Need info on the history of steel strings, amps in jazz

[Ken Smith]

Well Eric, maybe we can assume that it was the leader or producer that would decide how loud or soft the Bass should be in the mix!

It's funny because even to this day, I enjoy playing on Gut strings. I tried some Labella's on one of my Basses a couple of years ago and enjoyed them. Outside of the office I only used them in Orchestra. I am yet to take a Gut string set-up out on a jazz gig. I only had Orchestra work lined up the two times I had Guts on the Bass.

On that Ellington record, was it Gut or Steel or could you tell?