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Double Bass How are Velvet Anima Ds and Gs?

kevteop

kevteop

Feb 12, 2008
4,452
513
York, UK
#1
So I bought some used strings - Gamut G and D and Anima A and E, and I was mostly interested in how the guts would be having never used guts before, but as it's turned out I am totally smitten with the Animas.

So I was wondering if anyone knows if the G and D sound as good as the A and E?

Wish I hadn't tried expensive strings. :rollno:
 
#2
I had the full set of Anima and I love it for pizz, but for bowing the G wasn't that great so I got a Velvet Blue G and I just love the set the way it is. But if you don't bow, amazing love the feel doesn't stain my hand that much, tip a little. Feel wise even if they are high tension they a very easy on my hand and I was never able to get such a big sound whit any other string!
 
#5
I just love how the sound develops as the note decays, they're the growliest strings I've ever tried. I literally play less notes now because I want to hear what the long ones sound like. :)

Which makes them a bit of a bad pairing with the guts, IMHO, because they decay so quickly.
 
#6
Animas are great as a full set. They are like the dead middle between gut and spiros on my bass, and have that good versatile sound that sits good in a lot of mixes. The feel is awesome, even tension that works at various string heights and thick without being cumbersome, only issues have been fingerboard wear ( I play slap, so ymmv) and the top strings don't have the best longevity, although they will send you replacements if they die before a year! I say pull the trigger. Hmmm, I kinda want another set!
 
#8
I found then G a little subdued playing pizz compared to the D, A & E. Could be setup but the luthier suspects it's the strings. I had an adjustable bridge put on & that helped a bit. All strings respond well to Arco. They are beautiful to play and have a wonderful 'thump' except for the G.
 
#9
How long did you give them to break in? My set was bought used, about a year old, and I think they balance well considering that the G is made to a completely different design than the rest of the set.

A hearty +1 to Jay's description of them as the middle ground between plain gut and Spiros. The lower strings have air and bloom and growl while the G has an almost gutlike breathiness and decay.
 
#10
If you guys are having G woes, try a high-quality plain gut. I used a Chorda G with an otherwise full set for about 6 months. It had a nice thump and matched well gauge-wise. The tension jump between the Anima D and Chorda wasn't noticeable on my bass. I liked it under the bow better than the Anima G, too!
 
#12
I think getting that purr-y sound with the Animas is all about string height. At gut height, they have kinda decay. If you get them lower, they start to sound like really warm spiros. I think they are worth a try, though perhaps you might want to consider Blues, which are in the same ballpark but are slightly brighter and less "gutlike" to my hands and ears.
 
#13
kevteop said:
So the G has more of a gut-like decay does it? I find the E and A purr away for a long time - longer than the spiros I had on previously. I imagined (hoped) the D and G would be very similar.
Click to expand...

On my bass the D is very similar to the E&A. The G has a distinct personality of its' own. Mine ride pretty low, enough to cause noticeable fingerboard wear in a fairly short time. I set the bass up with a non-adjustable bridge and Flexocor Starks, if that tells you anything.
 
#14
Interesting replies. My bridge is a little too low for them (and especially the guts) so I'm planning to get an adjustable bridge fitted in a couple of weeks, so I guess I'll see how they work out when I can experiment with the height a little bit.

Thanks all, immensely helpful. :)
 
#15
Could someone tell me where to look for "Used" strings? i've seen several posts re: used strings, and would like to try some before spending the $ for new ones, until I find the strings I like best.
Any help would be much appreciated.
 
#16
#17
Mine were new and originally it was really ***, sound was ???? ( no words) G was non existent but they settled and seem to improve on every playing. After 6 months they are sounding great. Like I say G a bit subdued but that's compared to a beautiful rich sound from the D, A & E.
 

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