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  #21  
Old 10-30-2010, 08:12 PM
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Abe Gumroyan Abe Gumroyan is offline
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Ken,

What are the differences you hear & feel between the Passione & Belcanto ? I am reluctant to change the belcanto set on my Martin as they give a great "boom" and spread sonically. I briefly tried a set of original flexs when I first purchased my bass and they choked it out so I am assuming my bass likes low to medium tension. My only gripe with the belcantos is that their dynamic range is quite limited but I put up with it because of the compromise of sound and response. Are the passione strings quick to speak like the bels ?... Also, I just checked Pirastro's website and found that they offer a Stark set now. Any suggestions would be useful.
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  #22  
Old 10-30-2010, 09:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Abe Gumroyan View Post
Ken,

What are the differences you hear & feel between the Passione & Belcanto ? I am reluctant to change the belcanto set on my Martin as they give a great "boom" and spread sonically. I briefly tried a set of original flexs when I first purchased my bass and they choked it out so I am assuming my bass likes low to medium tension. My only gripe with the belcantos is that their dynamic range is quite limited but I put up with it because of the compromise of sound and response. Are the passione strings quick to speak like the bels ?... Also, I just checked Pirastro's website and found that they offer a Stark set now. Any suggestions would be useful.
I have them on two basses (no ext.) and they play easier to me than the Bel's. I don't have the Starks yet to comment but I did suggest to Pirastro to make them. They said NO at that time. It seems as if I was not the only one testing them that gave the same feedback. The tension is similar to Weich Evahs with the gauges of the Flex. 92s and the smoothness of the Bel's and a slight bow grab/bite almost like the Spiro Weichs. Basically, about the best I have tested in a long long time.
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  #23  
Old 11-24-2010, 04:22 PM
Vincent Trautwein Vincent Trautwein is offline
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I've been playing the starks for a couple weeks now, really nice strings. Loads of cojones and bow really well.
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  #24  
Old 11-24-2010, 04:50 PM
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Cool Starks?

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Originally Posted by Vincent Trautwein View Post
I've been playing the starks for a couple weeks now, really nice strings. Loads of cojones and bow really well.
I have a set here now but have not decided on a bass to put them on yet. I have used the regular set on 4 of my basses now. One of the sets I moved from one bass to another and the others put on fresh. One of the sets is with the extension E/C, on my Mittenwald bass.

I have to say that so far, they are the smoothest/sweetest combined strings I have found for bowing. On the basses I have them on, Pizz is no problem either regardless of the style being jazz or classical. The most common type bass of the group is my German/Mittenwald. On that bass it works either way. On the other hand, I had Flex. Starks and it was just as good all around then, just tighter and required more bow pressure. I also have them on my Sirleto, a modern Italian bass. They bowed great on that bass but was a bit dry for jazz playing. I switched them with the Evah's that were on my Malvolti so now both basses seem happier..

As soon as I have a bass that needs a new set, I will try the Starks out. Right now, all the basses are strung just fine.
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  #25  
Old 12-05-2010, 03:24 PM
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Ok, a few days ago I put the Stark Passione's on my Panormo School bass and I used it last night for the first time with them other than a few minutes here and there testing in the office. I have to say that on this bass, they feel as soft and smooth as on the other basses with the regular set. The tension and thickness is only just slightly more but feels softer then the Original Flat Chromes (with stark 92 E/C) that came off the bass. I like them!
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  #26  
Old 02-27-2011, 03:48 PM
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Lightbulb Passione vs Belcantos

First off, let me say my intention is not to battle between these two very fine strings of which I use both of them.

My Hart as of this morning had a set of Belcantos on it. They were put on over a year ago but they went on the Martini for awhile and then I started testing some other strings so they were on and off 4x between the 2 basses by the time they were back on the Hart.

My Mittenwald/Neuner bass also as of a few hours ago had a fairly new set of Passione's on it.

I was curious how the Passione's would sound and feel on the Hart but because I was happy with the Bel's as they were the best string tried on that bass yet, I left well enough alone.

Today after lunch I came in to the shop and first swapped out just the G-strings. Both basses sounded better under the bow and at least as good if not better for Pizz as well. The Hart was a little smoother and softer to play and the Neuner was more focused and powerful as well. The Neuner has a higher arch Top as compared to the flatter arched Hart so probably, tension on the belly has something to do with this as well.

After swapping the rest of the strings from both basses it feels like I now have a better string on them. That is, in my opinion for my playing.

So, you never really know until you try it, at least in this case. Both basses played and sounded good before but now, each bass I think is slightly better.
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  #27  
Old 02-27-2011, 05:08 PM
Eduardo Barbosa Eduardo Barbosa is offline
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Default Passione VS Evahs Weich?

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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  #28  
Old 02-27-2011, 10:54 PM
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Lightbulb well..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eduardo Barbosa View Post
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.
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.
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  #29  
Old 02-28-2011, 12:04 PM
Eduardo Barbosa Eduardo Barbosa is offline
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great post Ken.
thank you.
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  #30  
Old 03-01-2011, 10:56 AM
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Thomas Erickson Thomas Erickson is offline
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+1; nice post. I agree with the take on both Evahs and Flex92s - I don't care for the former and sometimes like the latter. Though, I don't like BelCantos either. Sounds like the Passione might be a great string.
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  #31  
Old 03-01-2011, 01:32 PM
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Cool but..

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas Erickson View Post
+1; nice post. I agree with the take on both Evahs and Flex92s - I don't care for the former and sometimes like the latter. Though, I don't like BelCantos either. Sounds like the Passione might be a great string.
On some basses, the Passione's might feel dead on the Pizz and not ring either on the bowing. If you bass has it, the string will duplicate it to a degree. If not, don't expect this string to give you some sound that's not in your bass.

I have had these on about 6 basses now. They work with the Bow as intended. I would not at all call this a Jazz string but then again, I have been satisfies with Flex 92s on 'my' basses for jazz and I only get compliments on my sound. Thanks really goes to the basses first as I do bring out the 'big guns' on just about every gig. Then, there's me and how you squeeze the sound out. Empathy is a good description as I play each bass slightly different accordingly!
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  #32  
Old 12-21-2011, 01:22 AM
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Thumbs up Passione Starks..

I just took off a fairly well used set of Flex 92's Stark gauge with the E/C to match from my Neuner/Mittenwald bass. I had them on a couple of basses over the last year or so. Taking the strings on and off adds to their demise eventually.

So, I have my original set or Passione Starks (with E/C) that were also on 2 other basses as well that I had kept around as spares. So, with nearly as much playing but as much on and off business, I just put them on the Neuner and they sound good.

I think they hold up just as well as the 92s have for age and bass changing. They actually feel great on the Neuner. It might be the best string for that bass yet. I'll leave them on for the rest of the season and see how they hold up as I use this bass for some of my concerts and most of my rehearsals as well as any Jazz gigs I do.
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