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Double Bass Sonores Gut Strings by Gerold Genssler

#161
Well — they do a lot, and I really like them. For years I had gut on one bass and Thomastik on the other bass, and I'm glad that I found a gut string that is versatile and stabile. So, for now I'll leave these Sonores on one bass and keep the Thomastik Weich on the other.

Here are a couple of videos from a production last month with Luciana Souza:
This:

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or this:
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#164
I cleaned them with an alcohol-based wipe a couple of times in the first few days . . . no more dirty fingers after that. Maybe you have a different model than I have — 2016 AP?
 
#166
John Goldsby said:
Well — they do a lot, and I really like them. For years I had gut on one bass and Thomastik on the other bass, and I'm glad that I found a gut string that is versatile and stabile. So, for now I'll leave these Sonores on one bass and keep the Thomastik Weich on the other.

Here are a couple of videos from a production last month with Luciana Souza:
This:

​


or this:
Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

I can't get over how much live sound reinforcement/reproduction has improved since the last time I played with an ensemble that large....

You and the Gensslers certainly sound good. Is the way I hear you a combination of pickup & mic? There's a lot of people playing at the same time as you, so it's not easy to discern. Is there anything at all you find that those strings are particularly ill-suited for?

Who's the arranger? The WDR band seems to be loaded with heavies and Luciana is easy on the eyes and ears. That's about all I have to say.
 
#167
At the WDR, they record and amplify the double bass only with a Schoeps MK41 super-cardioid microphone. So, the sound you're hearing from the bass is only mic. I'm using an amp onstage, but that's more of a monitor for the band—they don't take a DI for the house or for the recording. You might see on the video that they put a vocal shield around the microphone in front of the bass to keep bleeding from other instruments to a minimum. The pattern on the Schoeps picks up sound directly in front of the mic (where the bass is), and directly from the back of the mic (not so much from the sides), so they shield the back of the mic.

Yes, thank you — the WDR Big Band is a great ensemble, "loaded with heavies," as you say ;) Vince Mendoza is our composer-in-residence, and he was the arranger on this project. Bob Mintzer is the Principal Conductor, and we do lots of projects with other arranger/composers as well.

Regarding what the Genssler strings "won't" do, I would say that a good bass player can do just about anything with those strings. After that, it comes down to specific situations. If I was going to play a super-loud, fusion-y project with a DI sound, then I might use my other bass with Spirocore. If I were going to play a classical solo piece, I might use other strings. The Thomastiks speak faster, because the Gensslers are gut. The Gensslers have that nice gut stretch and pull before they pop the note out. All in all, these strings are only limited by the player—in this case, that's me :)
 
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#168
I've found Gensslers quite different on different basses. I've never owned them but they seem v common on German bassist's instruments so whenever I play in Berlin I seem to find myself borrowing a bass set up with Gensslers. I liked them on a really nice carved bass with ramped up strings, but on less good instruments I've found them a bit sluggish and slow speaking.
 
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#169
One more note about the Genssler strings: He asks for several measurements on your bass, which are crucial to the production of the string, since he makes them by hand. He needs to know not only the string length, but the distance from the tailpiece to bridge, nut to each tuning peg, which tuning peg is for which string, etc.
 
#171
Folks who have the 2016 AP strings: what is your action set at? Mine is 7mm on the G side, 9mm on the E side.

I ask because I've just moved to Chicago and am making the rounds at jam sessions as much as I can, and almost everyone here utilizes a very low action and either Spiros or Helicores. Makes it difficult to feel comfortable. Coming from my tallish standing gut setup, these other basses feel ridiculous. Now I'm wondering if I'm too high anyway and maybe experimenting with lowering the action is called for. Which got me thinking about polling others with these strings to see what they are getting away with.

The black finger effect is still there but maybe to a lesser degree. Also the bow response is so damn pleasant, I've been practicing with the bow more than pizz over all, though not entirely. 70-30 maybe.
 
#178
No you don't bskts. you'll never be the same.

Nathan, that's the approach I've always taken, low enough to be comfortable on the left hand, high enough to get some meat around the string for a good strong pull. I just decided to quantize it for the sake of comparing to other players. Some of these guys out here have basses set like electric bass low, it's so alien.
 
#179
Bringing this back to life, because I'm seriously considering buying a set to try.

I just have 1 question. I have been playing gut (E & A wrapped, D & G plain) all my bass life. I tried steel strings a couple of times but I never liked the sound. I heard some samples and the gennsler strings sound like gut, but when bowed they sound closer to steel than gut (clarity and "cleanliness"). I play almost strictly bow solos (think Paul Chambers sound), and the bands I work in are bebop sounding bands. Is there a string that Garold makes that sounds close to plain gut when bowed? At least for the D & G.

I'm getting into playing more modern music, and also practicing classical music daily, and I'm wondering if there is a string that can kind of do it all. However, I can't sacrifice the plain gut sound for my gigs with these certain bands. The only other way is to buy a second bass, and I prefer to spend 500 euro on a string that can do both instead of 5k+ for another bass ;)

It's really hard to practice and play classical music for my teacher with plain gut and make it sound like something it's not supposed to sound like. And just like all of you guys, I am a bass nerd too :cool:
 
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#180
Gregmak said:
...Is there a string that Garold makes that sounds close to plain gut when bowed? At least for the D & G.

I'm getting into playing more modern music, and also practicing classical music daily, and I'm wondering if there is a string that can kind of do it all. However, I can't sacrifice the plain gut sound for my gigs with these certain bands. The only other way is to buy a second bass, and I prefer to spend 500 euro on a string that can do both instead of 5k+ for another bass ;)

It's really hard to practice and play classical music for my teacher with plain gut and make it sound like something it's not supposed to sound like. And just like all of you guys, I am a bass nerd too :cool:
Click to expand...

John Goldsby provided this link earlier that gives some info on the different strings available:
John Goldsby said:
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Sound samples, plus string stats, etc.
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The 2016 Basso AP strings that have been the major topic of discussion recently are all metal wound, but Gerold also makes sets with plain gut or synthetic wound G and D (B-Roque, J-Roque, and Wrap). The synthetic wound ones supposedly still bow well, but I have never used them myself. In the sound samples in the link above you can hear the J-Roque (all synthetic wound) being bowed.

Gerold himself would probably be the best person to talk to.
 

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