Quote:
Originally Posted by Eduardo Barbosa
Hi Ken,
Would you mind comparing the Passione regular gauge with Evahs weich?
Both for arco and pizz.
I like the way you describe strings and I feel that I get a very good idea of what they sound like. When I try to read posts on TB about strings I end up more confused! lol
Anyway, I love the Evahs on my bass for orchestral playing, and surprisingly enough if I have to use the same bass for a Jazz gig they sound great too. Occasionally I feel like they take a bit more effort to control up in thumb position.
I wonder how the Passiones compare. Especially for pizz. Are they darker sounding then Evahs? do they have more sustain than Evahs?
Thank you.
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Basically, the Evah's have a bit more 'spring' to the response with both the bow and pizz. I used them for gigs on three of my basses that I remember. The Big Gamba (I played it out only once), the Mougenot (again, just one concert week) and the Martini (big band gig).
The reason for switching around and limited use of strings with a bass is for a few reasons. I sell these basses so I need to change strings if a customer wants something else. Also for the same reasons, the basses might be out on trial or in the case of the first two mentioned, one went into restoration and the other went in for a C-Extension.
I just want to put that up so you don't get confused between what I like and the circumstances in which I used a bass or string type.
On the Orchestra work with the 2 larger basses (not the Martini), I thought they did just fine. The week long job, rehearsals and concert was a mix of Ellington and Gershwin. With 4 basses in the section I played the 'Jazz' parts which was most of the concert but also played on the Orchestra parts as well that had no Jazz part. I was center stage with the other 3 basses on my left wrapped around the side of the stage so we were in reverse order. Mainly so I could be with the Piano and drums center stage in the rhythm section. The Mougenot (pre-restoration) was pretty focused sounding with a nice bottom in the floor. I used an amp for all the jazz and it worked just fine. Bowing was good too, no complaints but I am a light-to-medium bower as far as comparing my attack to some of the stronger orchestra players.
The Martini was played on a jazz gig with a big band. For that bass, being as dark sounding as it is I had to chase the notes a bit making me dig in harder than I would if I were using Flexorcor 92s, regular or Starks, both of which I have used on that bass.
Feel under the fingers, the Evah's regular or Weichs both feel fat, almost between a gut and a steel string. Kind of like Obligato's super sized.
Upper register playing is not as easy with these with some basses as they do get short in the sound as if they are choking. I had my big Gamba with the regular Evah's on it with the C-extension out at the ISB. Everyone loved it including Leon Bosch and Lee Mesch as well as a few other top players with famous names. Then, one Orchestra played came by the shop and tried it who had been to the ISB. Now, he didn't like the upper register. I mentioned "maybe it's the strings?" He said "no, I think it's the bass because I use these on my other basses", both of which I think are modern normal sized instruments.
So, depending on how you play and what bass you are using, you might like them or might not.
Now, as compared to the Passione strings, these do not pizz with as much 'zing' at all if any. Depending on the bass, they may or may not work at all for jazz. This is a test you will have to try on your own.
The Passione strings by far, a mile maybe, bow better and smoother than any Evah string gauge and better than most all other bowing strings. They are however made more like a blend between Flex 92s in gauge and Belcantos in bow response. Think of Belcantos in a Weich gauge (do they have them? not that I have seen.), take off that slight metallic sound (like Spiros or Superflexible with a mute on the chain saw) and add the light springy sound of a Flexocor 92, the thinnest Flexocor string made in orchestra gauge. Now, this is the Passione string as best I can describe them.