Oliv Gut (Flatwound in Chromesteel) Upright Bass Strings

My usual strings are the Evah Slap Synthetics. I'm currently using an Oliv G and D paired with an Evah Slap E and A. The combination is perfect. There are far more similarities between the Slaps and Olivs than differences. The Olivs are slightly higher tension and project more. They sound rich and full with the bow. My Kay gets a surprisingly nice arco sound with them. The pizz is huge and bouncy. It's like having the best aspects of gut strings without some of the drawbacks. Hopefully they last a long time, so far so good!

I've used an Oliv G for years mixed with Thomastik Spiros or Superflexible and the G sounds great. Loud, flexible, and just right.

I have three carved basses, and Olivs are on two of them. I play pizz and arco. My orchestra bass has Bel Cantos. My cheapest bass was for a while strung with plain Gamut pistoy guts on G, D, and A. The D and A are great bowed, but the G string's sound was just too cutting with the bow. The Oliv G produces a still-bright but rounder, more pleasing tone. My quenoil-styled bass now lives with Oliv G/D/A and Evah Pirazzi weich E. I did have an EP A string on it, but the Oliv is better: Starts easier and is more likely to produce the "core tone" we look for when bowing. I don't understand the comment regarding "needing more bow pressure," as the Oliv actually does nicely with LESS weight than the EP. Of course the Olivs - at least G and D - are deservedly considered one of the best strings for jazz pizz. In arco, the G can be a little "fizzy" on some basses. Whether that fizz is objectionable is a matter of taste. It certainly responds well to the bow. Much is made of the supposed fragility of Olivs. Two years in, I've yet to have one fail. Just make sure that your bridge and nut slots are smooth, properly sized, and lubricated.