I recently changed the strings on my fiddle, something I do every couple of months, but this time I replaced my Helicore with Infeld Red strings. They are more than double the price of the Helicore, but I have to say that they really were worth it and the improvement in sound is striking. The sound is crisper and cleaner and the response is superior in just about every respect. Additionally, rosin would quickly build up on the Helicores and the sound suffered as a result. Another weak point for the Helicore is that the A string starts to unravel typically after a month. I can't yet comment on the durability of the Infeld strings, but I am enthusiastic enough to recommend them. A fabulous fiddler I know recommended them to me and now I know why. What a difference really good strings make!
Hey leoj, if you like those, you might really fall in love with Thomastik Titanium Visions. I use the "soloist" set, but minus the e string (replace that with a Lenzner Goldbrokat e).
I like the feel of synth core strings compared to steel cores (like the Helicore), and prefer the overall darker tone for Irish music.
I recall someone else, perhaps it was you Will, mentioning the Thomastik. I'll give them a try. I bought a set of Obligatos, so they are the next set I'll use. A friend told me they held up well and sounded good even after 6 months. If the Infeld A string holds up for several months along with the rest of the strings then they will also be reasonably economical compared to the Helicore. Liz Carroll uses Obligato, by the way.
I bought a set of helicores in Omagh and they were horrible. I never bought a bad set of helicores before. My friend told me they were probably fake. Never considered there could be a black market for violin strings. I think I will try Obligatos, even if I never had a bad experience with helicores before then. The reason I like Helicores is that they don't take a day to break in. Do you have to break in the Obligatos?
Don't know about Obligatos but the Infeld do take much longer to stretch out and settle than the helicores. Much longer. That was a problem during the last session I went to...kept needing to retune.
I like the Blues, but as usual for me the A string only lasted about 5
weeks. I replaced that one with a Chromecore which worked ok with
the Blues but I've noticed the intonation suffers a bit when you mix and
match like this.
I'm trying out Larsen Tzigane heavys now - still looking for a durable A
string that's part of a set
No kidding, I followed your advice (OK, I put together information I found on various web sites, but your advice was the starting point). Satisfied customer ever since!
Your post makes me wonder how much commission you got from Pirastro during your 'Evah years'?
leoj
will is right the titanium visions are great. i've used infelds and Eva's...Eva's are also lovely but rather expensive. Once you go thru your Obligatos give the titaniums a try...pretty close to the Eva's but much less expensive and that nice "silvery" sound and feel great under the fingers.. Of course, ultimately it all depends what your fiddle "likes". My other fiddle much prefers plain old Dominants, whereas fiddle 2 doesn't respond well to Dominants at all but loved Eva P's and the Visions.
You can also do a search for relative string tensions which affect for some people how they play under the fingers. Eva's are quite high as I remember. Visions are among the lower group and Dominants are quite low tension wise.
Dominants were once described as being 'baggy', which is a good way of putting it. Some might like that, some not. I liked it, but what I hated about Dominants is their short life. I hate changing strings and spending too much on them. Visions remind me a bit of Dominants, but have a much, much longer lifetime and they have a shorter break in time.
Fitted a Zyex A (a good and powerful synthetic core string by D'Addario) at 5pm on Tuesday. By 8.30pm the tuning had completely settled in time for the evening session.
Stretching of new strings is due not only stretching between the bridge and nut but is also due to the string settling on the peg (which means there is some slipping). So what I do with a new string is to apply rosin from the bow to the wound peg end of the string before I insert it in the peg. Result - no slipping and the string settles much more quickly.
Henk,I'm surprised to hear that Dominants have a short (but I'm sure happy) life with you.
I have them on fiddle and viola and I usually change them before their 'life' is over.
A long time ago I went through various sets of strings/combinations etc and I do remember the Pirastro Eudoxa strings as very prone to snapping-especially the viola 'A'.
I suppose it all comes down to what works on your instrument.
Everyone has different attributes too,eg.,(non)-sweaty hands etc,how you play and how often etc.
In support of Dominants (although I don't use them) I know a full-time pro violinist (my teacher) who uses them, a pro violist (who was rehearsing Mozart's Sifonia Concertante with us last night), as well as several experienced amateurs on both instruments. And Biggus Dave of course.
One of the surprises for me was that I didn't really appreciate the difference really good strings would make on the cheap Chinese fiddle I'm using (until my new fiddle is finished.) The sound on the D and G was so weak and muddy with the Helicores and while it is still not good it is very noticeably better. These new strings make a rather poor instrument tolerable. I figured the instrument not good enough to justify fine strings and that was a mistake. Just wish I had made the change sooner.
The 2 things to do to get a a cheap fiddle sounding good get it properly set up and good strings.
I use Eudoxa and Hopf Gut strings. Tried obligato and Evas but prefer the richness of Gut.
Having sorted out the strings, bridge, sound post, (and playing technique!), a major influence on tone is the bow. Over the last few years I've collected four bows, and each one has its own individual tone colour. There are for example noticeable variations between the bows in the emphasis on higher or lower notes, the level of bow hiss, and the volume of sound produced. Some bows seem quicker to respond than others, and this isn't necessarily a function of the weight of the bow.
I've found the windings always come off the Dominant A string pretty quickly. Also, the G string falls flat and drags really badly if you dig into it at all. I think it's a string that was a market-leader at one point, but has now been surpassed by other strings.
At the time they were introduced Dominants were amazing, now they really are 'old tech' as someone put it on this site. Better strings have been developed since then, both by Thomastik and other brands, as Ron says.
And almost anyone seems to hate the Dominant E string.
What do you reckon, is it a kind of compulsive reaction because everbody else says: the E is rubbish, throw it away?
What exactly are people's objections against them? I used Dominants for a short while, can hardly judge it myself, but didn't notice that it was much worse or better than the G, D an A.
Dominant E works nicely with the entire Dom set. No complaints.
But Goldbbrokat E is often a good match for the Visions it seems. The Vision E is also pretty high tension as I recall.
New Strings
New Strings
I recently changed the strings on my fiddle, something I do every couple of months, but this time I replaced my Helicore with Infeld Red strings. They are more than double the price of the Helicore, but I have to say that they really were worth it and the improvement in sound is striking. The sound is crisper and cleaner and the response is superior in just about every respect. Additionally, rosin would quickly build up on the Helicores and the sound suffered as a result. Another weak point for the Helicore is that the A string starts to unravel typically after a month. I can't yet comment on the durability of the Infeld strings, but I am enthusiastic enough to recommend them. A fabulous fiddler I know recommended them to me and now I know why. What a difference really good strings make!
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by leoj
Re: New Strings
Hey leoj, if you like those, you might really fall in love with Thomastik Titanium Visions. I use the "soloist" set, but minus the e string (replace that with a Lenzner Goldbrokat e).
I like the feel of synth core strings compared to steel cores (like the Helicore), and prefer the overall darker tone for Irish music.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: New Strings
I recall someone else, perhaps it was you Will, mentioning the Thomastik. I'll give them a try. I bought a set of Obligatos, so they are the next set I'll use. A friend told me they held up well and sounded good even after 6 months. If the Infeld A string holds up for several months along with the rest of the strings then they will also be reasonably economical compared to the Helicore. Liz Carroll uses Obligato, by the way.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by leoj
Re: New Strings
I bought a set of helicores in Omagh and they were horrible. I never bought a bad set of helicores before. My friend told me they were probably fake. Never considered there could be a black market for violin strings. I think I will try Obligatos, even if I never had a bad experience with helicores before then. The reason I like Helicores is that they don't take a day to break in. Do you have to break in the Obligatos?
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: New Strings
Don't know about Obligatos but the Infeld do take much longer to stretch out and settle than the helicores. Much longer. That was a problem during the last session I went to...kept needing to retune.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by leoj
Re: New Strings
Any synthetic string will take a while to settle in, compared to steel core strings.
I've used Obligatos a fair amount, also Evah Pirazzis. All good strings. The Vision Soloists are the best so far for my particular fiddle.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: New Strings
I like the Blues, but as usual for me the A string only lasted about 5
weeks. I replaced that one with a Chromecore which worked ok with
the Blues but I've noticed the intonation suffers a bit when you mix and
match like this.
I'm trying out Larsen Tzigane heavys now - still looking for a durable A
string that's part of a set
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Hup
Re: New Strings
I loved the Visions on my last fiddle, but prefer Evah Pirazzis on the new one...
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by azfiddle
Re: New Strings
Leo, that could have been me. I use the ' Will Harmon combination'. Also saves money compared to the Evahs.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
LOL. Henk, please send Thomastik an email--maybe I an get a commission.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Will Harmon
Re: New Strings
No kidding, I followed your advice (OK, I put together information I found on various web sites, but your advice was the starting point). Satisfied customer ever since!
Your post makes me wonder how much commission you got from Pirastro during your 'Evah years'?
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
leoj
will is right the titanium visions are great. i've used infelds and Eva's...Eva's are also lovely but rather expensive. Once you go thru your Obligatos give the titaniums a try...pretty close to the Eva's but much less expensive and that nice "silvery" sound and feel great under the fingers.. Of course, ultimately it all depends what your fiddle "likes". My other fiddle much prefers plain old Dominants, whereas fiddle 2 doesn't respond well to Dominants at all but loved Eva P's and the Visions.
You can also do a search for relative string tensions which affect for some people how they play under the fingers. Eva's are quite high as I remember. Visions are among the lower group and Dominants are quite low tension wise.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: New Strings
Dominants were once described as being 'baggy', which is a good way of putting it. Some might like that, some not. I liked it, but what I hated about Dominants is their short life. I hate changing strings and spending too much on them. Visions remind me a bit of Dominants, but have a much, much longer lifetime and they have a shorter break in time.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
Fitted a Zyex A (a good and powerful synthetic core string by D'Addario) at 5pm on Tuesday. By 8.30pm the tuning had completely settled in time for the evening session.
Stretching of new strings is due not only stretching between the bridge and nut but is also due to the string settling on the peg (which means there is some slipping). So what I do with a new string is to apply rosin from the bow to the wound peg end of the string before I insert it in the peg. Result - no slipping and the string settles much more quickly.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: New Strings
Henk,I'm surprised to hear that Dominants have a short (but I'm sure happy) life with you.
I have them on fiddle and viola and I usually change them before their 'life' is over.
A long time ago I went through various sets of strings/combinations etc and I do remember the Pirastro Eudoxa strings as very prone to snapping-especially the viola 'A'.
I suppose it all comes down to what works on your instrument.
Everyone has different attributes too,eg.,(non)-sweaty hands etc,how you play and how often etc.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by biggus dave
Re: New Strings
In support of Dominants (although I don't use them) I know a full-time pro violinist (my teacher) who uses them, a pro violist (who was rehearsing Mozart's Sifonia Concertante with us last night), as well as several experienced amateurs on both instruments. And Biggus Dave of course.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: New Strings
One of the surprises for me was that I didn't really appreciate the difference really good strings would make on the cheap Chinese fiddle I'm using (until my new fiddle is finished.) The sound on the D and G was so weak and muddy with the Helicores and while it is still not good it is very noticeably better. These new strings make a rather poor instrument tolerable. I figured the instrument not good enough to justify fine strings and that was a mistake. Just wish I had made the change sooner.
# Posted on June 4th 2009 by leoj
Re: New Strings
The 2 things to do to get a a cheap fiddle sounding good get it properly set up and good strings.
I use Eudoxa and Hopf Gut strings. Tried obligato and Evas but prefer the richness of Gut.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by piobagusfidil
Re: New Strings
Having sorted out the strings, bridge, sound post, (and playing technique!), a major influence on tone is the bow. Over the last few years I've collected four bows, and each one has its own individual tone colour. There are for example noticeable variations between the bows in the emphasis on higher or lower notes, the level of bow hiss, and the volume of sound produced. Some bows seem quicker to respond than others, and this isn't necessarily a function of the weight of the bow.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: New Strings
One thing I like about Dominants is that they settle down quite quickly .
For the price,they're a good workhorse.
Not that too many people will be interested but on the viola I have a Jaegar 'A' and then the three lower strings are Dominants.
However,I last experimented a long time ago so I might try out some of the brands mentioned above.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by biggus dave
Re: New Strings
I've found the windings always come off the Dominant A string pretty quickly. Also, the G string falls flat and drags really badly if you dig into it at all. I think it's a string that was a market-leader at one point, but has now been surpassed by other strings.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by On Sabbatical
Re: New Strings
At the time they were introduced Dominants were amazing, now they really are 'old tech' as someone put it on this site. Better strings have been developed since then, both by Thomastik and other brands, as Ron says.
And almost anyone seems to hate the Dominant E string.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
I like it
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by ...
Re: New Strings
What do you reckon, is it a kind of compulsive reaction because everbody else says: the E is rubbish, throw it away?
What exactly are people's objections against them? I used Dominants for a short while, can hardly judge it myself, but didn't notice that it was much worse or better than the G, D an A.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
Dominant E works nicely with the entire Dom set. No complaints.
But Goldbbrokat E is often a good match for the Visions it seems. The Vision E is also pretty high tension as I recall.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: New Strings
Vision E is also ridiculously expensive for an E. Goldbrokat does the job very well and makes the set affordable.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
I just thought dominant were horrible! so soft a, like blahh...thick slow, response, sluggish..
Gimme pirastro any day.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by piobagusfidil
Re: New Strings
this may be a bit of a dumb question, but what exactly are the "wingdings" that Ron P mentions?
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by jsmith
Re: New Strings
Windings, not wingdings. Wind up?
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: New Strings
Wing Dings....those are chicken wings around Buffalo.
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by skin&bow
Re: New Strings
haha, sorry.... I'm a bit dyslexic. No wonder it didn't make sense!
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by jsmith
Re: New Strings
Wing Dings - I thought it was a type of font... but I like the chicken idea. I guess you'd only use these when playing some tasty tunes...
# Posted on June 5th 2009 by On Sabbatical