Playing from the 'Gut'...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Richard Prowse

I've bowed Weichs for years. After the Bel Cantos, they're definitely not as good, but there's not that much in it. I'll have to live with it while I'm doing jazz gigs and have just the one bass.

If you have to do jazz gigs then you need a string that works for both. Most of the harsh bowing sounds you hear by the bass smooth out over a distance. If the Bass is good enough, it will work fairly well with whatever works for either. Flexocors bow well but can pizz ok as well if the bass has enough sustain and tension. Spiro reds or weichs can bow well on some basses and sound fairly good if the bass is dark and smooth sounding. I used mainly 'Reds on my Italian Bass in NYC for the 15 years I used that Bass. Mostly I did Pizz work but Bowed it as well in Orchestra Shows and Recordings. It was my main string then. Only since I went back to playing again and mostly Orchestra have I switched to the Flexocors which are different than was was being made back then.

Look at the UTube clips with Paul Chambers playing with Coltrain and Wynton Kelly. He bows some amazing solos. He has some GREAT left hand technique, Great.. His Bow chops on Gut strings are NY Philharmonic level..