Academie Contrabass Solo Tuning Strings
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Academie Contrabass Solo Tuning Strings

Solo Bass Gut String Set

AcademieSKU: CS400
No reviews
Gauge: Light
Stopping End Washers: No Washers
String Varnish: No Varnish
Price:
$648.81 USD

Description

Solo Bass Gut String Set Gauges
Solo Bass a-1 Lyon
Light 1.78mm
Medium 1.82mm
Heavy 1.86mm
Solo Bass e-2 Lyon
Light 2.56mm
Medium 2.60mm
Heavy 2.64mm
Solo Bass B-3 Gut/Silverplate
Light 2.44mm
Medium 2.48mm
Heavy 2.52mm
Solo Bass F#-4 Gut/Silverplate
Light 3.12mm
Medium 3.22mm
Heavy 3.32mm


    • Solo Contrabass a-1: Lyon Gut / Single-Length, 78"/198cm

    • Solo Contrabass e-2: Lyon Gut / Single-Length, 78"/198cm

    • Solo Contrabass B-3: Gut/Silverplate-Wound / Single-Length, 66.5"/169cm; Knot to Stocking, 54.5"/138cm; Stocking, 12"/30cm

    • Solo Contrabass F#-4: Gut/Silverplate-Wound / Single-Length, 66.5"/169cm; Knot to Stocking, 54.5"/138cm; Stocking, 12"/30cm

    • String Material: Beef Gut, Silverplate Wire

    • String Options: Stopping End Washer, Varnish

    • Tuning Designation: a=440

The "Solo Tuning" for the contrabass was adopted sometime in the 1800s to create a more transparent, brilliant tone with more projection for solo works.

Plain gut strings come with unknotted ends; gut/metal-wound strings come with a stopping end washer. Bass strings are quite thick and sometimes stiff, and tying a knot can be complex and inelegant. The stopping end washer is a reliable solution to the problem of securing the string at the tailpiece. Instructions on how to tie a string knot are on the back of each package.

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.

Gamut Music

Tuning Considerations
Gamut Academie Gut Solo Tuning Contrabass Strings are designed for modern performance practice at a=440.

Technical Considerations
Solo Tuning involves tuning all of the strings up a whole-step using thinner strings. The lighter strings are more responsive under the bow, and the tone's clarity carries better in a hall. The bottom string is usually tuned to F#, although some players choose to leave it at the E pitch to extend the instrument's range. We offer a full range of strings for solo tuning. However, our Pistoy-style of gut does not respond well to this tuning, so that string style is available only for the third-string position.

The Lyon-style of gut string is a high twist, single spin construction that offers a tone that is full and warm with a powerful fundamental and complex, pleasing upper partials. The color tends towards opaque light to medium yellow.

Gut/Silverplate-Wound strings feature a gut core with silver-plated copper wire wound onto the gut in tandem with a thin silk layer between the core and the wire.

Gamut Music warranties Contrabass gut/metal-wound strings for a period of 6 months from the date of shipping.

All Gamut string set prices are based off of the individual string prices; there is no penalty for ordering strings à la carte.

Further Reading
Contrabass / Violone / Viennese Bass
Early Music / Historically Informed Performance
Historical String-Making
Care and Cleaning of Gut Strings
String Calculator

See full details on Gamut Music's Return Policy, String Warranty, and Shipping Information.


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 Gamut Music recommends removing those devices before installing the gut string on the instrument.

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

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 the string to expand or contract slightly.

Gimped gut strings and gut/metal-wound 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 the care and cleaning of gut strings, Gamut Music string types, and string gauges and tensions can be found on our FAQ/Articles page. Not finding an answer to your question? Please contact us.