Double Bass GUTS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!

[Reiska]

Just put a Efrano plain G on, while waiting for a new Pirastro Pizzicato nylon wrapped Golden Spiral substitude G to arrive. Anima G is wonderful, but there really is something about gut. Fat low end, rich in harmonics, soft but loud.

 

[PaperbackRyder]

Now have the Gamuts on. Med Pistoy D, Heavy Lyon G over Zyex Med E & A. 48 hours and the tuning is starting to stabilize.

The E & A Zyex sound bigger & more even in tone and feel softer now. The A was a bit brighter and E a bit darker with the full set.
Pistoy D sounds huge and looks gorgeous. Speaks all the way up.
Lyon G hasnt woken up yet. Kinda thin and weak.
Arco - very different feel between the guts and the Zyex. Very different tone as well, but I will leave out any detail for later. The Evah Slaps were easier to get working between the guts side and the synthetics.

BUT - for every string set I have tried on this bass, the D is strongest and the G is weak. This characteristic is just a bit more-so with the Gamuts...so far. Im gonna go ask someone in the Luthiers area about this.

And BTW, Dan Larson at Gamut Strings is a gentleman and a scholar. Responds promptly and no niggling about, just takes care of the customer.
No affiliation, just passing a good word.

=JR=

 

[Sam Dingle]

This is making me want guts again. I've got a spiro weich E A. Not in a place to get a Gamut D/G just yet but what would people suggest? I'm thinking Heavy Lyon G and Heavy Pistoy D?

 

[Reiska]

Fellow addict, I have Pirastro Pizzicato nylon wrapped G / D on the way.

Put my Nicholas Baldock Kathedral plain D on yesterday while waiting.

 

[PaperbackRyder]

This is making me want guts again. I've got a spiro weich E A. Not in a place to get a Gamut D/G just yet but what would people suggest? I'm thinking Heavy Lyon G and Heavy Pistoy D?

I have the Medium Pistoy D. It is large and in charge! The G is a heavy Lyon. E & A are Zyex Medium. The guages in thou:
E=104, A=78, D=114, G=86

 

[HateyMcAmp]

My general Gamut rule is to go a full step heavier on the G than on the D. For example, if you want a medium D, go for a heavy G. If you want a light plus D, go for a medium plus G. FWIW, I think the medium gamut Ds have plenty of tension.

 

[PaperbackRyder]

My general Gamut rule is to go a full step heavier on the G than on the D.

That's what I did. Med D and heavy G.

 

[ColonelZulu]

The Evah Pirazzi Slaps are really even. I'm not a real upright player, but I enjoy the piz tone and feel of this set.

 

[biddybumbum]

The Evah Pirazzi Slaps are really even. I'm not a real upright player, but I enjoy the piz tone and feel of this set.

Sounds like a real upright.
Those arent gut strings though.

 

[ColonelZulu]

Sounds like a real upright.
Those arent gut strings though.

The D and G are guts...

Review: Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Slap Strings

 

[biddybumbum]

The D and G are guts...

Review: Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Slap Strings

Oppz i stand corrected so sorry

 

[jasonrp]

I've tried the search to no avail so I'll ask here. Has anybody used blast cult gutbuckets yet?

 

[jasonrp]

What do you guys use for washers? My A knot is just barely holding in the tailpeice

 

[ericsmith]

I had arubber washer on one G-string and now I just put one of those felt washers some steel strings have on them, Obligatos I guess. Probaply not the safest but it's worked allright.

You can also do this


I've got some Gut-A-Like strings comin (not gut, I know) for my Chadwick folding bass. Need to find an alternative for travel purposes.

 

[jasonrp]

I'll have to try the rubber washer. It's a wrapped A and I don't have any felt washers

 

[Sam Dingle]

Can someone explain to me (forgive me for not going through all these pages) the difference between varnished and non-varnished. I have a feeling its like coated electric strings. Does one last longer? is one easer to play arco? Any pros/cons to each?

 

[HateyMcAmp]

In my experience, it's a much more subtle difference than a coated guitar string, at least when it comes to Gamut strings. Nylon/Tynex wrapped strings like golden spirals / labella golden tone have more of the true coated feel.

I have a really acidic body chemistry, and I've found that varnished strings are less prone to developing hairs than unvarnished string (although they still do at times.) Some people think the varnish has a negative effect on arco response, but I'm not a sophisticated enough arco player to have noticed the difference.

 

[Nathan Levine]

Love Damian's analogy told to me a number of years ago on varnished vs unvarnished gut strings.

"Imagine going for a run in a big puffy snow suit and boots vs shorts, a tank top and some high quality running shoes"

Take from that what you will.

In my experience the difference is a bit more subtle. I personally have moved on to wrapped gut strings and am pretty confident about not moving back.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Wait so unvarnished is shorts running? I don't understand what that's supposed to mean haha.

 

[Nathan Levine]

That was what he was getting at. Sleeker, faster, quicker response. Again, my feeling is the difference is more subtle.