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Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part II

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#701
I used animas for over a year back in 2004 when i met a distributer who was at a Rufus Reid clinic. I really loved the sound and tension, and they just look great until they turned green with tarnish (yeah, I was nasty back then. lol). At the time, I was under the impression they had a true gut core, but my luthier burned some of it was told me it was synthetic and I got ripped off...I didn't care though because they were great!

My only problem was with the gauge of the strings. They were just huge in comparison, which was fine except for the E string which I ended up replacing after a while because it just didn't work well on my particular bass.

Does anyone know if there been any changes to the anima set over the past 5 years?
 
#702
PocketGroove82 said:
I used animas for over a year back in 2004 when i met a distributer who was at a Rufus Reid clinic. I really loved the sound and tension, and they just look great until they turned green with tarnish (yeah, I was nasty back then. lol). At the time, I was under the impression they had a true gut core, but my luthier burned some of it was told me it was synthetic and I got ripped off...I didn't care though because they were great!

My only problem was with the gauge of the strings. They were just huge in comparison, which was fine except for the E string which I ended up replacing after a while because it just didn't work well on my particular bass.

Does anyone know if there been any changes to the anima set over the past 5 years?
Click to expand...

Velvet Strings dont use the gut core anymore at least for 10 years, and Velvets dont have a synthetic core (except the new Blue), they have a silk core which is a natural fiber:D.
in the last years the only differences is that the surface of the strings is getting smoother, although not completely flat wound, the last generation of strings are way smoother than the almost round wound from 6 years ago.

Nuno
 
#703
Or not?

I had Supreflexibles on my Juzek for over two years. I would've kept them on --I love their sound-- but I've been playing these long, loud weekly gigs and over time my hands have started to hurt. (I'm talking about strictly pizz, though I plan to invest some time with the bow soon.)

I have Jazzers on now and like the lower tension, but the tones strikes me as a bit thin and more metallic than I like.

I experimented with regular Evahs for a couple months last year. I was looking for more of that old school bouncy sound and got it, but I missed the Superflexibles' growl and the Evah's tension was still high.

People say Evah Weichs are growlier than Evahs, and that's similar to what other people say about Velvet Blues compared to Animas. Having read through both those threads, Evah Weichs and Velvet Blues seem to have similar characteristics. Both sets appeal to me, and I'm thinking about making yet another plunge. Are they in fact similar? How are they different?

To slightly complicate matters, I have a recording session, for FWIW, coming up in May. I'm leaning toward putting the Supers back on for that, but that seems like a temporary solution.
 
#705
Having played both in the past month I will chime in. The Blues are much brighter and have more sustain than the EP Weich's. Tension wise, they are pretty close. Guage wise...I am guessing here...but I think the Blues might be a bit bigger (especially the G). I have EP Weichs on now. The tension is great and the lower strings do growl more than the standard tuned set IMO. I am noticing some clarity issues with an amp in recent gigs. Might be the room though. I have also been trying a wide variety of different amps...which has been confusing me and my ears.

They are more similar than different. Blues=brighter and scratchier w/bow. EPW= more decay, easier to start w/bow. Tension= about the same. Gauge =about the same (without measuring and going off memory). I think both will be easier on your hands.

edit* when I tried the Blues it was only on the G and D strings. With EP Weich's they are on all four.
 
#709
Hey,

I've had a set of Blues on my bass since December, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents, specifically as to how they compare to Velvet Animas.

Gauge:
Anima G = .O77, D = .081, A = .093, E = .111
Blues G = .060, D + .070, A = .082, E = .105
The Animas are a little thicker. Both have a copper outer wrap that is not quite as smooth as a typical steel string.

Tension:
Both sets feel very similar tension-wise to me. Lower than other popular synthetic core strings like Evahs or Dominants. Lower than Spiro Mittels. probably closer to Spiro Weichs (although the gauge and surface feel are quite different). I find that for my playing and my bass, the lowest I'd want to go in terms of string height is about 8mm on the G string up to about 11mm on the E.

Pizz Volume/Tone:
The Blues are loud, but the Animas are louder. In one of the groups I play in, a band member described standing in front of my bass with Animas as being in a wind tunnel! The Blues are a little brighter than the Animas and don't have as much complexity to the pizz sound. I'd agree with some of the other posters in thread that the Blues seem a little brighter when you're playing them than they do out front, where they sound fat and warm.

Arco:
I'd give the edge to the Blues on this one. The Anima G string seems a little brighter and scratchier than the rest of the set under the bow. This difference was not noticable to me when playing pizz. It was something I could compensate for, but I found that I was thinking abiout it too much when i played. The Blues seem more even in this regard.

So, there you have it. All the usuall disclaimers apply - i.e. my bass, my playing, etc.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Jim
 
#710
have not tried the Evahs but have tried the Velvet Blue E and A, and i found them lacking in strength in the lows department. i think i had them on following several months w/ Pizzicatos wrapped gut on E and A... i'm very keen to try the weich Evahs now that they are available...
 
#711
So I put an anima D and G and blue E and A on about a month ago and really dig them. About a week ago I began to notice a strange wobbly tone in the thumb position on the D. It kind of sounds like an old, out of tune honky-tonk upright piano- not exactly what Im going for. It got progressively worse so I took the string off and replaced it with an oliv which works alright but sounds a little dead compared to the velvets. I told velvet about it and they are sending me a new one but now the beloved G is starting to do the same thing :bawl:. Has anyone else experienced this? Ive never had this happen with any other string so I doubt that its an issue with my bass. Maybe I just lucked out and got 2 defective strings...
 
#712
I've had issues with the E that were similar. It was a loose wrap. They replaced it right away, Velvet is great like that. I wonder what the stats are on faulty wraps with the Animas. I love the strings and wouldn't switch, but it's a lot of bread to put up and the have to wait for a replacement (though Nuno is crazy fast with that stuff).
 
#714
:confused:

This morning my Anima A was at least a half step flat so I cranked it up. 4:00 this afternoon, same thing. 9:00 it was only slightly flat. The winding just above the yellow tailpiece end is coming loose, so I'm guessing that it may break there.
Funny thing is both the A and D have occasionally been flat over the last few weeks but the G and E hold pitch fine. :confused:
Regardless, I've got a gig tomorrow at 10:00 am and given the choice between swapping the A for an old Obligato, a suspect Garbo or just taking my chances, I opt for taking my chances. Let's see, is there one bullet in the 38 or two???:hiding: :hiding: If it goes during this Mother's Day brunch, it might be fun. :D

If Lou at LNR ever gets some Animas so he can fill my order, I will be able to relax.
 
#715
it seems like everyone has bad luck with animas but me. i love my set and they have held up really well. i don't think i could be happier with a string. I've taken them off and on my bass twice now and no sign of wear. did you have a luthier install them? i think some times the grooves in the bridge/nut are more difficult to adjust then it might seem.
good luck,
chris
 
#716
This morning? Perfect pitch. Go figure. I bought these used just to try them out and switched the A and D off and back on now trying Garbos. I did widen the bridge and nut slots and the bridge slots have are nicely rounded. Plenty of pencil lead lubed them up as well. There's no way the strings are hanging up or pinching.
When the new set comes I intend to put them on and leave them alone and see how long they will go.
 
#719
So I've been loving a used set of Animas for several weeks so I put a new E on yesterday and am seriously bummed.
The winding seems completely separate from the core and will slide about a mm between the bridge and nut. The slots are plenty wide, smooth and I used plenty of graphite. I see no break in the windings at either end.
I don't get it because the old E had been on and off a few times, is now on my plywood and is perfectly intact.
I'm reluctant to put the rest of the set on until I can resolve this. I sure can't play the bass like this.
What's going on?:confused:
 
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