Double Bass Velvet Garbos double bass strings megathread part I

[Bruce Lindfield]

Well - as PB + J said - that is like people complaining about roundwound steel, bass guitar strings - you use them (as Jaco did) for the sound and have to keep addressing the "issue" of fingerboard wear!!

And surely this isn't a cause for complaint, as it keeps guys like you in work!!

 

[JAS]

What are the 180s and 360s like compared to the Animas?

 

[bassdogEmer]

hi - are Garbo's much thicker then animas??? Garbo's really better for pizz??? big difference between these two strings or just the bowing factor???

 

[mojoziggy]

Hi.

I just got sent some used Animas to try on my bass, and the strings weren't labelled. I was wondering if someone could tell me what colour the wrapping on each string should be - I have three strings, an A, D and G, and the wrappings (or a small piece of them anyway) are green, red and blue. I don't want to break them.

Thanks.

 

[TimoMetzemakers]

Red = G

Green = D

Blue = A

(Black = E)

 

[mojoziggy]

thanks very much, I appreciate your promptness and good information.

 

[M Ramsey]

This forum is great...Everyone can voice their opinion without shooting at each other.
Basscrazy 72- I didnt' mean to insult you or any TBer for using Velvets.Buying any product in this world can be a risk.If I have made you guys at Velvet aware of Quality Control on your Finish Process ,then that's a good thing. Now ,I love Rufus Reid ,but I'm sure you are not charging him over $200.00 a set for his Velvets.Maybe nothing since you get to use his picture and so forth.the point is if you are going to try to make something ,try to do it the best.I see to many flaws in your strings to warrant the price you charge. I stand by my opinion.Send me some sample strings if you feel they are better now...be happy to field test them for you.

Take my word on this. Send ME some strings and I'll tell the world how great they are for ME. I've owned 3 sets of them, no make that 4, and I've been pleased as punch with them.

If you're going to send them to somebody, shouldn't it be a repeat customer?

 

[M Ramsey]

hi - are Garbo's much thicker then animas??? Garbo's really better for pizz??? big difference between these two strings or just the bowing factor???

Andrew,

There's a bit of difference between Garbos and Animas. You know that the g on Garbos is wound with nylon or tynex and the Anima g is copper wound. I think (I could be wrong) that the Garbos may be just a bit heavier overall, and again, I could be wrong.

I like both strings. I have Animas on my #2753 American Standard, that's the one for the heat and humidity of summertime bluegrass festivals and Tony Watts house in Asheville, where we met.

Give ME a Velvet string endorsement. I'll tell the world (or at least my slice of it).

 

[Mark Carlsen]

Well - as PB + J said - that is like people complaining about roundwound steel, bass guitar strings - you use them (as Jaco did) for the sound and have to keep addressing the "issue" of fingerboard wear!!

And surely this isn't a cause for complaint, as it keeps guys like you in work!!

Bruce my man....whole different issue here,first we are not talking Slab here just Double Bass.Very few if any Roundwounds on the Dark Side.
Second, These guys needed fingerboard work not because of the string wear],just the usual hills and valleys from the board changing w. the season,Etc.After I clean up the board ,get the correct camber ,etc.BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
As I have explained and witnessed for sometime w. the Wrapings of Velvet strings.They Velvet Cats may work hard,do these carefully by hand,but the job of finishing them off is not right.Period.They will wear the board over time,but I'm talking about right now w. a freshly dressed board.What;s up w. That?? And this isn't what keeps me in Biz, It's the fact that I am out in the trenchs like you and everyone else, paying alot of money for my equipment/strings/amp/etc. and my clients respect and trust my opinion.They know I am a working cat who will tell it to them straight.

 

[bassdogEmer]

Hey Michael,
Yea- that was great to hear you play at the house bluegrass Jam - very nice warm tone you get. I just bought a set of the Labella Plain guts - that is - the E & A are roundwound guts 'old school' style and the D & G are plain. So far I really like them and they where a tad cheaper than the Garbo's . You can also bow them pretty well. I have heard the Garbo's aren't great with the bow. Anyone ever tried these?

 

[Mark Carlsen]

I agree. I think its fantastic that he's taking these guys to the mat. I got those strings on my bass too but I say send him out there to duke it out. Might make them do something better.

My whole point exactly.

 

[TimoMetzemakers]

Cheers! (That was an easy one, I just had to turn around and look at the bass.)

 

[Marcus Johnson]

Good thing you have internet access on the bandstand,Timo....

 

[TimoMetzemakers]

 

[M Ramsey]

Hey Michael,
Yea- that was great to hear you play at the house bluegrass Jam - very nice warm tone you get. I just bought a set of the Labella Plain guts - that is - the E & A are roundwound guts 'old school' style and the D & G are plain. So far I really like them and they where a tad cheaper than the Garbo's . You can also bow them pretty well. I have heard the Garbo's aren't great with the bow. Anyone ever tried these?

Andrew,

I haven't ever played the Labella plain guts since actually trying to be a bass player. Back when I had experience with them, I was the banjo man and my buddy had them on his Kay M1 (which I later bought). I fooled around with them then, but I can't really say that I know exactly what to expect.

The plain G & D will unravel or develop "string" or "hairs" which will need to be maintained with some fine sandpaper.

I have a similar setup to what you describe on my #731 American Standard. This bass has the Labella Goldentone G & D (both are nylon wound gut) and Red O Ray E & A (silver wound gut). Now, these silver wound strings DO chew on the fingerboard, and the ongoing discussion about the damages of Velvets just don't happen with me.

I've been playing either Garbos or Animas for the last 3 years. I don't have the problems mentioned with buzzing on the fingerboard or the wear.

For whatever it's worth, that's my take.

 

[bassdogEmer]

Thanks Michael,
the G & D already have those fine hairs comin off. I put them on friday and have played three gigs since and they seem to be changing already. How are the golden tones in comparison??? Also, do you use baby oil on the guts?? or any type of oil??? Should I use varnished guts to avoid this?? as well... I am tryin to find some red-o-rays - know any one who has em??

 

[shwashwa]

one thing about having a string like the animas with ridges or bumps on it is that there are a finite number of contact points that can be made between the fingerboard and the string... lets say for arguement sake, there are 100 windings between the nut and end of the fingerboard. those are like 100 little "frets" with which to make contact, as opposed to a smooth string which theoretically has an infinite number of points. so theoretically, intonation could be an issue for a string like the anima, if the point where the pitch lies were in between the ridges that made contact with the fingerboard. in reality though, i doubt that this is an issue and i doubt that one can hear it, but this is one reason a smooth string is most desireable and why string companies try to make a string as smooth as possible. i believe corelli even uses their smoothness in their marketing stating that it helps intonation. on the velvet site, they claim that the rounded windings make contact with the core only in those spots where the ridges are highest, they make less contact with the core internally than a conventional string, and this is somehow part of their formula for success with the tone they produce. wouldnt it be possible to keep the internal windings rounded while smoothing out the outside and getting the best of both worlds? the rough feel seems to be the major complaint about these strings for more than one reason... i personally would like to see them address that issue. if they remove that obstacle, i think many more players would open up to the idea of animas... my 2 cents.

 

[PB+J]

jaco managed decent intonation wth roundwound strings...

 

[shwashwa]

jaco managed decent intonation wth roundwound strings...

the windings were much closer together than on the velvets, and as i said in my post, "in theory"... i doubt that in reality you can hear it, but it is a theoretical reason why smooth strings could be desireable.

 

[Mark Carlsen]

the windings were much closer together than on the velvets, and as i said in my post, "in theory"... i doubt that in reality you can hear it, but it is a theoretical reason why smooth strings could be desireable.

Why do these guys bring up Jaco and roundwounds ...I Love Jaco as much as anyone ,But we are talking about Double bass and the type of strings that are out there for it.Not roundwounds on a fretless Fender....
I think you have a point here as I haven't talked much about the E string.Unless you can come close to a Spiro E ,you are not even in the ballpark for real low end punch and feel.Period.Our esteemed luthier Arnold [You know Who] once refered to the Velvet E as a 'Limp Spagetti Noodle' or sometime like that.
Play a low G on a Spiro,then on a Velvet...No comparison.
All I hear is overtone ,no real fundumental or real earth shaking low end.I mean this is the Meat and Potatoes of the bass.I make my living as a bass player w. those notes.Until you come up w. something close you will not sell me.
Of course there are some Cats who can get that low G and some others...Speak up.