I'd love to hear some before and after video recordings comparing Temperas to ......whatever, Spiros, Perpetuals Obligatos, etc...
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Double Bass So Gerold’s cooking up something new...
- Thread starter Kaspar Vadsholt
- Start date
I am also still waiting for my strings and would be extremely curious to hear some sound samples from you. However, I don't know if it makes sense to compare Gerold's work with all the other stuff.
Alchemy everyone. I've said it before. I'll say it again. Where many string makers are absolute artists, Gerold is a freaking alchemist. And a successful one to boot.
Said another way... I dunno, but his strings have alway sounded pretty damn good on my basses.
Said another way... I dunno, but his strings have alway sounded pretty damn good on my basses.
Maybe the holidays gumming things up or customs? DHL is pretty good here. I get wood from Romania 5-6 business days. I'm glad yours are on the way, I haven't heard about my order yet. It's a funny thing, the closer you are to getting a new set of strings, the worse your old ones sound.
Once it gets here Canada Post takes will deliver it. I'm obsessively tracking and the DHL number directed me to the CP website. Childish I know but it's like when you really have to "go" and you finally get home.......the last few yards are the hardest. I hoping for the same relief as my strings are about 4-5 months past their natural life. Zombie Flex Deluxes....tata! I would also appreciate some demo vids while I'm sitting on pins and needles.
Back in March, it took 5 months for my strings to get to a buyer in Canada. Hopefully things are better now.
No Eric, apparently things are not better. I checked with Canada Post and the package has not been scanned at any Canadian point yet.....meaning it's still not in the country. I understand the holiday and pandemic drag but DHL charged me 60 Euros (Can.$93) for a small parcel. I don't think at that rate it's their slowest service.
I would really love it if some of you can post reviews on how these strings compare to a traditional orchestra/arco only string, like Flexocor or Belcanto. (When you get them)
Compared to Flexocore, they are much more difficult to come by.
So I got these about 3 weeks ago. They're pretty different from other gensslers. They're a bit thicker gauge and feel sort of "bumpy" in the left hand because of the braiding pattern of the silk under the winding. That being said, they're pretty easy in the left hand, and the "bumpiness" doesn't really bother me. Super high in thumb position feels a little different because of the thicker strings. As far as bow response they're the easiest string I've ever played. They start immediately and with alot of clarity without all the noise that comes with an articulate string like permanents. Not overly live or slow, just responsive. They respond really well to bow speed and also take weight without bending the pitch or sounding pressed. They dynamic response is probably maybe favorite thing about them, you can really get so many shades of piano dynamics and I can get a solid ff without sacrificing any tone quality. They started off sounding like a piano string but after a few days they got very dark and woody but they still ring. Sort of like gut strings but without the buzz. The orchestral pizz is nice too. The closest comparison is olivs maybe, but they behave more like a steel string. Dm and I can send you some before and after recordings.
Thank you Josh! Seems important that a "break in" period is important. I like the Oliv set but us older folks must be aware of our limits :-\ (orchestra arco) ... of course the proof will be how my bass and I respond...hoping to report & respond with an opinion soon!
How about just posting the recordings here, please. I'm sure many of us would like to hear them.
I finally got my strings, it took 6 weeks due to the holidays and the pandemic. They replaced a Spiro Mittel E and Flex Deluxe A D G on my bass. The G and D strings are a bit thicker so I widened the slots on my bridge, not too thick though, feels right. My first impression was how much louder my bass got. The tension is noticeably lower and it feels great in the left hand, I can also feel the bass resonate a lot more, and again.......much louder. If I had to put a number on it I would say about 20% louder both pizz and arco. Someone mentioned the knobby feel because of the weave of the strings. I concur, it takes about 5 minutes to get used to, it actually feels solid and non slippery but certainly not sticky either. After four days of playing for hours and hours now when I first pick it up in the morning it's still in tune so it's stretched out. Strong, thick fundamentals so you can really hear the center of your pitch, again both arco and pizz, however this will expose your intonation. There was never any banjo new string sound and it's settling down nicely. The sustain is perfect, just enough and I hope I won't lose too much of it as the sounds darkens. Jazz pizz for the right hand is about as easy as it gets. The bow response is immediate and very dynamic. You can really dig in or play pp, it's all there. Still a bit screechy on the open strings but that's getting better as well. I will wait out the full two weeks before I adjust the sound post. It might be fine but coming from a Spiro Mittel E, the lower two strings seem not as lively as the top two. Not a big difference but I may need a small adjustment. One major caveat! These strings will not mix well with anything else. They sound and feel very different from all other strings I ever played. I hope they'll stay solid for a long time but if you break one you're screwed, so I just ordered a second set. If that's not an endorsement at these prices I don't know what is!
