Double Bass GUTS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!

[Nathan Levine]

If you really value a good bowed sound, Gerold’s strings are hard to beat. Seems that most of his strings are wrapped so they start nicely and don’t have the textured sound of raw gut.

As for tension, I have yet to play a set that I would consider high tension in any way shape or form. They are extremely consistent across the strings.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Due to an older sheet about his strings that I have translated into my excel string tension file (see signature to get it), his strings are all on the lower tension side, but some of them maybe a bit more than the average gut string tension.

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Due to an older sheet about his strings that I have translated into my excel string tension file (see signature to get it), his strings are all on the lower tension side, but some of them maybe a bit more than the average gut string tension.

This is interesting. I was sure they were Genssler's that I was using.

It was a while ago, but I'm guessing I went from old Chorda's (Henriquez) to possibly the Red Label Jazz? Which may explain my difficulty in bowing them at the time.

This is a great source of information, thank you for compiling this.

 

[WynstonMinckler]

This is interesting. I was sure they were Genssler's that I was using.

It was a while ago, but I'm guessing I went from old Chorda's (Henriquez) to possibly the Red Label Jazz? Which may explain my difficulty in bowing them at the time.

This is a great source of information, thank you for compiling this.

Hey Joe! Those Sonores I sold ya were a discontinued type called Helix I believe.

I have a set called Corax Fire on my bass. I took them off for a bit and when I put them back on the A string winding came loose in a spot so I'm just using the D/G. It's kind of a Charlie Haden vibe with wrapped guts on the top and spiros on the bottom.

Anyhow the Corax are way lighter tension then the Helix. He'll still make you a set of Corax to my knowledge but there's more of a wait and they are a bit brighter and more stiff then the ones I have currently.

I lent out my E/A but they're floating around out there if you wanted to try em to get the flavour.

 

[JLubinsky-Mast]

Hey Joe! Those Sonores I sold ya were a discontinued type called Helix I believe.

I have a set called Corax Fire on my bass. I took them off for a bit and when I put them back on the A string winding came loose in a spot so I'm just using the D/G. It's kind of a Charlie Haden vibe with wrapped guts on the top and spiros on the bottom.

Anyhow the Corax are way lighter tension then the Helix. He'll still make you a set of Corax to my knowledge but there's more of a wait and they are a bit brighter and more stiff then the ones I have currently.

I lent out my E/A but they're floating around out there if you wanted to try em to get the flavour.

Nice to get to the bottom of this. Not to talk ill of a maker, but, that set wasn't quite my jam.
Just bit the bullet on some Gamuts, time to sell a kidney.

 

[jasonrp]

Took the plain E off and put my wrapped one back on just to mix it up. I'm sure that in 6 months I'll want the plain E thump again but the wrapped is so much easier to handle when I'm playing faster stuff.

I guess I'm lucky with the midrange and guts because I tend to keep my rubber mute on the bass to cut it out. The bass seems to have a lot of mid acoustically and then the K&K with doubler and 12" had me cutting mids like crazy. I didn't like my tone through the amp until I left the mute on the bridge.

 

[jasonrp]

BTW: What brand of wrapped guts has yellow thread on the tailpiece end? Trying to figure out what I have

 

[Sam Dingle]

lenzner

 

[korotkov]

pirastro chorda? lenzner have the thread on the inside.

 

[jasonrp]

The yellow is under the silver

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Sticking to my plain Lenzners. However, I have just ordered a Efrano swach (light tension) G. Has anyone else noticed that the G in the Lenzner set is noticable higher tension than the other strings? Is it common in plain gut sets? I have to tune at least a semitone or more down, to get a similar feel. The swach G is not in stock, so I have to be patient for perhaps 6 weeks.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Interesting, my new medium D is marked 290 diam. (and the G 220).

My new swach G arrived (ahead of time!), and is marked 210. Not much of a difference, I'd say. But have not tried it yet.

 

[Reiska]

I had a 2,10mm G with 2,8mm D and 3,45mm A, that was a great tension match.

Edit: I have now a reqular Chorda G, which is at least 2,6mm thick. Beeing a low twist rate plain gut string it`s pure horsepower, but gets uncomfortably tense if cranked high.

 

[korotkov]

My new swach G arrived (ahead of time!), and is marked 210. Not much of a difference, I'd say. But have not tried it yet.

here are the quotes i got from pirastro by email

carlos henriques

G 43,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

D 54,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

A 50,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

E 63,5 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm

142100 D-BASS CHORDA G ORCHESTRA GUT MITTEL 44,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

142200 D-BASS CHORDA D ORCHESTRA GUT MITTEL 59,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

242300 D-BASS CHORDA A ORCHESTRA GUT/SILVER PLATED MITTEL 55,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

242400 D-BASS CHORDA E ORCHESTRA GUT/SILVER PLATED MITTEL 76,5 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)


145120 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP G GUT MITTEL 42,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

145220 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP D GUT MITTEL 52,5 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

445320 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP A SYNTHETIC/CHROME STEEL MITTEL 46,5 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

445420 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP E SYNTHETIC/CHROME STEEL MITTEL 54,0 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

445120 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP G SYNTHETIC/ALUMINUM MITTEL 40,75 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

445220 D-BASS EVAH PIRAZZI SLAP D SYNTHETIC/CHROME STEEL MITTEL 45,75 PM (1 PM = 0,05 mm)

sorry if it had been posted before. as i understand, that menas regular chorda is 2.2mm and carlsos g is 2.1mm , 2.9mm and 2.7mm for the d respectively

 

[Reiska]

Thanks! However, I have to borrow a caliper to measure, my G is visibly thicker than that!

 

[Povl Carstensen]

So I put the Efrano Swach G on. And it does the trick, it gives more uniform tension against the E-A-D Lenzners (than the Lenzner G did..). I think the Efranos is a reasonably priced opportunity to experiment a bit with gut gauge.

 

[jasonrp]

I'm still happy with wrapped E and plain A,D,G. I love the tone I get from a plain E but it's too sloppy (for me) to slap much faster than 120bpm.

My Lenzner G seems to match the rest of my strings pretty well...maybe a bit higher but not enough to bug me.

Is your Efrano lacquered or plain? I've thought about getting coated strings but don't want any higher tension or change of tone

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Plain, I am not even sure they make laquered strings.

 

[jasonrp]

Just checked lemur, it's a black varnish you can get them with. I've always wondered how much that would affect the tone and feel of them. I'd love to get easier to maintain guts but I would hate to buy a set of strings that I wasn't pretty sure I'd keep. Hell, I was ticked about not liking silver slaps and they are a lot cheaper

 

[Sam Dingle]

Can anyone tell me about old labella guys, nu tone guts, Roth guts or red o ray guts? I have a bunch of those for sale and I would like to know a little about them. Came in a big box o strings.