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Double Bass Gut string suggestions

neddyrow

neddyrow

www.simmerinstew.com
Apr 21, 2011
2,309
3,136
Cortland, NY
#1
Hello. I am happy to say that a fellow TBer is helping me out to buy his shen and now I am researching different string options for when I get the new bass.

Currently I have a 1985 Eberle plywood bass and I have a set of all plain gotz gut strings on and I really like them (also from a fellow TBer). My only complaint is that the E string is pretty big and gets a little "flubby" sometimes. I play 99% pizz and do all bunch of slap in the bluegrass and "Americana" bands i play in. Needless to say my action is on the high side.

I have been looking at getting a few different setups for strings. I'm thinking of a set of lenzners with plain G, D, A and a wrapped E. I am curious of other E string options for my style (didn't care for the super silvers). I don't want to half plain and half wrapped because from what I read on here, it doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for. Any suggestions for my setup?
 
#4
I loved the sound and feel of a full set of Gamut gut on my 1948 Epiphone B4. The plain gut D/G are as good as it gets, and are worth every penny. However, once I started slapping regularly, the wound E/A did not last very long; I got maybe 6 months out of them before the windings started buzzing. I haven't seen anyone else complain about this, so maybe it was just my crappy technique and/or bad luck, but it sure seems to me that slapping caused the windings and gut core to separate -- anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I can't afford to blow through $270 worth of strings in less than a year. And yes, I know Dan Larson will rewind them for $50 each, but a couple of Super Silvers have been doing the job for me just fine for many months now, so for now I see no point. I would love to try a Pistoy plain A someday, but the likelihood of having to modify the nut and bridge plus shell out $232 makes me hesitate. At least with a Shen, you can experiment with a wide range of different string combos/tensions without risking caving in the thin, 3-ply top of a vintage bass. For me, it's literally "Low tension or bust!"
 
#5
Bobby King said:
For wound gut, Gamut makes the best. I have light+ gauge which I really like. Expensive though. Some gutsters like Velvet Garbo for the low strings. Nashville slap ace Dave Roe uses Super Sensitive Sensicore on the E&A.You said you didn't like Super Silvers, maybe try a Super Nil, or one of the other Innovations with lighter tension.
Click to expand...

For wound gut, my money is on the Genssler strings being the best. I've loved Damian's strings, I've loved Dan's strings, but Gerold's strings are a step above them both. I have not been able to get away with wound strings living in AK. The gut would shrink, the wrapping would get loose and they would need to be rewound if they were to be used again. The Genssler strings have been fine this winter and more importantly, have sounded great the whole time.

I'll be the first to say that both Damian and Dan make amazing strings. But if you can afford the experiment, then wholeheartedly I say try the handmade German strings. You will not be disappointed.
 
#7
Thanks for the tips!!

Luckily, our fellow TBer who is selling me the shen happens to also have a new set of garbos which now I am also going to buy. I think I'll try the full set and add plain guts as I see fit.
 
#9
For what it's worth, I've got a Garbo E & A and unwound Gamut D & G on my Engelhardt and they sound stupendously awesome. I was going to do new Anima (I had a really old E & A) strings on it, but I'm glad I went with the Garbos. Enjoy them!
 
#10
Running on Gamut Gut on G-D. Garbo on E-A. A great combination in sound and feel on my Aaron Reilly bass.Have tried the anima's first,but the Garbo has more in common with Gamuts.
They sound a little louder and have become easier to play in general as time goes on.:hyper:
 
#12
Olives were great sounding on my 7/8 Bass, however, didn't realize that the nut & bridge slots needed to be made wider for Gut strings. Great fundamental, pizz & Arco.
Came home one humid summer day to find my E string had snapped at the Nut.
Expensive mistake-many years ago-before TalkBass.com!
Have EPs now-great sounding.
Went through a wide variety of string experiments....
 

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