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Double Bass GUTS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!

#924
William Hoffman said:
But so many big bands and big band players I've talked with say their bands prefer the sound of a BG
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That I do not believe for a second. I play with 20+ ppl and can't even use my EUB for rehearsal let alone gig situation, they would simply never put up with BG. Personally I rather watch a big band with a great tuba player if no DB but never a BG.
 
#926
William Hoffman said:
That's interesting, Marc. I would think so too. But so many big bands and big band players I've talked with say their bands prefer the sound of a BG, that they "can't hear" a double bass strung with guts as well as a BG.
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Only one of the "pro" big bands in Chicago use BG except on the occasional funky/rocker, AFAIK. And that's because the bassist is good and he prefers playing BG all the time.
 
#928
The term "big band" covers a lot of ground stylistically. I've played with some that required electric bass on modern numbers and expected the amplified double bass to be heard at a similar volume level, while others wanted more of a swing era aesthetic where a double bass with gut strings and a mic would be more appropriate. One such band I played with actually had a soundman who played tuba on some older numbers.

- Steve
 
#930
Hey I have these old gut strings two varnished G's, a varnished and an unvarnished D. I really love the G but my varnished D is not the best, the unvarnished D is great but being unvarnished it feels a great deal different from the rest. Question! Can I varnish it or have to send it away to get it done???? If I can varnish it (can't see why not) anyone knows what kind of varnish they use at Gamuts or is that a trade secret? Thanks heaps! I tried drifting from guts back to mittels, even bought Olive but I can't do it!! Steel string sound like a fretless BG to me, perhaps I shouldn't listen to PC, Mingus, Jimmy but must confess, NONE of the steel string players out there inspire me AT ALL, great techniques but if the complexity of the guts not there forget it.
 
#931
shwashwa said:
i just put the golden slap D string on and all i can say is wow. maybe im just late to the party on these strings, but i feel like ive discovered something new here. maybe, as a jazz player, ive just overlooked these strings because they're clearly marketed toward the slappers out there, but they're a darn good jazz string too, especially if you like plain gut. for those who are having problems with a gut D string, this might be the string for you. its big, its soft and pillowy, and its crystal clear all the way into extended thumb postions. they seem to amplify very well too. maybe ill get around to recording a sample of them like i did with the gamuts. (you cant bow them that well though, maybe if you're desperate, but i wouldnt even bother)
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Interesting......Goldenslap D and G ordered.
 
#933
Put the golden slaps on last night and i am pleasantly surprised. So far so good , quite a bit of fun but with all things strings time will tell.

Coming from steels (spiros) i wanted to try out a gutlike string and ordered the slaps based on a few posts in this thread.

I am thinking of posting a little vid with my initial impressions hopefully this afternoon.
 
#934
I'm really curious about the slap sound now. I kinda guessed it would be a plus with these strings, but a lot of slappers are clearly not happy.

I ordered the slaps A-G, and I'm going to try them 2+2 and 1+3 with Animas. Do you guys who have used full sets feel that the A is muddy or slow like a plain A? Even my Pistoy (which cost double what my three goldens cost) couldn't hang.

And I'm just bracing myself for the arco.
 
#935
JayB said:
I'm really curious about the slap sound now. I kinda guessed it would be a plus with these strings, but a lot of slappers are clearly not happy.

I ordered the slaps A-G, and I'm going to try them 2+2 and 1+3 with Animas. Do you guys who have used full sets feel that the A is muddy or slow like a plain A? Even my Pistoy (which cost double what my three goldens cost) couldn't hang.

And I'm just bracing myself for the arco.
Click to expand...

ive never tried a plain gut A nor have i tried a golden slap A, but i have a gut D that is great, but its just on the edge of what im willing to accept in terms of muddiness in the upper register (although when i heard a recording of it i didnt notice it at all, so it may just be from the player's prospective), but i feel that the golden slap is a very good string, has the large diameter and soft feel, and stays clear all the way up. i now have 1 bass with D and G gut, one with D and G golden slap, and one with a G gut and a D golden slap. the gut and golden slap are a great match. the last one mentioned will be my main gig bass
 
#936
timobee4 said:
That I do not believe for a second. I play with 20+ ppl and can't even use my EUB for rehearsal let alone gig situation, they would simply never put up with BG. Personally I rather watch a big band with a great tuba player if no DB but never a BG.
Click to expand...

Not sure what it is you don't believe. I have talked with a number of big band players who actually prefer BG. Are you saying you don't believe I had those conversations? Or are you just putting your personal preference out there, which, by the way, is also my own personal choice but obviously not a universal preference.... :)
 
#937
I haven't done a lot of big band gigs, but they add up over the years (and years... lol!).

If memory serves, if it wasn't up to me (no preference stated by band leader) to bring what ever I wanted (which would be DB) it was prolly about 60/40 in favor of EB..."and bring a good loud amp while you're at it!" :)

My preferences aside, I prefer to get the call! ;)
So I'm usually not too worried about it. :D

Joe
 
#938
timobee4 said:
That I do not believe for a second. I play with 20+ ppl and can't even use my EUB for rehearsal let alone gig situation, they would simply never put up with BG. Personally I rather watch a big band with a great tuba player if no DB but never a BG.
Click to expand...

No offense, but it sounds like you play with some incredibly closed-minded people. Most of Buddy Rich's swingingest bands had electric bassists. Don Ellis, anyone? Maria Schneider's book uses electric in its arsenal; as does Darcy James Argue's Secret Society. These aren't traditional outfits, but they are certainly from the tradition and have expanded the jazz orchestra's colors in a way which I'm sure Ellington would have approved. Besides, who's to say Blanton wouldn't have slapped on set of spiros, attached an Underwood, and plugged into an Ampeg, if they had been available.

Where are all the great tuba players these days? Oops, sorry, that's another thread.
 
#939
It really does depend who you play with. My jazz group got completely freaked out because I had a blood blister on my finger and took my EB to ONE rehearsel to give my blistered right hand finger a rest, and almost got kicked out of the band! The attitude was "if we wanted an EB player we would have got one already" I had to do major damage control to keep the (good, and worth keeping) gig and reassure them that I really do want to play double bass. Hard core traditionalists want to see a full bodied upright bass on the stage and don't care how hard it is to tranport, amplify, or play. That being said, they could care less about whether I use gut or spiro and they want me to take full chorus solos on almost every tune so there are compensations!
 
#940
I have put Gerold Gensslers Sonores 2012 on both my orchestral bass and my "jazzer" and
I am very happy with them.
On the orchestral Bassot the sound is deep
and warm with lots of projection.
The other bass which I use mostly for jazz/ theatre gigs, has a deep but quick responce, but
it would work fine in any orchestral setting.
 

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