Double Bass Guts for orchestral playing

[josiah goldfish]

Hello everyone,

My current set up is Gamut G and D, and Zyex E and A. I'm looking to play more arco, specifically in the orchestral role and solo playing (but not necessarily solo tuning, though it would be cool if I could find solo strings that are OK at orchestral tuning). Are there better alternatives to gut for these styles of playing? Also, what would you recommend for the lower strings?

Many thanks,
Joe

 

[Sean Riddle]

You're going to have to go to steel strings for those purposes. My teacher uses Spiro Mittel on the bottom and plain gut on top. We were talking about that set up and he told me it's only useful for jazz pizz unless you want to get that Paul Chambers arco tone. Maybe try Oliv's on top if you want to take the risk. If not, Evah Pirrazi would be your best bet.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

You can either keep your strings and accomodate to the different bowing or get metal wound strings with some more tension bottom for orchestra and a bit less tension (but not too less) on top. For solo playing for arco and pizz better try a thinner string on top like almost any steel core string. For arco only soloing the naked guts will work as well as wound gut and any metal wound synthetic core string.
A nice universal string is Presto Balance Hybrid Medium. There might be better strings for a specific thing like orchestra only, arco soloing only, jazz pizz only etc., but this one works well as a universal string and even comes in a light tension too.

 

[josiah goldfish]

I kind of like the tone of wound G and D guts, so maybe I'll just work on the bottom strings?

Would Obligatos work well with guts? I've had Animas before, but I'd like to try something different.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Why not try Oliv G and D and spiro E/A

 

[basic74]

you don´t have to sound like paul chambers arco with plain guts, you can sound like that, too:


takes a lot of practice and you have to develop the feel for what the string wants from you so it gives you what you want from it.
I switched to guts 6 months ago and I love them.
listen also to some baroque orchestras (eg. search for concentus musicus on youtube), you will get different sounds from guts but for sure nice sounds.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I kind of like the tone of wound G and D guts, so maybe I'll just work on the bottom strings?

Would Obligatos work well with guts? I've had Animas before, but I'd like to try something different.

Never tried the lower Obligato. Liked the Spiro Weich 4/4 with gut (Spiro Solo 3/4 downtuned might be similar) as well as Innovation Silver Slaps (but pizz only for them).
Innovation Braided or Evah Weich might work too with better bowing than the Spiros. Probably also Zyex.
Velvet Compass 180 SUIT might work too and needs a light bow as well as the naked gut, but I haven't tried this combination yet.

 

[LouisF]

I have Eudoxas on one of my basses and they are great orchestra strings (especially the A & E). The G can't get a little gnarly if you don't tackle it right

Louis

 

[basic74]

eudoxas are great, I have them for lower two and unwrapped gut on higher two strings.
they aren´t baroque era strings of course.

 

[Nathan Levine]

Velvet Compass 180 SUIT might work too and needs a light bow as well as the naked gut, but I haven't tried this combination yet.

Velvet Compas 180 are an excellent pairing with plain guts on top. This was my first fifths tuned set that I put together. Sadly, Velvet isn't making the 180 fifths set anymore. I figured this was a safe route to go since I had success with pairing Animas and guts. The 180s bow marvelously well if I remember correctly.

 

[daddarioorch631]

Hello everyone,

My current set up is Gamut G and D, and Zyex E and A. I'm looking to play more arco, specifically in the orchestral role and solo playing (but not necessarily solo tuning, though it would be cool if I could find solo strings that are OK at orchestral tuning). Are there better alternatives to gut for these styles of playing? Also, what would you recommend for the lower strings?

Many thanks,
Joe

Hi there! Feel free to shoot over an email/DM if you wanna chat string combinations! [email protected]

 

[josiah goldfish]

Hi there! Feel free to shoot over an email/DM if you wanna chat string combinations! [email protected]

Thanks, but I'm going to experiment with Obligatos for a while I liked zyex, but not how they bowed. Would definitely recommend them to pizz players though.

 

[walkin]

you don´t have to sound like paul chambers arco with plain guts, you can sound like that, too:


takes a lot of practice and you have to develop the feel for what the string wants from you so it gives you what you want from it.
I switched to guts 6 months ago and I love them.
listen also to some baroque orchestras (eg. search for concentus musicus on youtube), you will get different sounds from guts but for sure nice sounds.

Hi,
Wich guts strings do you use on D/G,
really great sound !
Thank's
Olivier

 

[basic74]

oh that´s not me in the video, I wish didn´t want to make that impression, I just like how they are playing!
don´t know what brand the bass player is playing in the video.

I play efranos, good strings for a good price.

 

[walkin]

Ok,
Thank's,

I like too the way who they are playing Baroque, good feeling, and good listening.

Olivier