garbo A definitely has more bottom and more oomph than the Pizzicato A. The Garbo A rocks! ( I was not happy with the Garbo E -- too big, too muddy) I quite like the Garbo D too. Let's hope for no surprises with these. Occasionally I'm tempted to put my Gamut plain D back on, but I sure like being able to play up higher on the D and still get clear notes. On my bass the plain gut D will go to around Ab and then it's Thud City. But using a Gamut plain gut medium G with these works just great, both tone and tension. And the gut G stays clear and fat all the way up. I also definitely like the full Anima set, but I've been doing some bluegrassy stuff recently and the extra "guttiness" is good for that.

The breakage thing is a little unnerving, but hey... I guess you should always have some kind of spare. I've had Pizzicatos and roundwound guts break in the past too, but not actually on gigs. It seems it's always when I'm not playing -- overnight or when the bass is just sitting. :confused: I've never broken a steel string. Oh, to be a Spiro guy! I have Helicore Orchestras on my Shen bass. I practice arco pretty regularly, and arco on real orchestra strings is much more satisfying. So, I need a third bass for Spirocores! "Say Honey, Christmas time's a-comin'!"
 
#19
I always do carry spares but let's face it, a spare is useless in any critical situation. You have to get it onto the bass and get it tuned and keep it at pitch. Even if the string has been played in, that's not going to happen.

I currently have Anima G, A and extended C and Garbo D. I was actually wondering if I should try the Anima D again. It's interesting that you think the Pizzicato could even be louder than the Anima.
 
#20
Adrian Cho said:
I always do carry spares but let's face it, a spare is useful in any critical situation. You've got to get it onto the bass and get it tuned and keep it at pitch. Even if the string has been played in, that's not going to happen.

I currently have Anima G, A and extended C and Garbo D. I was actually wondering if I should try the Anima D again. It's interesting that you think the Pizzicato could even be louder than the Anima.
Click to expand...


I have some old Superflexibles in my bass bag for emergencies.
It's true that you'd have to stop to put on a new string if one broke on a gig, but something like a old Superflex would probably hold it's pitch fairly quickly. Using steel on the A&E isn't too bad unamplified, but I really hear the difference with a pickup. Of course, I use an Underwood and steel can sound pretty metallic with that.

I don't know if the Pizzicato E is really any louder. I'm surprised how bright and growly it is though. I like the Anima D too. The whole Anima set is good. A little more "sing" on the top end than I want in certain situations, but I like them very much.

Having said that, I played at the IBMA bluegrass convention a few weeks ago and plenty of those guys use Spirocores and get great sounds. I guess it all depends on the player, the bass, etc. I'm not really a bluegrasser, but living in Nashville I wind up doing some of that, and also Ray Charles-type blues and Elvis/Patsy retro stuff. Gut-like strings work very well for all of those kinds of music.

A few observations:

I always think players like Paul Chambers and Oscar Pettiford had pretty ideal sounds. Obviously they were gut players, but there's still plenty of liveliness to their sound. Now I'll assume that they had good instruments and those coveted gut strings of yore (and major talent!) People like me with cheaper instruments often find that sound somewhat ellusive when we use guts. It tends to sound a lot less responsive than PC on "Kind Of Blue" :) But we are very lucky to have so many new string options these days. Between Eudoxas,Olives Obligatos, Evah Pirazzis, Pirastro Pizzicatos, Velvet Anima and Garbo, Gamut and Dlugolecki --you can blend strings that have varying degrees of gut and steel qualities until you find what works best for your particular bass. All it takes is $$ :eek:

Sorry if I'm "blogging" too much here.
 

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