On the expensive fiddle: Dominants, with a Piastro Gold E
On the old beater fiddle: Helicore, with a Westminster E
The Dominants are warmer, I guess, but they both seem to work well.
I did use Prims in years past, and liked them too. I think the company went out of business for a while and I had to switch to Jargar, but theb my violin guy suggested Helicores because he thought they would be more responsive (get louder with more bow pressure).
I tried Super Sensitive and Black Diamond strings a long time ago, didn't care for them.
Dominants...tried the new Visions, but just didn't need them..also I thought they were a little artificial sounding. I like Eudoxas and Olives, but don't want to deal with gut. Tonicas are nice, a little warmer than Dominants. Evahs are very bright and metallicy, but a lot of folks like them. Infeld red and Blues can be matched for fiddles with a problem area like bright top and dull bottom...Obligatos can be ok on a violin with problems, like being way too bright...Larsens are nice strings too.
I have tried lots, but always come back to Dominants for the amount of tone they produce. If you have a decent violin, then pretty much this is all you need.
I've been using Pirastro Tonica for about 6 years. I like the tone on my fiddle (which, by the way Jim, is one of those handmade Chinese jobs, as well). I also like the volume. I have been thinking of trying Helicore because people say good things about them, but haven't got around to getting them, yet.
I usually use Dominants. Used to use Eudoxas on my old 1700's fiddle and I'm going to try them on my new 1988 Whedbee fiddle with a Jargar or Goldbrokat E. I have a Jargar Forte E on with the Dominants right now and that E really brings out the overtones, but I'm going to try for more color and beauty with the Eudoxas. Just hope I don't have big tuning problems because of the gut core. I just bought a medium Jargar by mistake, but we'll give it a try and see what happens. I also plan to try a Goldbrokat E with the Eudoxas before I make my decision. Tried a gold label Wondertone E with the Dominants but it was pretty gutless. The Goldbrokat was almost overwhelming but fun to play on! This is a fiddle I've only had about six months so I need to find out what its optimum setup is.
I use Evahs on my acoustic fiddles but when I tried them on the electric they couldn't cope with the heat/humidity etc of gigs. I sent one of them back to Pirastro who not only sent me a free set of Evahs but then sent me a set of alternative strings to try on the electric. All they asked was that I fill out a questionnaire on their performance.
The Evahs are expensive and don't last as long as other makes but I just love the quality of sound. The electric fiddle really needs steel strings.
I change strings on my fiddles fairly frequently - often swapping them between the instruments but not necessarily putting on new ones unless they're required. Currently, on my old German fiddle I'm using Infeld Reds, and Zyex on the modern Jay Haide. On both I always use Olive Gold E's. After a lot of experimenting over the years I've come to the conclusion that steel-cored strings don't really suit my style of playing, and certainly don't suit the old fiddle.
My favourites, so far, have got to be Obbligatos, but the old ones are worn out and I need new ones. I haven't tried Evahs, but I shall in due course, but only on the old fiddle.
The cello's different. I use it orchestrally, and the best all-round strings for it I've found are Thomastik Spirocore (steel-cored) which are responsive, powerful, incredibly stable in tuning, and long-lasting - which is a very significant point when you consider the cost of decent cello strings.
Hi Jim,now without a doubt the finest strings I've ever come across are Corelli Alliance.The G,D and A are quite superb but I am in two minds with the E.I tend to favour Eudoxa as they seem to be less "whistling" than some of the others,but that's another thing.
All the best.
They are expensive I know but that's what you pay for.
I have a walnut-backed fiddle thats dark but very powerful. I have been using Helicore heavies but decided to try out the Vision Titamiums. They've been on for about 6 hours of play and I think I'm really going to like them. The Titaniums are incredibly clear but still have a warmth about them--the E string is absolutely glassy and hasn't produced a squeak. They do seem to be a little louder than the Helicores and response seems quicker, ie the notes speak very quickly.
And, this may seem strange, but I think my intonation is improving with them. Perhaps because they are so clear it's easier to hear when out of tune.
Well, I tried the Eudoxas on my fiddle last night. Practiced on them for about an hour with a Goldbrokat E. No go. They crushed when I put on any pressure, they weren't fast on the response, they stretched and stretched and stretched (which I expected to an extent and could have been patient with for a few days) and they were too soft under the ear for the orchestra stuff I'm going to be jumping into next week...I took them off after an hour. I also found the soft action to be somewhat disconcerting -- I like a little "fight" in my strings, if that makes sense. They do have an ability to express and create color and they're great in high positions -- on the G for example-- but that's not enough to compensate in my case. I'm going to return them to see if I can get a refund. If not, then it's just more experience with this new fiddle and I'll simply travel on. The Dominants are back on now, new ones from the same order, and I'm loving playing with them. They just may be the string for this violin. The last ones lasted for about a month of heavy playing -- not too bad.
When I started learning the cello in my early teens I used gut strings - the top two bare gut and the bottom two metal wound gut (as are today's Eudoxas). Everyone was in the same situation, and the only metal strings in the orchestra were the violin Es. Quite a few years later I got my first set of metal strings (Thomastic, I think) and I still remember the effort I had to put into learning a new way of bowing - not to say the extra tension of those strings. Conversely, today's player who has been brought up on steel core and synthetic core strings has some relearning of technique to do if they start playing on gut core strings.
Some years ago, on another cello I had (which is now my daughter's) I reverted to wound gut strings (Eudoxa Gold) for orchestral playing for a couple of years until I passed that cello on. Having learnt in the beginning the skill of playing on gut it didn't take long for me to re-adapt. After a few days settling in (i.e stretching) I found those Eudoxas to be fairly stable. The A, in particular, almost never needed tuning from one rehearsal to the next. The C tended to sharpen a bit in the heat of a concert hall, and sometimes the D might flatten slightly, but not enough to cause problems.
I never felt embarrassed by the cello Eudoxas being too soft - the tone carried well enough. It is a fact with the violin that the amplitude and tonal quality of the sound the player hears under his ear isn't quite that which carries to the audience. The sound quality of a good gut string on a good instrument really does carry surprisingly well, even when played softly.
I think I'd agree with you about the perceived slower response of gut strings, which is an important point for today's players. But then again I'm inclined to think that a reappraisal of bowing technique would show that this apparent slower response isn't quite as slow as imagined.
At the end of the day, it's what suits the player and his instrument that matters.
Oh, and the expense and relatively short playing life of gut strings are often a deciding factor.
Thier...you didn't give the Eudoxas a chance...they realistically take about 2 weeks to settle in and not stretch (same with Olives)..the Eudoxas do take a different bowing style, but if that's the sound you're after, you will adjust really without even knowing that you are after a short time. The Olives are a bit more direct than the Eudoxas...
Nathan Milstein, Henryk Szeryng used Eudpxas, and I can honestly say that I have never been able to find fault with eithers playing..
Having said all that, the reasons that you stated are the exact reasons that I prefer Dominants.
I wish I had the patience to use the Eudoxas and Olives because I love the way they sound, but just don't.
This years National Scottish Fiddle Champion (US), Colyn Fisher, plays on Eudoxas.
If you like Dominants, you will probably like Tonicas...they are just a wee bit warmer, and do not have that slight scratchiness under your ear (that no one else can hear)
If someone wants a low tension string, very gut sounding (almost to the point of sounding violaish) try Aricores...a popular set up is the Aricore A with Eudoxa D and G
Great comments. I did play on Eudoxas for years on the other fiddle and for a long time I liked them. The stretching I can wait for, although I'm out playing pretty frequently now and it becomes a problem if my tuning isn't stable. I need to be able to pick it up and go. I did go back to them because of the "greats" who used them. Maybe some day I'll give it another try when I have the luxury of waiting for the stretch to take place. Maybe the Corelli Alliance is a good one to try, too, or the Aricores, when I get a little more cash to experiment again! Thanks for the advice, all!
Hallo! I'm new around these parts, so this is my first post. It looks like a very active forum. I think Dominants are OK, but I hate the E. I use a Eudoxa E and I think it's great - it doesn't whistle that much and it's responsive.
I sent off to Pirastro for some Obligatos and I've mixed feelings - I don't like the feel of the strings - I find them sort of "sticky" and so difficult to do accurate slides. They have a very nice, rich tone, but I find it hard to vary my volume and really go ff (very loud) when I need to. I was sent the gold E with them and it confirmed my dislike for goldies - they whistle way too much, especially on open E double-stops. But, given that it was a sample set from Pirastro, I'm not complaining. The next strings I want to try out are the Warchal Karneol
No need to apologise, it's not being self-centred at all! Choosing strings is very much an individual thing, depending on the player, the fiddle, the bow, the sort of music you play, and where you play it.
Fiddle Strings
Re: Fiddle Strings
On the expensive fiddle: Dominants, with a Piastro Gold E
On the old beater fiddle: Helicore, with a Westminster E
The Dominants are warmer, I guess, but they both seem to work well.
I did use Prims in years past, and liked them too. I think the company went out of business for a while and I had to switch to Jargar, but theb my violin guy suggested Helicores because he thought they would be more responsive (get louder with more bow pressure).
I tried Super Sensitive and Black Diamond strings a long time ago, didn't care for them.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by mickray
Re: Fiddle Strings
Dominants...tried the new Visions, but just didn't need them..also I thought they were a little artificial sounding. I like Eudoxas and Olives, but don't want to deal with gut. Tonicas are nice, a little warmer than Dominants. Evahs are very bright and metallicy, but a lot of folks like them. Infeld red and Blues can be matched for fiddles with a problem area like bright top and dull bottom...Obligatos can be ok on a violin with problems, like being way too bright...Larsens are nice strings too.
I have tried lots, but always come back to Dominants for the amount of tone they produce. If you have a decent violin, then pretty much this is all you need.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Fiddle Strings
Oh yeah I like a Wondertone (Pirastro Gold Label ) E string
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Fiddle Strings
I've been using Pirastro Tonica for about 6 years. I like the tone on my fiddle (which, by the way Jim, is one of those handmade Chinese jobs, as well). I also like the volume. I have been thinking of trying Helicore because people say good things about them, but haven't got around to getting them, yet.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by John Culhane
Re: Fiddle Strings
I had problems with the A unraveling on the Dominants, so I switched to Obligatos, and I absolutely love them! And no unraveling so far!
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Fiddlekit
Re: Fiddle Strings
I usually use Dominants. Used to use Eudoxas on my old 1700's fiddle and I'm going to try them on my new 1988 Whedbee fiddle with a Jargar or Goldbrokat E. I have a Jargar Forte E on with the Dominants right now and that E really brings out the overtones, but I'm going to try for more color and beauty with the Eudoxas. Just hope I don't have big tuning problems because of the gut core. I just bought a medium Jargar by mistake, but we'll give it a try and see what happens. I also plan to try a Goldbrokat E with the Eudoxas before I make my decision. Tried a gold label Wondertone E with the Dominants but it was pretty gutless. The Goldbrokat was almost overwhelming but fun to play on! This is a fiddle I've only had about six months so I need to find out what its optimum setup is.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by thier1754
Re: Fiddle Strings
I use Evahs on my acoustic fiddles but when I tried them on the electric they couldn't cope with the heat/humidity etc of gigs. I sent one of them back to Pirastro who not only sent me a free set of Evahs but then sent me a set of alternative strings to try on the electric. All they asked was that I fill out a questionnaire on their performance.
The Evahs are expensive and don't last as long as other makes but I just love the quality of sound. The electric fiddle really needs steel strings.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Tarrantella
Re: Fiddle Strings
I have used 'Thomastik Superflexible' for a number of years now.
I have tried the Dominant dudes, but although they have a rich warm sound, I find they don't last very long before thay start to disintegrate!
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Ptarmigan
Re: Fiddle Strings
I change strings on my fiddles fairly frequently - often swapping them between the instruments but not necessarily putting on new ones unless they're required. Currently, on my old German fiddle I'm using Infeld Reds, and Zyex on the modern Jay Haide. On both I always use Olive Gold E's. After a lot of experimenting over the years I've come to the conclusion that steel-cored strings don't really suit my style of playing, and certainly don't suit the old fiddle.
My favourites, so far, have got to be Obbligatos, but the old ones are worn out and I need new ones. I haven't tried Evahs, but I shall in due course, but only on the old fiddle.
The cello's different. I use it orchestrally, and the best all-round strings for it I've found are Thomastik Spirocore (steel-cored) which are responsive, powerful, incredibly stable in tuning, and long-lasting - which is a very significant point when you consider the cost of decent cello strings.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Fiddle Strings
Hi Jim,now without a doubt the finest strings I've ever come across are Corelli Alliance.The G,D and A are quite superb but I am in two minds with the E.I tend to favour Eudoxa as they seem to be less "whistling" than some of the others,but that's another thing.
All the best.
They are expensive I know but that's what you pay for.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Dougieboy
Re: Fiddle Strings
I've been using Helicore medium gauge for about a year and a half now. They sound great on my fiddle and last a respectable amount of time.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by RogueFiddler
Re: Fiddle Strings
Obligatos work best for me. Ive tried Helicores, Dominants and Evas as well but nothing sounds as good as the Oblogatos.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by jerryb
Re: Fiddle Strings
Are there any E strings that resist that screeching high harmonic that strikes without warning?
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by Bob himself
Re: Fiddle Strings
I have a walnut-backed fiddle thats dark but very powerful. I have been using Helicore heavies but decided to try out the Vision Titamiums. They've been on for about 6 hours of play and I think I'm really going to like them. The Titaniums are incredibly clear but still have a warmth about them--the E string is absolutely glassy and hasn't produced a squeak. They do seem to be a little louder than the Helicores and response seems quicker, ie the notes speak very quickly.
And, this may seem strange, but I think my intonation is improving with them. Perhaps because they are so clear it's easier to hear when out of tune.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by iampeterfonda
Re: Fiddle Strings
For a fairly detailed discussion of the Vision Titanium strings by Thomastik have a look at, http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=7690
It's a string I may consider when the Infeld Reds on my old German fiddle need replqcing.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Fiddle Strings
Well, I tried the Eudoxas on my fiddle last night. Practiced on them for about an hour with a Goldbrokat E. No go. They crushed when I put on any pressure, they weren't fast on the response, they stretched and stretched and stretched (which I expected to an extent and could have been patient with for a few days) and they were too soft under the ear for the orchestra stuff I'm going to be jumping into next week...I took them off after an hour. I also found the soft action to be somewhat disconcerting -- I like a little "fight" in my strings, if that makes sense. They do have an ability to express and create color and they're great in high positions -- on the G for example-- but that's not enough to compensate in my case. I'm going to return them to see if I can get a refund. If not, then it's just more experience with this new fiddle and I'll simply travel on. The Dominants are back on now, new ones from the same order, and I'm loving playing with them. They just may be the string for this violin. The last ones lasted for about a month of heavy playing -- not too bad.
# Posted on October 26th 2005 by thier1754
Re: Fiddle Strings
When I started learning the cello in my early teens I used gut strings - the top two bare gut and the bottom two metal wound gut (as are today's Eudoxas). Everyone was in the same situation, and the only metal strings in the orchestra were the violin Es. Quite a few years later I got my first set of metal strings (Thomastic, I think) and I still remember the effort I had to put into learning a new way of bowing - not to say the extra tension of those strings. Conversely, today's player who has been brought up on steel core and synthetic core strings has some relearning of technique to do if they start playing on gut core strings.
Some years ago, on another cello I had (which is now my daughter's) I reverted to wound gut strings (Eudoxa Gold) for orchestral playing for a couple of years until I passed that cello on. Having learnt in the beginning the skill of playing on gut it didn't take long for me to re-adapt. After a few days settling in (i.e stretching) I found those Eudoxas to be fairly stable. The A, in particular, almost never needed tuning from one rehearsal to the next. The C tended to sharpen a bit in the heat of a concert hall, and sometimes the D might flatten slightly, but not enough to cause problems.
I never felt embarrassed by the cello Eudoxas being too soft - the tone carried well enough. It is a fact with the violin that the amplitude and tonal quality of the sound the player hears under his ear isn't quite that which carries to the audience. The sound quality of a good gut string on a good instrument really does carry surprisingly well, even when played softly.
I think I'd agree with you about the perceived slower response of gut strings, which is an important point for today's players. But then again I'm inclined to think that a reappraisal of bowing technique would show that this apparent slower response isn't quite as slow as imagined.
At the end of the day, it's what suits the player and his instrument that matters.
Oh, and the expense and relatively short playing life of gut strings are often a deciding factor.
# Posted on October 27th 2005 by lazyhound
Re: Fiddle Strings
Thier...you didn't give the Eudoxas a chance...they realistically take about 2 weeks to settle in and not stretch (same with Olives)..the Eudoxas do take a different bowing style, but if that's the sound you're after, you will adjust really without even knowing that you are after a short time. The Olives are a bit more direct than the Eudoxas...
Nathan Milstein, Henryk Szeryng used Eudpxas, and I can honestly say that I have never been able to find fault with eithers playing..
Having said all that, the reasons that you stated are the exact reasons that I prefer Dominants.
I wish I had the patience to use the Eudoxas and Olives because I love the way they sound, but just don't.
This years National Scottish Fiddle Champion (US), Colyn Fisher, plays on Eudoxas.
# Posted on October 27th 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Fiddle Strings
I have been using Hella-cores since around February. I did some experiments with a variety of strings and documented them in this post:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/5627
I am due for a new set. I might go back to Dominants and try them again, although I have not tried Tonicas yet.
# Posted on October 27th 2005 by Jode
Re: Fiddle Strings
Jode,
If you like Dominants, you will probably like Tonicas...they are just a wee bit warmer, and do not have that slight scratchiness under your ear (that no one else can hear)
If someone wants a low tension string, very gut sounding (almost to the point of sounding violaish) try Aricores...a popular set up is the Aricore A with Eudoxa D and G
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Sunnybear
Re: Fiddle Strings
Great comments. I did play on Eudoxas for years on the other fiddle and for a long time I liked them. The stretching I can wait for, although I'm out playing pretty frequently now and it becomes a problem if my tuning isn't stable. I need to be able to pick it up and go. I did go back to them because of the "greats" who used them. Maybe some day I'll give it another try when I have the luxury of waiting for the stretch to take place. Maybe the Corelli Alliance is a good one to try, too, or the Aricores, when I get a little more cash to experiment again! Thanks for the advice, all!
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by thier1754
Re: Fiddle Strings
Hallo! I'm new around these parts, so this is my first post. It looks like a very active forum. I think Dominants are OK, but I hate the E. I use a Eudoxa E and I think it's great - it doesn't whistle that much and it's responsive.
I sent off to Pirastro for some Obligatos and I've mixed feelings - I don't like the feel of the strings - I find them sort of "sticky" and so difficult to do accurate slides. They have a very nice, rich tone, but I find it hard to vary my volume and really go ff (very loud) when I need to. I was sent the gold E with them and it confirmed my dislike for goldies - they whistle way too much, especially on open E double-stops. But, given that it was a sample set from Pirastro, I'm not complaining. The next strings I want to try out are the Warchal Karneol
Sorry if that was a bit of a self-centred ramble!
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by MaccyD
Re: Fiddle Strings
No need to apologise, it's not being self-centred at all! Choosing strings is very much an individual thing, depending on the player, the fiddle, the bow, the sort of music you play, and where you play it.
# Posted on October 29th 2005 by lazyhound