Sorry to revamp this. Quick question about the velvet strings. Are all of these "round wound" strings or is that only one of the sets. My friends looking at trying the Blues and wanted to know. Thanks.
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Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part III
- Thread starter Dudie
- Start date
Compas 180 and Classico are flatwound, but I think all other Velvet strings are roundwound, including the Blues.
Usually the diameter of the outer surface wound wire is much thinner than on BG strings, so the texture is not as rough. Either because the core is thick like with traditional wound gut core strings and most synthetic core strings or because there are more layers of wound metal wires underneath.
I guess we were wondering if the strings (any velvets) will eat up the fingerboard in the same way that Roundwound electric strings sometimes eat up a fretless bass
Hi,
I am very interested in the last question about velvet strings windings.
I bought a set of anima's recently and while i loved the sound/tension, i couldn't stand the "rough feel" under the fingers, very unpleasant for glissandos, kind of agressive for the skin.
I guess this "sticking" feel is linked to the copper windings of animas.
It was so unpleasant for me that I took the strings off after only 2 days.
I put my spiros weich back on my bass. Tension is higher, sound is more focused and dull to me, less volume, but my fingers feel better.
But i loved the sound/tension of animas, and i was thinking about Compas 180 to get those same qualities, without having to deal with the "rough winding".
180 seem to have inox winding, so i guess they would feel under the fingers like steel strings would do, without this "sticky" sensation...
Am i right about it?
Thank you
(and excuse my english, i am french...)
I am very interested in the last question about velvet strings windings.
I bought a set of anima's recently and while i loved the sound/tension, i couldn't stand the "rough feel" under the fingers, very unpleasant for glissandos, kind of agressive for the skin.
I guess this "sticking" feel is linked to the copper windings of animas.
It was so unpleasant for me that I took the strings off after only 2 days.
I put my spiros weich back on my bass. Tension is higher, sound is more focused and dull to me, less volume, but my fingers feel better.
But i loved the sound/tension of animas, and i was thinking about Compas 180 to get those same qualities, without having to deal with the "rough winding".
180 seem to have inox winding, so i guess they would feel under the fingers like steel strings would do, without this "sticky" sensation...
Am i right about it?
Thank you
(and excuse my english, i am french...)
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I understand why many people think like that, I did to, but I've been moving back and forth from rounds to flats on my fretless and honestly, although there is a difference, I do not think that's that big, and when you start thinking about fingerboard being a consumable just like strings but with a much wider life span, you probably stop worrying about it.
And I do think that velvets are very far from being roundwounds
You will have the same tension, but not the same sound
I had a lot of fun with them, specially with the bow, best bowing strings I have played with, but I missed the growling of the copper winding ones with pizzicato.
Curiously when I get from 180 to Animas some people I was playing with at the time complaint about the lack of "intonation focus". They're probably too complex.
I also read people ranting that they are horrible with the bow, go figure...
I'm back to spiros because I can't play fast enough with Velvets, but that is a technical question of mine only, there are plenty of records with guys playing virtuously with guts.
You always have to try it for yourself to know for sure
ok thanks, I wouldn't mind trading some sound fatness for intonation focus, if I can have this looser tension feel that I loved on anima's.
And would you say that compas 180 winding feel like spiros (soft under the fingers), or is it more like anima's, rougher than other strings? (my short experience with strings is : spiro, zyex, corelli, helicore...I never had this unpleasant sensation under my fingers before).
And would you say that compas 180 winding feel like spiros (soft under the fingers), or is it more like anima's, rougher than other strings? (my short experience with strings is : spiro, zyex, corelli, helicore...I never had this unpleasant sensation under my fingers before).
ok, thank you, i might pull the trigger for a compas set, or at least G and D, to see if i like them. I guess they could blend with spiros weich on E and A.
The surface of the Compas 180 is not polished as smoothly as the surface of Spiros. That does't need to be bad, I often think that Spiros might (!) bow easier if they wouldn't have this extremely smooth surface. Using some very fine steel wool to polish feh fingered part might make shifts a bit more pleasant, but don't use much force gripping the string while polishing, the windings are extremely thin.
I like the Compas 180 for pizz on my 110 cm scale. They have a lot of power. Bowing needs major adjustment coming from Spiros. Since I disliked the really bad quality of the high C string, I didn't take the time to adjust my bowing to them.
Be careful not to wind the thicker tubes between the straps and the wound string part onto the peg or the string will break. Tricky with the lowest peg, you might to remount the tailpiece strap several times and lift the string over the nut until the tubes got behind the nut to avoid breakage during your string mounting.
I like the Compas 180 for pizz on my 110 cm scale. They have a lot of power. Bowing needs major adjustment coming from Spiros. Since I disliked the really bad quality of the high C string, I didn't take the time to adjust my bowing to them.
Be careful not to wind the thicker tubes between the straps and the wound string part onto the peg or the string will break. Tricky with the lowest peg, you might to remount the tailpiece strap several times and lift the string over the nut until the tubes got behind the nut to avoid breakage during your string mounting.
Damned. I though my problem could be solved with the Compas.
But apparently, if they are not as sticky as Animas, they are still rough somehow...
The discomfort i felt with Animas occured precisely, as you say, while shifting my left hand from one position to another.
The strings were kind of gluing to my hand, scratching my finger tips and slowering fast movements up and down the finger board.
I hated that and i don't want to spend 300 euros for a Compas set that would feel the same, even if its only in a lesser extent.
Maybe i'll give a go to a Compas G, to see if i can accomodate it more than the Anima G, maybe polishing it as you recommend.
But given the known fragility of Velvet strings, i am kind of scared of shortening the string lifespan.
About bowing, i am not that much concerned. I am starting to learn how to use the bow, with spiros.
I found Animas a bit more reluctant but not that harder.
My bow teacher and me even found them surprisingly ok for learning in the way that they don't forgive bad bow technique.
So i think compas would be ok for me arco-wise, given that they seem easier than animas.
Thank you again for your help.
The surface of the Compas 180 is not perfectly polished, but not rough and it is not sticky.
Using very find steel wool (without soap) with a light Touch is OK. Using very find sandpaper with pressure is not OK and might damage the string. But since the high C that I have destroyed was badly wound, this might even be more the reason killing the winding than the harder pressure with the sandpaper.
But almost any string I tried is a bit less polished than Spiros. If you feel they are not smooth enough for you take the steel wool but don't use it on the bowed area.
It is much more important to mount the strings correctly. You might kill the string much faster than with polishing if you wind the tube on the peg.
Using very find steel wool (without soap) with a light Touch is OK. Using very find sandpaper with pressure is not OK and might damage the string. But since the high C that I have destroyed was badly wound, this might even be more the reason killing the winding than the harder pressure with the sandpaper.
But almost any string I tried is a bit less polished than Spiros. If you feel they are not smooth enough for you take the steel wool but don't use it on the bowed area.
It is much more important to mount the strings correctly. You might kill the string much faster than with polishing if you wind the tube on the peg.
I just tried some Garbo's (Gut G) on a friends bass and I am in LURVE. It's like Animas but better (dark and ballsy). I dont' think i would appreciate them as much now had I tried it sooner. My technique has gotten better in the last couple of years that would be better suited for them now. Not to mention slap bass is totally in it's bag.
Considering that I'm solely using the DPA now, this is gonna be awesome. Time to spend some $$$.
Considering that I'm solely using the DPA now, this is gonna be awesome. Time to spend some $$$.
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Question about Velvet Animas. I have heard a lot about durability issues and was hoping someone would comment on that. I'm currently using Spiro Weichs with Anima G, would love to try the full set but don't want strings to break constantly. Also how is the tunining stability once they settle in? Thanks.
