Okay, then leave well enough alone-- as if any of us has learned to do that with strings!
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Double Bass Evah Pirazzi strings megathread part II
- Thread starter bonaventura
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Okay, then leave well enough alone-- as if any of us has learned to do that with strings!
I love Evahs, but Pirastro's prices are way out of my league at this point. During a recent trip to Germany, they were priced at the equivalent of $350 US. Too rich for my blood.
What are we paying for 'em in the US now?
(edit - just checked the Lemur website, and found them priced under $200 - worth it, I guess)
What are we paying for 'em in the US now?
(edit - just checked the Lemur website, and found them priced under $200 - worth it, I guess)
$190 at Quinn's.
FWIW, I have the original E & A Evah Weichs that Adrian Mueller sent me to test (D & G were replaced with Gamuts guts, but not because the Evahs were tired). They'll be a year old in the beginning of February. They aren't anywhere near being dead to me. Still live, and they play perfectly in tune. They balance remarkably well with the guts, but they still are probably the best balanced complete set of strings that I've used.
FWIW, I have the original E & A Evah Weichs that Adrian Mueller sent me to test (D & G were replaced with Gamuts guts, but not because the Evahs were tired). They'll be a year old in the beginning of February. They aren't anywhere near being dead to me. Still live, and they play perfectly in tune. They balance remarkably well with the guts, but they still are probably the best balanced complete set of strings that I've used.
I too have a set of EP weich's (from Adrian) on deck. Currently I have 3-month old Thomastic BC's on the top three and a spiro mittle extended-E.
Previously I had a set of regular EP's (I bought from Quinn) on for a year, and they were starting to lose that magic, so I put on the G/D/A BC's back in November and have been pleasantly surprised with their pizz performance (no need to mention their awsome arco-ability).
Marcus, I'm hestitant to put on the EP weich's. While the EP regulars were pretty good on my bass (2003 Romanian flatback), I'm concerned that the weichs just won't have enough power. Is this an un-founded concern of mine?
- Mark
Previously I had a set of regular EP's (I bought from Quinn) on for a year, and they were starting to lose that magic, so I put on the G/D/A BC's back in November and have been pleasantly surprised with their pizz performance (no need to mention their awsome arco-ability).
Marcus, I'm hestitant to put on the EP weich's. While the EP regulars were pretty good on my bass (2003 Romanian flatback), I'm concerned that the weichs just won't have enough power. Is this an un-founded concern of mine?
- Mark
Boy, it's hard to say, Mark. They aren't the loudest strings I ever used on my bass (that would be the Animas), but they held their own as a set. They seem to be really well balanced with these Gamut guts as well (maybe a slight disadvantage), which are pretty damn strong. I've been listening to some playback of some sessions I did with the Evah Weichs/Gamut tops, and it sounds very nice indeed.
To me, they seem more powerful than the EP regulars did on my bass. I wouldn't hesitate to put them on, but it really depends on what your bass likes tension-wise. To my hands, they feel about the same as Spiro Mittels in that department.
PS... I also think that, if your bass is sounding good with those BCs on there, leave it alone! Those Evahs can wait in the drawer until the time is right.
To me, they seem more powerful than the EP regulars did on my bass. I wouldn't hesitate to put them on, but it really depends on what your bass likes tension-wise. To my hands, they feel about the same as Spiro Mittels in that department.
PS... I also think that, if your bass is sounding good with those BCs on there, leave it alone! Those Evahs can wait in the drawer until the time is right.
Comparing the EP regulars and EP weichs, I'd say the weichs had less punch than the regulars. The benefit in terms of "feel," was, however, well worth it. The EP regulars were a bit like playing on suspension bridge cables. The weichs seemed, well... just right! On my bass, to my hands, the EP weichs were substantially stiffer than Spirocores. Marcus and I have seemed to agree on just about everything regarding these strings. Here, we just don't have the same experience. The Spiro Mittels for me are WAY more supple and flexible than the EP weichs-- especially after the EP weichs aged for a 2-3 months as they actually seem to become stiffer. In fact, I switched to the Spiros after my injury to make playing a bit easier and it sure is. YMMV!
just put spiro mittel back on the A and E strings...have EP weich on the G and D. they seem to work pretty well together on my bass. loud growly and articulate A and E with the thumpy percussive G and D strings. (the EP still growl though, brighter strings are zingy sounding for g and D strings on my bass coz not much scoop i think)...
I know ... but I hate to keep Adrian waiting for the review. Maybe I'll send him a letter (and a batch of my famous oatmeal cookies) and tell him that he'll have to wait till June'ish.
Yeah -- I thought that the BC's would get lost in the last pizz gig (bluegrass) I did, but was pleasantly surprised. The BC A-string sounds thumpy in my practice studio, but with the bluegrass quartet, it was fine. Odd isn't it?
- Mark
The problem with that approach is; double bass strings very rarely show their charming side on the first few dates. Evahs are maybe the most forgiving strings, right out of the package, that I've encountered. That said, If you give Adrian only your initial impressions, you might not be giving him and Pirastro a fair shake.
As they've aged, they have hung in there as well as any string I've played. I feel that they are better now, a year in, than they were when Adrian gave them to me.
Cookies are always good.
I've just swapped my expensive tempramental gut and silver Eudoxa's for some low tension Evah Pirazzi's - wow!
Why didn't I change them sooner? - the E sounds great, deep & full with a real bite.
If you are wondering I've got them on a Bryant 2005 Panormo swell back bass.
They were nice to fit and easy to tune, I have checked the bass about 4 times in the last couple of hours or so and they are already sustaining the frequency.
Go out and get some!
Barnsey
Why didn't I change them sooner? - the E sounds great, deep & full with a real bite.
If you are wondering I've got them on a Bryant 2005 Panormo swell back bass.
They were nice to fit and easy to tune, I have checked the bass about 4 times in the last couple of hours or so and they are already sustaining the frequency.
Go out and get some!
Barnsey
Welcome to The Megathread!! BWAAHAHAHAHa...
That's a good description. The "bite" is there, but it's refined.
Some people think that the Evah Weich E is lacking somewhat in the "balls" department. I found it to be in good balance with the rest of the set. I think that the Evah Weichs set is the best- balanced full set of strings that I've tried.
Coming back on your question: I have the regulars. I find them rather hard to get started, because of the tension, but after a minute or 10, they feel just fine... I think I'm going to keep them
Coming back on your question: I have the regulars. I find them rather hard to get started, because of the tension, but after a minute or 10, they feel just fine... I think I'm going to keep them
Sure, you can put that smiley face there but, in the dead of night, as you try to sleep, you'll be thinking, "I wonder if the weichs would really be better." It's just another STD (in this case, String Trial Disease) and no double bass player is immune. There is no known cure, although the symptoms can be managed relatively effectively. A set of Lycons has been known to result in decades-long remission but, alas, that therapy can no longer be supplied. Sweet dreams.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
A set of Lycons has been known to result in decades-long remission but, alas, that therapy can no longer be supplied. Sweet dreams.
If this is a sick attempt to create a pent up demand for your Lycon roll-out you had better have a product to roll.
If this is a sick attempt to create a pent up demand for your Lycon roll-out you had better have a product to roll.
I wish I could roll out Lycons. If I could really do that, I don't think I'd have to create much demand. "If you build it, they will come."
Sure, you can put that smiley face there but, in the dead of night, as you try to sleep, you'll be thinking, "I wonder if the weichs would really be better." It's just another STD (in this case, String Trial Disease) and no double bass player is immune. There is no known cure, although the symptoms can be managed relatively effectively. A set of Lycons has been known to result in decades-long remission but, alas, that therapy can no longer be supplied. Sweet dreams.
I feel no desire whatsoever to try the weichs.... I think
I'm very zen!
I feel no desire whatsoever to try the weichs.... I think
I'm very zen!
They're really different from the regulars. Both really nice....but it's hard to be believe they're both called "Evah Pirazzis" actually.
Next week i'm going to visit a guy who also has evah's, but I think they're weichs. (I tried them like one year ago and really liked them, and I could not believe that the strings that were on the bass I bought were the same
)The Evah strings are not really common in Belgium yet, you see a lot of obligato's here.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
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- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
Oh lord, I hope not. As it is, you need a GPS to figure out which Pirastro strings you're buying.
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