Double Bass GUTS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!

[drew_bassmore]

I'm thinking a full set might actually sound good on my bass as it's kinda dark as well.

I have Animas E,A,D with Olive G on my Hungarian. It is one of my favorite set ups. I raised the string height recently, which, improved my playability on that rig.

The Kay still has the full Gamut effect. The sound is big and buttery. The E string pulls out of tune most frequently. It just means I have to do a spot tuning check between tunes.

 

[HateyMcAmp]

How does the tension of the Olive G compare to the Animas? I always hear about that string being paired with Spiro Mittels....

I have a love/hate relationship with the Anima G. Been considering a Compas SUIT G in its place, but using a real gut string is an attractive option...

 

[Herbie 80's]

Just ordered a Gamut Lyon G to replace a Eudoxa G. If I like it, I'll switch the Eudoxa D as well. Setup will be Eudoxa E-A, and then Gamut D-G.

Felt like the moment of truth answering 'varnished?' and 'gauge?'.

 

[Mark Perna]

Agh... I give up.

I love the sound of the gut lowers but the tuning issues is killing me. Last thing I need is strings going a half-step off every tune - even with allowing the bass to sit and try to adjust to the temps. Gonna try to keep the Olive's but with Animas for the lowers instead like how Marc is doing it.

That's why I switched. They sounded great but if the weather wasn't perfect, they'd go every which way. The worst was when it was cold out. They'd go sharp and you have detune. I had one gig that I had to detune almost two full steps. The "C" on the A string was in a different place EVERY time I went for it and after detuning two full steps, the whole bass sounded like a washtub bass.

I went to Garbos and then settled on Animas and I've had no problems at all. And they both match gut beautifully.

mark

 

[drew_bassmore]

How does the tension of the Olive G compare to the Animas?

In my experience, it is a perfect match to the Animas. I actually have never tried an Anima G on my bass. But when I moved to that set up, I had the Olive on the top already.

It is the closest thing to the sound that I enjoy. A bit of the gut like sound, but with a more distinct attack.

The Gamuts are pretty sweet though. I like them best when I can go virtually all acoustic. (meaning only light amplification or strictly mic'ed)

If I have to go more "plugged" in for volume, I usually go back to the Anima set up on the other bass.

 

[drew_bassmore]

I went to Garbos and then settled on Animas and I've had no problems at all. And they both match gut beautifully.

mark

I've resolved to never again play an outdoor gig on my full Gamut set up.

But, within a relatively controlled environment, I really prefer the tension and feel of the Gamut wrapped lower strings.

The combination with the Animas seemed to increase the tension of the upper strings more than I like. It feels very well balanced as a full Gamut set to me.

 

[d-sciple]

I've been using the e & A wrapped in copper for a little over a month and with the weather changing it has definitely been a tuning battle, but I do love the sound. I've noticed that the cooler and drier the weather is the sharper they go. I've had the most problem with my A string. My E seems a little more stable. I think I'm just going to deal with it for awhile.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Hrm... I put Labella black tapewounds back on for the E & A strings. Yeah... really.

Initially I was doing this as a temporary measure, but played in a masterclass yesterday and got lot of good compliments. I might just keep these on. They match well with the Olives and the bass is still plenty loud, enough to go ampless without much trouble. Seems like the tension is evening out as time goes on. Def a more modern sound - exactly gutlike but has that fullness gut gets.

 

[Marc Piane]

Interesting. I tried those strings once and really didn't get it. I used them again on a borrowed bass and seriously disliked them. The tone was strange for my taste. Kind of a faux gut sound with a strange steel zing. They didn't work for me. Both were full sets so maybe they'd work great as bottoms.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

They're still kinda zingy, but since they're on the bottom, it's not so obvious.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Been playin EB for 45 yrs or so, last played DB in Jr. High.

I have a question...sort of.

I don't get the different type/brand strings on the DB, Like mixing your strings.

I would never do that on a EB. Why on a DB?

I would think....strings sets!
Sorry if I'm not too clear on this.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

String compositions can be drastically different, even within those made by manufacturers. Cores can be made of gut, steel, silk, nylon, etc, as are the windings (or no windings for some gut sets). DBs are of much longer string length so there's lots more tension involved. So the types of sound you get between different strings (or even strings within a set) can be much different. So mixing and matching might get you the combination you want as some folks sometimes like one or two strings out of a set and find other strings that compliment them.

Most folks in the audience probably don't care how it comes out but just as EB players choose different basses to play, DB players choose strings to customize their sound.

BTW: My used animas have just arrived so will be giving these a whirl tonight then maybe deciding between these and the labellas.

 

[StereoPlayer]

String compositions can be drastically different, even within those made by manufacturers. Cores can be made of gut, steel, silk, nylon, etc, as are the windings (or no windings for some gut sets). DBs are of much longer string length so there's lots more tension involved. So the types of sound you get between different strings (or even strings within a set) can be much different. So mixing and matching might get you the combination you want as some folks sometimes like one or two strings out of a set and find other strings that compliment them.

Most folks in the audience probably don't care how it comes out but just as EB players choose different basses to play, DB players choose strings to customize their sound.

BTW: My used animas have just arrived so will be giving these a whirl tonight then maybe deciding between these and the labellas.

Thanks for the info! It just seems to me that different strings would sound, well... different. I'll get it eventually!

I am lovin' the "new" DB! 1941 Kay. Having fun!

 

[Mark Perna]

There are also HUGE difference between basses even ones from the same manufacturer. Different strings respond differently on the different basses; sometimes dramatically so. You can fine tune the sound you're looking for by mixing and matching strings. Lots of times one string out of a set will not be what you're looking for (too zingy or too dead or too much tension or too little tension). In the case of guts, the E and A wrapped gut strings are a bear to keep in tune so many players including me have found alternates that are appropriately gut-like but don't have the tuning problems. But what works on one bass doesn't necessarily work on other basses. I have multiple basses and have different combinations of strings on each.

mark

 

[StereoPlayer]

^ Thanks always for info!

 

[HateyMcAmp]

So, I saw a cheap, almost new Chorda G on the classifieds and impulse took hold. I know Chorda is kind of out of style on the forum, but in old reviews people posted I never saw much of anything but love for the G string. I'm going to try it on top of my Animas and hope I'm one of those people that can handle a tension skip. I really like the Anima D pizz, arco, and slap so I'm hoping the two can interact nice together. I have a couple of days of gig lull next week and a string band festival on Halloween weekend I'd love to bust out some real-deal gut for, so we'll see soon.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

Hrm.... Animas are certainly a better fit. Low tension means I can get back to my slappages. I'm finding them remarkably similar to the wound Gamuts, just brighter due to newness and less full sounding. Even immediately, the sound is usable.

Still, there was something to the labellas. I might go back to them at some point.

 

[Mark Perna]

Hrm.... Animas are certainly a better fit. Low tension means I can get back to my slappages. I'm finding them remarkably similar to the wound Gamuts, just brighter due to newness and less full sounding. Even immediately, the sound is usable.

Still, there was something to the labellas. I might go back to them at some point.

Yeah. I really dig the Animas. The wrapped gut sounded godly but the tuning issues were pretty extreme for my climate. The Animas don't sound AS good but they still sound really good, they're low tension (comparable to the Gamut D/G), you can get a bit of growl out of them and, best of all, they stay in tune.

I find they help stabilize the D/G as well.

In the best of all worlds, I'd be using all gut but I'd have to live in Hawaii for that and Marcus has the market tied up.


mark

 

[HateyMcAmp]

Hrm.... Animas are certainly a better fit. Low tension means I can get back to my slappages.

I'm actually liking Animas a good deal for slap tone-wise as well. After they break in, its a nice focused "clack." Where I don't like the slap tone on the velvet strings are the uppers; the coating on the anima Anima G and to a lesser extent the Garbo D have a "plasticky" sound that adds too much twang to the slap. I know plain gut Gs work well on my bass, so I'm going to give one a try with the Anima E through D. I'm sure it'll be a great slap setup sound-wise, but I'm concerned about the tension skip.

I think Garbo Lights might have had a more slap-friendly tension and flexibility, but I didn't like them nearly as much pizz or arco as Animas.

EDIT: Chorda G came today and looks brand new, thanks John. Definitely more coated feel than any of the five Gamuts (three varnished, two unvarnished) I've had, and has (in my hand) a nice springy feel. I'm hoping that this will make the string less prone to moisture damage and will not require any oiling. A concern is arco response, as I loved the Gamut G arco and I'm sure that more "organic" feel must have contributed. I think I'm going to throw it on after my gig tonight and use it for tomorrow's no-amp shindig. Hey, the guitars constantly need to retune anyway....

EDIT 2: Its been on for about 12 hours, and is holding tune pretty good. My bass has a bit of a tight G string to begin with, so I'm not feeling the extreme jump I was expecting between D and G. I did raise the strings a little, and its sounding good and feeling balanced/not floppy. More after tonight's gig....

 

[HateyMcAmp]

So yeah, coming back to gut G was incredible. I forgot how FAT the bass sounds up the neck, and that pop before the note. Maybe its my bass, but I actually don't think the gut G is any stranger feeling than the Anima G.

As far as the Chorda goes, its a nice string. Its not too heavy gauged but has some nice tension. I would say that it has a better tension to thickness ratio than varnished Gamut Lyons, although it feels more coated. Arco is not as smooth as a Gamut, which I attribute a little bit to the varnish, but its ballpark. I'd say the Anima G bows smoother, but the gut G has it beat on projection.

I'll report back in a couple of weeks when it starts really singing and I'll see if I can't draw a more detailed comparison to the Gamut varnished Medium+ I used to use...