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Double Bass Gut Longevity

M

Marcus Johnson

Nov 28, 2001
8,533
96
Maui
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#1
Just rambled back through my calendar to check on the age of my Gamut gut set, just for the hella. So, the copper wound E & A went on my bass in September of last year, and I remember that Bill Hoffman told me that they were used for eighteen months when he gave them to me. The Gamut Lyons tops...geez, I don't even know... I got those from Mark Perna sometime in late '09, and those were well-used when I got them. And I play a lot of bass.... hard hours of playing at performance level, often unamplified. The whole set sounds perfect, fantastic, I wouldn't change a thing. They seem to be indestructible so far. They are actually still improving, to my ear. I love getting a good value out of a set (and hey, these were free, so I'm waaay ahead of the game :cool:)... but I wouldn't leave any set of strings on the bass if they were hampering the sound or playability in any way.

So of course I leave 'em alone, but there's always that "waiting for the other shoe to drop" thing. I've never left a set of strings on the bass for that long, although I do have an old set of Spiros that have hopped from bass to bass for years.

Is there anyone here who has a set of gut strings on the bass with as much playing time as mine? I'm just kind of curious. I know some local players in the Hawaiian music world who've played the same old La Bella guts for many years... they just laugh at me when I even mention changing strings.
 
#2
My Chordas have been on and off several basses since Ken Smith got them as a test set in 2008ish. The winding on the A is going where it crosses the bridge and the D and G are a little furry but overall they look like they'll be good for a few more years.
 
#3
I bought a Pistoy light D off peteswanson I don't know how long ago.. at least a year now (I'm thinking last maybe last April), and I forget how much use it had when he used it. It's still going strong though, for sure, and I'm amazed at that. I just ordered a heavy Gamut A and will decide on which E to get once I try it out (I'm thinking maybe SuperSensitive or a Garbo E, but of course, playing the Gamut A might mean getting bit by that mean Gamut bug).

I've been switching between 2 old Chorda As (depending on if one develops a buzz), which is what's on my Kay now, and they're still going pretty strong too.
 
#4
Well, it's been nowhere as long as yours, but I put a full set of Gamuts on my Jacobus Hornsteiner bass back in November of 2010. They continue to improve all the time and show no signs of deterioration. The Pistoy G&D have hardly sprouted any hairs. I've been very happy with them and have no desire to change. Still, with all the frigging money I've spent on strings in the past, this set will have to last for many years for things to average out! :eek:

Seriously though, it seems that guts do have a long life expectancy. $500 + dollars for a set of Gamuts seems like a heck of a lot of money to shell out, but if they last for three years, that's really not so bad.

Flatwounds on electric bass are a little like guts on an upright, they will also last for years.
 
#5
That's what I'm getting. I could only have hoped that they hold their own.... but it seems like they're actually getting better. Weird.

Phil.. the Gamut A is nice. On my bass, the Gamut E is epic. And it had a year and a half on it before it ever went on my bass. Just sayin'... YMMV
 
#7
Edit - Tuned the bass back up today and the buzz (Gamut heavy A) seems to be all gone. Just got off the phone w/ Dan and he said if the buzz comes back just pop it in the mail and they'll take care of it. What a nice cat.. and this string is just nuts. I can definitely see this breed of gut string lasting a long time. Apologies for maybe derailing the thread a little..
 
#9
My beloved Gamut Lyon G, given to me by Mark Perna, may be finally nearing the end. It's developed a bump around the Bb, and it might be aloha time. What a great string it's been. It still sounds great, and I'm gonna play the crap out of it as long as it will hang in there. I massaged it with walnut oil and got a great gig out of it last night. But i don't know how much more I can ask of it.
 
#10
Marcus Johnson said:
My beloved Gamut Lyon G, given to me by Mark Perna, may be finally nearing the end. It's developed a bump around the Bb, and it might be aloha time. What a great string it's been. It still sounds great, and I'm gonna play the crap out of it as long as it will hang in there. I massaged it with walnut oil and got a great gig out of it last night. But i don't know how much more I can ask of it.
Click to expand...

Just get you another of the same string, put it in the stable, maybe have it saddled and ready to ride, when your old work horse kicks the bucket.

IMHO, if a player can play gut strings, given the environment he/she maybe living/working in, they're the best bang for your buck. If you can shell out $300-$400 bucks for a set of strings and you get 4-5 years worth of service from them, is that any different than shelling out $120 a set for Spirocores or Helicores or some other such steel strings, changing them out every year? My billfold says there is a difference.

Now, I know gut strings ain't for everybody, but they work for me (and others).
 
#11
Marcus Johnson said:
My beloved Gamut Lyon G, given to me by Mark Perna, may be finally nearing the end. It's developed a bump around the Bb, and it might be aloha time. What a great string it's been. It still sounds great, and I'm gonna play the crap out of it as long as it will hang in there. I massaged it with walnut oil and got a great gig out of it last night. But i don't know how much more I can ask of it.
Click to expand...

If nothing else, you got a great run out of it. G is the cheapest string in the Gamut store (I think it's about $80). Order another one and have Dan overnight it to you. It'll sound like you have a new bass. You may find you'll want to change the G a little more often. I just changed out my Pistoy G for a new one and the bass sounds like new. The D goes on forever. I'd send you my old Pistoy G but I want to put it on my Kolstein Travel bass.

mark
 
#12
Oh, thanks, Mark... I'll finally pony up for some new ones, maybe Pistoys this time. I may just take this opportunity to put on the fresh top strings and have new copper wraps put on the lowers, just to see what they're like in the fresh state. I guess I'll have to see what's in the string drawer for the interim.

I played the bass hard last night, and the Lyons still sound great. there's just a little gnarly spot that I'm aware of, and it just looks like it wants to go. But the sound is still all there. Amazing strings.
 
#15
Update on my Gamut heavy A.. got the replacement from Dan, put it on late Thursday night. I've been in the studio 12 - 6 yesterday (Friday) and today with one more day to go, and I'm amazed at how stable and in tune this string is, even for being so fresh. The most out of tune it's gone is about a half step, but when I got to the studio today (where I left my bass) it was practically in tune, and it's been holding up throughout the whole day. This string is ridiculous and it's been on only a few days. It seriously has me considering a Gamut E (I think I'd go w/ the heavy+ there).
 
#17
My teacher has had a set of guts for 10+ years, still riding them for his baroque gigs. I have been enjoying Eudoxas for the past year. However, listening to Jimmy on the live version of A Love Supreme, I feel like I have to jump on the unwound gut journey. I even thought that I had found my dream string..

EDIT: What's the difference between the pistoy and Lyon?
 
#18
The G was broken last night when I opened the bag. That string did more than anyone could ever have asked of any string. Of course I'd finally gotten around to cleaning out my truck, so there were no spares of any kind along for the ride. Three sets of jazz on three strings.Interesting.

Herbie... the Pistoy has an additional strand of gut wound in, and a different wind. Dan Larson describes it really well on the Gamut website, and there are high-res pics so you can see the differences.
 

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