• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Non-roundwound feeling metal-wrapped gut?

Thanks a lot! I need decent bowability too, and quess that Olivs would be great in that matter. I have E.P slaps under plain guts now, and they do work but IME are weak sounding under the bow and comparing to the upper plain guts. I feel like I have to work too much to get any power out of them.
 
Thanks a lot! I need decent bowability too, and quess that Olivs would be great in that matter. I have E.P slaps under plain guts now, and they do work but IME are weak sounding under the bow and comparing to the upper plain guts. I feel like I have to work too much to get any power out of them.

The Olivs would be the closest match.

FWIW, I use the same set and with due respect, I would suggest it's probably not the strings. Technique, bass set-up, bow hair, rosin, etc. can all affect how much power and volume you get from bowing these (or any strings really), most likely a slight sound post adjustment and practicing/adjusting your arco technique would be the most cost effective way to get what you're looking for. On my bass the full set (synthetic E & A, gut D & G) is balanced and very loud acoustically, both pizz and arco. With that said, I would agree that the synthetic E & A are slightly less rich sounding compared to the plain gut D & G.

IMHO, the best sounding lowers for plain gut are the silver round wire over gut - Chorda, Dlugolecki, Gamut, etc. but the Evah Slaps are the best compromise for me.

Good luck!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reiska
Thanks a lot @JeffKissell ! I definently have to work on my bowing a lot, and all things about DB playing :), but overall I`m not too happy about E.P slaps. I had the E string under plain gut ADG for a couple of months, and it was problematic for me on that set too, especially arco, weak under the guts. Open string sounds powerful both pizz and arco, but it lacks definition when stopping notes pizz. At least I know it`s not a intonation issue as when I hit the low G my open G string vibrates along, for example. Garbo light and downtuned spiro solo, which are in the same ballpark tension-wise were not like that. That`s a drag since I like the smooth surface and playability all over the fingerboard. Price is also much more tolerable comparing to wrapped gut. Anyhow, I`m not in hurry with getting new lower strings and E.P`s will stay on my bass at least to the beginning of 2018, as this set is not killing my right hand fingers and does the job. I`m just checking and asking about options beforehand.
 
I looked into my tables and measurements and thought these might not be so bad:

Compas 180 SUIT
Dominant Solo (downtuned)
Obligato Solo (downtuned)
Innovation Braided Solo (set name is 140S, the highest string was aluminium wound, but a chromsteel wound version does exist too, so ask for it if you would like to order the full set).

All are bowable, the Compas needs some training but might work similarly to bowing naked gut. Pizz is great and powerful, but I couldn't adjust my poor bowing to them and still don't have a G string for this set.

The Dominant has the risk of breaking (but since you do not go up to the intended tension maybe not too much). If you have hard break angles of the string you should round them a bit more before trying the Dominants.

The Obligatos may roll.

The Innovation Braided have a similar stretch factor to naked gut and my orchestral tuning set has a bit more tension on the E than on the A which might help with a weak E. A bit soft for pizz, but works if you plug at the end of the fingerboard.

Evah Pirazzi Solo H for the A and Evah Pirazzi Weich for the E might work too, but might be a bit too much tension for you. Usually the A is stronger than the E, so if you take both from the same set you might get a weak E.

You might have commented to some of these strings before, but I cannot remember and don't like to read through all that again.
Maybe that helps.

Compas 180 and Innovation Braided might become a bit more smooth by rubbing softly with finest steel wool along the string.
But all of these strings are flatwound with a different degree of polishing.

If you like to stay with gut strings you can try Efrano. They are really affordable (at least here in Germany). They have set with wound E and A (Elite) and wound E only and different thickness ranges. I let my set to Hervé Jeanne currently and cannot have a look if they are flatwound or roundwound, but I think they are rather roundwound (which is no problem for me). But for pizz the E has a rather short sustain. Too short for my taste. They are nice with the bow.
 
Last edited: