Double Bass Gut or gut sounding with more tension?

[Mike Marshall]

I have dirty guts on my G,D and A strings but a Eurosonic on my E. It makes a difference if you are playing with an amplifier if not the acoustic volume of the E and A may bee to light.

 

[tito mangialajo]

How much more tension? Excepting vintage strings, the highest-tension guts I’ve played have been Pirastro’s Carlos Henriquez signature set. They’re fat and low-twist, as opposed to Gamut which are more supple.

I agree. I tried both Gamut and Pirastro Chorda CH and the Pirastro have more tension than Gamut. I play Pirastro now on my bass.

 

[Don Hergert]

I have dirty guts on my G,D and A strings but a Eurosonic on my E. It makes a difference if you are playing with an amplifier if not the acoustic volume of the E and A may bee to light.

It sounds like Brent's concern is that he wants higher tension synthetic or gut strings though... The fattest and highest tension set of SBW Deluxe "Dirty Guts" are still low tension strings.

Perhaps worth mentioning about Deluxe "Dirty Guts" though, the fattest and highest tension E and A really do put out just about the same volume as the D and G, but they have extremely fast decay. The same thing happens with a full set of plain guts. It's hard not to think you're hearing less volume when the note duration is so short.

 

[Ben Noblit]

Nylon wrapped guts have been my solution here. Gold Springs or Gamuts.

 

[Francois Blais]

What about these?
The DG have been updated to varnished instead of nylon wound.

Red Diamond Strings — Gamut Music. Inc.

www.gamutmusic.com

 

[bassmanbrent]

What about these?
The DG have been updated to varnished instead of nylon wound.

Red Diamond Strings — Gamut Music. Inc.

www.gamutmusic.com

Thanks Francois. I have been wondering about these... I have 2 thoughts, in case anybody has experience with the new version of this string.
1. People often didn't like the D of the wrapped version. Does anyone know if the clarity of this string has been improved?
2. Tension is 22 and 23 for the D and G respectively. Is that actually higher than a standard gut string? Thanks!

 

[Jeff Kissell]

…Tension is 22 and 23 for the D and G respectively. Is that actually higher than a standard gut string? Thanks!

Very mid for a gut string, tension wise. Also most of the “weed whacker” variants are probably too low tension based on your original query. You want medium/heavy guts or light/medium Eurosonics or equivalent.
The other option is to use regular steel for your E (and possibly A) which, with heavier guts, will effectively give you pretty normal overall tension. I’m currently running lighter gauge gut D & G with Perpetual A & E. Also in process of experimenting with a wound gut A string. So far, the pressure on the top is still pretty optimal for this bass.