Double Bass Velvet Garbos double bass strings megathread part I

[Uncletoad]

Wait till someone gives up on a set and sells them used. They show up in the classifieds, just keep watching.

 

[Uncletoad]

I was missing the dominants on my gig last night.

I'm not sure why. Perhaps the slow front end of the note thing and I was tired and couldn't stay out front of things.

They seems to be a bit thunky over the last couple weeks. Perhaps I'm just feeling the temptation to mess around with things again.

I'll go practice instead.

Edit: I'm so stupid sometimes. I dropped the string height about 2 weeks ago to 6-9. Took it back up while I was shedding to 7-10. Bingo. Duh.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Just make sure that the metal windings of the string dont go on the tuning machines, on the 180's only the thin ending of the string(red part if im not mistaken since im not seeing the strings) should contact the tuning machines. the 180's are Velvets' thinest strings so, if the metal part of the string will go in the tuning machines, the string can break.
About the life of the strings... we have players who are playing the same strings for years and they are still holding up good. For me its funny because for years i played gut strings only (i still have a plain G on one bass ) and i changed them every year,sometimes twice a year, i just felt that the strings were loosing flexibility, anyway, for me, to change strings once a year was like a ritual. so, if i can get a year or 2 for a set of strings, im a happy man. since i've been working at velvet, i received a couple of strings that broke after 3 or 4 years (i even received one that stephan told me its one of the very 1st ones, more than 5 years old) and owners want a free replacement because they say they are used to play the same strings for 10 years, so everything is relative. my personal opinion is that you should play the strings while they sound good and have the same flexibility, we really dont know how long a Velvet string can hold, but because they are made of natural fibers, they cant last forever, thats logical. We usually give a 12 months warranty on our strings because we think its a reasonable amount of time , but of course, for people who are used to play the same strings for 10 years, maybe its not enough. we had some problems in the past with some strings which come out defective, the production was destroyed but some were sold and are still out there, and those rotten apples not only give us a bad reputation but also make us sad because we know somewhere out there theres still some strings which may have problems, thats why when a breakage occurs, we always ask players for a picture of the damage or the string, that way we can see what happened, anyway, if theres any problem with your strings, you can always contact me at [email protected].
Thanks in advance

Nuno

Good to know!!

I just got my set of Animas and have just installed the G - I can see that the way the yellow part near the bridge goes thinner, might cause people to get a bit nervous....?

Anyway I'm loving the feel of the strings - and I'm now thinking about whether to install the rest of the set, or play with just a G for a bit...?

 

[M Ramsey]

Morning all,

I broke the A string on my first set of Garbos, sometime last summer. It broke where everyone says they will, where the winding of the string and the yellow loop meet.

A friend who I have worked with for 20 years is a fix-it genius. We took the part where the yellow loop covers the winding and laid the small part of the loop (right where it broke) and laid them side by side. Then, we actually took some kite string (yep, the thin cotton stuff) and tightly wrapped these two pieces together.

And then, we super glued it to death. Now, mind you, this part won't flex very much, but I re-installed it the next day and it is still holding up!

I have changed this set of strings out on my bass and it is currently not being used, but I did use it for about 5 more months.

I still have it and would pull it out as a spare in a pinch. These strings can be saved.

 

[Aarongermain]

Does anyone know what the core of these strings are made of? Someone told me they are actually not gut; but he didn't know what they were. Do you think they sound like gut? I heard they don't go out of tune as easily as gut. Do you find this to be true? Finally, can anyone tell me the differance between garbos and animas?
peace, Aaron

 

[TheTurtle]

Ciao Aaron. I've played both Garbo and Anima but I don't think they have some gut inside. Anyway they certainly play like gut, Garbo in particular because they are bigger in diameter. Both these strings stay in tune very well, much better than real gut.

Both have great attack and acousitc volume, the Garbo some more than Anima but you can't play the bow with Garbo (in particular the G string is very scratchy!). You can do some arco stuff on Anima but anyway I think these strings are made for pizzicato. The main differece I think is that the Garbo are bigger in diameter so they don't play very well in thumb position and I don't think they articulate very well, but you get a great attack (very Paul Chambers like...). I prefer the Anima because they are more modern and versatile, a little bit more sustain and more articulation that I need when I play in trio.

Ciao, Andrea

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

I just put a set of Animas on my bass - it says "natural and modern fibre core,combined with metal or synthetic winding" - whatever that means!!??

They sound pretty good already and louder than the Spiros I had on before - feels like a step up in quality - but too different for a direct comparison maybe?

PS - I'd be interested to know exactly what they're made of, if anybody knows - I looked again on the Velvet website and they don't really say?

 

[M Ramsey]

Morning all,

I've seen this discussed a couple of times on the net before. I've been told that silk makes up part of the core of these strings.

It really doesn't matter to me. I LIKE THEM.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Both these strings stay in tune very well, much better than real gut.

I'm hoping this is the case - so far, I've had them on 2 days and they have always been at least a semi-tone flat, whenever I picked up the bass - even if it was only a few minutes since I last played it!!

I do like the feel and the sound though!

 

[Uncletoad]

so far, I've had them on 2 days and they have always been at least a semi-tone flat, whenever I picked up the bass - even if it was only a few minutes since I last played it!!

They stabalize. It takes awhile. Mine are like spiros now. Don't have to tune much at all.

 

[DrBassie]

Yeah, I use Garbos. I seem to remember that they used to have a gut core but it was switched to silk a little while ago.

I can tell you that a new set of strings will take a few weeks to break in. Once that is done, they stay in tune rather well. I just put a new set on after one string broke after it was on about 2 years. Tuning after every song got old really fast. On my old Garbos, I'd tune after every set and, even then, sometimes I wouldn't have to adjust them.

 

[Nuno A.]

The core of the Animas and Garbos is made of silk, they used to be made with a gut core a long time ago, but due to the inconsistency of the quality of the gut , Stephan decided to try with silk. They will need some time to settle, usually a couple of weeks, and after they pretty much stay in tune. Of course that due to the nature of the materials they are made, these strings aren't as stable as a metal string, but in normal circunstances you wont need to tune them much more than a regular string.

Nuno

 

[bassman1489]

i got my compas 180's in the mail a few days ago, and put them on today. they're still stretching, so the intonation is awful. i'm not too pleased with the sound on the D and A strings. they sound kind of tinny and trebly. i hope that once they break in, the sound will warm up. however, they feel great under my fingers and with the bow, but i hafta get used to bowing with them. i'm sure in a week or 2 when they get settled, i'll be very pleased with these strings.

 

[Marcus Johnson]

So that explains why Lemur listed them as gut core for so long. It took them awhile to change the text in their catalog.

I agree with M Ramsey.... it could be peanut butter and jelly under that wrap for all I care. Whatever it is works great.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

I can see your point - but it's nice to know, if people ask!!

Mine are starting to settle now!

 

[Dave Whitla]

Just have to add my 2 cents worth since this seems to be a general Velvet discussion now (although I have had 2 Compas180's break in the past few months ).
I recently had a B/C extension installed and the long string was the first one to break because the 180's are not flexible enough to go around the wheel at the top. As a result, it is tricky to get the length right. At the tailpiece end I had to tie the string as close as possible to the tailpiece in order to keep the other end off the wheel. Then the "shoestring" isn't long enough to reach the tuning peg!! Luthier Tom Barrett solved this nearly fatal flaw by suggesting I cut off the excess from the tailpiece end of one of the other strings and tie it on to the long E/C to make it long enough to reach the peg. I'd have scrapped the Velvets if Tom hadn't come up with that, even though they sound excellent.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

I noticed in the latest edition of Double Bassist magazine that Rufus Reid is now using Animas - there are some nice pictures of his bass and a feature/interview!

I really like these strings now and am glad I took the plunge!!

 

[tito mangialajo]

hello everybodys,
I switch yesterday to garbos.
some question for you garbo users:
-what is your strings height at the end of the fingerboard from the bottom of the strings? mine is G=9mm; E=14mm
-I hear a buzz on G in the position of d, eb, e ,f. before garbos I had no buzzing sound on the fingerboard. should I go to my luthier? do you had same problem the first time time with garbos?
-do you have some special maintanance routine for these strings?
-how is the garbos lifespan in youre experience?
-do you had other problems in the first days with garbos?

after 24 hours I like the sound, very guttish.
thanks for answering.
ciao, tito mangialajo.

 

[Nuno A.]

Tito:
The garbos will need maybe 2 weeks or so until they completey settle down , until then, be prepared to retune them often.
if the buzz persists, i would take your bass to the luthier, Velvet strings are very unforgiving strings with imperfections on the boards, so, it will make them buzz. about life span, we have players who have been using them for more than 4 years,and one guy wore them out in weeks, because his perspiration was so acid... it really depends how you play, your perspiration, etc, but i would say that you can use them for some years..
the strings will get darker but thats just the reaction of the copper to the air, dont worry, clean them with a cloth and some tooth paste if you want... . use your favourite brand of course, we dont recomend any special one . anything else contact me at [email protected]
thanks

Nuno

 

[M Ramsey]

Morning all,

By approximately 6 PM today (Happy 4th of July) I will have completed my bass duties for the BG festival we've been hosting this past weekend. Four days with the temps in the 90's and yesterday was near 100.

I have basically had NO tuning problems. Outside, in North Carolina, in the heat and humidity. One hour sets each day and I'm a happy camper with the performance of these strings.

I'm definitely sold on them.