• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part III

#322
Clarkybass said:
Quick question folks - do Velvet strings work with magnetic pickups?

Not having a metal core and a copper rather than nicker/steel winding, I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to work out whether this would work well with say a Krivo or other mag p/u
Click to expand...

Nope - Velvets have silk and/or synthetic cores. You'd get little or no response on a Krivo/mag pickup. Sorry!
 
#323
Hi Guys,
I've been playing a garbo gut G set for a while now. I really like the sound acoustically but increasingly especially the gut G but I've not been that happy with the live sound recently. I play in an 8 piece hip hop/slightly jazzy band and they don't cut through the mix that well on a lot of tunes. They can sound a bit muddy and dark, especially if the sound engineer puts too much bottom end on the mix.

I love the feel of garbos and they have a good thunk sound on walking basslines but I'm thinking of changing to animas as they are supposed to be a bit brighter.

What do you anima players think? Are they a bit brighter but still have a good tone?
 
#326
DB Slidefunk said:
Hi Guys,
I've been playing a garbo gut G set for a while now. I really like the sound acoustically but increasingly especially the gut G but I've not been that happy with the live sound recently. I play in an 8 piece hip hop/slightly jazzy band and they don't cut through the mix that well on a lot of tunes. They can sound a bit muddy and dark, especially if the sound engineer puts too much bottom end on the mix.

I love the feel of garbos and they have a good thunk sound on walking basslines but I'm thinking of changing to animas as they are supposed to be a bit brighter.

What do you anima players think? Are they a bit brighter but still have a good tone?
Click to expand...

DB Slidefunk: the answer to the two questions in your last line is "yes.... but not a lot". I have used both sets on my Eberle ply.
 
#327
Started with Anima,next went to Garbo with gut,now have returned to Anima on E&A. The Anima has amplified better and is more focused,plus a little more Bow friendly.
Both strings are good but I appreciate the attributes that the Anima's bring...
 
#331
I just got a set of brand new Animas (my first ever brand new strings!), and it has transformed my bass. German 70s plywood. I LOVE what it does to the sound and the feel! It's so much richer, louder, deeper, fuller- and easier to play, too! The tension used to be pretty unbearable, and now it just feels right. Not super loose like some raw guts I used to use (though that was fun for a while), but just right so that I can dig in without killing myself, and my timing doesn't suffer.

Doesn't help that I had a mismatched set of d'addario hybrids on it before... or that they were the strings that came on the bass like 4 years ago...
 
#332
okay, ive just had my garbo A string break right in the middle of a gig. the metal part of the sring just fell off from the green cloth part and the E string starts unravelling at the same spot. Ive only got solo gauge evah and superflexible strings wich i dont think would be a guud match. gonna email velvet asap see what they say
 
#335
It's been really interesting trying a standard set of spiros after playing a garbo G set for a while. The spiros seem to amplify a little better, probably because they are a bit louder and the troll mic picks up a bit more signal.

I love the growl of the spiro E and A but the D and G, they are crisp and cut through the mix pretty well but the tone is all thin and nasty. I really miss the fat tone of the gut G and the soft feel of the strings under the fingers.

At the moment I'm thinking of using a spiro E and the garbo gut G set for the rest. On my bass the garbo E is just a little too loose and doesn't vibrate the bass enough to get a good sound. Has anyone else trying a garbo set with a higher tension E? I'd be interested to hear what if anything people are using.
 
#336
DB Slidefunk said:
It's been really interesting trying a standard set of spiros after playing a garbo G set for a while. The spiros seem to amplify a little better, probably because they are a bit louder and the troll mic picks up a bit more signal.

I love the growl of the spiro E and A but the D and G, they are crisp and cut through the mix pretty well but the tone is all thin and nasty. I really miss the fat tone of the gut G and the soft feel of the strings under the fingers.

At the moment I'm thinking of using a spiro E and the garbo gut G set for the rest. On my bass the garbo E is just a little too loose and doesn't vibrate the bass enough to get a good sound. Has anyone else trying a garbo set with a higher tension E? I'd be interested to hear what if anything people are using.
Click to expand...


Maybe the spiros need to break in a bit. I'm in the same boat. My old bass had Garbos and gut. My new bass has spiros and I haven't changed them yet. But after a month of play on them I think they sound pretty nice. The g was especially weird for a while.
 
#339
It's the thin sounds of the spiro D and G I struggle with the most. I think I'll try the next gig with the spiro set and then go spiro E and garbos on the rest. I guess what I was really asking was does anyone know of an E string with similar tonal qualities to garbo but a slightly higher tension? Mines a bit wet noodly.
 
#340
Hey guys. Posting quick question. I was hoping someone could spare me reading through both of these threads and give me an overview of the Anima and Garbo strings. Just want to know for both:

Life span (how long do they last)
ease of bowing compared to spirocores
gauge
overall sound
and anything else worth mentioning

Thanks.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back