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Double Bass String search cont.... Golden Slaps

edfriedland

edfriedland

Sep 14, 2003
974
1,246
Tucson, AZ
www.edfriedland.com
#1
I've been itching for something new on my Juzek. I've run Obligatos for the last few years and have been very happy with them, but I'm moving away from the whole super low action, whiny, modern jazz tone. I hardly ever need that sound it seems, and I've been playing more on my gut-strung plywood basses doing the swing, Texas swing, honky tonk, blues and rockabilly thing. My Blast Cult 145 is really handling all my rootsy stuff very well, but the Juzek has been getting dusty. I'm trying to get close to a gut feel and tone, with bowability, and better definition on the low strings. Maybe a little more bite. So, it's off with the Obligatos (and back on several times during this process).

First I tried the Blast Cult Low Lifes. I have the E&A on my 145 and they sound amazing for that use, but the strings seemed a little too boingy when I put them on my Juzek. Back to the Obli.

Then I tried the Garbo E&A that I bought for my plywood.... but they had too many overtones and were a bit stiff. Back to the Obli.

Then I tried a set of Innovation Honeys. Found them too stiff, and the E string was too dead. I was able to exchange them for a set of Golden Slaps and put those on just now. So far.... I like! They are just the right tension for me to crank the strings up without becoming too stiff. They sound warm and full, maybe not much bite, but real punchy. I roughed up the bow zone with some steel wool and gobbed on the Nyman... and well... you CAN bow them. The tone would be fine for some inobtrusive section work, maybe even a Paul Chamber-esque bow solo. Don't think I'd try any Garcia-Fons type playing with them though. Not exactly a singing tone, but maybe for now they will do. I hardly bow these days, but I do occasionally do some cello-like stuff on recording sessions. Not sure the Golden Slaps will work for that, but they may break in and do a better job. So for now, they stay. I really dig the feel, like gut, but a little less thump and more pitch.
 
#3
Yes! In fact I've done several gigs on these strings and REALLY enjoy playing them.They definitely have the fat punch I want, but I can get them to speak too. They are settling in and staying in tune for a whole set. And the whole bounce of the higher action/lower tension setup is cool. It definitely slows me down (a good thing), and focuses me on melodic playing instead of being chopsy. On jazz gigs I'm getting an early Miroslav/LaFaro kind of tone... gut, but not too thumpy. Love it. On the country/slap thing... the feel is perfect, and I like the slap tone... it's very warm and natural. I could easily see the E and A working great with a gut D & G. So... right now I'm digging the strings. They make playing that bass fun again, and it's a much more useful tone for my world.
 
#4
I've had a gig on these strings now, and they are seriously fun to play and easy on the hands. They feel like a nice set of guts to me. Not all of the acoustic volume or earthiness of gut, but pretty freakin' good for the coin with some nice punch and good thump/clarity balance. They have a little bit of a plastic-y zing right now, but they are only days old so that might chill out a bit. They amplify well and evenly with a bridge wing pickup and an fdeck preamp. I can't really afford the keep up the gut habit ( I know some get a long time out of them, I don't) so if these guys keep working for that old-school jazz sound, I'm hooked!

I can bow them easily without any ruffing up, but they are very scratchy and low output to my no-classical-background self. Fine for some arco practice, maybe a little rough for performance work. Curiously, I don't like the slap at all, a little dead and hollow sounding. Regardless, a worthwhile pizz string that doesn't get a lot of love for jazz, probably because of the name!
 
#5
How well do these strings take to being detuned and brought back up to tension repeatedly? I use a chadwick folding bass so the strings pretty much go through that every time I play a gig. Tried Helicores for the past 7 or 8 months but am wanting something a little less... I dunno metallic? Played a set of these last week on friend's bass and liked them initially. Of course, I was drunk and it was his bass not mine, so I might not be remembering it very well and what I am recalling might not apply to my instrument.

Bottom line, I can't afford a string that isn't going to last me at least a year of detuning and retuning 4 or 5 times a week but I think I'd like to try a string that sounded/felt about like these do.
 
#9
I'm in a similar boat, looking for a thumpy, gut like string for my Chadwick. I've got D'Addario Zyex on now, which are nice, but thinking of trying something a little lower in tension. I wish I could put gut or even wound gut on here, but I had an Oliv G and it unraveled in about a month and a half. Thinking of trying the Blast Cult Low Lifes next.
 

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