Evah Pirazzi Weich...

[bassmayhem]

I swapped my Spirocore for Weich a week ago. The "Like Factor" is very high.

What is the main difference to Spiro Core? (Remember, this is my own subjective conclusion...)
- First, they are softer to the fingers.
- They sound a tad weaker, but have a tone that is a little "hammock shaped and snappier".
- Also, I could bow them basically without rosin, only [i]Hans Andersson's Liquid Rosin[/i] impregnated in the horsehair, none on the strings.
- Another difference is that they sound better amplified in my "somewhat boomy rig" when I run the Realist straight in.

I use a Streamliner 900, that itself is very low freq friendly. The cab I used was not the perfect cab for an acoustic upright: my TKS H115 with tweeter, a cab that is very efficient in the low register. Then, the Realist itself enhances the lows quite a bit. I had to tweak the eq a lot to find a useful tone. When I used my EBS MicroBass II it was a major difference. I connected it to the amp's Aux In and bypassed the tube preamp. Night and day! Well, back to the strings...

No downside? Well, they took some days to settle properly, since the core is synthetic they stretch a bit, but that is just to be expected.
I really liked the power of the SpiroCore, but the tone and feel of the Weich is so nice, even if they have a bit lesser volume they are winners.

There is a thing to notice: in the Pirastro website they state the Weich strings (and maybe the whole EP series, I didn't check) are only available in 3/4 scale.
I contacted them about that and they answered: The set works for both 3/4 and 4/4 basses. Mine is a 4/4 bass with 110 cm (43,3") scale, and they fit perfect.

[mtroun]

My string history goes:
Full set of Helicore Hybrids
Full set of EP
EP EAD Oliv G
Full set EP weich
Full set spiros
Spiro EA Garbo DG
Spiro EAD Oliv G
Spiro EA Oliv DG
Spiro EA Oliv D Gamut G
EP Weich Oliv D Gamut G
EP Weich Gamut D and G

I have been round the block a bit with finding my sound but find the Gamut tops fit very well with the EPs. They are quite dark and create a very rich sound under the bow. I find the pizz sustain very satisfactory, somewhere between over-the-top spiro mwah and orchestral string thump, which makes it a good hybrid string. I'm sort of tempted to try wrapped gut E and A but I'm not in that much of a rush because of the great sound and response from the EP weichs. I don't consider them to lack volume at all on my bass, and unlike spiros they are comfortable to play when raised up high so you can really lay into them. If anyone's interested I could record the sound of the gut tops with EP weich on the bottom for you to hear.

M

[geoffbassist]

Hey Mtroun, I would love to hear a recording of the gut/Weich combo. I've been using Evah Weichs for years, but every 12 months tend to go round the block and try a few different sets, but I've never tried the Gamuts.

Overall I love the Evah Weichs and like bassmeyhem would recommend them to anyone looking for a good hybrid set. For me they keep their pitch really well and I also agree they are easier on the hands than a lot of strings.

[mtroun]

Ok, as promised a demo of my bass with the gamut and evah pirazzi strings. This was recorded on my iphone, so bear with the recording quality.

Also you'll have to bear with my rough playing and the G string is a bit out as well. There's a pause between the pizz and arco demonstrations, because I was looking around trying to find my bow! Hopefully it will capture some of the quality of the sound of the strings. The bottom end seems a bit weak, I'm not sure if that's a difference between my perception and what it sound like up front or the limitations of the mic.

https://soundcloud.com/marktrounson/demo-of-bryant-bass-with-gamut-and-evah-pirazzi-strings

[geoffbassist]

Thanks mtroun, great playing + great sound.
It's really got that gut vibe and I can't hear a big change as you pass across the Evahs to the Gamunts. It's quite old school, but with a really nice sustain. I bet the guys you play with love this, it's a really classic kind of tone. I'm also impressed that they seem to bow quite easily too and blend with the Evahs well.


....ahhhhh now I have more string gas :-)

Cheers Geoff

[geoffbassist]

Wow, the online store's pretty confusing, what gauge are you going for? Light?
http://www.gamutstrings.com/catalog.html?Vl=4&Tp=2

...BTW I have also found that the Evah weich E can be a bit weak. Mostly I don't notice it and if I do I just dig in more :-)

[Clarky]

Hey Geoff, the David Gage website is quite easy to navigate with Gamut Lyon and Pistoy strings http://www.davidgage.com/store/index.php?cPath=40_56

PS, lovely sound mtroun. I have settled on gut D/G from a Pirastro Chorda 'Carlos Henriquez' set which are lovely. I pair them with Spiro Weich and there is a change in timbre between A and D but its not major and - to be frank - if matching Spiros and guts was good enough for the sadly-departed Charlie Haden, who am I to argue?

[mtroun]

I imagine Weich would be a bit more forgiving. I know some other players, like Drew Gress, use Spiro Mittel set waaay high but I just can't cope with the tension personally. The gauge of my gamuts are lyon, both medium gauge. I've heard that for jazz playing, Gamut recommend a medium Lyon G with a light Pistoy D. I ordered my strings from Bridgewood and Neizert in Stoke Newington (vivaceviolin online), buying the G first and then asking them to order a light Pistoy D, but I called back a few weeks later and they still hadn't even got it on order so I ended up getting the medium Lyon as it was in stock.

With regards to the bottom end being weak, that isn't really a problem with an amp, in fact it's preferable to boomy bottom strings. I still think the recording seems a bit bottom-light compared to how it sounds to my own ears when I'm playing.

Sorry about the string gas - I was definitely surprised at how much I enjoyed playing the guts with the bow - you'd be led to believe they were absolutely horrible to bow on but I love the sound and they start pretty easily. They like lots of rosin and perhaps there's a slightly different bow technique required for the guts compared to the EPs. I am by no means an expert arco player so I suppose that could be a problem for some people who almost exclusively bow, but for what I do they blend extremely well.

One question I want to ask everyone is: how long do your Evah Pirazzi last? I have had three sets of EPs in different gauges, I had the first set on for a long time but took the G off early. When I put it back on a bit later it was really noticeable how much brighter it was, but it was really curiosity about the weichs that meant the original set came off. When I first got my Bryant it had Spiros on, I put the EPWs from my old bass on when I got it to try it but they seemed really dark and lifeless (not sure if that's just comparatively) but then I found myself back on EPs again. They definitely get dark pretty quick but there's a different between dark and dead.

[sbasstraveller]

Thanks for this input guys..
I've recently had an operation on the root of my left thumb and finding my Thomastik Spirocores hard work, and in any case they are a bit harsh sounding under the bow. Somebody recommended Evah Weichs and I'm looking for validations. The builder of my bass swears by Pirastro Flexocors, but he is strictly classical.
I play mostly jazz but I like to have a good arco sound too. I have Obligatos on my NS WAV and they are fantastically easy to play, hence this led me to the Pirazzi's.

The other obvious question is: Light (Weich) or Medium gauge?

Comments welcome
Thanks

[mtroun]

Weich means soft - the standard Evah Pirazzi (medium) are rather thicker and slightly higher tension. They don't seem to mind being put high or low. I would argue they are THE hybrid string - I use them as do quite a lot of other jazz players I know, and I also know a number of classical players who are fond of them. They've also been a big hit with Violin and Viola players, they are basically the next generation of plastic-core string (dominants and obligato coming before)

Compared to Obligatos (but bearing in mind it's a long time since I've played a bass with Oblis on) they are slightly darker, richer, louder, with more 'pop' at the start of the note. They amplify extremely well and I'm told the Obligatos can suffer from 'rolling under the bow' which is not a problem with the EPs.

Compared to Spirocores, well they are a lot less painful to play on. Spirocore Weichs are nice too though if you love that steel string sound, but I think EPs bring out the sound of the wood quite a lot more and sound better through an amp.

If you haven't tried them I would suggest you get a set (in weich gauge) and just see how you get on. They settle in pretty quick but the magic really happens when the initial brightness has worn off. I sound like I work for Pirastro here, though if you read up you'll see I mix them with plain guts. They get a lot of love on the forums and for good reason.

[philparker]

I started off using Evah Pirazzi mediums, which I really liked even though the sound was a bit dark. I tried Spirocores, which were much brighter, but too scratchy when it came to Arco. I then went to Belcantos, which were superb for arco and sounded surprisingly good when played pizz.

I recently purchased a new and upgraded DB, which came with Spirocores and sounded fantastic, but I'm playing 50/50 arco and pizz. I had a set-up carried out and replaced the strings for Evah Pirazzi Weichs and I'm very pleased. for some reason they're slightly brighter than the mediums; they bow superbly and they are much softer to play pizz and also have a great sound. I've not amplified them yet (other than experimenting at home), but I can't foresee them being any different.

I would certainly recommend them.

[Panamonte]

I put a set of EP weichs on my NXT 4 a week ago and they're settling in nicely. Really like the sound both pizz and arco. I'll report back, but so far so good.

[Rabbie]

Evahs are lovely strings. I'm a guts player but amongst steels, I find Evahs to be the more organic sounding (a rubbish statement since they are made of metal and plastic so there is nothing organic about them!).
Incidentally, Pirastro is launching a new set of Evahs called " Evah Pirazzi Slap": they are G and D raw gut and A and E apparently a modified kind of Evah more slap friendly. Basically it sounds like it's nothing to do with a set of Evahs, but Pirastro folk must really struggle with names. As one of my basses has a set of Lenzner which is, if I remember well, nearly 3 years old, I'm taking one from the team and I ordered a set, apparently arriving in mid-June.

[sbasstraveller]

Thanks for all your responses, much appreciated!
Have now ordered them and will give some feedback later. Looking forward to a more 'gut' feel..

I have also tried Presto light gauge.. also great for pizz but terrible under the bow

Some time ago I bought a second hand Eminence bass, you know the one with the abbreviated body, and it had black Innovation Rockabilly strings on it.. They were fantastic and so easy to play, I was almost shocked.. but arco was dire, unfortunately. Have since sold the bass.. found it sounded too 'boxy'.. could never get a rich sound out of it.

All the best you guys and thanks again
Geof Harris

Edited May 10, 2015 by sbasstraveller