Double Bass Evah Pirazzi strings megathread part I

[Mark Perna]

Gotta agree. The very E that is on your bass now sounded kick ass on my bass. Louder and deeper than the Mittel with plenty of growl. Either it just needs to settle or get your post adjusted but the string is great. There are a number great characteristics to the Evahs. One of the big ones is how even the response is across all of the strings.

mark

 

[Damon Rondeau]

I got in from a business trip Friday and there were my EP's sitting there -- thanks again, PatrickC...

I'm gonna install tomorrow afternoon. I've taken a quick look at string length and on the E & G I'm definitely going to have metal wound around the pegs.

I read through this thread this morning to check, and it seems as if so far we've got one broken G string and no reports of damaged windings. I'm just checking to see that's still the case. I'm guessing we'd know about it if a TB'er broke one...

 

[Bobby King]

I read through this thread this morning to check, and it seems as if so far we've got one broken G string and no reports of damaged windings. I'm just checking to see that's still the case. I'm guessing we'd know about it if a TB'er broke one...

My set of EPs was aquired slightly used in a trade deal. There's a little separation developing in the winding of the G where it passes over the bridge. No big deal and no effect on the sound (so far ). I think the best thing to do if possible with these type of strings is to put them on and leave
them alone. On/off, tuned up/down seems to increase the likelihood of problems.

 

[bribass]

Used my German bass w/ the EP's tonite w/ a sometimes very loud Klezmer/Jazz/Swing/R&B wedding band. Thru the Focus and Wizzy M-line 12 they were great, but as the volume went up, I did have to roll off lows and boost mids & hi's to cut thru the mix. Funny, in lower volume Jazz situations I find I'm EQ ing in the opposite way. Maybe it was the room. Tonite the soundman w/ a really good sound co. made a point in telling me that my sound and signal (direct out of the Focus) from both the DB and BG were really clear and clean. I guess that means the front of the house was sounding good w/the EP's. When playing 2 beat time arco as I quite often have to do in Klezmer music the Ep's are a pleasure. The low strings are pleasantly grabby. Warm sound thru the amp too.

 

[pdbass]

After several gigs with a full set of EPs on the bass, I'm finding a little difficulty amplifying the instrument. The EPs might be the best string I've played acoustically. Those incredible qualities don't seem to be staying true when I amplify the instrument. I've used a Fishman Full Circle and an Underwood (both through a GK MB, Markbass 102P and AI Contra). The sound seems to amplify much more indistinctly, and lacks a little expression. I played a concert tonight--quiet setting, nice little hall, not that loud--and it took me about an hour to start feeling comfortable. The quarter notes were CRUSHING, but now, all of a sudden, I feel like I'm not as good a soloist. These strings don't sing through like Spiros.

I know. I'm crazy. The arco is awesome. I've been playing Bach almost everyday. These strings sound so good in the practice room. They're just becoming work. I'm working harder than I ever worked with Spiros. In fact, my bass was pretty damn easy to play with Spiro Mittels.

I wish I was playing unamplified music every night. If so, these strings would be it. They're certainly worth the hype they're getting. Could it be that maybe the synthetic core takes away some of their responsiveness when amplified? They just seem to be a different string when they come out of an amplifier.

 

[Bobby King]

The arco is awesome.

I wish I was playing unamplified music every night. If so, these strings would be it. They're certainly worth the hype they're getting. Could it be that maybe the synthetic core takes away some of their responsiveness when amplified? They just seem to be a different string when they come out of an amplifier.

This has been my experience too to a certain degree. I completely love these strings at home, and they sound great recorded. But (I've only used them twice on a gig) they seem muddy through an amp. I'm going to experiment some more, some of the others on this forum aren't having this problem.

 

[Uncletoad]

I'm working harder than I ever worked with Spiros. In fact, my bass was pretty damn easy to play with Spiro Mittels.

I wish I was playing unamplified music every night. If so, these strings would be it. They're certainly worth the hype they're getting. Could it be that maybe the synthetic core takes away some of their responsiveness when amplified? They just seem to be a different string when they come out of an amplifier.

+1. My problem too. Spiros are way better through my amplified rig. I couldn't hang with them for to long, went back to my spiro/gut mix.

 

[panos]

I wish I was playing unamplified music every night. If so, these strings would be it. They're certainly worth the hype they're getting. Could it be that maybe the synthetic core takes away some of their responsiveness when amplified? They just seem to be a different string when they come out of an amplifier.

I think it's the same thing also for other synthetic strings. Not perhaps always the same, but there is a difference.
(I'd say in my experience that only the Animas are the strange exception to this rule).

 

[martinc]

pdbass:

Same problem for me.
I used the EP for my G with Pyramid Soloflex's. Sounds great in my practice room but when I played through the PA last week (I use a K and K Bass Max/ Baggs ParaAcoustic DI) in a bar/restaurant that wonderful G got lost in the mix. I would hit the D and the G and the D would sing out but the G sounded like somebody turned down the gain by about half. Hmmm.
But....looks like I will be going back to a wound gut on the G to get an even sound across the fingerboard.
Too bad. I was thinking about going all EP because the G sounds so good.

 

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Since most of us are not using a magnetic pickup but mainly a Piezo type, the sound is more natural with what the Bass is doing.

With the more flexible type Strings like the Velvet Compass, EPs, Jargars and Belcantos they have a wider oscillation that tighter response strings like Spiros, SuperFlex and Flexocors. In a room acoustically they are wider or fuller sounding but thru an Amp they may seem late because the signal is wider.

On Saturday using the new Velvets I asked the Drummer about the Bass tone and volume and said he liked it as everyone else did. It was a crowded place and I was playing beside the Amp and not in front of it. I could barely hear myself but everyone else did. It probably sounded more acoustic-like than usual mainly because of the strings. I am just assuming that the EPs and other similar strings do something similar when amped. A few years back when switching from Obligatos to Flexocors or Orig Flat Chromes on one of my Basses, I noticed a better Amped sound as well. Quicker more direct sounding.

On these new Eurosonics I have been testing on some Basses I got a good look at one of the possible problems. Yesterday stringing them up on a Hybrid Bass with a Spruce Top, they sounded sweet with good bowing and Pizz as well. On the two Plywood Basses I strung up right after the Pizz was deader sounding and the Bowing was more like an older Italian type Bass with no harmonics at all.

Without getting off topic with these strings I just wanted to mention that Basses respond differently to different strings. I have noticed that one strings does not necessarily fit every Bass even for the same person. I just thought this was worth pointing out!

 

[jrlynch]

i'm relatively new to the urb universe, and another lover of the evahs, they just sound fabulous on my bass, pretty much delivering 90+ percent of the sound i have in my head, acoustically. i fail to see, though, why folks would want to change their unamplified setup to achieve a better amplified sound. shouldn't you want to start with the best acoustic sound you can achieve and then work to amplify that? even with a slab, you want an instrument that sounds fabulous unamplified.

i've yet to find the best means of getting an amplified sound i'm delighted with (getting there), but i think i'll stick with making the acoustic sound i'm into louder, and not messing with too many variables.

jeff.

 

[b1644]

I have a question and a comment...

I recall reading that the Evah's are slightly larger-gauge then other strings so does that mean there may be a problem with the fit on my bass through the slots at the nut or bridge? Anybody had issues like that? I don't want to have to alter the bass to accept a string that I may not like in the long run.

Regarding some generalizations being put forth re: synthetic-core strings... I've had both Obligato's (current fave) and Heritage's on my bass and they both seemed very responsive, lively and projecting through my two rigs... much more-so than the steel core Bel Canto's and Helicore's I've had on in the past but less-so compared to the steel-core Spiro-core weich's which came with the bass. Those were very bright, lively and projecting through the amp.

I suspect this whole issue of projection thru an amp has more to do with the nature of the construction/windings than the actual core material. Just my opinion.

- Martin

 

[pdbass]

Think about it this way:

You're dating this really beautiful chick. She has a great personality, she listens great, and when you're alone with her it's awesome. The minute you go out somewhere with her, though, it becomes uncomfortable. She doesn't act the way she did at home. Every time you go out to dinner or with friends, you're thinking "what happened to that incredible girl I was sitting on my couch with?"

That's what's going on. For someone like me, who plays amplified gigs about 4 times/week, the amp, the pickup, and response from both become important variables in creating my sound on a gig, and being comfortable. Acoustic sound is very important, and I'm fighting with myself in regards to taking these strings off now because I don't just play amplified music. I think I need a string that will let me react on the fly and be much more expressive when I solo. Evahs do what they do extremely well, but they might not be the string for my bass. Your acoustic sound is so important--and I learned this from Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, etc--when you deal with an amplifier on regular basis, it becomes important to know how to get your sound through one!

Excellent points, KS. The bandwidth thing sounds right on.

 

[Bobby King]

i'm relatively new to the urb universe, and another lover of the evahs, they just sound fabulous on my bass, pretty much delivering 90+ percent of the sound i have in my head, acoustically. i fail to see, though, why folks would want to change their unamplified setup to achieve a better amplified sound. shouldn't you want to start with the best acoustic sound you can achieve and then work to amplify that? even with a slab, you want an instrument that sounds fabulous unamplified.

i've yet to find the best means of getting an amplified sound i'm delighted with (getting there), but i think i'll stick with making the acoustic sound i'm into louder, and not messing with too many variables.

jeff.

Well, simply making the acoustic sound louder is a fairly elusive process. Ideally, we'd all like to be able to do that. People have been working on this for years and still I never heard anyone say that their amplified sound sounded just like their bass at home, only louder. In the world of gigging, -- loud drummers and guitarists , noisy nightclubs, etc., the pickup and amp become a necessity. The reality is that you now have to accept that the bass has become, to varying degrees, a different animal. And when you spend a significant amount of time playing under these conditions, you may give more priority to what works amplified.

It's great if you can have more than one bass, except for the extra space it takes up in your house!

 

[jazz bass guy]

I know I have said this before, but just to balance the negative comments I would like to say that my amped sound is the best I have ever had, and dare I say it, sounds a lot like my bass, only louder....

In my experience, these strings have made it easier to get a good sound, whether amped or acoustic, bowed or pizz.

Again, we must remember that the same string on different basses, or even with simply another player, will sound dramatically different.

 

[Damon Rondeau]

I know I have said this before, but just to balance the negative comments I would like to say that my amped sound is the best I have ever had, and dare I say it, sounds a lot like my bass, only louder....

In my experience, these strings have made it easier to get a good sound, whether amped or acoustic, bowed or pizz.

Again, we must remember that the same string on different basses, or even with simply another player, will sound dramatically different.

Maybe you've mentioned it already, Ken, but for the record, what kind of pickup are you using?

 

[jazz bass guy]

Maybe you've mentioned it already, Ken, but for the record, what kind of pickup are you using?

I am using a Full Circle through an AI Coda III.

I don't know if there has been a lot of discussion elsewhere about this, but I feel it is absolutely essential to use the Low frequency filter on that amp. Otherwise, I am extremely happy with my sound now that I am using the EPs, regardless of whether or not I am plugged in.

Seriously, nearly every gig I have played since I got these strings, someone has come up to me and asked how I get such a good sound. The frequent comment is that it sounds "natural".

KL

 

[martinc]

I would think using a full set of EP's would be quite easy to dial in for a good sound when amp-ing.
For those of us who use one or two EP's in a mixed set its a huge problem.
My D and A Soloflex,Mittel E combination mic very well but with the EP for the G there is a big difference in how it comes out. Not as much body...much like a dropout in sound. Unamplified the G matches very well.
Maybe I will have to bite the bullet and go with a full set of EP's to see how they sound with the K and K Bass Max. But dang...I love the sound of the Soloflex's on my bass!

 

[Francois Blais]

Maybe I will have to bite the bullet and go with a full set of EP's to see how they sound with the K and K Bass Max. But dang...I love the sound of the Soloflex's on my bass!

Hi Martin.
Well, if the weak point in your string setup is the G, why change the others?
The Obligato G had more output on my EUB than the Evah.

 

[bribass]

It's great if you can have more than one bass, except for the extra space it takes up in your house!

Thru the amp, when I get back to the Spiros you do have to say "gee , I've missed that Zing". They deffinately have thing especially when soloing. The brighter overtones have their advantages thru the amp in noisey situations. This dark bass deffinately likes the steel cores. The Evah's ARE very different. Eventhough it's a bit of an adjustment going back and forth I have been enjoying the EP's alot. The acoustic sound of the German bass is much more projecting than it was and amplified sound is good (w all 4 Evahs), but deffinately a different animal than Spiros. As the vol. goes up I think you have to approach the tone shaping differently. I'm not giving up on them for amplified gigs. I seemed to have more luck on a lower vol. gig w/ a LR Baggs Paracoustic DI thru a Ploytone than I did on louder gigs w/ the Focus and Wizzy M-line. Perhaps w/the Baggs and the Focus or WW it will be easier to zero in on the good mids. Or maybe a Bass Max instead of a Realist will do the trick at louder vols.