Playing from the 'Gut'...

[Adrian Juras]

What gut strings are you using Ken? I have experimented with Chorda in the past, and the while I LOVE the tone of the E, A, and the G, the D was really flabby sounding. I really don't think you can ever get close to the tone of PC, Pettiford, Stewart, etc, with steel. There is just something about the fundamental with gut...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

What gut strings are you using Ken? I have experimented with Chorda in the past, and the while I LOVE the tone of the E, A, and the G, the D was really flabby sounding. I really don't think you can ever get close to the tone of PC, Pettiford, Stewart, etc, with steel. There is just something about the fundamental with gut...

I am using the Custom Chordas 'Carlos set'.

[Adrian Juras]

Nice! I'll have to look into a set. Maybe when I find a good bass to put them on...

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

Nice! I'll have to look into a set. Maybe when I find a good bass to put them on...

I found this in your profile;

Currently in the market for an older 5/8ths or small 3/4 Tyrolean or German bass.

Will something like this work for you?

This is an affordable old Bohemian Bass and plays almost too easy..

[Ken Smith]

The Guts are now off the Pollmann and the test has been completed. I only have about 10-12 hours of playing that I can recall but with fiddling with the bass in the office from time to time I am sure it's a bit longer than that.

Conclusion:
Thank god they invented steel strings..lol

I mean, the Guts are nice and organic but I would have to be in the audience to appreciate them if at all. Under the ear it's a struggle, at least for me.

Of the 3 sets I tested in the last 2-3 years (Chordas, Carlos Chordas and La Bellas) I think I liked the La Bella strings as much as the Carlos set for the brief time I tried each of them. The regular Chorda set was just too thick for my fingers but sounded equally good if not better. Playability is equally important to me in this regard.

Since these are still in good condition and totally re-usable I think passing them along to a deserving player that either uses Guts or could make good use of them is the best option.

So, I can ship them within the 48 states in USA but for my time and trouble I ask two things. One, offer me a usable old set of something that might interest me in exchange (no money) and two, put up a review of how they worked for you after they settle in to be fair to the nice people at Pirastro that allowed me to test them out and share some opinions here. Ok?

Email me directly at support@kensmithbasses.com and leave it sorta private as far as who gets them. Thx..

[Abe Gumroyan]

Ken,

Steven Tramontozzi, assistant principal of the San Francisco Symphony, uses Pirastro Eudoxas on his Vincenzo Panormo. That bass sounds AMAZING with these strings, easy to bow and volume that kills. Then again it is a Vincenzo

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Abe Gumroyan

Ken,

Steven Tramontozzi, assistant principal of the San Francisco Symphony, uses Pirastro Eudoxas on his Vincenzo Panormo. That bass sounds AMAZING with these strings, easy to bow and volume that kills. Then again it is a Vincenzo

Eudoxas are not regular Gut! They are flatwound silver over gut core. And second, what does that have to do with this thread?

I have used some Eudoxa gut cores on the bottom with Oliv on top but once again, this thread was about the actual traditional gut, not gut core, sorry.

Oh, oh.. Are you offering me a set of Eudoxas in exchange for the Chordas? Maybe that's what you were getting to, right??