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Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part III

#506
I have used both and like Animas much better. They are dark but clear, and can really purr and sustain all modern jazz-like when set low. They have that nice thickness and projection going up the fingerboard like gut strings do, specifically the G string. The Blues don't really capture this and thin out around the heel. I find the tone of the Animas to be much more organic and nuanced, and they bow and slap better.
 
#507
I don't think of blues as the velvet sound to be honest. The velvet sound I think is based off of big acoustic sound. Thats what I have found from the Animas and the Garbos on another teachers bass. The reason I didn't go for Garbos was the thickness of the higher strings would have been bigger and I didn't want to get the bridge filed again. Also I like the slightly more sustaining nature of them. I would love to hear how they sound with a gut G.
 
#508
Clarkybass said:
In my experience the silk core Velvets, including Animas, take at least a couple of weeks (if not more) to stop stretching. As for the G string, the Anima set is unusual among Velvets in having a different winding for the G. It's just the way it is, nothing wrong with your string (although as a warning Anima Gs have been known to break - one did for me, for no reason it just slackened, but Nuno at Velvets replaced it with a new one free of charge)

Edit: as Misterbadger points out below, the Garbo G has the same type of winding. My bad, I thought it was just the Anima G
Click to expand...

Clarkybass I'm quoting you because you asked me how I'm liking the Animas in a message a few days ago. I wanted to give my review.

I've had the strings on for about 3 weeks now (or maybe 3 days. I never know haha). I really like them. I put them on because I wanted a lower tension string to help me through an injury.

I'll start with the Pros:

They amplify well. I heard bad things about amplifying plain gut strings and was worried that these might be the same. To my luck they sound great through the amp. I got may compliments on how my setup sounded.

They sound big and full with little effort. I love playing on spirocores for the reliability of them but had to work a little bit to get a full "big" sound. I am able to use a lighter technique on my right hand and still get that big bottom from these strings. They're nice and thumpy but also have good sustain. I hear the type of tone on those old paul chambers records. I can get what I call his staccato sound as well as his sustaining sound. (What I mean by that is I have found that his playing on Workin Cookin etc sound a little more staccato where his playing on Kind of Blue seems to flow more).

I also love the gauge of the D/G. I think that allows for a big tone to be pulled from them.

Cons:

Tension: The tension hasn't changed for me. I have come to the conclusion that this is due to my bass setup. I'll need to get that looked at eventually. While the tension is not lower than spirocores (I feel) I am able to play lighter and get a bigger sound, so I don't use as much effort. Thats a good thing at least.

The E string isn't as powerful as the Spiro that I am in love with, but it blends with the set great. I noticed that there are some winding issues near the nut (around F/F#) I'm gonna be keeping an eye on that and if it gets worse I'm hoping Velvet will replace it.

My only other complaint is that they are still stretching. The first day it was crazy and has gotten better, but I can't go 20 minuets of playing (2/3 songs at a restaurant standards gig) without having to retune the bass. Its not horrible but I'm hoping this stops in a few weeks.

I would say that I am very happy with the Animas and as long as I don't experience the quality issues I've read so much about, I would love to stick with them. I can feel myself slowly moving towards the world of Gut… someone send help quick!
 
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#509
I just received my D and G anima. !!!!!!
I've come from a teacher that was all for spiro mediums and high actions (!!!). For some reason he thinks low tension string aren't "manly" enough... I'm coming from spirocore mittels and I must say I am in love again... What a difference... I wonder why they aren't the standard string for jazz players. It seems like an obvious choice!
 
#514
I just gave the garbos a full turn on the adjusters recently and flipped the gut g so the loop is on the inside in the tp per to from the Neal Miner/Dennis Irwin video, as a way to slightly increase tension on gut strings. I'm up to about 12mm high on the E now.

Approaching it now with a more aggressive right hand pizz, holy crap! Punchy, sustain and loud as hell. Why did nobody tell me this before?
 
#515
I'm playing a rental bass as I'm out of town working at a music camp that's strung with Spiros. I found the G to be annoying and also the D so I replaced them with Blues and they sound nice. Low string action as I'm still working through my injury but they sound good. These are a good pair with the spiros.
 
#518
Chiming into this with an interesting question. I play a Chadwick Folding Bass, and pretty much everywhere I gig, I have to fold the bass, vs. just getting a gig bag for it. I'm packing the lights, PA. etc., so the folding bass fit the bill perfectly.

Right now, the bass has some older D'Addario Zyex strings on it, and I like them, but they are rather more stiff than I would like. So I started looking around for strings and sound samples, and came across the Garbos and the Animas. Love the sound samples, and according to the tension chart, they carry about 10 pounds less than the Zyex do.

My question is this. With me having to fold the Chadwick for transport, the strings are slacked, but never fully unwound or removed from the peg. Will they eventually stretch and settle still, or will I likely be constantly tuning every 20 minutes over a 4-hour set?

Also, does anyone have a direct experience comparing the Zyex strings' acoustic volume to that of the Garbos/Animas? I'm playing plugged in 90% of the time, but for that 10% of the time, I'd really still like to be heard.
 
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