I have just reached the end of a set of pirastro flexocores - they have been on for over five months and played into the ground
I want to try a different set of steels but don;t know what to try at the moment. I would like something that had a bit more bite to it than the flexocores.
In the past I tried helicores (medium and heavy) - didn't like either (they sounded wrong on my fiddle)
Prims - ok ish but not sure if I want to try them again at the moment
d'addario j90s - fairly good but really heavy
Any one got any suggestions? I was thinking of trying spirocores which seem to have gone out of fashion. But don't know if they would be too harsh,
I know the old addage is you just need to put them on, but I am interested in other players views
Argybargy
The Streets of Arklow
Argentina
Armagh
Armageddon
Aruba
Arboretum
Arlen Specter
Arlo Guthrie
Architecture
Armenia
Arm wrestling
Arsenic
Artisan bread
I tried spirocores once, because my fiddle teacher was using them, but they sounded really nasal and tinny on my instrument. I generally use dominants, rather than steel core strings, but that's just me.
I'm trying Helicore heavies and finding them difficult to tame - I hated them for the first two weeks, now I like them, but they seem to require more precision than any other string I've used. I have some painful recordings to prove it.
they sound great cross-tuned - makes up for it! p.s. when I get home tonight I'm going to try playing britches full of stitches in AEAE while riding my bike...
interesting - i found helicores really annoying, yet there are loads of posts about how wonderful they are. Thanks airport for the confirming my views on them
Put Helicore on the fiddle on Saturday, took 'em off the following Friday in favour of Spirocores; the Helicore sounded awful - weedy and thin and felt like bits of over cooked spahgetti under my fingers. Ugh, never again and there you go...a lot of people I know use Helicore and think them great, me - I wouldn't have them as a prize.
I'm telling you JK, a week isn't long enough - you need two at least, plus during that time if you eat a diet consisting only of cooked green beans, set your alarm clock to wake you up every two hours at night, and post notes to yourself all over your house about how great they are you'll end up loving them. You'll have to report back on the Chromcors, tobes - not for me though, the helicores are the best strings I've ever used.... I really like the helicores... I really like....
A diet of only green beans and I wouldn't need an alarm clock. If you want 'greens' try Dogal - I think they have/had a 'label' that is 'green'. Tried them once, (on the fiddle, that is - not to eat) nice string and cheap too; not seen them in the shops since.
been reading a thread on fiddle forum about precision lights. a lot of people are raving about them. They are as cheap as the chromcors as well............................ahhh decisions decisions!!!!
A few weeks ago I put heavy Helicore A, D and G on my Jay Haide (with a wound Pirastro E), in a successful quest to blend in better (note the careful wording!) with up to 4 boxes on full song in my English session. As I expected, they took a few days to play in tone-wise, but now, a few weeks down the line, they have a nice richness and sweetness of tone that suits that particular fiddle.
I wouldn't use heavy Helicores on my old fiddle, which is physically slightly bigger (almost small viola, but not viola sound), has a much stronger and deeper tone , and is significantly lighter in weight. I've found a gut set-up is best for the old 'un - again with the wound Pirastro E - but Zyex and Obbligatos aren't at all bad, so they're useful as spares since they can be peg tuned. I've tried all-metal in the past on the old fiddle, but that set-up doesn't really work.
Any core but a steel core for me. Eudoxas for the "old ones",
Obligatos for the "strong ones" and Dominants for the "slash & go" fiddles. Like a Hill E but want to try the new Pirastro
wound E.
steel strings - what next
steel strings - what next
I have just reached the end of a set of pirastro flexocores - they have been on for over five months and played into the ground
I want to try a different set of steels but don;t know what to try at the moment. I would like something that had a bit more bite to it than the flexocores.
In the past I tried helicores (medium and heavy) - didn't like either (they sounded wrong on my fiddle)
Prims - ok ish but not sure if I want to try them again at the moment
d'addario j90s - fairly good but really heavy
Any one got any suggestions? I was thinking of trying spirocores which seem to have gone out of fashion. But don't know if they would be too harsh,
I know the old addage is you just need to put them on, but I am interested in other players views
cheers
Toby
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by tobes
Re: steel strings - what next
Jargar! Worth the $$$$.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by McCracken
Re: steel strings - what next
I have switched from Helicores to Zyex and I really like them.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
what kind of socks do pirates wear? arrrgyles
and what are their favorite steel strings? Yarrrgarrs!! (aka Jargars)
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
Do pirates like hARdanger fiddles too?
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
you bet - their favorite restaurant is Arrrrby's
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
and their favorite tunes are bARrn dances
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
The better Irish fiddlers I know that use steel strings use (in rough order of the strings' popularity):
Helicore
Spirocore
Dr. Tomastik
Chromocores are apparently all the rage in Cape Breton, from what I hear. Never tried them myself.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by Georgi
Re: steel strings - what next
Argybargy
The Streets of Arklow
Argentina
Armagh
Armageddon
Aruba
Arboretum
Arlen Specter
Arlo Guthrie
Architecture
Armenia
Arm wrestling
Arsenic
Artisan bread
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
Georgi -- is that right spelling for "Chromocores"? I am curious about them, but a Google search for Chomocores returns zero results.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
chromcore. argybargy?
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
Argybargy...you know, the album by Squeeze?
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
I tried spirocores once, because my fiddle teacher was using them, but they sounded really nasal and tinny on my instrument. I generally use dominants, rather than steel core strings, but that's just me.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by jasonb
Re: steel strings - what next
that should have been "chromcor"
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
I'm trying Helicore heavies and finding them difficult to tame - I hated them for the first two weeks, now I like them, but they seem to require more precision than any other string I've used. I have some painful recordings to prove it.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
airport -- I am glad you are having better luck than I did with the helicore heavies. They just aggravated me.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by crazy_fingerz
Re: steel strings - what next
they sound great cross-tuned - makes up for it! p.s. when I get home tonight I'm going to try playing britches full of stitches in AEAE while riding my bike...
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
interesting - i found helicores really annoying, yet there are loads of posts about how wonderful they are. Thanks airport for the confirming my views on them
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by tobes
Re: steel strings - what next
hmmmm chromcor - just checked their price. about £21 a set - i am liking them already
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by tobes
Re: steel strings - what next
If you want cheap, there's always Red Labels :-0
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by Marklar
Re: steel strings - what next
Put Helicore on the fiddle on Saturday, took 'em off the following Friday in favour of Spirocores; the Helicore sounded awful - weedy and thin and felt like bits of over cooked spahgetti under my fingers. Ugh, never again and there you go...a lot of people I know use Helicore and think them great, me - I wouldn't have them as a prize.
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by john knoss
Re: steel strings - what next
I'm telling you JK, a week isn't long enough - you need two at least, plus during that time if you eat a diet consisting only of cooked green beans, set your alarm clock to wake you up every two hours at night, and post notes to yourself all over your house about how great they are you'll end up loving them. You'll have to report back on the Chromcors, tobes - not for me though, the helicores are the best strings I've ever used.... I really like the helicores... I really like....
# Posted on July 2nd 2008 by airport
Re: steel strings - what next
A diet of only green beans and I wouldn't need an alarm clock. If you want 'greens' try Dogal - I think they have/had a 'label' that is 'green'. Tried them once, (on the fiddle, that is - not to eat) nice string and cheap too; not seen them in the shops since.
# Posted on July 3rd 2008 by john knoss
Re: steel strings - what next
been reading a thread on fiddle forum about precision lights. a lot of people are raving about them. They are as cheap as the chromcors as well............................ahhh decisions decisions!!!!
# Posted on July 3rd 2008 by tobes
Re: steel strings - what next
A few weeks ago I put heavy Helicore A, D and G on my Jay Haide (with a wound Pirastro E), in a successful quest to blend in better (note the careful wording!) with up to 4 boxes on full song in my English session. As I expected, they took a few days to play in tone-wise, but now, a few weeks down the line, they have a nice richness and sweetness of tone that suits that particular fiddle.
I wouldn't use heavy Helicores on my old fiddle, which is physically slightly bigger (almost small viola, but not viola sound), has a much stronger and deeper tone , and is significantly lighter in weight. I've found a gut set-up is best for the old 'un - again with the wound Pirastro E - but Zyex and Obbligatos aren't at all bad, so they're useful as spares since they can be peg tuned. I've tried all-metal in the past on the old fiddle, but that set-up doesn't really work.
# Posted on July 3rd 2008 by lazyhound
Re: steel strings - what next
I've heard good things about Thomastik Precision Lights. Light = other mediums.
# Posted on July 5th 2008 by awildman2384
Re: steel strings - what next
Any core but a steel core for me. Eudoxas for the "old ones",
Obligatos for the "strong ones" and Dominants for the "slash & go" fiddles. Like a Hill E but want to try the new Pirastro
wound E.
# Posted on July 7th 2008 by hauke