Ah, I just changed out good condition chromcors for prazision's on both my fiddles... one is about 100 year old nameless german, other is about a 60 years old german, not nameless a Ficker.
The D string is so fabulous on both instruments, it seems too much for the old one, making it rattle in this dry weather, and the newer fiddle is glued much tighter, and it seems a perfect match. They are sticky though on my left hand. what's up with that? Sweaty palms or what? That and I have to relax my right arm quite a bit more, due to crispness, brightness, and loudness. I will give them a go with the lead-like Coda classic, next maybe that will round them out a little.
I find the Chromcors, to be sweeter, and warmer, requiring a wee more weight in my right arm, and doing very well with my wooden bow. These things are frightening, think it will take me a week to lighten up my right arm enough to make these sound pretty.
Anyway, I like them. Will... any experience? Do you like these things? I am not a fan of helicor, but I'm sure someone will be bringing them up in comparison, I think Helicores pale even against chromcor, which I do like, but I just had to try these.
I give them a cautious 4/5 stars, may sink to a 3.5 if I never control them, hopefully rise up to a 4.5 if I can.
I'm using the Praecision A at the moment because I couldn't
easily get a Chromcore one - which I like better. The Praecision
is perfectly ok but the Chromcore seemed a little more responsive and loud.
With it I'm using Vision Titanium Soloist D and G with Piastro
"Gold" E. I'm really happy with the Vision G string - it's the most
responsive G I've tried so far. I have to use a steel chromium
coated A; the Al. ones wear out too fast
I like visions too. They are my favorites along with chromcors.
I think this praz set has a nice volume equalizing effect. The D sounds crisp and fresh like the A and the E has a healthy edge so far I like them. Still they would be perfect if I could get the warmth of chromcors or visions.
Sorry, I haven't played on the Prazision strings at all. Had the Vision titaniums on for a couple years now, except the E. I use a Thomastik Superflexible No. 8 E string.
Am set to try a new set of Tzigane's shortly, and also Peter Infeld, which are somehow different from the Infeld Reds and Blues. We'll see.
I am routinely amazed at how much difference the brand and make of strings can make on a fiddle, far more than on the other stringed instruments I play (guitar, banjo, mandolin). And also how one specific string may work on one fiddle but not so well on another. Finicky things, these Violin Shaped Objects.....
Been using Praz for the last twelve years or so, and I can't say I've ever been disappointed. Plus the set lasts me an average of eight months, and they don't cost a fortune.
Good to hear Fanning, I will be patient. I do also give them 5/5 stars for appearance. I think the all black thread windings look very smart, and understated.
Also Fanning I read your Bio, I think when I grow up I want to be just like you!
How long have you had them strings on your fiddle SandyBottoms, and how much time do you spend playing them daily?
The Praz are overwhelmingly bright in the first couple days after mounting them (I've gone through my fiddle and rattled a few bits inside too with a new set of strings), but they settle into a nice zone after that. Plus they keep their tuning remarkably well for the duration of their usability.
3 days now Fanning, and yes they have changed a lot, I still
am not sure if it is for the better. They seem to be much smoother now much more what I would expect a steel string to feel like.
I've used Prazisions for a long time... but for many years it was the medium (mittel) tension. Here in the US in the '70s that's what all the violin shops carried for steel strings.
A couple of years ago on the Fiddle (and Alternative Strings) Forum, Patricia (Tize) Clark mentioned trying the Light ("weich") tension Prazisions... so I tried them. She's an Irish Trad fiddler, and said that they worked well for Irish ornaments.
Well, I like them a LOT... they still give me the steel string bite I need and want, but have a richer tone with less tendency to squeak. As someone said, they last a long time... 8 months is about right... the mediums even lasted longer.
But now, IMO, I think the mediums are mislabeled- they are far higher tension than most manufacturers mediums.
The Precision Lights also allow a more expressive violinny quality than the Precision (er..Prazision) mediums.
Caveats:
On the Prazision Lights I like so much, the E string is really TOO light, and I switch to something with a little more body to it, either a Prazision medium E or a Westminster seem to work fine.
Not all my fiddles like them. The fiddle I use for Old Time fiddling "likes" them, but the fiddle I use for Irish tunes DOESN'T. That one likes Prim Mediums.
And the Prim Mediums feel about the same as the Prazision Lights.
A very good luthier near hear hates Prazisions- says they make fiddles "moo". I think I may have heard a touch of that on one fiddle I have that now needs some work, and another fiddler tried Prazisions on my recommendation, and his DID seem to "moo". But since the mediums are so common, I think it's possible that the "mooing" is due to the mediums really being too high of a tension for most fiddles.
There are only two suppliers I've found in the US (last I looked) that carry the Prazision Lights- quinnviolins.com and juststrings.com.
So far I've gotten mine from quinnviolins.com.
Oh... I just noticed the thing you said about "relaxing your right arm".
I don't know if it's all the Precisions, but I do find that the Precision Lights are LOUD, and that that DOES help me to relax with my right arm. I also find they have a rather large "sweet spot", larger than the "sweet spot" on the mediums.
Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Ah, I just changed out good condition chromcors for prazision's on both my fiddles... one is about 100 year old nameless german, other is about a 60 years old german, not nameless a Ficker.
The D string is so fabulous on both instruments, it seems too much for the old one, making it rattle in this dry weather, and the newer fiddle is glued much tighter, and it seems a perfect match. They are sticky though on my left hand. what's up with that? Sweaty palms or what? That and I have to relax my right arm quite a bit more, due to crispness, brightness, and loudness. I will give them a go with the lead-like Coda classic, next maybe that will round them out a little.
I find the Chromcors, to be sweeter, and warmer, requiring a wee more weight in my right arm, and doing very well with my wooden bow. These things are frightening, think it will take me a week to lighten up my right arm enough to make these sound pretty.
Anyway, I like them. Will... any experience? Do you like these things? I am not a fan of helicor, but I'm sure someone will be bringing them up in comparison, I think Helicores pale even against chromcor, which I do like, but I just had to try these.
I give them a cautious 4/5 stars, may sink to a 3.5 if I never control them, hopefully rise up to a 4.5 if I can.
# Posted on February 5th 2011 by SandyBottoms
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
I'm using the Praecision A at the moment because I couldn't
easily get a Chromcore one - which I like better. The Praecision
is perfectly ok but the Chromcore seemed a little more responsive and loud.
With it I'm using Vision Titanium Soloist D and G with Piastro
"Gold" E. I'm really happy with the Vision G string - it's the most
responsive G I've tried so far. I have to use a steel chromium
coated A; the Al. ones wear out too fast
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by Hup
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
I like visions too. They are my favorites along with chromcors.
I think this praz set has a nice volume equalizing effect. The D sounds crisp and fresh like the A and the E has a healthy edge so far I like them. Still they would be perfect if I could get the warmth of chromcors or visions.
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by SandyBottoms
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Sorry, I haven't played on the Prazision strings at all. Had the Vision titaniums on for a couple years now, except the E. I use a Thomastik Superflexible No. 8 E string.
Am set to try a new set of Tzigane's shortly, and also Peter Infeld, which are somehow different from the Infeld Reds and Blues. We'll see.
I am routinely amazed at how much difference the brand and make of strings can make on a fiddle, far more than on the other stringed instruments I play (guitar, banjo, mandolin). And also how one specific string may work on one fiddle but not so well on another. Finicky things, these Violin Shaped Objects.....
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by Will Harmon
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Been using Praz for the last twelve years or so, and I can't say I've ever been disappointed. Plus the set lasts me an average of eight months, and they don't cost a fortune.
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by Fanning
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Will, there's an ongoing discussion about the new Peter Infeld strings on http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=18488
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Thanks for the link, Trevor.
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by Will Harmon
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Good to hear Fanning, I will be patient. I do also give them 5/5 stars for appearance. I think the all black thread windings look very smart, and understated.
Also Fanning I read your Bio, I think when I grow up I want to be just like you!
# Posted on February 6th 2011 by SandyBottoms
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
How long have you had them strings on your fiddle SandyBottoms, and how much time do you spend playing them daily?
The Praz are overwhelmingly bright in the first couple days after mounting them (I've gone through my fiddle and rattled a few bits inside too with a new set of strings), but they settle into a nice zone after that. Plus they keep their tuning remarkably well for the duration of their usability.
Who says you have to grow up to end up like me?
# Posted on February 7th 2011 by Fanning
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
3 days now Fanning, and yes they have changed a lot, I still
am not sure if it is for the better. They seem to be much smoother now much more what I would expect a steel string to feel like.
# Posted on February 8th 2011 by SandyBottoms
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
I've used Prazisions for a long time... but for many years it was the medium (mittel) tension. Here in the US in the '70s that's what all the violin shops carried for steel strings.
A couple of years ago on the Fiddle (and Alternative Strings) Forum, Patricia (Tize) Clark mentioned trying the Light ("weich") tension Prazisions... so I tried them. She's an Irish Trad fiddler, and said that they worked well for Irish ornaments.
Well, I like them a LOT... they still give me the steel string bite I need and want, but have a richer tone with less tendency to squeak. As someone said, they last a long time... 8 months is about right... the mediums even lasted longer.
But now, IMO, I think the mediums are mislabeled- they are far higher tension than most manufacturers mediums.
The Precision Lights also allow a more expressive violinny quality than the Precision (er..Prazision) mediums.
Caveats:
On the Prazision Lights I like so much, the E string is really TOO light, and I switch to something with a little more body to it, either a Prazision medium E or a Westminster seem to work fine.
Not all my fiddles like them. The fiddle I use for Old Time fiddling "likes" them, but the fiddle I use for Irish tunes DOESN'T. That one likes Prim Mediums.
And the Prim Mediums feel about the same as the Prazision Lights.
A very good luthier near hear hates Prazisions- says they make fiddles "moo". I think I may have heard a touch of that on one fiddle I have that now needs some work, and another fiddler tried Prazisions on my recommendation, and his DID seem to "moo". But since the mediums are so common, I think it's possible that the "mooing" is due to the mediums really being too high of a tension for most fiddles.
There are only two suppliers I've found in the US (last I looked) that carry the Prazision Lights- quinnviolins.com and juststrings.com.
So far I've gotten mine from quinnviolins.com.
# Posted on February 18th 2011 by fiddlepogo
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
Oh... I just noticed the thing you said about "relaxing your right arm".
I don't know if it's all the Precisions, but I do find that the Precision Lights are LOUD, and that that DOES help me to relax with my right arm. I also find they have a rather large "sweet spot", larger than the "sweet spot" on the mediums.
# Posted on February 18th 2011 by fiddlepogo
Re: Prazision Strings on Fiddle (reviews anyone?)
I went back to Chromcor.. the Praz strings were quick, but eventually I thought the sound felt thin, and annoying so back to my stand by Chromcors.
# Posted on May 20th 2011 by SandyBottoms