Technical data
| Instrument | Double bass |
| String | D |
| Material | plain gut |
| Country of manufacture | Germany |
| Item number | D304-Pfitzner |
Features
- D string for double bass
- Version: plain gut
- Handmade in Wernitzgrün
In practice
- Gut strings react to humidity and temperature. They need several days after fitting before they hold, and want retuning before every session afterwards.
- The grooves in nut and bridge must match the gauge and be rounded out. A groove that is too tight or sharp destroys the gut surface.
Sound and physics
The construction of the string (string length, tension, cross section, material properties) keeps its overtones close to the harmonic series; the higher partials lie only fractionally above the exact multiples of the fundamental. In wound strings this is achieved by the composite design of a thin, flexible core with one or more windings of metal ribbon or wire, which puts a lot of mass on the string with little bending stiffness.
A string tuned to the same pitch on the same string length carries proportionally more mass per metre (linear mass density) when it is under higher tension.
Under the bow the travelling kink of the Helmholtz motion (the string sticks to the bow hair and slips back) stays sharp on the flexible string, and the bridge receives a sawtooth force that contains every overtone of the fundamental.
The double bass is tuned in fourths; in orchestra tuning with A = 55 Hz the open strings E, A, D and G sound at about 41.3 Hz, 55 Hz, 73.3 Hz and 97.8 Hz. For solo tuning, F sharp, B, E, A, a whole tone higher, there are dedicated sets; an orchestra set would carry about 27 per cent more tension there.
In pizzicato the plucking point shapes the tone colour: plucked near the bridge more high partials remain, towards the middle of the string the tone becomes rounder.
Gut (1,300 to 1,400 kg/m³, modulus of elasticity as a measure of material stiffness 1,000 to 3,000 MPa) is far more yielding than steel and depends strongly on humidity; a gut string therefore follows changes of climate with small changes of tuning. In return, gut strings yield a little over time and let the instrument recover, while steel holds the load at its peak all the time.
Our Pfitzner gut strings have these diameters: G 2.15 to 2.20 mm, D 2.8 to 2.9 mm, A 3.7 to 3.8 mm and E 4.6 to 4.7 mm. They grow from G through D to A in such a way that the three plain strings lie in a similar tension range.
Our experience
The Pfitzner gut strings belong to our own range and have been turned by hand for more than a hundred years. During making each string is re-twisted and tightened every hour, through the night as well, until it has the density the sound asks for. We recommend giving gut strings a few days after fitting and playing them in an even climate; the wound gut strings in particular dislike warm, humid air.
When another model suits you better
If you are looking for the closeness of gut and want the tuning stability of a modern string, we recommend Thomastik-Infeld Belcanto, which for us comes closest to the gut sound on the bass.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the lower strings wound?
The winding adds mass to the string without making it stiff. On the same string length a low note at similar tension needs a much higher linear mass density, and the metal of the winding supplies it.
How much does tension change when I tune higher?
From 440 Hz to 442 Hz, as many orchestras tune today, tension rises by about 0.9 per cent, and to 445 Hz by about 2.3 per cent.
What are the frequencies of the double bass's open strings?
In orchestra tuning with A = 55 Hz and pure fourths they are about 41.3 Hz (E), 55 Hz (A), 73.3 Hz (D) and 97.8 Hz (G).
Can I play an orchestra set in solo tuning?
We recommend a dedicated solo set for that. Tuned a whole tone higher, an orchestra set would carry about 27 per cent more tension.
What diameters do the Pfitzner double bass strings have?
G 2.15 to 2.20 mm, D 2.8 to 2.9 mm, A 3.7 to 3.8 mm and E 4.6 to 4.7 mm.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
