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Double Bass GUTS ARE SO MUCH FUN!!!

#1,901
B-eli: if you are talking about bowing/orchestra work I would go GDA plain gut and then a Spiro weich E (or if your bass is very bright) a Jargar E (Medium is safe). As I said above I was/am not a fan of wound gut, and I did not like shifting from the Spiro or Jargar A to the gut strings. Others may have different opinions (on TB? Really). I'm not a jazz/pizz guy so no idea there, except that I think it's more common to have 2 top guts over steel.
 
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#1,902
bassically_eli said:
Cool. I am getting ready to move and have a break from gigging, so now is probably a good time to make the switch. What about the E-string? Seems like almost nobody uses a pure gut E.

Should I start with just switching just 2 or 3 strings? Or should I go all in?
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I use metal wrapped gut E strings, I used a lezner plain E once and it was too loose for bowing. Switch 3 and see how you dig it.
 
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#1,903
LouisF said:
B-eli: if you are talking about bowing/orchestra work I would go GDA plain gut and then a Spiro weich E (or if your bass is very bright) a Jargar E (Medium is safe). As I said above I was/am not a fan of wound gut, and I did not like shifting from the Spiro or Jargar A to the gut strings. Others may have different opinions (on TB? Really). I'm not a jazz/pizz guy so no idea there, except that I think it's more common to have 2 top guts over steel.
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Oh I am a jazz guy haha. Probably should've mentioned that before. I do a lot of bowing, though, and that's what really drew me to the upright in the first place. More than half my practice time is spent with the bow, and although my gigs are mostly pizz., I do take a lot of arco solos.

I was lucky to connect with some really good gypsy jazz players a few years ago, and that's almost 100% of my gigs now. The old flat back bass fits the genre perfectly, as does the bow. I normally have an amp at gigs but not at jam sessions, and I like the bass to do as much of the heavy lifting as possible at the smaller gigs. Hence why I like at least decent acoustic volume. Since there's no drummer in gypsy jazz typically, the volume is often fairly reasonable.

I am currently using Kolstein Heritage strings, which are about as gut like as any metal wrapped, synthetic core string I've encountered. I think the Heritage E might blend as well as anything else. I do have a set of Spiro Weichs handy as well, and EP Weichs on my Yamaha EUB.

I would love to work on some classical repertoire again someday, but I haven't played in an orchestra since college.
 
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#1,904
A plain E to bow on can be nice, but you're going to want one thick sausage of a string for it to be particularly useful for that—and if it's thick enough to be nice to bow, it's going to have almost nothing for pizzicato, and don't expect too much usable sound in the higher positions no matter how you play it unless your technique is nearly perfect.

I haven't had many issues with the overwound lower strings. Had a set of Chordas (the Carlos Henriquez signature set) put on my bass when it was finished being brought back to life, and while the winding on the A string did end up breaking after two years, the E is coming up on four now without any issues. Only reason I've got a plain A on it now is because I was given one, which saved me from having to buy a replacement.

Eli, I've got a pretty mild set up on my carved with the guts. G string is a little under a centimeter over the board, E string a little over. Basically just enough to let them vibrate without whacking into the thing constantly. I haven't had any issues being heard with very mild amplification, and when I had put it up to the real old school, ampless-big band set up, I had to get asked to turn down even after I turned the amp off, and that was playing outdoors. On my plywood with steel E and A and then old Goldentones on top, I don't even have a pickup and people don't have any trouble hearing me, and the strings aren't much higher than on the carved.
 
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#1,905
bassically_eli said:
Cool. I am getting ready to move and have a break from gigging, so now is probably a good time to make the switch. What about the E-string? Seems like almost nobody uses a pure gut E.

Should I start with just switching just 2 or 3 strings? Or should I go all in?
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A plain gut E is hard to manage. A round-wound gut E (Gamuts are great) is a wonderful string if you don't mind the need to tune frequently. I'd start with the D and G; if you like that, get the A.
 
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#1,907
For an example of what I was saying about the plain E, here is what a plain gut E string looks like, that's meant to be useful with a bow, at a light gauge. Meanwhile, when Mark Gollihur measured a Lenzner (as an example of one that's really meant more for pizz/slap playing when it comes to having the plain gut E), it was ~4.6mm—that's a heavy gauge plain gut A, you can even order one just like that from Aquila (not listed on the historical bass strings page, but when you look at the full catalogue of all the unsplit lamb gut, it's right there), and Pure Corde has a 4.5mm A.

And people still usually describe them as sounding mostly like a kick drum that changes notes, with very little actual definition and nearly nonexistent sustain. Some slap players love them just for that, but for any more standard jazz stuff, you'd probably be better off with a wound E or keeping a steel E.

EDIT: Here's a fun example from another talkbass member with everything except the B string being plain gut.

LouisF said:
I know everyone raves about Gamuts etc, but budget -wise Gotz and Lenzner are very capable strings (I used them for the first 3 or 4 years of my string journey. I now use handmade Toro strings from Italy... made by cousins of my maternal grandfather, to boot)
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Out of Salle, right? I know they make tennis strings too. I've thought about them a few times but I'm thinking I'll probably order my next set from Aquila for the instrument I've got getting worked on right now. Certainly wouldn't mind to go and visit, though, some of my favourite wines come out of Abruzzo.
 
#1,909
Start with a decent-quality plain gut G. Plain gut Gs are really, really hard for any manufacturer to screw up.

If the bug bites, then you’re onto the hard part: the D string. Most plain gut D strings sound like a conga but without all the ringing sustain. Gamut Pistoy Light+ is probably the gold standard.

If you decide to go whole hog, a Gamut Lyon or similar plain A will be a safe bet if your bass isn’t in your hands every waking minute. Wrapped As are more fragile and prone to tuning instability. Wound gut E strings are plain gut D strings with the added disadvantage of a metal wrapping to add sufficient mass. There’s no reason to play that game. An Evah Weich or Medium A tuned to E will be a good match in tone and feel with plain gut uppers.
 
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#1,910
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Start with a decent-quality plain gut G. Plain gut Gs are really, really hard for any manufacturer to screw up.

If the bug bites, then you’re onto the hard part: the D string. Most plain gut D strings sound like a conga but without all the ringing sustain. Gamut Pistoy Light+ is probably the gold standard.

If you decide to go whole hog, a Gamut Lyon or similar plain A will be a safe bet if your bass isn’t in your hands every waking minute. Wrapped As are more fragile and prone to tuning instability. Wound gut E strings are plain gut D strings with the added disadvantage of a metal wrapping to add sufficient mass. There’s no reason to play that game. An Evah Weich or Medium A tuned to E will be a good match in tone and feel with plain gut uppers.
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As I understand it, Gamut only makes plain A and E in the Pistoy version.
 
#1,917
I was really not trying to open up a brand new string rabbit black hole to fall into. I already have a full set of pure guts of the mystery brand, so I will start with either the G&D or G, D, & A and see how that works out. I am not sure yet, but I'm leaning towards the 3 strings.

The Heritage are damn good the bass in question if just a tad more work to play than I might like. I don't really want to spend the next year or two chasing the perfect gut string setup, so we'll see how the ones I have workout.
 
#1,918
My old principal in the Omaha Symphony was a hard core gut player and had a great, huge sound. I've wondered over the years after it was too late to ask what brand of string he would have used back in the 50s and 60s and if they would still be available. Anyone have any ideas?
 
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#1,920
bassically_eli said:
Round wound on upright? and it's bowable? I would think that would eat bow hair like crazy.
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Yes, MORE bowable than flat wrappings in my experience, and my bow hair held just fine. AFAIK, the only flatwound gut strings available are Oliv and Eudoxa; all other wound E+A guts have round wire wrap.
 
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