Highly unlikely you're going to get the tone out of your bass that Bromberg gets with his 18th Century Italian master bass! Strings aren't going to get you there, either.
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Double Bass Evah Pirazzi strings megathread part III
- Thread starter Chris Fitzgerald
- Start date
Highly unlikely you're going to get the tone out of your bass that Bromberg gets with his 18th Century Italian master bass! Strings aren't going to get you there, either.
Oh, I know. But I can still dream.
I dont have enough years left on the planet to be able to develop the chops he has; but I cant go into this with a thinking negatively either. Someone mentioned in one of the "read me first" stickys to reference the sound you were looking for, so there you have it. That album is probably one of the things that originally started my interest in pursuing the double bass to begin with. I'm probably going to do the Zyex or the Evah's.....I just need to stop dwelling on it and order one or the other and move forwad from there.
For now I will keep practicing on the Helicore Hybrids.
I hate to revamp this thread but I must say I think I'm in love with the Evahs. I tried the weich about a year ago and went back to spirocores quickly because they were too low tension for my bass. I put a set of the medium gauge on two months ago and have been very happy with them. They are easier to bow than Spiros and have a nice warm tone playing pizzicato jazz. I just (tonight) got done with a gig playing in a pit orchestra for a musical that required blues, jazz and a few songs strictly arco and these strings didn't hold me back (I felt the spiros lacking in the arco tone and the weich didn't have enough balls). Unless string fever kicks in and I decided to try The innovation honey (or god forbid Gut) I think I'm set with these. I just hope they last a long time.
Don't try the Honeys, better try the Braided from Innovation. The Braided bow better and I like the pizz more than the Honey pizz, which is rather dark and with a heavy attack.
I started off some years ago with the regular/medium EPs and loved their strong and burnished sound. When the Weich gauge first came out, I was as curious as the next player, so I tried them and loved them, too. At that time, I remember I like the Weich gauge because they maintained the core EP sound, but had more growl, and were easier on the left hand. I never revisited the regular gauge.
Soon after that, I went through about a three year period where I was working extensively (and therefore exclusively) on bass guitar.
Well, now I am back at the double bass (as you all well know, it's almost like starting over...). And the bass has still got those Weich EPs on it. Still like the sound, especially that front edge "ping".
But the bass seems a bit low in volume, seems kind on the timid side. I know what you're thinking: no, it's not because I've been playing very loud music on bass guitar.... double bass was my first instrument and still where my heart lies, and it's heavenly to just pick up an acoustic instrument. I should point out that my bass is not a very loud bass to begin with, but still...
I guess my question is: what do I gain (and lose) by changing back to the regular EPs?
Soon after that, I went through about a three year period where I was working extensively (and therefore exclusively) on bass guitar.
Well, now I am back at the double bass (as you all well know, it's almost like starting over...). And the bass has still got those Weich EPs on it. Still like the sound, especially that front edge "ping".
But the bass seems a bit low in volume, seems kind on the timid side. I know what you're thinking: no, it's not because I've been playing very loud music on bass guitar.... double bass was my first instrument and still where my heart lies, and it's heavenly to just pick up an acoustic instrument. I should point out that my bass is not a very loud bass to begin with, but still...
I guess my question is: what do I gain (and lose) by changing back to the regular EPs?
My bass hated the EP weich set but loved the EP regulars. You will have a little more volume (helped me) and more power. Are your strings dead? You may just need to get a new set of strings.
If I may ask, how can u tell if they are dead? I don't think that I've ever played a set all the way to dead before. The bass has not been played for a few years . ..
If you have not played your DB in 3 yrs then it may not be the strings but the wood that needs waking up. I would wipe the strings down with some denatuerd (alcohol) mineral spirits and let the wood wake up first. I know with my cello and bass if they do not get played in a while the instrument needs to wake back up.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
Good points BUT! Alcohol, denatured or otherwise, is a good string cleaner, mineral spirits (paint thinner) is not.
Ah, good point. I've found this to be true: instruments sound better the more you play them. I've already apologized to my bass.
Yes, you are right a rather brain dead moment on my part.Good points BUT! Alcohol, denatured or otherwise, is a good string cleaner, mineral spirits (paint thinner) is not.
My teacher is big on slacking the strings, one by one, before cleaning with alcohol - claims the windings compress when tension is released and squeeze out grease/dirt/whatever. I tried cleaning under tension, then slacking the string-sure enough, lots of additional gunk came off on the rag...
OK, that is how I remember the regulars now - more volume, bigger, more powerful sound. But more of a challenge to play.
But it's all so bass dependent, yeah. What is your bass like that it did not like the Weich gauge?
I still have my set of the regulars. But since I try to keep the number of times I take off and put on strings to a minimum, I guess I was looking for some Regular gauge users to cheer me on to giving them another try.
In the end, there's only one way to find out.
Give them another try. I don't understand the mindset that the mediums are really hard. Yes they are higher tension than the weich. They feel the same on my bass as spiro mediums set at the same action (maybe 6mm off the fingerboard). unless you are using gut strings or Velvets I don't think taking strings on and off is such a bad thing.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
- Disclosures
- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
Thanks for the input. It's Sunday morning, a good time to make a cup of coffee and change strings. I'll let you know how I make out.
That's the point. Higher tension means more resistance and that can be harder on the chops, especially after long periods of use, as I found.
I remember people complaining about how the evah mediums feeling and sounding more like stark strings, people were saying that the tension of the strings were hurting them but the weich felt more like medium tension. I understand they are higher tension etc but I never felt the tension was too high (except when I raised the string hight too high)
I've installed the regular gauge and played on them for about 1/2 hour. And I am happy. Maybe I shouldn't speak until I've played a whole night with them, but I'm pretty sure that in the case of the EPs, stiffer/more resistance is better for me and my bass. And I think it's a situation similar to yours - I needed more volume, more power. I have a feeling that if you strike a happy medium between tone vs. string height, the added perceived stiffness is not really an issue (at least for me).
In any case, I have been away from the instrument for a while and I have a lot of shedding to do. So even if the heavier gauge is more challenging, it will keep things honest.
