old Viennese school bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve Alcott

How's it taking to the steel strings? I ask out of curiosity because I know this bass well as a gut strung early music instrument.

It is taking them like a champ. Although it was used previously with guts as you say, it was not that way when it was last acquired. Basses from this period regardless of origin ALL had gut strings originally and they are all over the worlds orchestras and stages now. I played on gut in high school because all of the basses there had gut. They were mostly old Juzek gambas (Langs?) then, probably pre-war because the basses were old in 1966 when I got there.

I have it strung currently with Passione regular gauge. Perhaps you could tell me how it sounded for normal playing when you knew the bass with guts on it?

It sounds pretty good now but until I take it on a gig, I wont know how it works in a section.