Double Bass Tail Gut Question

[Dad Bass]

I have a 200 seris Christopher bass with the metal tail piece and I'm interested in changing to a "tail gut" type. The stock tail piece has the two screw type mountings in the front.

1.Would the "tail gut" work with this tail piece or would I have to get a new one?

2. Does the cord just tie trough the existing holes?

3. Please don't send me to the archives. I've read them and still have these questions.

4. If someone can answer thats actually performed this upgrade, I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks,

Dad Bass

 

[robgrow]

Although there are much more knowledgeable people than me around here, I had a Christopher bass that I changed the solid tailwire to a flexible cable. It was very easy and definitely worth doing. All you need is a piece of stainless steel aircraft cable and some type of ferrule. Your existing tailpiece will work fine. Remove the nuts that fasten the solid tailwire to the tailpiece, and thread the SS aircraft cable through the holes in the tailpiece. Wrap the cable around the endpin, insert the ends into the ferrule and tighten. There's a page on Bob Gollihur's web site that shows how it's done: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Jake deVilliers]

Dad, you can use either the synthetic cord, Pecanic or Clef, or stainless cable as sold with clamp by Lemur and slip it through the holes.

The nylon one doesn't work well with the 'through-hole' tailpiece.

 

[Ketchakah]

Hello Friends,
Bump a very old thread.
Thinking on replacing the wire Tailgut on my Kay. Been reading how you all seem to like the extra movement with something more flexible. Makes sense.

Gollihur sells different types. One is like a Para-cord that you tie in a square knot.
Any of ya have any experience with this ?

Thanks all. Ketch ^^

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The Kevlar cord sounds a bit dull. Useful for a bright bass, maybe not so much for a Kay.

Not to undercut the Gollihurs, who are great, but you can get the same stuff from Home Depot for under $3. Just be careful to get the afterlength right.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Has anyone tried a gut tail gut?

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I use a high strength rope on the shop basses. It seems to work very well and is fairly easy to install.

As far as tonal differences between rope and aircraft cable, I think they are slight. Aircraft cable has more definition, certainly better for pizz.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Has anyone tried a gut tail gut?

Before 1900? Pretty much everyone, but you'll need a Ouija board and some chicken bones.

 

[james condino]

$13 for the whole kit from Lemur; tell Joel I said get a haircut:

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Spend another $25 at your local bike shop for a nice set of cable cutters.

www.condino.com
www.kaybassrepair.com

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Before 1900? Pretty much everyone, but you'll need a Ouija board and some chicken bones.

But I saw it mentioned on a website. What is the name of the gut string company about the same price as Lenzners, who make their strings in weich, normal and stark versions? Sorry my brain is slipping.

 

[Ortsom]

Maybe Pirastro, Pirastro - Strings Handmade in Germany since 1798. But they have'm only for violin & cello. My wife's cello has a gut TG, but for the higher tension in the DB a TG in gut might be risky.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Maybe Pirastro, Pirastro - Strings Handmade in Germany since 1798. But they have'm only for violin & cello. My wife's cello has a gut TG, but for the higher tension in the DB a TG in gut might be risky.

Efrano, it was. And here you go, I think: Invalid Link Removed

 

[DoubleMIDI]

Efrano, it was. And here you go, I think: Invalid Link Removed

That's the German name for tailgut.
I didn't know that you can order tail gut strings from them and on different gauges, but since it would be a naked guy string almost any gut string manufacturer can make you one in the desired gauge. You might only pay for the additional gut material needed, but best check with the manufacturer in advance.
The smaller the business, the easier you can get custom strings and often without additional charge.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

That's the German name for tailgut.
I didn't know that you can order tail gut strings from them and on different gauges, but since it would be a naked guy string almost any gut string manufacturer can make you one in the desired gauge. You might only pay for the additional gut material needed, but best check with the manufacturer in advance.
The smaller the business, the easier you can get custom strings and often without additional charge.

Small correction, I do not think they offer the tail gut in different gauges. They do however all their strings, which I think is cool for a reasonably priced gut manufacturer.

 

[Ortsom]

Thinking a bit more about it, a gut TG might actually be quite well fitting for my old (+/- 200y) flatback, which is strung with 85kg tension. When I got that it had the customary coathanger wire (actually a braising or welding rod), which I replaced for a braided steel cable. But gut would be more befitting. Thanks for raising this topic!

I don't know why gut is used so rarely, in a DB TG. It should be strong enough. But maybe not be so on the long term, being susceptible to humidity changes etc. At any rate, at some stage the coathanger wire became the norm (which will last forever), and my problem with that is that if you tap the TP you'll hear the metallic ring - from the solid steel wire. And when you play you always hear a little bit of it coming into the sound, as the TP gets actuated a bit by the bridge/afterlength. You don't have that with braided steel cable, or synthetic rope, or solid nylon (but the latter 2 stretch, necessitating bridge to be pushed-down).

 

[Povl Carstensen]

I have a Velvet nylon tail gut. From principle I like to keep these more or less vibrating parts light and flexible. But I do think I will have to try gut tail gut at one point. I play Lenzner unwrapped gut strings.