5ths Tuning Contrabass String Set

Gamut Academie 5ths Tuning Contrabass strings are designed for modern performance practice at a=440.

One way to extend the contrabass range is to tune it in fifths rather than fourths. This tuning takes the musical range of the instrument from three octaves and a major third to three octaves and a major sixth. It also offers several other advantages:

• It allows the player to access the low C without a string extension.
• It adds more resonance to the instrument due to the overtone structure and relationship within the strings.
• Fingering patterns and playing style is more accessible for those already attuned to instruments of the violin family.

Although it is not a common way to tune a double bass, it has some advantages, and its popularity is growing.

This is a set of beef serosa strings (80", 200cm) for the 5ths tuning Contrabass (Double Bass). We have bundled together the most popular kinds of strings and offer them in a standard set for ease of ordering. The set consists of:

• a-1 - Lyon Gut
• d-2 - Pistoy Gut
• G-3 - Gut/Silverplate-Wound
• C-4 - Gut/Silverplate-Wound

The set comes with plain ends, but for the a-1 and d-2 leather washers can be added for an additional charge. Plain gut strings are available with a natural or varnish finish. Natural strings are hand-rubbed with a light oil. Varnished strings have three coats of finish before being hand polished with the oil. There is an additional charge for varnished strings.

In order to secure the bass string in the tailpiece, Gamut Music has developed the use of a leather washer as a stop. A washer is an option you can choose if you do not want to tie a knot at the end of the string as a securing feature. Bass strings are quite thick and sometimes stiff, and tying a knot can be complex and inelegant. The leather washer is a reliable and secure solution to the problem of securing the string at the tailpiece.

Wound strings for the contrabass are warrantied for a period of six months from the date of shipping.

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Hand-made in the USA by Gamut Music, Inc., a leader in the revival of early music strings and instruments. Gut strings are not intended to be used with fine tuners or string adjusters, and those devices should be removed before installing the gut string on the instrument.

All Gamut Academie strings (pure gut and gut/metal-wound) are made with beef serosa unless they specifically say "Sheep Gut." All pure gut Tricolore violin and viola strings are made with sheep gut; gut/metal-wound Tricolore and all Red Diamond strings are made with beef serosa.

Gamut gut string gauges are approximate (≈) diameter. Meaning, that while a ≈0.60mm string is polished in the workshop to a diameter of 0.60mm, changes in ambient humidity, temperature, shipping, and storage conditions can cause to string to expand or contract slightly.

Gimped gut strings and custom gauged equal tension strings are gauged with the equivalent-gauge (=) system. This means that the gauge listed, such as =1.50mm, indicates that the string is approximately equal in weight to a plain gut string of that diameter. Of course, because the wire is much heavier than gut, the string will be much thinner than a plain gut string.

More information about Gamut gut strings, string types, gauges, and string tensions can be found on our FAQ/Articles page. Not finding an answer to your question? Please contact us directly: support@gamutmusic.com.