Special Production Carlos Henriquez Chorda Gut String Set

IMPORTANT NOTE

This string set is a "special order item," which means that it is normally a low-stock item. This means that, if you purchase these strings, we might need to acquire the set from the manufacturer or a distributor, which may take anywhere from a couple days (normally) to a couple of weeks (rare, but we'll let you know). It also means that we are unable to provide overnight or two-day options for these strings.

Details

Also be aware that as a special-order item, the Carlos string sets are not returnable.

We offer this set as a non-stock item because customers have asked for them, and they're not always easy to find at retailers. Due to their non-stock status, we only sell complete sets -- no "singles" can be purchased for this set.

 

If you're looking for the G and/or D string as a separate item, we don't split these strings up, but may I suggest a "near" alternative?

 

Here's the deal: the word on the street is that the plain gut G and D from the Evah Pirazzi Slap (aka Evah Pirazzi Gold) strings are rather similar to the G and D that are provided in the "Carlos" set; they are both well-made plain gut, lighter tension strings based somewhat on the Chorda D and G.

 

So you can select and purchase those two strings separately, and get very similar strings as you would when buying the complete set (Pirastro insists that they are not the same exact string, but I've held both in my hands and they're similar enough, for all intents and purposes.)

The Chorda Special Edition “Carlos Henriquez” gut strings were developed together with the well-known bassist Carlos Henriquez. This set consists of extra selected gauges: especially in the 50s and 60s most NYC jazz and orchestral musicians played these gauges.
The gauges are thinner than the “Standard” Chorda set and the string tension is lower.

Both the Chorda and the Chorda Special Edition “Carlos Henriquez” follow the same manufacturing process and the difference is only the gauge.

• Compared to the regular Chorda, the Carlos strings have a G string that is .05mm smaller and a D string that is .55mm smaller.
• Compared to the regular Chorda, a representative Evah Slap G that I measured here was .1mm smaller, and the D was .6mm smaller.

While the difference in diameter of .05 (in both strings' cases) is not zero, the variance could easily be written off as an inaccuracy of the cheap digital caliper I use; the strings, while not identical, are a very close match in diameter, feel, etc. So in my humble opinion, they make for a good, cheaper, more available substitute.

(Also of note, the Evah Pirazzi Slap plain gut strings use new manufacturing techniques which results in a reduced playing-in-time and increased tuning stability.)

So, there are some differences, but where the rubber meets the road, they can be an option that is far easier to obtain than the custom Carlos strings that must be obtained directly from Pirastro in Germany.

Hope that makes it clear; you can order the single Evah Pirazzi Slap gut strings here: Evah Pirazzi SLAP Strings