Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part II

[ethnotime]

For the record, my Velvet Garbos came in and they sound great. I set them up last night and the bass sounds beautiful. My bass needs a couple of seams sealed but otherwise the Garbos sound nice and loud. The tone is really dark and I like that. DD's strings are bright but unfortunately do not keep their brightness for long. Finally, the tension is loose and easy to play: both hands have no problems getting around the bass. Great set of strings!

 

[Marcus Johnson]

That volume is addictive, isn't it? I have the Velvet Animas on at the moment, and it really sounds great. I'm preparing to try some Olivs loaned to me from Uncletoad, but I have the dreaded "gigs with a famous guy" and some recording sessions coming up in the next week... so I think I'll save the experimenting until after that...

 

[Nohandles]

I am sorry for posting on the wrong place. I have so far adventured to the electric upright bass section and had not explored the other parts of talk bass.
I would still like to know your opinion of the Anima strings. Presently I like the Labella RC 610 strings on my acoustic. They are very high tension and really boom. I find they do very will with bow. I play Bluegrass and Old Time music and now a Jazz band. So given this what so you thing I should do?
Doug

 

[Francois Blais]

Hi Doug.
There are several discussion threads about Velvet strings here on the Strings forum.
Did you use the search engine?

The way your acoustic would react to Animas can't be predicted.
However, since the strings you presently use are high tension, give your instrument a few weeks to adjust to the low tension of the Animas before really judge the result.
The volume is likely to increase with time as the bass releases its tension.
But that's not a guarantee!

 

[Nohandles]

Hi Doug.
There are several discussion threads about Velvet strings here on the Strings forum.
Did you use the search engine?

The way your acoustic would react to Animas can't be predicted.
However, since the strings you presently use are high tension, give your instrument a few weeks to adjust to the low tension of the Animas before really judge the result.
The volume is likely to increase with time as the bass releases its tension.
But that's not a guarantee!

Thanks Francois, I spent the entire evening reading all the threads about strings. Sure is a lot of information. I compiled a word document of bullet points to make a more clear decision on what I would like to try. My conclusion it to stay with something with high tension since a lot of the acoustics life is spent at bluegrass festivals under a tree. The way it is set up right now people tell me the can hear me from quite a distance away and that is how they find the jam I'm in. I am looking for a solid carved bass right now. When I get it will use the Velvets on it for sure. Thanks again-Doug

 

[MrB]

Hi everybody. My opinion should be taken for that of an amateur contemporary/improvisation/jazz musician from Paris with a mere 30 yrs experience. As a bargain (65€ from a Milano classical cat on Ebay), I moved to Anima. Terrible to start with: they kept slagging and could keep in tune. Then my luthier put them on and arrange my bass (nut grove, tailpiece position) and it just sounded incredible: loud, precise, springy (?) and most of all very easy on my fingertips. A breeze to bow (light bow recommended though) and perfectly caught by my Schertler StatB mic. My fellow musicians picked it right away and just adored it. In a trio setting I can even play accoustic when our reedman is on the bass clarinet (definetly a quiet low instrument). I just got Garbo (Ebay again 81€) but no bass to put them on. Stay tuned for the results. One thing is for sure: no Thomastik anymore. I played metal again on a bass my luthier left me while mine was in the workshop: steel burns and doesn't project.

 

[Martin Sheridan]

I saw and heard Rufus Reid at the Richard Davis Conference a couple of weeks ago. He is using Velvets, but I don't know which ones. They sounded fantastic on his bass and with a better sustain than I usually associated with a gut string.

 

[Uncletoad]

He is using Velvets, but I don't know which ones. They sounded fantastic on his bass and with a better sustain than I usually associated with a gut string.

I know Velvet had experimented with gut cores early on. The sets I have had are perlon core (360's) and Silk core (Animas, Garbos). Having played those and Gut strings I'm certain That Animas, 360's, and Garbos, have very little in common with Gut, other than low tension. I think they are closer to Dominants than Gut.

 

[neal davis]

+1 I had a few sets of the early gut velvets and recently tried them again, man are they a different string now, I still like them but they are not gut

 

[Martin Sheridan]

I'm sure he said Velvet something. They were wrapped gut, perhaps bronze; kind of copper looking.

 

[Uncletoad]

I'm sure he said Velvet something. They were wrapped gut, perhaps bronze; kind of copper looking.

He prolly thinks they still use gut. Unless they just recently changed again. I'll bet they were silk core Animas. Where's Timo? They change again?

 

[Jeremy Allen]

I'm sure he said Velvet something. They were wrapped gut, perhaps bronze; kind of copper looking.

Rufus uses Animas, or at least he was using them for a long time. He basically gets a perfect tone from them--warm, round, just enough sustain, just enough punch, and he even sounds good on them with the bow. That's Rufus for you.

 

[Martin Sheridan]

Got an email from Rufus today. He said they are Velvet-Animas gut wrapped with a metal that looks like copper.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Got an email from Rufus today. He said they are Velvet-Animas gut wrapped with a metal that looks like copper.

I've got Velvet Animas on my bass and they are not gut - they are silk, wrapped in a metal that looks like copper!

As many people have already pointed out!

 

[Jeremy Allen]

Yeah, Animas definitely don't have any gut in them. Nor do any of the Velvets. But Rufus could be under the impression that they do because the early Garbos were gut.

 

[neal davis]

gut or not gut I've come to realize it doesn't matter, if you like the strings and they work for you don't change them. the early velvet garbos that were gut were fantastic I stocked up on them and this past year when I ran out and tried the different string route and was pulling out my hair if frustration.(I'm almost bald already so this wasn't a good solution) I eventually went back to velvets with a set of animas and am loving the switch, same basic feel as gut with a sortof gut tone but without some of the pitfalls of gut. I won't be changing strings again unless velvet starts making those gut garbos again or stops making strings in my life time.

 

[TimoMetzemakers]

Where's Timo? They change again?

Hi, Phil! I think that you want to talk to Nuno.

 

[Uncletoad]

Hi, Phil! I think that you want to talk to Nuno.

Oh yea. I can't keep everybody straight here.

 

[bonaventura]

I'm sure he said Velvet something. They were wrapped gut, perhaps bronze; kind of copper looking.

I attended Rufus' workshop at Bass Encounters '05 in Vienna. His strings looked and sounded like Animas. I asked what they were and all he said was they were made of silk. Velvet also states they are made of silk and other natural fibers. Nuno is the guy to contact there.

But my answer to the first question raised here is: Animas are a lighter tension string, Velvet says 25 lbs. They take some time to settle in, but the sound wonderfully organic, and even across all strings. A more complex sound than say Spirocores or Obligatos which are much more focused. I have the Animas on my "gut" bass, and am very satisfied with them -- but it's only been 3 months.

 

[Martin Sheridan]

I've played bass, used guts, and worked on basses for over thirty years. Those strings he has are wrapped GUT.