Double Bass Evah Pirazzi strings megathread part I

[Uncletoad]

Phil (Uncletoad),

Whats your situation? Are you still rockin' the Evah's? Depending on the room they can actually be too bright for me with the ply Cleveland.

Peace

No, I'm still in Gut land. I have this thing for the gut tops and the Stark E string. I'm using the EP A string at the moment mostly cause I don't have a good spiro A laying around. I like it though. I'm not all about having 3 different kinds of strings though.

I may get back to the EP again at some point. Good strings.

 

[Ben Rolston]

I'm so tempted to go back to gutland! What a beautiful place, filled with warm feel-good tone.

 

[Mark Perna]

Final report:

Evahs were removed from main bass (replaced with Dom G, Mittel D,A,E). It doesn't sound as good acoustically but it amplifies MUCH better.

I took the Gamuts off of the backup bass and put the Evahs on it. They sounded terrible on the backup bass both acoustically and amplified. I don't know why they didn't work but it was really unpleasant (quite frankly, it surprised me). Evahs came off and I put a Dom G, D, A with Mittel E on (I'm thinking about putting a Stark E on but haven't done it yet) and it just sings now. I'm talking SERIOUS mojo. In fact, it sounds so good that this might become the main bass. I have a recording session tomorrow and I'm taking the former backup bass.

The Gamuts are going into storage for when the other bass ('32 Juzek)gets fixed which hopefully will be soon. I'm giving the Evahs to a friend of mine. I gave them a shot but I had to face that it was a failed experiment and move on. It's funny, I always end up back with Spiros. I've gone through so many strings and I always end up back with Spiros. You'd think I'd learn.

mark

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

No, I'm still in Gut land. I have this thing for the gut tops and the Stark E string. I'm using the EP A string at the moment mostly cause I don't have a good spiro A laying around. I like it though. I'm not all about having 3 different kinds of strings though.

I may get back to the EP again at some point. Good strings.

My Bass with the EPs on them feels better than Gut from what I remember about Guts. They are smoother to the touch, thick and comfy under the fingers, less scratch with the Bow and... They stay in tune!

I hear a lot of comments about them sounding dark? That depends on what string you are coming from. For me coming mainly from Flexocors, they actually sound brighter. Flexocors while silvery and smooth are tighter than the EPs at least on my Bass. The EPs for me is one of the best new strings I have tried. I think I've said that before about some other string set. That only means that there are other strings coming out from time to time and they need to be tested on many Basses and by many players so it doesn't take years to learn about them.

 

[Ben Rolston]

I hear a lot of comments about them sounding dark? That depends on what string you are coming from. For me coming mainly from Flexocors, they actually sound brighter. Flexocors while silvery and smooth are tighter than the EPs at least on my Bass.

I agree, coming from Guts, acoustically they are much, much brighter. Strange how that brightness goes away when playing in a group!

 

[Gornick]

I jumped the Evah bandwagon and coming from Flex92's these things are much brighter. As dissatisfied as I have been with the Flex's of late, I have been avoiding going all the way to Spiro-land for a good long minute, just too bright, especially bowed

the Evahs are perfectly in between, though they don't bow quite as nicely as the Flex's, the pizz advantage I will take all day long. very quick attack, loud as hell, and good full sustain. And the upper register is starting to sing nicely too. The dark/brite balance is perfect in my book, similar to the Eudoxa's I tried for a short time. I am sold, and if I can avoid the problems with the amplification that others are experiencing (next week), I will be more than sold. Eudoxas, which have been my favorite experiment so far, but far from my price range, have never been further from my mind.

Oh and I find the Evahs a bit tighter than the Flex92 meds, but not quite as tight as Spiro meds, much more comfortable and smooth. and forget the comparisons to Obligato, not even in the same league.

 

[Uncletoad]

My Bass with the EPs on them feels better than Gut from what I remember about Guts. They are smoother to the touch, thick and comfy under the fingers, less scratch with the Bow and... They stay in tune!

I hear a lot of comments about them sounding dark? That depends on what string you are coming from. For me coming mainly from Flexocors, they actually sound brighter. Flexocors while silvery and smooth are tighter than the EPs at least on my Bass.

That really depends on what a person's preferences are. I really like the feel and sound of plain gut on the D and G string. The EP don't sound or feel like plain gut. They do bow significantly easier than gut but that's not a concern for me as much as I use a bow. I don't know any pure arco players that still want gut strings.

The EP D and G are great. When I get annoyed at gut tops I will try them again but for the last year+ I have had a fascination with plain gut tops that doesn't seem to go away.

EP are a dark string when considering the whole of what is available for Double Bass. Flexocors are darker and more complex sounding than EP strings. Dominants are brighter than EP strings, and Spirocores brighter still even when very dead. I haven't yet tried a string I would consider darker than the EP besides the Flexocor.

I am still somehow just a bit unsatisfied with synthetic core strings. I'm not sure exactly what that is yet. The EP, Dominant, and Obligato all have a similar something I'm not digging. Can't quite articulate that yet.

 

[Uncletoad]

Strange how that brightness goes away when playing in a group!

I notice that with Spirocores. Much of the subtle little swirling around stuff gets lost pretty quick as the mix gets dense. Sometimes the fundamental gets masked a bit by the bright stuff that goes away when lots of stuff is going on at the same time. What you are left with as a slightly less firm fundamental.

Which is why I still like gut on top, and darker strings in general. It cuts through better. I haven't found an E and A string that do that yet in a way that I'm digging completely. The EP E and A come close.

 

[Francois Blais]

The EPs for me is one of the best new strings I have tried. I think I've said that before about some other string set. That only means that there are other strings coming out from time to time and they need to be tested on mane Basses and by many players so it doesn't take years to learn about them.

You wrote that about the new Eurosonics Balance Orchestrals, if I'm not mistaken!

Nice day,
François

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

You wrote that about the new Eurosonics Balance Orchestrals, if I'm not mistaken!

Nice day,
François

Yes, I did. That's why I wrote this as well;

The EPs for me is one of the best new strings I have tried. I think I've said that before about some other string set. That only means that there are other strings coming out from time to time and they need to be tested on many Basses and by many players so it doesn't take years to learn about them.

They are both great sets. They are completely different sounding though.

 

[martinc]

Maybe I have missed this in one of the many posts on this megathread but.....what is the synthetic core of the EP's made of?
Is it the same as the Obligato's with different windings or a different bird altogether?
I checked the Pirastro website but did not see any reference to the core material.

 

[pdbass]

I think that it depends on 1) your bass 2) your hands and 3) how hard you pull the string. In my case, I'm finding that EP's are a bigger, rounder string, but have a bright edge on top. They replaced Spiro Mittels (and I still have Spiro Mittel on the E & A). Suprisingly, they're much brighter than the Spiros, with much less of those complex overtones you get.

I really can't over-emphasize the overplaying of the string. I played Spiros for YEARS. To get the tone I wanted out of that string, I really had to pull it, likewise with the bow. I had to really rosin up, and grab the string. The best sounds I've gotten out of the Evahs have been when I'm hardly pulling the string, and when bow pressure isn't nearly what I've been used to. This string really speaks with not as much effort. For us jazz bassists that play quarter notes for most of the gig, the fundamental this string puts out is a Godsend.

The Evahs are getting a bit of attention right now, and rightfully so. They're great strings, but it's worth considering what you have on the bass now and how hard you're pulling those strings. I'm finding that these strings lend themselves to being played more like Ron Carter than Christian McBride.

$0.02

 

[pdbass]

Did recording session this past week and am set to do another this weekend with the EP's. I was mic'ed and sent a DI from my Full Circle. The sound was outstanding. . . Effortless. I'm beginning to agree with previous posts about my mix, though. I'm really beginning to think that the Spiro E&A are NOT a good match for the Evahs. Much darker, much more overtones, and needed a bit harder 'touch' than the EP's.

Another observation: was noodling around in between takes with the bow. Not alot of rosin and I played the bass SUPER light. Started playing the Allemande from Bach Cello Suite #1, and I'll be damned if it didn't sound just like Edgar Meyer's version!

Now, if I can track down Mark, I'm going to buy his Evah E&A off of him.

 

[Mark Perna]

Now, if I can track down Mark, I'm going to buy his Evah E&A off of him.

Actually, I was just going to give the whole set to you.

mark

 

[Francois Blais]

Maybe I have missed this in one of the many posts on this megathread but.....what is the synthetic core of the EP's made of?
Is it the same as the Obligato's with different windings or a different bird altogether?
I checked the Pirastro website but did not see any reference to the core material.

That's not likely the kind of detail a company will elaborate much on.
Probably the same material (my guess), but the construction must be very different!

Nice day!
François

 

[Jeremy Morgan]

Calivox, if you're looking for a really bright string (that's less hard work than Spirocores) have you considered/tried the Savarez Corellis? They might be just the job for your dark bass.

 

[Mark Perna]

Calivox, if you're looking for a really bright string (that's less hard work than Spirocores) have you considered/tried the Savarez Corellis? They might be just the job for your dark bass.

Thanks for the tip. I just put the Spiros/Doms back on and it's like going home again. Yes, they have problems and limitations. But I intimately know what they are and know how to deal with them. Next time I get the jones to try out something new, I'll give the Corellis a try. Ultimately though, I think I'm a Spiro/Dom guy and maybe I should just accept it and move on.


mark

 

[pdbass]

I picked up the Evahs from Mark today (thanks, man!), so I was able to put on the E&A today.

Wow.

You guys weren't lying about this A string. Holy cow. I've never heard an A like this before. I puts the Spiro Mittel A to shame. It's huge and edgy like the G&D. And louder. I love it.

The E. . .well, is a little wimpy. I think Uncletoad made a remark about Pirastro E strings lacking in balls. There definitely seems to be a difference in volume and power between the E and the other strings. Maybe I'll get my soundpost moved.

I officially retract all statements I've previously made about Evah tops being a good match with Spiro bottoms. The full Evah set is really amazing, with this A string being the best I've heard.

I'm going to go play some more. . .

 

[Ben Rolston]

The E gets better just you wait!

 

[Marcus Johnson]

The E gets better just you wait!

Yup... hold off a bit before you swap it out.