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Double Bass Gut Strings: Are They Worth It To Try? (part I)
- Thread starter Kevin Hsieh
- Start date
- Status
- May 6, 2003
- 5,272
- 160
- 64
- Disclosures
- Proprietor Fifth Avenue Fret Shop. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine
I was of the opinion that if I wanted the strings to stabilize I tune them to pitch whenever I began to play, and during performance as needed but otherwise leave them be. Sometimes they come out of the bag sharp sometimes flat, sometimes right on. They stretch enough as it is, no need to add to your misery by tuning them up and down a bunch. Eventually my strings didn't drift all that much until they just wore out.
the most crazy stuff is the taxi driving cops. saw a taxi pull over a taxi outside of small's at 4 in the morning. it blew my mind
Loading my bass into my double parked car with flashers on I was given a ticket by a fireman in shorts. I told him I was loading and would be out in a minute, it was in front of my apartmentin brooklyn, made no difference, still got the ticket and when I asked how come firemen were now giving out tickets he said he didn't like it but that Giuliani wanted them doing it during down time, exact words. This was pre 9/11 of course.
I used to love the sound of guts or wrapped guts on G and D with spiros on E and A but I've been much happier with Anima A, D and E and a golentone or golden spiral G. Just recorded a track tonite all of us round a couple room mikes and the drummer commented on how big and warm the bass sounded. I like the gut G better than the Anima and Garbo Gs.
Loading my bass into my double parked car with flashers on I was given a ticket by a fireman in shorts. I told him I was loading and would be out in a minute, it was in front of my apartmentin brooklyn, made no difference, still got the ticket and when I asked how come firemen were now giving out tickets he said he didn't like it but that Giuliani wanted them doing it during down time, exact words. This was pre 9/11 of course.
I used to love the sound of guts or wrapped guts on G and D with spiros on E and A but I've been much happier with Anima A, D and E and a golentone or golden spiral G. Just recorded a track tonite all of us round a couple room mikes and the drummer commented on how big and warm the bass sounded. I like the gut G better than the Anima and Garbo Gs.
Got the answer this morning.
Adrian said the Pirastro Pizzicatos are selling very well and there is no plan to discontinue them!
Maybe your Nashville luthier just has some supply problems.
Kevin, you may just do that if headed out to a car on a cold night. You know how our skin can crack when exposed to cold dry air in the winter? The gut strings can react the same way and break. Just drop it about a whole note on the G & D when going between extremes.
No need to do that when it's resting in your apartment between practices.
That's good to hear! I plan to call and tell them to tell Dennis not to worry (he should read TB!), and to stop spreading erroneous information! Also, my apologies for posting incorrect info.
I talked to Chris at Williams Violins today and he said that he had been told that the Pizzicatos were being discontinued by their string distributor. Incorrect info as we've learned. I wonder if the distributor had some ulterior motive in saying that? 
I have talked to some music retailers and they've told me that it's often not worth it to stock many upright bass strings. They say that they typically would have to buy more quantity than they'd want to in order to get a profitable wholesale price. So usually all you'll see is D'Addario Helicores and maybe some Labellas, since the stores also carry their electric bass strings. You'd think they'd at least keep Thomastik Spirocore on hand. Dustin Williams shop keeps a decent selection of bass strings, but they charge fairly premium prices. You can invariably get them cheaper online (sometimes much cheaper!) but sometimes I'll still buy something from them because they're local, and nice folks too.
Now, of course, I'm digging the Pizzicatos again, and I recently had sold a new E&A (I should never sell anything, I'm such a dingus). Come to think of it, I got those from Southwest Strings on a closeout sale. Southwest said they weren't going to carry them anymore due to a lack of interest. (and this contradicts what Adrian said
) These strings are developing an air of intrigue!
I have talked to some music retailers and they've told me that it's often not worth it to stock many upright bass strings. They say that they typically would have to buy more quantity than they'd want to in order to get a profitable wholesale price. So usually all you'll see is D'Addario Helicores and maybe some Labellas, since the stores also carry their electric bass strings. You'd think they'd at least keep Thomastik Spirocore on hand. Dustin Williams shop keeps a decent selection of bass strings, but they charge fairly premium prices. You can invariably get them cheaper online (sometimes much cheaper!) but sometimes I'll still buy something from them because they're local, and nice folks too.
Now, of course, I'm digging the Pizzicatos again, and I recently had sold a new E&A (I should never sell anything, I'm such a dingus). Come to think of it, I got those from Southwest Strings on a closeout sale. Southwest said they weren't going to carry them anymore due to a lack of interest. (and this contradicts what Adrian said
) These strings are developing an air of intrigue!Keep an ear on the string tunings while you play open strings through your set/practice session/etc just as you keep an ear on your intonation when you stop the strings with your fingers. Don't let open strings be your safety net; let your ears (and perhaps the piano) be your reference point.
Glad to hear you're enjoying yourself Kevin.
Hi Bobby.
Maybe they sell better in Europe, who knows?
I suggest you check Quinn Violins for strings.
He has a great choice.
I don't think Bob G. keeps Pizzicatos but he has the best service.
Maybe they sell better in Europe, who knows?
I suggest you check Quinn Violins for strings.
He has a great choice.
I don't think Bob G. keeps Pizzicatos but he has the best service.
This is what Quinn Violins says, re" Pizzicato" strings:
"We have temporarily discontinued these strings due to high rate of failure. We will offer them if they are improved"
"We have temporarily discontinued these strings due to high rate of failure. We will offer them if they are improved"
Still have the unknown plain guts on top. Strung up the bottom with Garbos. String height remains medium low.
The guts have really settled in and stretched out. In the words of the esteemed David Wong, "they feel like butter". They sound beautiful to the listener (had David play for a bit while I sat and enjoyed it).
The Garbos really balance out in terms of tension and sound (which was the biggest problem with the Helicore Hybrids).
bottom line: I had a really bright bass and with some experimentation, ended up with a nice dark woody bass that pushes lots of air. It doesn't cut through the mix as well as the steel strings do, but that's not my main concern. The feel is unparalleled and I don't regret any moment having experimented with gut. If i do happen to go back to spirocores at any point, I'll know that I liked this setup as well.
ya'll should try it. :]
will post some decent sound files in the near future for a "A and B"
The guts have really settled in and stretched out. In the words of the esteemed David Wong, "they feel like butter". They sound beautiful to the listener (had David play for a bit while I sat and enjoyed it).
The Garbos really balance out in terms of tension and sound (which was the biggest problem with the Helicore Hybrids).
bottom line: I had a really bright bass and with some experimentation, ended up with a nice dark woody bass that pushes lots of air. It doesn't cut through the mix as well as the steel strings do, but that's not my main concern. The feel is unparalleled and I don't regret any moment having experimented with gut. If i do happen to go back to spirocores at any point, I'll know that I liked this setup as well.
ya'll should try it. :]
will post some decent sound files in the near future for a "A and B"
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
If you get tired of them, send them to me.
Seriously, I'm glad you found the fix. Not surprised the Hybrids didn't work out. I've tried to like them but just can't.
They are like an inconsistent, dead Mittel.
Seriously, I'm glad you found the fix. Not surprised the Hybrids didn't work out. I've tried to like them but just can't.
They are like an inconsistent, dead Mittel.
Garbos E+A and plain gut D+G is a GREAT combination. I think it feels even more balanced than with wound guts for bottom strings.
I think Garbo's for the E&A are about as good as anything else you'd use with plain a gut D&G. More affordable, stable, and reliable too.
garbo E & A are great for some basses, and not others.
they worked well on my old bass but not the new one. they are way too tight on my new bass.
also the old batch of garbos are totally different to the new ones. the new ones, have at least an inch of cloth winding which sits over the nut and onto the fingerboard. (its a big bass)
the E & A are a good sounding string. but they dont sound and feel as good as wound kurschners or the like, imo
A real gut core has a bit more of a cutting mid-range than Velvets. But, the Velvets are still pretty good.
Another thing when using all gut -- there is nothing stable to help with tuning. If you use a synthetic (or a steel) for your E&A, at least you have a string that isn't constantly changing pitch and you can tune the upper strings to them.
I've found that wound gut strings are even worse than plain gut for pitch stabilty, maybe because the metal windings conduct heat/cold and transfer it to the core?
Another thing when using all gut -- there is nothing stable to help with tuning. If you use a synthetic (or a steel) for your E&A, at least you have a string that isn't constantly changing pitch and you can tune the upper strings to them.
I've found that wound gut strings are even worse than plain gut for pitch stabilty, maybe because the metal windings conduct heat/cold and transfer it to the core?
I think it has more to do with the two substances (metal and gut) expanding and contracting at different rates and by different amounts when exposed to changes in temperature and humidity. Come to think of it, it's amazing they are as stable as they are.
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