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Double Bass Velvet strings megathread part III
- Thread starter Dudie
- Start date
I played those for a few months. Loved the tone but ran back to spirocores before the love settled in.
@DoubleMIDI Do you have any tension numbers for the compas set? Also, how did you find the sustain on the Classicos? Could you compare the tone with other strings? Dark/bright etc...
I've used animas before, also paired with both obligatos and helicore hybrid lights on the E&A, wich was great for pizz, but I
want brighter and more bow friendly
strings these days. Have used spiro wiechs with a zyex G now for a few years, with have been great, but I feel they starting to get old and I might be looking for something else..
I've used animas before, also paired with both obligatos and helicore hybrid lights on the E&A, wich was great for pizz, but I
want brighter and more bow friendly
strings these days. Have used spiro wiechs with a zyex G now for a few years, with have been great, but I feel they starting to get old and I might be looking for something else..
I need low tension strings and am interested in the Anima or maybe Compas...how are the Animas settling in? do they bow well for you?
Approximately due to my measurements (I don't have the Compas 180 G, but high C)
Compas 180: 27-28 Kg, the lower strings closer to 28 Kg (heavier)
Classico: 25-26 Kg, the lower strings closer to 25 Kg (lighter)
Compas 180: 27-28 Kg, the lower strings closer to 28 Kg (heavier)
Classico: 25-26 Kg, the lower strings closer to 25 Kg (lighter)
Here`s gurus at TB who has used Animas for years but this is my take: Nothing compares in sound and feel. They are not the arco strings in any way, but if you love gut string kind of tone they come really close. Very difficult to bow, at least for me, but the sound is wonderful. TB`r Elmer recommended Nyman`s rosin and I find it working out well. I feel that Animas are the link between steel and gut strings sonically, plucked or bowed. They do have plenty of BS in them, hard to play in many ways, breakage, price, very long settling in-perioid, green fingers after digging in, whatever, but there is no other string that delivers the sound, feel and massive acoustic volume without killing yourself. Compas 180 is propably very close and a lot more easy to bow, but no, it isn`t the same. I absolutely love them.
R
edit: I`ve only tried Compas 180 solo A and orch D strings. They have silk core like Animas, and lots of same character but are very different in feel and sound. They`re thinner gauge and sound more towards steel than gut.
edit: I played an all acoustic gig today with grand piano, 2 acoustic guitars, percussion, violin and singers, in a huge room. No problems whatsoever to hear myself, or anyone to hear me. Animas amplify very well too. If you raise them high enough you can get very loud acoustically.
Last edited:
I am familiar with Spiro Mittels and Zyex Med's.
So for my reference, I convert kg to US lbs and get:
Compas, 28 kg of tension equates to 61.7 lbs. Close to Spirocore Weich & Zyex Med.
Does that seem correct?
Animas are 25kg, so 55 lbs.
Gamut Gut G is 14.8kg, or 32.6 lbs
So for my reference, I convert kg to US lbs and get:
Compas, 28 kg of tension equates to 61.7 lbs. Close to Spirocore Weich & Zyex Med.
Does that seem correct?
Animas are 25kg, so 55 lbs.
Gamut Gut G is 14.8kg, or 32.6 lbs
Yeah, that should be about how lbs convert to kilograms. I`m not sure about the Gamut gut though when A=440Hz or thereabouts. Silk core Velvets feel very different than any steel core string, they`re much softer under fingers. Add the Anima thickness to the 55lbs tension per string and the soft feel. They feel pretty similar to silver wrapped Gamuts I tried, with a little added tension.
R
yes, but if you notice, the Gamut site also says
Those assumptions are about a half step flat and about 8 cm shorter than most standard basses. No idea how to calculate from there.
@Monki: yes, the scale I measured them is 105 cm, maybe a few mm more, since it is hard to say where the vibrating part really ends since I use a wheel instead of a bridge to transfer the tension of the vibrating part without change to the underlength where I'm measuring the tension.
But this difference wouldn't be more than a few hundred grams in tension.
I measured the standard Compas 180, the SUIT might have around 24 to 25 Kg.
I think this difference to the advertised tension might be the reason why the Classico got less tension than the Compas 180.
BTW, I measure 105 and 110(.5) cm, since my bass has a 110 cm scale, but if any questions arise over here I always post the 105 cm tension, since this is the standard and also used by most string manufacturers who publish string tensions.
But this difference wouldn't be more than a few hundred grams in tension.
I measured the standard Compas 180, the SUIT might have around 24 to 25 Kg.
I think this difference to the advertised tension might be the reason why the Classico got less tension than the Compas 180.
BTW, I measure 105 and 110(.5) cm, since my bass has a 110 cm scale, but if any questions arise over here I always post the 105 cm tension, since this is the standard and also used by most string manufacturers who publish string tensions.
Link Removed now redirects to Schertler, and the Velvet strings menu ends here: Velvet Strings
I just see tailpiece cords there.
Do you see the strings?
I just see tailpiece cords there.
Do you see the strings?
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
I just added a formula to convert a Hz relationship into a tempered halftone difference to my string tension formula thread.
By using the right formulas one after the other you can recalculate the string tension to 105 cm and 440 Hz with these.
I recommend a formula calculator where you can store these formulas.
Personally I use FormulaCalc on my iOS devices, but a lot of other programmable calculators will work as well.
Hatey: That's strange. I get no link at all with velvetstrings.com. I get "website no longer exists". The link on the Schertler Group homepage is there but all it shows is the tailpiece cords. I sent Schertler an e mail about the situation. Perhaps they are re-designing the Velvet website.
I think that's probably a safe bet that they are redesigning the site. The drop down shows me the strings, but I should add that I'm viewing the site on mobile, so maybe they finished that leg of the redesign first.
I had to comment because when I saw that the site was down I was pretty worried they were phasing out the strings, which would be a big blow for me anyway. I've had some issues with Velvets, but nothing else compares to their sound and feel....
I had to comment because when I saw that the site was down I was pretty worried they were phasing out the strings, which would be a big blow for me anyway. I've had some issues with Velvets, but nothing else compares to their sound and feel....
Don`t even talk about Velvet strings discontinued Hatey. They might read this and get some extremely stupid ideas.
