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Double Bass Sonores Gut Strings by Gerold Genssler

#481
@elmer I think it's supposed to feel more flexible, that why it is surprising that my bass kind of reacted to other way. I would have setup the soundpost differently to obtain more flexibility but my luthier expected that I would bring to buzz even louder.
Interesting thing that I forgot to mention about my buzzes, everything was perfect when I played arco !!
 
#482
elmer said:
@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 o_O
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In my experience they are very far from Spiros in stiffness! They are much looser feeling than spiros. I came from gennßlers B-rouqe (where the e (c-ext) string snapped after 3 years (they had been on and of the bass multiple times), had a short stint with Spiro-mittels (because I had a set at hand), then went to Tempera Basso because I had a lot of Arco heavy gigs. I used them for 6 months, but they were to thin and to far away from gut-strings for my taste. I then ordered a set of HELIX, that has been on my bass for a year and a half. Best strings ever for me! Very easy arco response and very nice sound, very nice gut-like pizz attack and not to thin feeling. And also nice and low in tension. At least for me…
So I use them and choose them for exactly the same reasons as you, @elmer .
(And my fingerboard is still fine…)
 
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#483
My set feel low tension but also very stuff -- hard to explain! I am also coming from gut and it's been a long time since I played Spiro's so I may be off base in my comparison. I have to say these are the best hybrid string I've ever played. I think I may eventually go back to all gut just because I am so used to that sound but am also falling in love when how easy these are to play with the bow.
 
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#485
@elmer Now you've made me paranoid about buzzes :)

If I dig in hard I definitely get buzzes. I think part of playing these strings is learning how to not over play them. I think that is what Gerold is referring to when he says they are for "modern" playing styles. When I lighten up my touch they sound great. On gut when you dig in really hard you get a nice crunch where the helix strings give me a kind of "clack". I think I will go back to gut before I go into the studio with my group in June. Till then I'm submitting everyone I play with to tasteless arco solos.
 
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#486
Update : I got my fingerboard planned with more camber, ( My luthier managed to do it ! ) a new camber of about 3mm around the E on the A string. I but the Helix back on 3-4 days ago. The buzzes on the E string disappeared, the C on the G strin can still buzz if I play really hard, but I don't mind that one. I must admit that I feel a little bit unconfortable with that new setup of the camber in the fingerboard, the area around the heel is really hard to play now. I wonder I could have less scoop on the the fingerboard and still the same amount of buzzing. What do your setups looks like in term of height of scoop/camber ? I just press the string right under the nut and at the end of the fingerboard to measure the height of the camber at his highest point.
 
#487
guillaume94 said:
Update : I got my fingerboard planned with more camber, ( My luthier managed to do it ! ) a new camber of about 3mm around the E on the A string. I but the Helix back on 3-4 days ago. The buzzes on the E string disappeared, the C on the G strin can still buzz if I play really hard, but I don't mind that one. I must admit that I feel a little bit unconfortable with that new setup of the camber in the fingerboard, the area around the heel is really hard to play now. I wonder I could have less scoop on the the fingerboard and still the same amount of buzzing. What do your setups looks like in term of height of scoop/camber ? I just press the string right under the nut and at the end of the fingerboard to measure the height of the camber at his highest point.
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I will check the camber on my fingerboard tomorrow. I don't think I have much...

I moved my action from moderately high to very high and that has helped with my set. They feel better all around with the same sort of action I used when I had gut strings. Somehow they are easier to play this way.
 
#489
hey all. I've been rocking a set of 2016 AP strings since Jan of 2017. Black finger gang, unite!
I haven't been keeping up with the chat or string updates, I'm curious what people are liking and loving from Sonores now a days.
I play 90% jazz, been coerced into some bowing and small orchestra work here and there.
Biggest change I've noticed is the move away from gut and towards silk?
 
#490
VegasGutPlucker said:
hey all. I've been rocking a set of 2016 AP strings since Jan of 2017. Black finger gang, unite!
I haven't been keeping up with the chat or string updates, I'm curious what people are liking and loving from Sonores now a days.
I play 90% jazz, been coerced into some bowing and small orchestra work here and there.
Biggest change I've noticed is the move away from gut and towards silk?
Click to expand...

I've been loving the JRoques, but I've got a set of Rain Worms J's and RW O on order. My only complaint with JRoques is the E string thickness. It didn't work on my bass. With that said, a friend has a set and the E plays and sounds phenomenal!
 
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#491
juusokasperi said:
Kanzian & Traunsteiner OG on Instagram

Just came across this clip, thats the Rainworm strings in action!
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Damn those sound like a great arco string to my ears.

Kanzian & Traunsteiner OG on Instagram: "@andreaswaelti trying the latest Gerold Genssler Prototyp-Strings on our K&T 2021 convertible 5-string bass. What an amazing sound! - Check out Andreas Waelti’s profile for some tremendous music and extracts from his new solo album «Lowdown» - #viennesedoublebass #newdoublebass #moderndoublebass #KanzianundTraunsteiner #Kontrabass #doublebassmaker #Instrument #Werkstatt #K&T #woodwork #instruments #bass #doublebass #vienna #Wien #Austria #handmade #luthier #mastercraftsmanship #masterluthier #antique #wood #shop #doublebassist #wienerbass #bassbow #wienerkontrabass"

Do y’all think these are the rainworms as well? Sound pretty killing for pizz too!
 
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#492
WynstonMinckler said:
Damn those sound like a great arco string to my ears.

Kanzian & Traunsteiner OG on Instagram: "@andreaswaelti trying the latest Gerold Genssler Prototyp-Strings on our K&T 2021 convertible 5-string bass. What an amazing sound! - Check out Andreas Waelti’s profile for some tremendous music and extracts from his new solo album «Lowdown» - #viennesedoublebass #newdoublebass #moderndoublebass #KanzianundTraunsteiner #Kontrabass #doublebassmaker #Instrument #Werkstatt #K&T #woodwork #instruments #bass #doublebass #vienna #Wien #Austria #handmade #luthier #mastercraftsmanship #masterluthier #antique #wood #shop #doublebassist #wienerbass #bassbow #wienerkontrabass"

Do y’all think these are the rainworms as well? Sound pretty killing for pizz too!
Click to expand...

Oh nice, I missed this clip before. Looks like it might be the same set but not sure
 
#493
WynstonMinckler said:
Damn those sound like a great arco string to my ears.

Kanzian & Traunsteiner OG on Instagram: "@andreaswaelti trying the latest Gerold Genssler Prototyp-Strings on our K&T 2021 convertible 5-string bass. What an amazing sound! - Check out Andreas Waelti’s profile for some tremendous music and extracts from his new solo album «Lowdown» - #viennesedoublebass #newdoublebass #moderndoublebass #KanzianundTraunsteiner #Kontrabass #doublebassmaker #Instrument #Werkstatt #K&T #woodwork #instruments #bass #doublebass #vienna #Wien #Austria #handmade #luthier #mastercraftsmanship #masterluthier #antique #wood #shop #doublebassist #wienerbass #bassbow #wienerkontrabass"

Do y’all think these are the rainworms as well? Sound pretty killing for pizz too!
Click to expand...

I don’t think it’s the same set…the rainworms are grey…
 
#494
WynstonMinckler said:
Damn those sound like a great arco string to my ears.

Kanzian & Traunsteiner OG on Instagram: "@andreaswaelti trying the latest Gerold Genssler Prototyp-Strings on our K&T 2021 convertible 5-string bass. What an amazing sound! - Check out Andreas Waelti’s profile for some tremendous music and extracts from his new solo album «Lowdown» - #viennesedoublebass #newdoublebass #moderndoublebass #KanzianundTraunsteiner #Kontrabass #doublebassmaker #Instrument #Werkstatt #K&T #woodwork #instruments #bass #doublebass #vienna #Wien #Austria #handmade #luthier #mastercraftsmanship #masterluthier #antique #wood #shop #doublebassist #wienerbass #bassbow #wienerkontrabass"

Do y’all think these are the rainworms as well? Sound pretty killing for pizz too!
Click to expand...
Yes, they're Rain Worms. Amazing strings!
 
#498
crd said:
Okay -- Sorry, I accused the Helix strings of being clacky. I had my luthier add some scoop to my fingerboard and they sound perfect and clean now.
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How much scoop did you got ?

In my HELIX adventures, i got my fingerboard scooped by one luthier, then it got way too hard to play and I still had some issues with somes buzzes. If I pressed the string right after the nut and at the end of the fingerboard, I had a 3-4mm gap at the 7th position.

I got back to another luthier who planned the finderboard again to almost no scoop, I sure got back some better confort and more sustain. I realised that a good way to describe the buzz would be that he strings are producing some kind of a 'zing' at few spot, specially and almost only on the G strings.

The last luthier that saw my bass with the HELIX also thought that the string kind of sounded like a new string even after 4-5 weeks of uses, he suspected that it may get resolve by itself, but so far I saw 3 luthiers with the HELIXs on my bass and they all came to the conclusion that this 'zing' sound may also came from the way the string was made. I wonder if it just maybe faulty at this point.
 
#499
guillaume94 said:
How much scoop did you got ?

In my HELIX adventures, i got my fingerboard scooped by one luthier, then it got way too hard to play and I still had some issues with somes buzzes. If I pressed the string right after the nut and at the end of the fingerboard, I had a 3-4mm gap at the 7th position.

I got back to another luthier who planned the finderboard again to almost no scoop, I sure got back some better confort and more sustain. I realised that a good way to describe the buzz would be that he strings are producing some kind of a 'zing' at few spot, specially and almost only on the G strings.

The last luthier that saw my bass with the HELIX also thought that the string kind of sounded like a new string even after 4-5 weeks of uses, he suspected that it may get resolve by itself, but so far I saw 3 luthiers with the HELIXs on my bass and they all came to the conclusion that this 'zing' sound may also came from the way the string was made. I wonder if it just maybe faulty at this point.
Click to expand...

Do you have any audio if the strings on your bass?

Here is a quick phone video I did before I added the scoop. I will make another video in a couple days. I'm not sure anyone but me could hear the difference in the fingerboard scoop I added.

I also don't think you will get anything from me measuring the scoop because there are a lot of variables at play, like nut height, bridge angle etc. I would say, not a lot of luthier's are used to installing gut strings on basses these days and these strings seem to need that kind of set-up. (Gut meaning, raw gut not a Pirastro wrapped gut string.) My instrument is new so if I were to describe the difference in the fingerboard is I went from a modern jazz Spiro, no camper, to a high action gut set-up with a fair amount of scoop. It is no harder to play with the scoop but my old bass had a similar amount of scoop so maybe I'm just used to it. Before I widen the nuts on the bridge and nut on my new bass, I wanted to test out a hybrid string.

I definitely don't think these strings would work with the same set-up one would use for Spiro's. Unless, your like Drew Gress or William Parker and you are rocking Spiro's with super high action.

The Helix strings are definitely brighter than some strings. You might not like them but I doubt your's are defective. I think also, they are built to last 5 years plus. So they may take a year to break in fully. I played a set Sunday with just a mic and I was in heaven using them. They cut really nice and speak super easy. I talked to Gerold about a raw gut set which I may pull the trigger on but the longer I play these the more I like them. (that may be true of any string tho :) They are hands down the best arco string I've ever used. I'm not sure why but the higher I raise my action, the softer they feel.
 
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