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Double Bass Sonores Gut Strings by Gerold Genssler
- Thread starter Dr Rod
- Start date
Does anyone have audio of themselves playing any of the rainworm strings pizz? There’s nothing on the site and wasn’t able to get any samples after emailing with Gerold so far.
Super happy with my APs but the modular vibe with the rainworms different sets of D/G sounds very cool.
Super happy with my APs but the modular vibe with the rainworms different sets of D/G sounds very cool.
@flatback
Spiros v Tempera
Pretty different soundwise- though these are weichs and just put back on the bass so as bright as possible
Spiros v Tempera
Pretty different soundwise- though these are weichs and just put back on the bass so as bright as possible
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uh oh Ben is throwing in the double dip-it-y dongs. (Jerry Granelli's phrase for triplet drops)
...but thanks man that is interesting....I guess Im gunna have to spring for a set and give a whirl...
seems like Temps have the mid tones AND this breadth and fundamental. Nice...
these are orchestral Temps or solos?
...but thanks man that is interesting....I guess Im gunna have to spring for a set and give a whirl...
seems like Temps have the mid tones AND this breadth and fundamental. Nice...
these are orchestral Temps or solos?
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Yeah ……. I can’t say I was planning on sharing this recording 
What is this thing called ‘taste’
These are the Tempera Hybrid, orchestra gauge
What is this thing called ‘taste’ These are the Tempera Hybrid, orchestra gauge
Hi everyone ! I read most of the comments here and I ordered the HELIX back in december, after receiving them, I went to my luthier to adjust the nut ( I was on Evah Weich before ) the first few days it was fantastic. Great sound and great feel, but then I began to experiment some buzz at differents place after 4 days. I wrote to Genssler and he told me that I needed to plan and camber by fingerboard, but my fingerboard was planned just few months ago !!
I went back to my luthier 2 weeks after installing them and it was an unpleasant surprise to discover that the bass reacted not that well the the new strings. They even got stiffer. He suspected that the more ''textured'' coating of the string caused lot of the buzzes. In only 2 weeks, we could really see that those strings ate my fingerboard. Is it the same texture for every Genssler string ?
When I talked about cambering the fingerboard with luthier, he told me that 1. That kind of setup would get the register of the heel harder to play. 2. My fingerboard is too thin to do, so I would need a new one.
Did some of you needed to do those kind of adjustements to accomodate the HELIX ?
Did you needed to sacrifice the confort in some areas of the fingerboard to allow the strings to have a good sound ?
Thanks
Guillaume
I went back to my luthier 2 weeks after installing them and it was an unpleasant surprise to discover that the bass reacted not that well the the new strings. They even got stiffer. He suspected that the more ''textured'' coating of the string caused lot of the buzzes. In only 2 weeks, we could really see that those strings ate my fingerboard. Is it the same texture for every Genssler string ?
When I talked about cambering the fingerboard with luthier, he told me that 1. That kind of setup would get the register of the heel harder to play. 2. My fingerboard is too thin to do, so I would need a new one.
Did some of you needed to do those kind of adjustements to accomodate the HELIX ?
Did you needed to sacrifice the confort in some areas of the fingerboard to allow the strings to have a good sound ?
Thanks
Guillaume
I haven't experienced any buzzes with my set of Helix strings. I play a lot, two or three hours most days and haven't experienced any wear on my fingerboard. I suspect maybe your action is lower than what is best for these types of strings? Just a guess. My strings are less high than when I used guts but still higher than average.
Set-up is a tricky and personal thing. I could see how a low action classical set-up would not work well with the Helix strings. Like gut they move a lot in all directions.
The Helix are definitely different than any other string I've used. They do feel really stiff. Like stiffer than spiros. They also are the quickest string I've ever used. I can play how I would with Spiros and I still get a gutish "ping" and arco is super easy. They are super easy to play. My only complaint is they make a kind of metallic clack sometimes with my left hand but I think that I haven't completely adjusted to them yet.
I haven't tried any of his other strings but I think each kind has a different winding. My set feel smooth.
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Since you had Spiros before, your string height might be too low. Gut core strings need more room to vibrate than steel core strings.
If the buzz is only at some places, planing the fingerboard might be enough. It can happen that planing for one kind of string is not enough for a different one and also wood might expand a bit after it got oiled.
But your luthier might be right that the best solution might be a new fingerboard to made the camber more suiting these strings.
If the buzz is only at some places, planing the fingerboard might be enough. It can happen that planing for one kind of string is not enough for a different one and also wood might expand a bit after it got oiled.
But your luthier might be right that the best solution might be a new fingerboard to made the camber more suiting these strings.
Before removing them ( I'm going in studio soon so I needed to fix the buzzes issues. I will go back on them after ) I was at 7.5mm on G string at the end of the fingerboard !!
Can you tell where the buzzes are? Near the nut?
Helix do have a different texture to other Gensslers. I found they left metal dust / residue but didn't really 'eat' at the fingerboard. That said I only had them on for about a week (they were used).
This is a big deal with Gensslers strings though, hard to commit to extra setup work just to see if your bass likes the strings.
Helix do have a different texture to other Gensslers. I found they left metal dust / residue but didn't really 'eat' at the fingerboard. That said I only had them on for about a week (they were used).
This is a big deal with Gensslers strings though, hard to commit to extra setup work just to see if your bass likes the strings.
I had a big one on the C on the G string, Open A buzzing, first Bb too, and the first 4-5 notes on the E string too had a kind of zing but different buzz than on the C. I had that metal dust thing on the first day or so, but not after.
Open A buzz would be nut height, maybe your luthier could just add a shim underneath the nut. Probably the cheapest option.
7.5 mm on the G should be high enough I think.
The E might need to be higher, at least 12 mm but maybe more.
The buzzing C on the G string is either a high spot on the fingerboard or an uneven thickness of the string.
Open A typically means the nut is too low, but also a high spot, because of the buzzing Bb.
The E might need to be higher, at least 12 mm but maybe more.
The buzzing C on the G string is either a high spot on the fingerboard or an uneven thickness of the string.
Open A typically means the nut is too low, but also a high spot, because of the buzzing Bb.
Interesting. It would be really a bummer to have ''an uneven thickness of the string''. Is it something common with those ? In few weeks, I will put the HELIX back on and try to have my nut shimmed a little bit !
The uneven string a theoretical possibility. The probability that the board is not plan (enough) is a lot higher, specially with high quality handmade strings.
You can only find it out if it is a defective string when you put the string in question on a different instrument. Then the same notes (approximately if the vibrating string length or underlength differs) should buzz.
You can only find it out if it is a defective string when you put the string in question on a different instrument. Then the same notes (approximately if the vibrating string length or underlength differs) should buzz.
@jesperthorn, What are your experiences with the Helix? Do you agree with @crd an @guillaume94 about Helix being stiffer than Spiros? I ask because I also ordered a set of Helix after Temperas and liked the idea of a bit thicker and a bit more guttish sounding strings still with some sustain. I like the more flexible (not floppy) feel of Temperas, Aquilas etc. though. Spiro weich are ok. All Gensslers have less (90-96kg/set) tension than steels, but if the playing feel is stiffer than Spiros maybe they aren´t what I´m looking for
