Written by Joshua Smith, violinist and Showroom Manager at Simply for Strings.
Evah Pirazzi Neo is the latest evolution of Pirastro's mainstay Evah Pirazzi line-up that was first launched in 2000. Following soon after the release of Obligato in 1998, Evah Pirazzi represented a further development in Pirastro's multifilament synthetic core technology to yield greater projection than gut and nylon strings, and a richer overtone spectrum than steel. With Evah Pirazzi Neo, Pirastro has sought to lessen the "background noise" present in the original Evah Pirazzi, while retaining full projection and power, clarity, and easy string response. This review represents our first impressions after playing the strings on both old and modern instruments, against the original Evah Pirazzi set and some competitors in the same category.
Pirastro's decision to not increase the string tensions in this set (a trend we've seen across string manufacturers) means that the playability and response of the Neo's are very familiar. Those who enjoy the playability of Evah Pirazzi and Evah Pirazzi Gold will feel at home with this set. While I would not describe the set as 'uneven' in sound or playability, each individual string is distinct in these aspects. Fitting the Neo's to a bright-sounding modern instrument (initially fitted with original EP's), we found a marked improvement in clarity, tonal colour, and modulation. The projected sound was focused and kept a good core through all dynamic ranges. On my own violin, the slightly tighter, nasal tendency of my A-string was made more noticeable, but not to the extreme. Where some of our string sets on test seemed to even out the imbalances of my instrument, the Neo's did not do the same (not that this should necessarily be expected). Regardless, the playing experience was rewarding - I was not left wanting in projection or richness of sound.
Longevity is an important point to touch on for these strings, as many players have struggled with getting enough life out of the original Evah Pirazzi (and Gold) sets. We have not had the chance to play these strings for long enough to make a call on the life of the Neo's sound. However, these strings look promising from a construction perspective. Having fitted the same set to a few instruments, we have not seen any indication of the winding pulling apart or fraying. Along with its brilliant sound and response, the gold-plated E also offers a nod to longevity for those prone to quickly wearing through plain steel E's.
The Evah Pirazzi Neo strings for violin are a fantastically versatile set. Their sound is brilliant and focused enough to suit soloistic performance settings, and colourful and responsive enough through all dynamic ranges to serve well in orchestral playing.
Specifications:
E - 8.4kg - Gold-plated carbon steel
A - 5.6kg - Synthetic/Aluminium wound
D - 4.8kg - Synthetic/Silver wound
G - 4.7kg - Synthetic/Silver wound
