I like that you demonstrate different styles. I think it would be interesting to have the final example be an “in the mix” example, playing a bass line with a backing track, etc.
I like the Evah Slaps. And also the 2nd one in -the Efrano. They both have a lovely shape all round - Attack, Delay Sustain and Release - to steal from the synthesizer world.
Yes I agree! I think you mean Decay, not Delay (in ADSR) - I remember that from synths in the 80s! But exactly: To me the shape of the ADSR Envelope is one of the most important parts of the bass sound!!
Thanks for your feedback! I sometimes write mails to the string companies to get strings for a test but they often don't answer. Maybe I need a couple thousand more subscribers.... But good to know you are interested in these tests. You can also compare many strings on my website.
Thank you so much! I have the Swingmasters and synthetic EP Slaps. I love the Swingmasters for anything old school. The Slaps lack a bit of definition for me whether it be the growl of a steel string or the airy high end of the plain gut. Efrano sounded nice to me too. Great content!
Thanks for all the great videos. I tell all my bass friends about your website. Brilliant. I've recently purchased two Pirastro string sets. The EP Weichs for my 5/8 39.5" scale fully laminate and the EP Gold Slaps for my 3/4 41.5" scale full laminate bass. Interestingly, I came across a similar problem with both sets. I feel like the D and G do not match with the A and E. I'm somewhat disappointed that, at such a high price, Pirastro does not do a better job of it. On the Weich's, the lower strings sound noticably darker than the higher strings. Both pizz and arco. On the Slaps, the A and E strings seem to lack in definition and fundamental. I think the EP Slaps would may work well on a 7/8, but I feel the tension is just not enough for a 3/4. So now I am on the hunt for the right E and A strings to match the beautiful sound and feel of the EP Slaps synthetic D and G. Any idea why string manufacturers do not measure the tension on gut and synthetic gut strings? I find this somewhat perplexing. It makes it so much harder to find the right strings.
Yes, the EP slaps would be nice to have with a slightly higher tension. Fellow bass player Grzegorz Nadolny used EP (probably weich) for a and e, combined with d & g evah slap. Of course there is a big sustain difference, but it's an interesting concept that you can hear on the album "imaginary landscape" by Mateusz Bliskowski.
Thanks for making it! Save my life! Always feel like EP Oliv and Chorda are the most famous choices as I search for what the famous bassist in new york are using. But to me, Oliv really sounds more like somewhere between gut and steal, and isn't really producing very 'gut' sound
Yes, that was also my impression, the first time I tried Oliv. And it is true that the timbre is quite different from real plain gut. But the "envelope" , so the dynamic "curve" is quite close to that of gut. They have a clearer punch than all synthetic options (EP Slap snthetic comes close though). I love oliv G and D and have been using them since 2018.
@@stringmatrix Just curious, what do you think is the drawback of using pure gut? Since I don't think I know a lot of bassist who are using pure gut (from my impression). Most of people I knew would prefer Steel/Synthetic E A D with Oliv/Eudoxa G
Hey Hervé, thanks again for a very insightful video! I am a big fan, also liked the video on the condenser mics very much. Opinions: Chorda: very even, but not that sonorous in the lows, murky, little sustain in the highs. Efrano: yep, very clear sound, but lacks a bit compactness in the lows, so not that great mids tone-wise, but great highs. Swingmaster: punchy, but a bit muffled, like somebodyí playing DB next door, little sustain in the highs. Evah's: my favorite. Very even, sonorous, clearly singing, punchy. BTW: 'restorated' is far better unless you want to take the bass back to where it came from. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much Chris!! Yeah for my ears "restorated" makes more sense, but on american bass websites they always talk about "restored" basses. Maybe the native speakers can help us 🤔🙂?
I am playing a different combination of strings presented in this video: E and A Pirastro Chorda (C. Henriquez edition) and D and G Efranos. This works very good for me!
Thank You Herve´. For me, the Efrano sounds good. I think i will test them. On my plywood bass, i play gut strings the called Pirasto Pizzicato. I love this strings. On my solidwood bass, i play gut strings the called play Pirasto Eudoxa. Have you ever played the Pizzicato or Eudoxa.
Yes I know both sets, you can also hear them on the String Matrix on my website. I think Pirastro doesn't make the Pizzicatos any more. They sounded good, but to me they didn't respond in the way I like it (so I didn't feel really comfortable playing them). And for Eudoxa I feel the same: For my taste they bring the gut too much in a "non-gut" direction: Lots of sustain but not that much punch. That said, I have heard great bassists playing both and sounding great, it's just a matter of personal preference. I love Pirastro Oliv for G and D. I combine them with "Wraps" strings by Gerold Genssler (or sometimes with Evah Pirazzi weich, apparently John Pattitucci also uses this combination).
Thank you again for a great video. I like that you played various music genres. It is what I do. Boy oh boy the combination of the two sets is amazing. So even across all the strings. I wonder how the full synthetic Evah Slap bass set compares?
The full synthetic EP Slap set is also very nice. It imitates quite well (90 %) the sound and feel of gut. It is very even too and the string bow very well.
I know them, but I never became a friend of the Eudoxas, they remind me a little bit of steel strings. I love Oliv G& D though, in my opinion they are closer to real unwrapped gut (especially the envelope).
very helpful comparison! I thought the chordas were impeccable but with that comparison not so much. im wondering if Carlos Henriquez make a difference
For me the best sounding are the Evah slap! But I like the E and A from the Evah and try to combine it with gut a like D & G. So the opposite of your last sample. Let's see how it turns out
Yeah why not?! It all depends on which qualities you want to have for your sound. The Evah Slaps E/A have more sustain an a more clear sound than the Swingmasters. The Swingmasters have more of a low-end thump.
@@stringmatrix never thought about the vegan aspect! my vegan brother will be so proud! thank you for your work. I'm new in playing double bass and your videos are one of the best on UA-cam
@@stringmatrix I have the Evah slaps and it doesn't have any sustain to it.. even with a low action ( Well typically use medium action ( 16mm, 15mm, 11mm, 10mm ) and I don't get any sustain.
Thank you for this comparison! I wanted to ask for you thoughts on what seemed to be the difference in the D and G strings between the Chorda and the Slap?
Hey Hervé, thank you very much for your great work. I played Velvet Garbo G-gut with low tension for years. It's not a perfect string-set but it matched very well to my bass and my playing. (it was kind of hate and love) Bowing is difficult but pizzicato was a dream. Velvet has closed the doors and the strings are not available anymore. What setup would you recommend for a similar sound, tension and feeling. Now I'm trying Evah Pirazzi Slap E/A and Olives D/G. It's a nice setup but I'm not that happy like before. The Swingmasters sounds damn good, specially for that price. I'm not looking for the perfect setup. (that does not exist) But I'm looking for a setup with great hate and love balance. :0)
Thanks Mirco, I often get inquiries about replacement possibilities for velvet. Since velvets were quite unique, I can't give really good answers. In your case I would try the combination at the end of this video: Swingmasters e+a and EP slap gut for d+g. I regret that I haven't tried gut-a-like deluxe yet because I have the feeling that they may be interesting too. I hope I can test these soon.
PS: Maybe also the whole Swingmaster Set would work. I played Garbo for more than 10 years and then switched for a while to Swingmasters, which was a step towards "more old school sound". Fantastic feeling but I also wanted to play melodies with a little sustain so I changed to my Oliv/Genssler combination.
Hi again Hervé, here with more questions! I'm looking for a great complimentary E-string to my ADG-guts (carved bass). Playing mostly slap, R'n'B and occasionally jazz. I'm on the brink of giving up after trying: - Spiro weich (too metallic, good tension though) - Evah Weich (too metallic, a bit too much tension) - Evah Weich A (too low tension, tuning stability issues and too metallic) - Gut (just too much haha) - Swingmaster (not on my bass, but it felt awful under the fingers) - Efrano wrapped mittel (currently on, too much tension, hate the wrapping and too metallic with slap, sounds like gut with pizz though) Been thinking about Oliv (think I would love the flatwound, but hesitant 'cause of the $$) and Evah Slap (afraid it would be too loose and metallic sounding). Please help a deteriorating mind!
Hi Rickard, I don't think you'll be happy with an Oliv E. I will release a video in a few days where I will compare Oliv and Eudoxa. The Oliv E is too dead for pizz. You have very precise wished about tension (for me Spiro Weich is similar to EP Weich). I am not as sensitive to different tensions... Maybe you will like the EP slap E but I think it has less tension than Spiro Weich. Or you should look at solo strings tuned down. Maybe the dominant solo that are on the string matrix or some d'addario helicore solo. Or strings by innovation: the polychrome may be interesting they are not too metallic. Very difficult to give a good advice in your case but these would be my ideas.
@@stringmatrix thanks for the answer. I'm sorry I wasn't clear, the Spiro felt good in tension but maybe not optimal. I actually played my old Spiro's today on my friends bass, and I think I should opt for lower tension with my preferred string height. 70€ for a EP Slap isn't too bad either. I'll buy it and see in the week to come! Thanks for bearing with the questions! Keep up the good work.
Thank you for the comparison, very useful as always! Could you possibly comment on the differences between the Swingmaster and Chorda G string?Tension, gauges, stifness, projection? 😊 Thank you very much!
Difficult to give you a precise answer. I would say they are quite similar, maybe the swingmasters are a little less stiff. As I wrote in an other comment, I thought the Chordas were generally more tense than the other sets in this comparison but I found out it was only the A and E that have a quite high tension. I didn't realize that while playing (strangely). The Chorda probably has a little more projection since the Swingmaster is a little darker. You talk about tension AND stiffness: I have been asking myself if this is the same thing or weather some strings feel less stiff (because the material is more elastic) compared to another string with the same tension but with a less elastic material. I don't know, maybe you have an explanation?
@@stringmatrix Well, from what I've read, mostly on talkbass,but also from experience, I understand that tension and stifness are two different things. Here are a couple of non-scientific observations: A string with higher tension will produce a bigger sound since the pressure on the bridge and, consequently, on the top of the bass will be greater than that of a string with lower tension( of course that also depends on how much pressure the top can withstand before it starts to "choke"). A stiff string will be harder to press down with the left hand compared to an elastic string set at the same string height. The density of a string plays, I think, an important role too:Spirocores always seemed to me to be "dense".. As oppose to Jazzers for example, which to my ear sound "airier". I think that the gauge of a string can also be of importance with regards to both left and right hand technique. A G string that is too thin may "cut" the left and right hand fingers when pressed or pulled. A string that is thick may be easier on the hands, however, as you well know, there are other trade-offs : thuddy notes, slow response etc. However, from a jazz pizz perspective, I wonder if I could find a plain G gut string that would be suitable for fast solo playing using very low string height, particularly 4mm on the G string. I want to combine it with the Jazzer string set. I think I would need a very stiff, medium gauge (no more than 2.2mm) plain gut G to have any chance at this working. Right now I'm experimenting with the Swingmaster G but at this string height it feels slow and also, as you say, it lacks high frequencies. So maybe, if I could find a G of average gauge and , consequently, tension but of high stifness this could work. I'm not interested in wrapped gut(maintenance issues) or a synthetic string at the moment, just plain gut. Sorry for the rant, I hope all this makes some sense. Again, thanks for all the work that you've put into the stringmatrix, it has been most helpful through the years 😊. All the best!
@@periklistrivolis1660 Yes that makes sense, thanks for your observations. I myself was also wondering about the stiffness vs. tension difference in the last months. Density is also an interesting thing. But you mean tonal density? Or density of the material of the string (which certainly also plays a role)?
@@stringmatrix I meant density of the material of the string but maybe that translates to tonal density as well. Spirocores have always felt and sounded like that to me. Would you by any chance have any suggestions as to what plain gut G I could use? Thank you very much!
@@periklistrivolis1660 Of "my" 3 Gs I would say that the Chorda had the most tension. I don't know if it would fit to such a low action (the problem will probably be the unevenness of the string). Pirastro says they have 22,8 kg tension. I also heard good things about www.gamutmusic.com/red-diamond-bass-strings which are designed as high tension gut strings. The G has 23 kg, so similar to Chorda.
It's an old bass, probably german. I really like it, I think it's a specially good plywood. But I had many things done: New fingerboard, neck reset and of course new bridge.
I have always used a plywood bass, sometimes a solid as well but my preference has always been the sound from the plywood (esp for pizz swing jazz -- it gives me that 50s and 60s Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Blanton sound.. with the gut string on it.. ( Evah slaps..)
Thanks for the comps. I'm looking for a replacement for Velvet Blues, which are no longer made. Can you tell me what are the string diameters of the Swingmasters? And, did you have to enlarge your bridge and nut slots to accommodate?
Oh the swingmasters are much thicker than the Blues, and sound quite different. I will measure... Yes you would have to widen the grooves at the nut and bridge.
Hey, thank you so much for your great Job! It's so helpful! and great playing too. May I ask you which tension Efrano are you using? Soft, medium or strong? Thanks and congrats again. D.
Would have loved to hear them arco, too (and maybe as a blind test, since I'm biased as a know both the Pirazzi and Gut-a-like). Anyway, I can only guess how much time it takes to produce such a video with all the string attaching/detaching (and of course video editing), so many thanks for yet another great video! I like the Pirazzis do to the balance, the more sustain and great arco playability. Some questions: 1. Do you have any advice for "maintaining" plain gut strings? Cleaning? Oiling? Dealing with small fibres coming off the string? 2. I read from some Gut-a-like Swingmaster players that they leave marks on the fingerboard due to the coarse winding. Did you experience this, too? 3. Does the copper from the swingmasters also corrode so much that you sometimes get black fingers? (I had this with Velvet strings)
1. No, I also heard about oiling the strings but I don't know if that's necessary. The fibres : I used sandpaper to remove them but also here: I don't know if this is a good thing. 2. No I didn't encounter these problems. The round windings of Efrano and Chords are probably more aggressive. 3. The copper gets dirty/dark, but I had the feeling that it didn't affect my hands as much as the Garbo winding.
What strings would you personally prefer if you were playing jazz and some slap? (Maybe there isn't a good choice?) The Gut-a-Like sounds like it would be great for slap but how would you like them for jazz? Also wondering if you have tried Superior Bassworks Dirty Gut strings? They are only $60 but I've heard some good things. Thanks for your videos, they are very helpful.
I love the Gut-A-Likes for jazz, when I don't need to play "singing melodies". They have a great thump for swing that also amplifies well. I wrote to Superior Bassworks but they did not respond yet.
Hello! I have a special Question: A Friend of mine once gave me the the Evah Pirazzi Slap-Strings. I´ve heard that gut strings has to be tighten up pretty often until they get into the stable tune. But in my case it was a kind of weird: i´ve tighten them up a couple of times, then left the bass for a couple of days. After coming back to it, the Strings hav ebeen losen their tension so extremely, that the bridge falled down. is that a normal process? Thanks in forward for your answer.
Sorry for the late answer... No this is very unusual. Even if the strings would detune by a third or fourth I am pretty sure the bridge would still be in place. Maybe the bridge was already leaning towards the neck? Or maybe the feet aren't properly adapted to the shape of the top? Only speculating, this is very unusual.
How is the tension of the Pirastro chorda wound E compared to the evah slap low E? Does the chorda E have similar tension to a plain gut? I have a plain gut E right now and love the playability. Just not getting a lot of pitch definition. Any thoughts would be great!!!
I remember that I was surprised, how much tension the wound chordas (a, e) have. I'm sure they have a clearly higher tension that Evah Slap a and e. Concerning the plain e: I never tried one and there are certainly very different types, so I can't really help...
@@stringmatrix thanks for the reply…. I ended up throwing on the evah slap E and was blown away by the difference it made. It goes well with the plain A-G and wow, it bows incredibly. I think it’s the easiest bowing string I’ve ever used. Crazy…. That said, do you know of any LOW tension traditionally designed wound gut E strings? I still want to try one out so that I can have a period accurate setup.. something that has tension similar to the evah slap. Really such a phenomenal string. I’m blown away haha.
@@joldisyri8936 no I don't have any recommendations for a low tension wound gut E, sorry. Yes I also found the Arco response of the Evah P Slap extremely comfortable, it's amazing.
@@stringmatrix truly, the bow glides so nice. Do all the wound guts you’ve tried typically have high tension? Any you’ve tried that feel as good as the eva slap?
@@joldisyri8936 I only know chorda and efrano. I believe efrano had a slightly lower tension, but you can ask the manufacturer for the tension you want anyway. But I really can't remember if the efrano e that I had, had a similar tension to evah slap.
1st - last ==> Slap, Efranos, Swingmaster and Chordas. the efranos and slap have more of the Oscar Pettiford, Eugene Wright, paul chambers sound ( depth and resonance).. after listening to this I decided to dig out a Dave Brubeck concert to listen to Eugene's bass( my perfect bass sound ) and the slap && Efranos seem to come close to what tI heard and was used back then. The chordas was somewhat disappointing I thought for its price it was goin' to be dark but it's on the light side with the least depth to it Thanks for this comparison..
Eugene Wright is amazing... He also plays in a Doug Watkins record. I love Doug's bass sound, so full, round and resonant (ofc is mostly in his hand) but any guess about the strings? I heard that he and Paul were using Artones.
Great job! Thanks for sharing. Just a few questions: are the swingmaster-gut-a likes A and E bowable? And...I play gut G and D made in USA by Gamut Strings: wonderful strings. For years I've paired them with E and A from Gamut, but since the wrap was break I put A and E Pirastro Slap. Good and cheaper strings, but, you're right, there is a lack of punch. I need a little more punch in the low strings. Do you suggest Swingmaster? Or other?
Thanks! Yes, the Swingmasters are bowable! Of course not like a real bow string but somehow ok. Yes I would recommend them. Gut-a-like now also has the Deluxe set, which seems interesting too, but I didn't get a chance to try it yet.
That's a good question and I just checked the tensions on the Pirastro site. Fact is: The E string has a higher tension than EP Mittel E. The A string has slightly less tension than EP Weich A. The D and G have much lower tensions. These very different tensions were irritating and that's why I thought they are not too comfortable to play.
@@stringmatrix Alright. Like you said about some of sets of string, I sometimes find gut strings can almost be a little "too easy" to play. But at the same time I love the general playability of gut string. It would just be fun to find that perfect string for the bass.
i have a 4/4 plywood bass and the low E is soooo weak. The A D and G strings sound cool but the E simply looses all bass. Do you have any advice ? when it comes to strings and setup. I also want smooth strings like the swingmaster but there is a lot to do
Difficult to give a good tip... For the string, maybe you could try a Pirastro Obligato. In my perception they make a "big" sound on lots of basses. But maybe a specialist (luthier) could find something to optimize in the setup: Action, new bridge, soundpost placement, height of the saddle - or maybe a combination. But only a good specialist will be able to find out.
On my bass my E string is quieter than an ant . In ordered to make it sound I have to like string it so hard and deep with the my finger tips. Like every time I pluck it the string hits the neck or I hit it so hard it kinda messes up the note and mf fingers slide on the neck like if I play it softly no one will be able to hear it all. Do I need a taller bridge ? The bridge is between the f holes and it sucks I hate playing the E string. Big instrument with no sound at all.
I must see and play the bass to answer this question. Maybe the bass itself is weak in that register. But maybe it is a setup problem, bridge, Soundpost, strings... Try to find an experienced player or a bass Luthier.
I took it a place in Modesto, CA. The luthier adjusted the sound post and bridge.The sound post was just sligtly out of place but my E string sounds normal now@@stringmatrix
I hear a lot of string rattling and buzz This is what is considered good? Bass guitar sounds better doing pizzicatto. Upright is meant to play arco, pizzicatto is an effect
I really don't follow you about the Swingmasters. As I used to dig about strings on my bass, I tried also chordas, gut strings, and others, and I bought a set of these gut-a-like just by curiosity, it was just released a few time before, and they were still cheap. I really felt like playing a toy, or very cheap strings. The wounding of the A and E strings just went off after 2 weeks, and anyway, thoses two strings sounded very weakly and without belly.The G & D sound kind of like a gut strings, (withe this "poc" sound on the D string...) but very drier and without that treble range og real gut strings. Eventually I decided to set them on a very cheap plywood double bass I have, but it makes it sound even worst. I would never buy it again, and don't advice them.
Hi Poulou, OK, this can happen, we have a different opinion. I played these strings for a while after playing Velvet Garbo and I really enjoyed them. After a while I realized that I also want to play some melodic stuff in middle/high range and for this the G-A-L are not adapted. But I also twice had my G-A-L Swingmaster bass played by touring bassists on concerts and I remember that I totally enjoyed the sound also as a listener, for me they really have this great old style punch and you could hear each note very clearly. Maybe some of the sets were not manufactured well or maybe they don't match with your basses. Or it is simply a matter of taste. Still thanks for your feedback, it is interesting to hear different optinions.
@Stringmatrix reading and watching this makes me almost wanting to set them back up on my second DB. After all I already have them at home. Maybe I fell on a bad number. Maybe it’s not that bad and desearves more time to balance on the bass. But the metal core falling apart 2 weeks after, come on… It’s true that it sounds pretty close to gut. For a specificly rhythmic playing it makes the job, but indeed with a little lack of high frequencies. Actually watching your vids I went into Aquila reds and I’m ok with them now. I used to play velvet Animas, witch was close to perfection to me, but they don’t make it anymore. Aquila reds are in the same spirit with even less tension. But what a sustain !! Thanx for your job!!
I like that you demonstrate different styles. I think it would be interesting to have the final example be an “in the mix” example, playing a bass line with a backing track, etc.
Thanks, yes that would be good "information". I will see if I can do that in the future.
I like the Evah Slaps. And also the 2nd one in -the Efrano. They both have a lovely shape all round - Attack, Delay Sustain and Release - to steal from the synthesizer world.
Yes I agree! I think you mean Decay, not Delay (in ADSR) - I remember that from synths in the 80s! But exactly: To me the shape of the ADSR Envelope is one of the most important parts of the bass sound!!
The efranos came out very well in your recording. That said they all sound nice to me
Thanks!
I really appreciate that he made this very specific topic video. Perfect and o decided to buy swing master.
Chorda’s every time, they just have that 50’s vibe. I have a Carlos Henriquez G
Glad to see you test gut strings again ! It would be great to have more comparaison with makers such as Aquila, Gamut or Kuerschner
Thanks for your feedback! I sometimes write mails to the string companies to get strings for a test but they often don't answer. Maybe I need a couple thousand more subscribers.... But good to know you are interested in these tests. You can also compare many strings on my website.
The Swingmaster set sounded best to me. Thank you for this!
Thank you, I really like it too!
Thank you so much! I have the Swingmasters and synthetic EP Slaps. I love the Swingmasters for anything old school. The Slaps lack a bit of definition for me whether it be the growl of a steel string or the airy high end of the plain gut. Efrano sounded nice to me too.
Great content!
Thank you Billy Bob! Yes I totally see what you mean with the full synthetic EP Slap. They are interesting but not totally convincing.
a vote for the Evah set in this comparison video.
I personally would go with the Swing Masters for what I personally like. It had a warmer sound with less clatter.
The combined set is beautiful!
this is a well-thought-out and effective comparison. Many thanks!
Very interesting. Thank you.....I'll watch again
Thanks for all the great videos. I tell all my bass friends about your website. Brilliant. I've recently purchased two Pirastro string sets. The EP Weichs for my 5/8 39.5" scale fully laminate and the EP Gold Slaps for my 3/4 41.5" scale full laminate bass. Interestingly, I came across a similar problem with both sets. I feel like the D and G do not match with the A and E. I'm somewhat disappointed that, at such a high price, Pirastro does not do a better job of it. On the Weich's, the lower strings sound noticably darker than the higher strings. Both pizz and arco. On the Slaps, the A and E strings seem to lack in definition and fundamental. I think the EP Slaps would may work well on a 7/8, but I feel the tension is just not enough for a 3/4. So now I am on the hunt for the right E and A strings to match the beautiful sound and feel of the EP Slaps synthetic D and G. Any idea why string manufacturers do not measure the tension on gut and synthetic gut strings? I find this somewhat perplexing. It makes it so much harder to find the right strings.
Yes, the EP slaps would be nice to have with a slightly higher tension.
Fellow bass player Grzegorz Nadolny used EP (probably weich) for a and e, combined with d & g evah slap. Of course there is a big sustain difference, but it's an interesting concept that you can hear on the album "imaginary landscape" by Mateusz Bliskowski.
Thanks and very helpful
Thank you. For my ears 2 and 4 are the best.
Thanks, yes they also have some similarities!
Me too.. same choice
Great, now i know what I need!! Thanks 🤩
I like the Evah Slap for all around styles of playing.
Like the pirastro evah pirazzi the best. Getting my first set of gut strings soon. Thanks for the help!
Interesting if you would try Rotosound RS 4000 as well.
Thanks for making it! Save my life! Always feel like EP Oliv and Chorda are the most famous choices as I search for what the famous bassist in new york are using. But to me, Oliv really sounds more like somewhere between gut and steal, and isn't really producing very 'gut' sound
Yes, that was also my impression, the first time I tried Oliv. And it is true that the timbre is quite different from real plain gut. But the "envelope" , so the dynamic "curve" is quite close to that of gut. They have a clearer punch than all synthetic options (EP Slap snthetic comes close though). I love oliv G and D and have been using them since 2018.
@@stringmatrix Just curious, what do you think is the drawback of using pure gut? Since I don't think I know a lot of bassist who are using pure gut (from my impression). Most of people I knew would prefer Steel/Synthetic E A D with Oliv/Eudoxa G
The Efrano's sounded nicest to me. I'd luv to hear them slapped though.
Thanks for the videos.
Why not make a video of the Carlos Henriquez pirastro corda. I use them and like them alot.
Hey Hervé, thanks again for a very insightful video! I am a big fan, also liked the video on the condenser mics very much. Opinions: Chorda: very even, but not that sonorous in the lows, murky, little sustain in the highs. Efrano: yep, very clear sound, but lacks a bit compactness in the lows, so not that great mids tone-wise, but great highs. Swingmaster: punchy, but a bit muffled, like somebodyí playing DB next door, little sustain in the highs. Evah's: my favorite. Very even, sonorous, clearly singing, punchy. BTW: 'restorated' is far better unless you want to take the bass back to where it came from. Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much Chris!!
Yeah for my ears "restorated" makes more sense, but on american bass websites they always talk about "restored" basses. Maybe the native speakers can help us 🤔🙂?
¡Muchas Gracias!
I am playing a different combination of strings presented in this video: E and A Pirastro Chorda (C. Henriquez edition) and D and G Efranos. This works very good for me!
Cool, thanks for the info! I never tried the C. Henriquez, they seem to be great.
Thanks. Was just looking to put on GD gut on my ply bass.
Thank You Herve´. For me, the Efrano sounds good. I think i will test them.
On my plywood bass, i play gut strings the called Pirasto Pizzicato. I love this strings.
On my solidwood bass, i play gut strings the called play Pirasto Eudoxa.
Have you ever played the Pizzicato or Eudoxa.
Yes I know both sets, you can also hear them on the String Matrix on my website. I think Pirastro doesn't make the Pizzicatos any more. They sounded good, but to me they didn't respond in the way I like it (so I didn't feel really comfortable playing them). And for Eudoxa I feel the same: For my taste they bring the gut too much in a "non-gut" direction: Lots of sustain but not that much punch. That said, I have heard great bassists playing both and sounding great, it's just a matter of personal preference.
I love Pirastro Oliv for G and D. I combine them with "Wraps" strings by Gerold Genssler (or sometimes with Evah Pirazzi weich, apparently John Pattitucci also uses this combination).
My favorites as far as tone, were first the Efrano, then the swingmasters.
Thanks for your feedback!
Nice! I´ll say Evah sounded good to me!
Thank you again for a great video. I like that you played various music genres. It is what I do. Boy oh boy the combination of the two sets is amazing. So even across all the strings. I wonder how the full synthetic Evah Slap bass set compares?
The full synthetic EP Slap set is also very nice. It imitates quite well (90 %) the sound and feel of gut. It is very even too and the string bow very well.
Try Pirastro Eudoxas. Great feel, tension and especially sound - and all wrapped in silver so they don't feel weird swapping to unwrapped D and G
I know them, but I never became a friend of the Eudoxas, they remind me a little bit of steel strings. I love Oliv G& D though, in my opinion they are closer to real unwrapped gut (especially the envelope).
Crazy how the Evahs are synthetic but sound JUST like the old school golden spirals
Efranos and Eva Pirazzi slap are my favorites. And for bowing? They are nice?
EP Slap synthetic are very nice/easy to bow. The plain guts work too but it is a tone of it's own.
Swingmasters sound awesome
great review thanks
very helpful comparison! I thought the chordas were impeccable but with that comparison not so much. im wondering if Carlos Henriquez make a difference
Possibly, but unfortunately I never tried them!
For me the best sounding are the Evah slap! But I like the E and A from the Evah and try to combine it with gut a like D & G. So the opposite of your last sample. Let's see how it turns out
Yeah why not?! It all depends on which qualities you want to have for your sound. The Evah Slaps E/A have more sustain an a more clear sound than the Swingmasters. The Swingmasters have more of a low-end thump.
Plus: That way you have an all vegan set!
@@stringmatrix never thought about the vegan aspect! my vegan brother will be so proud! thank you for your work. I'm new in playing double bass and your videos are one of the best on UA-cam
@@stringmatrix I have the Evah slaps and it doesn't have any sustain to it.. even with a low action ( Well typically use medium action ( 16mm, 15mm, 11mm, 10mm ) and I don't get any sustain.
Thank you for this comparison! I wanted to ask for you thoughts on what seemed to be the difference in the D and G strings between the Chorda and the Slap?
It is really hard to tell a clear difference... I found both to be quite similar, I don't know if other players who tried both would confirm?
Not all sizes fit everyone, thanks now I know what I want , ( my frist try was very expensive
As Chorda and Evah Slap are made by Pirastro I assume that it’s the same G and D, I’ve used both
Hey Hervé, thank you very much for your great work. I played Velvet Garbo G-gut with low tension for years. It's not a perfect string-set but it matched very well to my bass and my playing. (it was kind of hate and love) Bowing is difficult but pizzicato was a dream. Velvet has closed the doors and the strings are not available anymore. What setup would you recommend for a similar sound, tension and feeling. Now I'm trying Evah Pirazzi Slap E/A and Olives D/G. It's a nice setup but I'm not that happy like before. The Swingmasters sounds damn good, specially for that price. I'm not looking for the perfect setup. (that does not exist) But I'm looking for a setup with great hate and love balance. :0)
Thanks Mirco, I often get inquiries about replacement possibilities for velvet. Since velvets were quite unique, I can't give really good answers. In your case I would try the combination at the end of this video: Swingmasters e+a and EP slap gut for d+g. I regret that I haven't tried gut-a-like deluxe yet because I have the feeling that they may be interesting too. I hope I can test these soon.
PS: Maybe also the whole Swingmaster Set would work. I played Garbo for more than 10 years and then switched for a while to Swingmasters, which was a step towards "more old school sound". Fantastic feeling but I also wanted to play melodies with a little sustain so I changed to my Oliv/Genssler combination.
Hi again Hervé, here with more questions!
I'm looking for a great complimentary E-string to my ADG-guts (carved bass). Playing mostly slap, R'n'B and occasionally jazz. I'm on the brink of giving up after trying:
- Spiro weich (too metallic, good tension though)
- Evah Weich (too metallic, a bit too much tension)
- Evah Weich A (too low tension, tuning stability issues and too metallic)
- Gut (just too much haha)
- Swingmaster (not on my bass, but it felt awful under the fingers)
- Efrano wrapped mittel (currently on, too much tension, hate the wrapping and too metallic with slap, sounds like gut with pizz though)
Been thinking about Oliv (think I would love the flatwound, but hesitant 'cause of the $$) and Evah Slap (afraid it would be too loose and metallic sounding).
Please help a deteriorating mind!
Hi Rickard,
I don't think you'll be happy with an Oliv E. I will release a video in a few days where I will compare Oliv and Eudoxa. The Oliv E is too dead for pizz.
You have very precise wished about tension (for me Spiro Weich is similar to EP Weich). I am not as sensitive to different tensions...
Maybe you will like the EP slap E but I think it has less tension than Spiro Weich. Or you should look at solo strings tuned down. Maybe the dominant solo that are on the string matrix or some d'addario helicore solo. Or strings by innovation: the polychrome may be interesting they are not too metallic. Very difficult to give a good advice in your case but these would be my ideas.
@@stringmatrix thanks for the answer. I'm sorry I wasn't clear, the Spiro felt good in tension but maybe not optimal. I actually played my old Spiro's today on my friends bass, and I think I should opt for lower tension with my preferred string height. 70€ for a EP Slap isn't too bad either. I'll buy it and see in the week to come!
Thanks for bearing with the questions! Keep up the good work.
@@stringmatrix Hi again, finally the EP-string is here, and I know after 5 minutes on the bass it was the right choice!
@@rickardlundin2343 Fantastic, I'm glad I could help!
I was here to convince myself to buy a set that ISNT evah pirazzi for the first time, and then I hear the SLAP... Evah Pirazzi it is.. again!
This was very nice, thank you! Question: do you think these strings can be used on a electric upright bass with piezo pick-up as well?
Hi! I have no personal practical experience with this, but in theory I would say it should work!
How do the swingmasters compare to the spirocore weichs in terms of feel? Do they feel lighter?
Oh yes it is a very different feel. Less tension, thicker diameter, different surface. It is like "another world".
For me the Swingmasters are a bit too dull and I prefer the Efrano. It also looks that you really had to dig in to get a clear note.
Merci pour cette vidéo ! Est-ce que les swingmaster ont une souplesse similaire a des cordes boyau ?
Oui leur souplesse est très similaire à celle de cordes en boyau.
Thank you for the comparison, very useful as always! Could you possibly comment on the differences between the Swingmaster and Chorda G string?Tension, gauges, stifness, projection? 😊 Thank you very much!
Difficult to give you a precise answer. I would say they are quite similar, maybe the swingmasters are a little less stiff. As I wrote in an other comment, I thought the Chordas were generally more tense than the other sets in this comparison but I found out it was only the A and E that have a quite high tension. I didn't realize that while playing (strangely).
The Chorda probably has a little more projection since the Swingmaster is a little darker.
You talk about tension AND stiffness: I have been asking myself if this is the same thing or weather some strings feel less stiff (because the material is more elastic) compared to another string with the same tension but with a less elastic material. I don't know, maybe you have an explanation?
@@stringmatrix Well, from what I've read, mostly on talkbass,but also from experience, I understand that tension and stifness are two different things. Here are a couple of non-scientific observations:
A string with higher tension will produce a bigger sound since the pressure on the bridge and, consequently, on the top of the bass will be greater than that of a string with lower tension( of course that also depends on how much pressure the top can withstand before it starts to "choke").
A stiff string will be harder to press down with the left hand compared to an elastic string set at the same string height.
The density of a string plays, I think, an important role too:Spirocores always seemed to me to be "dense".. As oppose to Jazzers for example, which to my ear sound "airier".
I think that the gauge of a string can also be of importance with regards to both left and right hand technique. A G string that is too thin may "cut" the left and right hand fingers when pressed or pulled. A string that is thick may be easier on the hands, however, as you well know, there are other trade-offs : thuddy notes, slow response etc.
However, from a jazz pizz perspective, I wonder if I could find a plain G gut string that would be suitable for fast solo playing using very low string height, particularly 4mm on the G string. I want to combine it with the Jazzer string set. I think I would need a very stiff, medium gauge (no more than 2.2mm) plain gut G to have any chance at this working. Right now I'm experimenting with the Swingmaster G but at this string height it feels slow and also, as you say, it lacks high frequencies. So maybe, if I could find a G of average gauge and , consequently, tension but of high stifness this could work.
I'm not interested in wrapped gut(maintenance issues) or a synthetic string at the moment, just plain gut.
Sorry for the rant, I hope all this makes some sense. Again, thanks for all the work that you've put into the stringmatrix, it has been most helpful through the years 😊. All the best!
@@periklistrivolis1660 Yes that makes sense, thanks for your observations. I myself was also wondering about the stiffness vs. tension difference in the last months. Density is also an interesting thing. But you mean tonal density? Or density of the material of the string (which certainly also plays a role)?
@@stringmatrix I meant density of the material of the string but maybe that translates to tonal density as well. Spirocores have always felt and sounded like that to me.
Would you by any chance have any suggestions as to what plain gut G I could use? Thank you very much!
@@periklistrivolis1660 Of "my" 3 Gs I would say that the Chorda had the most tension. I don't know if it would fit to such a low action (the problem will probably be the unevenness of the string). Pirastro says they have 22,8 kg tension. I also heard good things about www.gamutmusic.com/red-diamond-bass-strings
which are designed as high tension gut strings. The G has 23 kg, so similar to Chorda.
Thank you, very interesting comparison congratulations, which brand is the plywood double bass?
It's an old bass, probably german. I really like it, I think it's a specially good plywood. But I had many things done: New fingerboard, neck reset and of course new bridge.
I have always used a plywood bass, sometimes a solid as well but my preference has always been the sound from the plywood (esp for pizz swing jazz -- it gives me that 50s and 60s Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Blanton sound.. with the gut string on it.. ( Evah slaps..)
Thanks for the comps. I'm looking for a replacement for Velvet Blues, which are no longer made. Can you tell me what are the string diameters of the Swingmasters? And, did you have to enlarge your bridge and nut slots to accommodate?
Oh the swingmasters are much thicker than the Blues, and sound quite different. I will measure... Yes you would have to widen the grooves at the nut and bridge.
Hey, thank you so much for your great Job! It's so helpful! and great playing too. May I ask you which tension Efrano are you using? Soft, medium or strong? Thanks and congrats again. D.
I think medium, it was an older set.
Would have loved to hear them arco, too (and maybe as a blind test, since I'm biased as a know both the Pirazzi and Gut-a-like). Anyway, I can only guess how much time it takes to produce such a video with all the string attaching/detaching (and of course video editing), so many thanks for yet another great video! I like the Pirazzis do to the balance, the more sustain and great arco playability.
Some questions:
1. Do you have any advice for "maintaining" plain gut strings? Cleaning? Oiling? Dealing with small fibres coming off the string?
2. I read from some Gut-a-like Swingmaster players that they leave marks on the fingerboard due to the coarse winding. Did you experience this, too?
3. Does the copper from the swingmasters also corrode so much that you sometimes get black fingers? (I had this with Velvet strings)
1. No, I also heard about oiling the strings but I don't know if that's necessary. The fibres : I used sandpaper to remove them but also here: I don't know if this is a good thing.
2. No I didn't encounter these problems. The round windings of Efrano and Chords are probably more aggressive.
3. The copper gets dirty/dark, but I had the feeling that it didn't affect my hands as much as the Garbo winding.
What strings would you personally prefer if you were playing jazz and some slap? (Maybe there isn't a good choice?) The Gut-a-Like sounds like it would be great for slap but how would you like them for jazz?
Also wondering if you have tried Superior Bassworks Dirty Gut strings? They are only $60 but I've heard some good things. Thanks for your videos, they are very helpful.
I love the Gut-A-Likes for jazz, when I don't need to play "singing melodies". They have a great thump for swing that also amplifies well.
I wrote to Superior Bassworks but they did not respond yet.
Hello!
I have a special Question: A Friend of mine once gave me the the Evah Pirazzi Slap-Strings. I´ve heard that gut strings has to be tighten up pretty often until they get into the stable tune. But in my case it was a kind of weird: i´ve tighten them up a couple of times, then left the bass for a couple of days. After coming back to it, the Strings hav ebeen losen their tension so extremely, that the bridge falled down. is that a normal process? Thanks in forward for your answer.
Sorry for the late answer... No this is very unusual. Even if the strings would detune by a third or fourth I am pretty sure the bridge would still be in place. Maybe the bridge was already leaning towards the neck? Or maybe the feet aren't properly adapted to the shape of the top? Only speculating, this is very unusual.
How is the tension of the Pirastro chorda wound E compared to the evah slap low E? Does the chorda E have similar tension to a plain gut? I have a plain gut E right now and love the playability. Just not getting a lot of pitch definition. Any thoughts would be great!!!
I remember that I was surprised, how much tension the wound chordas (a, e) have. I'm sure they have a clearly higher tension that Evah Slap a and e.
Concerning the plain e: I never tried one and there are certainly very different types, so I can't really help...
@@stringmatrix thanks for the reply…. I ended up throwing on the evah slap E and was blown away by the difference it made. It goes well with the plain A-G and wow, it bows incredibly. I think it’s the easiest bowing string I’ve ever used. Crazy…. That said, do you know of any LOW tension traditionally designed wound gut E strings? I still want to try one out so that I can have a period accurate setup.. something that has tension similar to the evah slap. Really such a phenomenal string. I’m blown away haha.
@@joldisyri8936 no I don't have any recommendations for a low tension wound gut E, sorry.
Yes I also found the Arco response of the Evah P Slap extremely comfortable, it's amazing.
@@stringmatrix truly, the bow glides so nice. Do all the wound guts you’ve tried typically have high tension? Any you’ve tried that feel as good as the eva slap?
@@joldisyri8936 I only know chorda and efrano. I believe efrano had a slightly lower tension, but you can ask the manufacturer for the tension you want anyway. But I really can't remember if the efrano e that I had, had a similar tension to evah slap.
but to my ear, the Chorda had the best fundamental tones
1st - last ==> Slap, Efranos, Swingmaster and Chordas. the efranos and slap have more of the Oscar Pettiford, Eugene Wright, paul chambers sound ( depth and resonance).. after listening to this I decided to dig out a Dave Brubeck concert to listen to Eugene's bass( my perfect bass sound ) and the slap && Efranos seem to come close to what tI heard and was used back then.
The chordas was somewhat disappointing I thought for its price it was goin' to be dark but it's on the light side with the least depth to it
Thanks for this comparison..
Thanks for the interesting feedback!
Eugene Wright is amazing... He also plays in a Doug Watkins record. I love Doug's bass sound, so full, round and resonant (ofc is mostly in his hand) but any guess about the strings? I heard that he and Paul were using Artones.
@@StavrosKalt In a blindfolded test, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Paul and Doug. Their sound was so phenomenal.
Great job! Thanks for sharing. Just a few questions: are the swingmaster-gut-a likes A and E bowable? And...I play gut G and D made in USA by Gamut Strings: wonderful strings. For years I've paired them with E and A from Gamut, but since the wrap was break I put A and E Pirastro Slap. Good and cheaper strings, but, you're right, there is a lack of punch. I need a little more punch in the low strings. Do you suggest Swingmaster? Or other?
Thanks! Yes, the Swingmasters are bowable! Of course not like a real bow string but somehow ok. Yes I would recommend them. Gut-a-like now also has the Deluxe set, which seems interesting too, but I didn't get a chance to try it yet.
Thank you. Would you say the tension of the chordas is equivalent to the tension of say Spirocore or Evah Pirazzi mediums?
That's a good question and I just checked the tensions on the Pirastro site. Fact is: The E string has a higher tension than EP Mittel E. The A string has slightly less tension than EP Weich A. The D and G have much lower tensions. These very different tensions were irritating and that's why I thought they are not too comfortable to play.
@@stringmatrix Alright. Like you said about some of sets of string, I sometimes find gut strings can almost be a little "too easy" to play. But at the same time I love the general playability of gut string. It would just be fun to find that perfect string for the bass.
Any experience with Gamut Gut strings?
They have a model called Red Diamond
No not yet!
i have a 4/4 plywood bass and the low E is soooo weak. The A D and G strings sound cool but the E simply looses all bass. Do you have any advice ? when it comes to strings and setup. I also want smooth strings like the swingmaster but there is a lot to do
Difficult to give a good tip... For the string, maybe you could try a Pirastro Obligato. In my perception they make a "big" sound on lots of basses. But maybe a specialist (luthier) could find something to optimize in the setup: Action, new bridge, soundpost placement, height of the saddle - or maybe a combination. But only a good specialist will be able to find out.
@@stringmatrix thanks a lot! :)
On my bass my E string is quieter than an ant . In ordered to make it sound I have to like string it so hard and deep with the my finger tips. Like every time I pluck it the string hits the neck or I hit it so hard it kinda messes up the note and mf fingers slide on the neck like if I play it softly no one will be able to hear it all. Do I need a taller bridge ? The bridge is between the f holes and it sucks I hate playing the E string. Big instrument with no sound at all.
I must see and play the bass to answer this question. Maybe the bass itself is weak in that register. But maybe it is a setup problem, bridge, Soundpost, strings... Try to find an experienced player or a bass Luthier.
Will do. It is like like my E string is half as loud as the other strings in short. @@stringmatrix
I took it a place in Modesto, CA. The luthier adjusted the sound post and bridge.The sound post was just sligtly out of place but my E string sounds normal now@@stringmatrix
I hear a lot of string rattling and buzz
This is what is considered good?
Bass guitar sounds better doing pizzicatto. Upright is meant to play arco, pizzicatto is an effect
It's perfectly ok if you personally dislike the sound of a pizzicato played double bass. Many people enjoy it though.
I really don't follow you about the Swingmasters.
As I used to dig about strings on my bass, I tried also chordas, gut strings, and others, and I bought a set of these gut-a-like just by curiosity, it was just released a few time before, and they were still cheap.
I really felt like playing a toy, or very cheap strings. The wounding of the A and E strings just went off after 2 weeks, and anyway, thoses two strings sounded very weakly and without belly.The G & D sound kind of like a gut strings, (withe this "poc" sound on the D string...) but very drier and without that treble range og real gut strings. Eventually I decided to set them on a very cheap plywood double bass I have, but it makes it sound even worst.
I would never buy it again, and don't advice them.
Hi Poulou, OK, this can happen, we have a different opinion. I played these strings for a while after playing Velvet Garbo and I really enjoyed them. After a while I realized that I also want to play some melodic stuff in middle/high range and for this the G-A-L are not adapted. But I also twice had my G-A-L Swingmaster bass played by touring bassists on concerts and I remember that I totally enjoyed the sound also as a listener, for me they really have this great old style punch and you could hear each note very clearly. Maybe some of the sets were not manufactured well or maybe they don't match with your basses. Or it is simply a matter of taste. Still thanks for your feedback, it is interesting to hear different optinions.
@Stringmatrix reading and watching this makes me almost wanting to set them back up on my second DB.
After all I already have them at home.
Maybe I fell on a bad number. Maybe it’s not that bad and desearves more time to balance on the bass. But the metal core falling apart 2 weeks after, come on…
It’s true that it sounds pretty close to gut.
For a specificly rhythmic playing it makes the job, but indeed with a little lack of high frequencies.
Actually watching your vids I went into Aquila reds and I’m ok with them now. I used to play velvet Animas, witch was close to perfection to me, but they don’t make it anymore.
Aquila reds are in the same spirit with even less tension. But what a sustain !!
Thanx for your job!!
Efranos and the Slaps sounded much richer
Chordas first and Efranos second. The rest did not have enough going on to make the gut worth it.
E, A from pirazzi + D, G from Chorda =
Chorda for me. Swingmaster sounded plastic (again ,for me) :)))