>> > Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was speaking of the historicity of using > non-metal wound (gimped in period) for the lower octaves on a six course > vs. thicker gut. In my case I'm using Nylgut because I haven't developed > my playing skills to the point that I'm willing to put the money and time > (in that order) into strings that are as touchy and hard to deal with as > gut. When I'm as good as Ronn McFarlane or Paul Odette it will be a > different matter. But at least I'm using a string that is closer to the > historical sound of gut (NOTE: I did not say identical to the sound of > gut) than carbon fiber or nylon. <<
Sorry, I was just teasing you. I don't know about nylgut being closer to the sound of gut than carbon or nylon, to me they are very dead strings, combining the negative aspects of nylon (dead sound, endless strechting) and gut (tuning). But I realise there are many luteplayers out there, and very fine ones among them, who are capable of making wonderful music on these strings. Getting rid of the metal wound bass strings is a good thing, it'll transform your sound much more than changing the top three or four courses. I suppose nylgut is better than metal wound, but why replace one compromise with another? Bass gut strings are relatively cheap, because they last forever. And they give much less trouble tuning than nylgut strings. I have only used nylgut as top strings, on a romantic guitar quite extensively, and I found them very troublesome with tuning. They are very quickly out of tune, and very sensitive to bad positioning of fingers in higher positions. Especially the thickest, string 3. I had a feeling it had to do with uneven streching; they are thinner in the middle than at either end. I found gut strings to be more stable, perhaps because they strecht less. Though triple twist strings for bass courses have more strecht than treble gut. And gut is much more beautiful, of course. ;-) David > > Regards, > Craig > > > ___________________________________________________________ > $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer > 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. > Signup at www.doteasy.com > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
