arco only

[shwashwa]

ok, so i know there's a search function, and i've spent countless hours pouring over the archives here, which only leads to more confusion, so i'll just post my question directly and perhaps someone can give some advice.

i'm looking for a string for arco only. not really section type playing , but more solo type stuff in orchestral tuning, but i still think i'd prefer a darker tone. my arco isnt all that great so i'd love a string that's pretty easy to start with the bow. on the particular bass i'm setting up, i've tried corelli mediums, very easy, but perhaps too easy to choke them with too much pressure, belcantos, too thick for me, more like a section string in my opinion. and corelli forte, not dark enough. from all the reading i'm thinking perhaps flexocor 92? either medium or weich? what say ye?

also a sub question. how do you feel about the evah pirazzzi as an arco only string that would meet my specs above?

thanks.

[Gornick]

I think the Flex 92's definitely meet your needs. dark, full, arco tone. I used mediums myself. but I imagine that they are about the same thickness as the Belcanto's but I haven't tried them to know.

The Evah's are good too, a little brighter, but they don't bow quite a smoothly. They are a little thicker than the Flex's and a bit tighter too.

[JoeyNaeger]

I think the flex 92's fit the bill exactly. The Evah Pirazzis are not what I would consider dark so take that with a grain of salt.

[Eric Swanson]

I noticed an ever-so-slightly used set of Flexo 92's in the "for sale" section below...

FT: Flexocor 92 Orch, Belcanto D &G

[shwashwa]

where do permanents fall on the ease of bowing spectrum?

[jmmcc]

Velvet Compas 180

[paulunger]

Evahs are thicker than the Belcantos and not quite as good of a bowed string, IMHO. I think the Flex 92's are thinner than the Belcantos. I would stick with the medium gauge Flex 92's, they are still fairly low in tension. Permanents are similar in gauge and tension as the Flex 92's, but have a brighter sound. They bow fairly well, not quite as subtle as the FLex 92's or Belcantos.

[shwashwa]

just an update to the thread. i have an old set of permanents that i had on another bass lying around so i put them on this bass before running out and buying a new set of 92's. they bow really well. alittle brighter than i wanted, but i think i'll leave them on for a while, although i can still see myself eventually going to the flex 92 for a darker tone. these will do nicely for now. very easy to bow, but contrary to their advertising, not a very good hybrid string. also, for what it's worth, on this bass, permanents bowed easier than belcantos, especially in the upper register, although i did feel they were easier all over.