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Double Bass New Evah Pirazzi slap strings from Pirastro!
- Thread starter Francois Blais
- Start date
- Sep 8, 2010
- 453
- 608
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Aguilar Sadowsky Hipshot David Gage Czech-Ease Mono Kala UBass
Hello TB community! Can anyone compare the new Evah Slaps to Garbo lights? I'm looking for an AE to match with my Gamut D light and Gamut G med. I'm using some good old Spiro weichs now but the tension is unmatched. I was going to try Garbo lights but now I'm thinking the Evah slaps might be better. thanks, np
Nathan can you wait a few days? I've got the E & A on order and they should be here on Wednesday. I currently have a lyon light + G and a pistoy light D matched with light gauge Kaplan E & A on my Cleveland. I've always preferred wound gut for the E & A on this bass but tuning and longevity have forced me to compromise. Based on other comments these aren't exactly Evah lights repurposed so I'm hoping for the best. The regular Evahs (both orchestra and light) did not match well with gut for me.
Friend of mine just put Evah Slaps on her Lemur Jupiter. They're still settling in, but she reports that the set is very even and plays well with the bow. The strings she replaced were Lambert Gut Twins which were several years old.
I have Evah Slap E/A paired with Dlugolecki plain gut D/G. They work really well together and playing across strings doesn't throw up any apparent tension mismatch as far as I am concerned. The Evah Slap E/A are definitely lower tension than EP Weich, feel more flexible/soft under the fingers, and altogether a better match for plain gut top strings. I have owned Garbo Lights and I much prefer the Evah Slap E/A as the latter hold their tuning better, feel more robust and are sonically closer to gut than the Garbos.
3+ months on, I still recommend them very highly. In fact, even better now.
So the E & A have been on my bass for two days now and I'm really impressed. These are the best match I've found yet to wound gut (by quite a bit .) They settled in quickly and the tension and playability is excellent. Great with the bow too! I'm done with strings for this bass.
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I wonder if Pirastro would consider using the same materials employed in the Slap E/A strings (windings, core) for D and G strings? I assume not, but they would make a wonderful hybrid set that would be more old school still than EPs and certainly nicer to play (IMV)
- Jul 19, 2000
- 2,014
- 2,224
- Disclosures
- Owner/President, Gollihur Music LLC
Cindy, over at the Upright Bass Players Union page on Facebook, posted this:
Super Early, Barely Valid Impressions of Evah Pirazzi Slap Strings:
People have been bugging me for info on these strings. The came in the mail on Saturday and I put them on and spent Sunday and Monday trying to stretch them in. I played a show with them Monday night. Keep in mind that I'm not a string changer and have played the same set of Lambert GT-47s for the last several years. Here's my first thoughts...
Installation: no surprises there
Texture: all four strings are smooth as glass
Tension: slightly higher than the GT-47s, but very easy to play and slap - whacker players may find them too tight
Tone: very natural and "gutty" - very even across all four strings
Volume: very slightly louder than the GT-47s - very even across all four strings
Slap: Awesome - just what I expected.
Pizz: Nice and tight - great definition - not quite as punchy as the GT-47s, but maybe more organic sounding
Arco: HELL YEAH!!
E String: Amazing note clarity and sustain - F, F#, and G are all really strong
A String: Also really well defined - maybe a slight ring, but that may be my rig's EQ
D and G: beautiful and bright.
Cost: Ouch.
People have been bugging me for info on these strings. The came in the mail on Saturday and I put them on and spent Sunday and Monday trying to stretch them in. I played a show with them Monday night. Keep in mind that I'm not a string changer and have played the same set of Lambert GT-47s for the last several years. Here's my first thoughts...
Installation: no surprises there
Texture: all four strings are smooth as glass
Tension: slightly higher than the GT-47s, but very easy to play and slap - whacker players may find them too tight
Tone: very natural and "gutty" - very even across all four strings
Volume: very slightly louder than the GT-47s - very even across all four strings
Slap: Awesome - just what I expected.
Pizz: Nice and tight - great definition - not quite as punchy as the GT-47s, but maybe more organic sounding
Arco: HELL YEAH!!
E String: Amazing note clarity and sustain - F, F#, and G are all really strong
A String: Also really well defined - maybe a slight ring, but that may be my rig's EQ
D and G: beautiful and bright.
Cost: Ouch.
Ok Ive been trying out the slap A&E strings,, now everyone knows i'm a traditionalist using plain gut G&D and the round copper/silver wrapped A&E, The Slaps do play very even when paired with plain guts, the chrome winding does make them a bit harder to play, they sound pretty good,, they are a bit darker than silver wrapped guts,and the attack is some different,, I think they feel like Olivs,, only with a smaller gage.,If I could tweak these strings I would try a aluminum wrap much like their Eudoxas as well as a round wrap like Chordas, over all not bad, better than Garbos which has been the closest thing I have found.Kent
I liked the Zyex mediums just fine for a month or so now. They are certainly an ergonomic improvement over the old Spiro Mittels.
BUT....I've got that old time feelin in my bones, or maybe it's the change of season. SO I impulsively ordered these, bought some needle files and got them installed on the Upton Std Ply last night. They seem to have stretched in very quickly. I will report back in a few weeks time.
BUT....I've got that old time feelin in my bones, or maybe it's the change of season. SO I impulsively ordered these, bought some needle files and got them installed on the Upton Std Ply last night. They seem to have stretched in very quickly. I will report back in a few weeks time.
Attachments
GUT OR GLORYHELP DESK REQUEST:
Please have a look at the picture and tell me if the D string is a freak show. Weird fact; It is the only one that came in a giant envelope where the other three came in normal sized envelopes.
I expect that things will change over the next while, but this D string sounds dull and looks a bit wonky. Doesn't look or sound nearly the same quality as the G, which has a nice smooth surface and lively(er) sound. On the D I can feel the whiter strand as it twists and bumps along the length. I have also trimmed off a loose hair. If this is a normal gut string then fine I will keep playing it in and wait for the set and the bass to settle in.
Here is a shot of the strings. The difference in color and texture is a little more dramatic in person:
Please have a look at the picture and tell me if the D string is a freak show. Weird fact; It is the only one that came in a giant envelope where the other three came in normal sized envelopes.
I expect that things will change over the next while, but this D string sounds dull and looks a bit wonky. Doesn't look or sound nearly the same quality as the G, which has a nice smooth surface and lively(er) sound. On the D I can feel the whiter strand as it twists and bumps along the length. I have also trimmed off a loose hair. If this is a normal gut string then fine I will keep playing it in and wait for the set and the bass to settle in.
Here is a shot of the strings. The difference in color and texture is a little more dramatic in person:
Usually the white means that they are drying out a bit. I've only had two new sets of gut, but I don't remember having hairs to trim before they were installed. Mine usually sprout facial hair from being played.
As for the bumps and such, that is sometimes a function of gut strings. However I wouldn't expect it on a brand new D string. Plain A yes, but not D. Perhaps it has undergone a large climate change on it's journey to you, otherwise I would be disappointed with that quality for the price.
As for the weird envelope for the D, can't explain that one.
As for the bumps and such, that is sometimes a function of gut strings. However I wouldn't expect it on a brand new D string. Plain A yes, but not D. Perhaps it has undergone a large climate change on it's journey to you, otherwise I would be disappointed with that quality for the price.
As for the weird envelope for the D, can't explain that one.
I was scratching my head over the envelope thing too. My best guess is that the D string was designed to be stiff, and could be damaged by coiling it too tightly.
Paperback, as a rule plain gut Ds are thuddy and kind of blah when you venture higher than F#. Just the nature of the beast, really.
Give the guts time to settle in before you pass judgment, until Christmas at least.
Paperback, as a rule plain gut Ds are thuddy and kind of blah when you venture higher than F#. Just the nature of the beast, really.
Give the guts time to settle in before you pass judgment, until Christmas at least.
For reference, here are my Lenzners after getting cleaned up and oiled sometime last year.
