Evah's or Bel Cantos

Jason Sypher · #1 05-03-2008, 12:23 PM

For all around application, pizz and bowing (not orchestral). Played acoustically with a mic, mostly drummerless bands. Not wanting spiro-sustain but a warm dark tone. Which is the better string? For those that choose "other" your suggestions are welcome.

Uncletoad · #2 05-03-2008, 09:12 PM

Evahs by a mile.

Peck_Time · #3 05-03-2008, 09:22 PM

I voted Evah too, but it depends on your bass.

Evahs were too boomy on my Cleveland, Spiros work way better. Plus Evahs didn't work too well through a Fullcircle - good through a mic though, but so are Spiros. I get more acoustic volume out of Spiros too, the Evahs were loud but undefined and hard work.

Belcantos sucked the life out of my Christopher flatback, but the Evahs sound great on it.

Eli_Upright12 · #4 05-03-2008, 09:38 PM

Evahs, they are just really great bowed and pizz, They do everything, plus at least on my bass, they are real loud. The bowed tone is also really good.

jrlynch · #5 05-03-2008, 10:29 PM

evah.

vistoni · #6 05-04-2008, 11:54 AM

Belcantos! Easy to bow, easy to pluck, easy for left hand because of being less stiff than evahs, lovely dark pizz sound.
also good for slapping.

bribass · #7 05-04-2008, 12:15 PM

I really like Evah's. Best all around hybrid string. I like Superflexibles as well for louder amped gigs, but Evah's are better acoustically and record really well in the studio. Haven't ever tried a full set of Bel Canto's. Just the G, which isn't bad.

BG

Phil Rowan · #8 05-04-2008, 01:31 PM

It all depends on the bass. I found that the EP's have a little more fundamental and depth than the Belcantos do (pizz and arco), but this is just my experience using them with my B Lang hybrid (which seems to speak a bit more with slightly lower tension strings).

Jason Sypher · #9 05-05-2008, 02:54 AM

I'm getting quite a few "other" choices. What are you folks referring to?
I'll post the results in a few days. Interesting...

Jason Sypher · #10 05-12-2008, 02:32 AM

35, 32, 32....not exactly the definitive answer one hopes for! Oh well...back to the bank.

Uncletoad · #11 05-12-2008, 06:54 AM

For what you describe it's hard to imagine anyone suggestion Belcanto. They are nowhere near as loud acoustically as Evahs. They bow very well but the Pizz on the E/A is abysmal to anyone but an orchestral player.

Both are superior arco strings. The Evah pizz tone is significantly more usable in a variety of musical situations than the Belcanto.

Amplifying the Evah's has documented pitfalls however that's not a concern in the original post. The Evahs have sounded great acoustically on every single bass I've encountered them, pizz or arco. I'd be using them now if they worked better through an amp loud for me.

I'd try Evahs first Jason, I suspect you'll like them quite a bit. For what you do the Belcantos will eventually piss you off.

Buy wonka's they are cheap:

strings for sale.

bribass · #12 05-12-2008, 08:12 AM

Phil, ever try the Evah's amped w/ your WW? I find they sound better w/ that then the Focus. Something about the mids.

Bri

**Francois Blais** · #13 05-12-2008, 08:13 AM

I love the BelCantos G & D, but as Uncletoad said, the A & E may be too dark for pizz use.
I'm going to put Evahs on the E&A soon, so it may be that 50/50 mix for me.
It doesn't exactly answer your poll though!

Uncletoad · #14 05-12-2008, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bribass

Phil, ever try the Evah's amped w/ your WW? I find they sound better w/ that then the Focus. Something about the mids.

Bri

Not yet. Its a pain in the ass.

I don't use the Woods these days because it lacks a phase switch that I use all the time and an integrated DI that I use on about a third of the gigs I do. I don't like using an outboard pre if I can avoid it.

My woods has a different preamp than yours anyhow, I'm not sure they sound as close as all that. I've not bothered to get an older one cause the Focus is so good.

Uncletoad · #15 05-12-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francois

Uncletoad said, the A & E may be too dark for pizz use.

Dark, loose and slow.

R Sturm · #16 05-12-2008, 10:10 AM

I voted Belcanto's and I disliked Evah's (or really any synthetic, e.g. Obligators). What bothers me with synthetics is the buzz when bowed, on your left hand. It is minor on the D, annoying on the G, unbearable on a C (not a problem with A or E). Sounds a bit as if the bow noise gets amplified next to your ear). According to Adrian Mueller from Pirastro, this has to do with the basic material itself and the thickness of the string. Not limited to Evah's, Obligatos or Dominants do the same thing. I've tried Evah's and Obligatos (no high C Evah's yet) and neither stayed on my bass for more than a few days.

Belcanto's are great, all around, and stylistically I play things similar to Jason, bowing fiddle tunes, pizz backup, occasional slap, more celtic than old-time, but similar approach. Belcanto G and D definitely. For pure bowing, few things would beat all Belcanto, but you can improve on the Belcanto A and E as a hybrid choice. Superflexible are great, bow well and have more pizz sustain and better response, brighter too which i seem to need on the lower strings. The orchestra superflex are fairly high tension and make slap a bit of a chore, only disadvantage I see with a superflex/belcanto mix. Maybe solos tuned down will fit the bill.

Uncletoad · #17 05-12-2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Sturm

I voted Belcanto's and I disliked Evah's (or really any synthetic, e.g. Obligators). What bothers me with synthetics is the buzz when bowed, on your left hand. It is minor on the D, annoying on the G, unbearable on a C (not a problem with A or E). Sounds a bit as if the bow noise gets amplified next to your ear). According to Adrian Mueller from Pirastro, this has to do with the basic material itself and the thickness of the string. Not limited to Evah's, Obligatos or Dominants do the same thing. I've tried Evah's and Obligatos (no high C Evah's yet) and neither stayed on my bass for more than a few days.

Belcanto's are great, all around, and stylistically I play things similar to Jason, bowing fiddle tunes, pizz backup, occasional slap, more celtic than old-time, but similar approach. Belcanto G and D definitely. For pure bowing, few things would beat all Belcanto, but you can improve on the Belcanto A and E as a hybrid choice. Superflexible are great, bow well and have more pizz sustain and better response, brighter too which i seem to need on the lower strings. The orchestra superflex are fairly high tension and make slap a bit of a chore, only disadvantage I see over a superflex/belcanto mix. Maybe solos tuned down will fit the bill.

Makes sense. I used the Belcanto D/G with a Spiro Mittel E/A for awhile and really liked that combination. I'm getting the impression that the spiros may be to bright and arco unfriendly in this context, although properly broken in I think they are pretty nice myself. I just don't like the E/A Belcanto in non arco settings and finding a suitable sub in this context is challenging. Permanents maybe?

All the same I stood about 15 feet away from Brian Glassman's Prescott with Evah Pirrazis and his arco tone was to die for. No holes in that whatsoever. There is some junk up close but that stuff doesn't travel very far and does help intonation on an ampless gig. I gotta think Jason's bass would sound similar.

The Evahs are stiffer than the Belcanto no question and would make slapping a bit more challenging, other than that I still would go there first.

JoeyNaeger · #18 05-12-2008, 12:08 PM

For my taste, the Evah's are way too growly and bright pizz. On my bass, the belcanto E and A have just the right amount of growl and sustain.

R Sturm · #19 05-12-2008, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

All the same I stood about 15 feet away from Brian Glassman's Prescott with Evah Pirrazis and his arco tone was to die for. No holes in that whatsoever. There is some junk up close but that stuff doesn't travel very far and does help intonation on an ampless gig. I gotta think Jason's bass would sound similar.

Right, the buzz does help with intonation, but it annoys me. I'm sure that junk disappears quickly with distance, still, I care about how it sounds to me. I rank it secondary how it sounds 5 m out because I don't get to hear that. You may care if your next job depends on that, but that's mainly for people trying to land an orchestra gig.

bribass · #20 05-12-2008, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncletoad

Not yet. Its a pain in the ass.

I don't use the Woods these days because it lacks a phase switch that I use all the time and an integrated DI that I use on about a third of the gigs I do. I don't like using an outboard pre if I can avoid it.

My woods has a different preamp than yours anyhow, I'm not sure they sound as close as all that. I've not bothered to get an older one cause the Focus is so good.

All the same I stood about 15 feet away from Brian Glassman's Prescott with Evah Pirrazis and his arco tone was to die for. No holes in that whatsoever. There is some junk up close but that stuff doesn't travel very far and does help intonation on an ampless gig.

I've been using a LR Baggs Paracoustic DI w/ my WW to get around this. Is a DI and has the phase switch plus EQ w/ notch. Helps tighten up this sound when things get loud. I use the Focus a lot too w/o the pre.

THNX for the kind words 'bout my arco sound. I've never noticed left hand noise w/ the Evahs.

I'm also enjoying the Superflexibles on my German bass. Up close they sound punchy, but out front and thru the amp they are very warm, but focused. Good hybrid string as well and >20% less $ than Evah's (or Spiros). I think I like them better for loud piz and the Evah's better for arco, but both are great as hybrids.

BTW- I've been Spiro free for two months now. (gee.. kinda sounds like I've been thru a 12 step program or somethin')

Bri