Viennese Bass a-1 Lyon

Gamut Academie strings are designed for Baroque instruments by those musicians playing historical performance practice at a=415, and are perfectly suitable for modern a=440 practice, but the result will be a little bit more tension at a=440.

This is a single-length (80", 200cm), single twist, Lyon-style string made with beef serosa available with either a natural or varnish finish.

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.

This type of gut is named after the town in France which was famous for a particular type of flexible gut string. From the 16th century these strings were recommended as being some of the best strings for basses. Our reproduction of this string is made from gut specially processed in our workshop to be soft and responsive. The gut is twisted in one direction to a high twist for the optimum combination of durability and flexibility. The Lyon should be preferred when a little extra stiffness is required under the bow or finger. This type of string is characterized by a tight and visible twist. The color tends toward opaque light to medium yellow. 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.