just a quick question if I may, to find out what others feel about just how long you should give a set of strings on a fiddle before you can say that you are hearing the full tone , rather that "letting them settle down".
One of my fiddles is quite bright, to the extent that Infeld Reds sound brash, so i'm looking for a string that mellows the sound, without taking all the life out of it.
I tried Obligato's as they're supposed to be "Dark", whatever that translates to, but they killed the sound and seemed quite flat.
I know that it's a costly business, this chopping and changing strings, but i'd just be interested to know what others thought about just how long one should give a new set before making a judgement.
A harsh violin can be toned down some by moving the soundpost...I like Dominant strings, but you could try the Vision Titanium Orchestrasor even Eudoxa if you want to deal with wound gut, but first I would go to a luthier and ask for some help in soundpost adjustment.
I HATED Infelds. With a passion. They were HORRIBLE on my fiddle. I also have a rather bright fiddle. Will got me into the Evah Pirazzis, damn his eyes, and I can't find another string I like better. And they're SO expensive.
I know several people who use wound gut...not too prissy sounding to my ear! I like to have one of my violins strung in eudoxas or olives, but my main violin stays strung with Dominants.
I'm asking about fiddlers, not violinists. In 30 years, I've never met a fiddler who as a matter of course used gut strings. I'm just wondering if there are any Irish trad fiddlers reading this who do.
As a matter of course I use Helicores, but I was reasonably content to leave the stock strings on my cheapy Chinese fiddle (my primary instrument since aquisition) for a year before switching over and the stamped back Stainer has Black Diamonds on it.
I'm not at all opposed to the idea however and have thought it would be interesting to get a baroque instrument with gut strings, at least to try out. After all, for the majority of its history Irish fiddle music was played on baroque fiddles with gut strings.
We just don't think of that way because the introduction of steel strings happened to coincide with the beginnings of recording Irish music.
And 500 years from now, in all likelihood, Irish fiddle music will have been played for a majority of its history on something other than gut strings. So what?
Some of us don't think of gut strings because we'd rather play than spend all day tuning. There's no lack of good choices for strings from the steel and synth core makes, so no need to bother with all the hassles of gut.
I blame Will and Zina for getting me on to Evahs as well. They're even more expensive over here! However, they weren't suitable for the Yamaha electric fiddle on band gigs - after three gigs they were starting to turn black! I've gone over to Helicores on that fiddle. But my other three all have Evahs on - luckily they're wearing well as I can only afford to replace them about once a year!!
". . .no need to bother with all the hassles of gut."
Which is one of the reasons why I use steel as a matter of course and intend to continue to do so. Personally I don't see the point of using gut strings, as a matter of course, for any reason other than historical.
However, Owell raised the issue of a "prissy violin sound" with gut strings. I was simply pointing out that gut strings are what traditional Irish music has traditionally sounded like and I do think it would be interesting to play some fiddle music on an old style fiddle.
500 years from now I wouldn't be at all surprised if the whole string issue had long been done away with entirely, Irish fiddle music having been played for a majority of its existence on Theremin.
I think it would be interesting to try that too.
Until I have I'll have no idea if doing so as a matter of course appeals to me.
Helicores here, with a pirastro gold E. I always felt that the strings were settled after about a week.
Never tried gut. I have one old fiddle that had a bit of original gut string left on it when I got it, but it was very quiet and now has Helicores on, though Helicores were painfully loud on my other fiddles.
I'm using Obligatos at the moment and was very disappointed when I first put them on but they took several days to settle and now I like them a lot. The have a little less tension than Evahs and I think they suit my playing level, encouraging me to do more double-stopping and slurring. I had Evahs on it before, and they settled in almost immediately, and were great, but changed them after 4 months because the windings were showing signs of damage. I may stick with Obligatos next time.
In Manchester (UK) lots of players use Thomastik 'Superflexible' medium strings. They last forever and stay in pitch wonderfully well. I leave them on my fiddles for at least two years with little sign of deterioration.
well, here's a couple fiddlers for ya then Will...
Colyn Fischer, '05 National US Scottish Fiddle champ, Eudoxas
Dr. John Turner 10 Nat. Scottish Fiddle Champion, Eudoxas, Kaplan Golden Spiral,
do you actually think that the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings?
Steel strings have been around for a while, but before that it was gut, and I don;t think those folks lacked for any ability to draw out a tune just because they were using gut strings.
I've even been known to fiddle out a tune on a gut strung violin.
With all of that though, I still prefer synthetic due to the tuning issues. There cerainly is no lack of string choice out there.
"Do you actually think that the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings?"
LOL, Sunnybear, you can read the strangest ideas into my words. Obviously fiddlers from previous generations used gut--it was the only "choice" they had.
But since the advent of steel and then synth core, very few fiddlers bother with gut. The two examples you came up with only reinforce my sense that the vast majority of Irish fiddlers favor steel and synth. (And it doesn't surprise me that a couple of Scottish champs would go with gut--a penchant for historical accuracy and a more classical sensibility are not uncommon in that music.)
Is there an Irish fiddler out there since 1960 who regularly uses gut? I doubt it.
I'd go so far as to suggest that if you have a fiddle that responds well only with gut strings on it, get another fiddle for your main axe. (Keep the gut one for kicks and grins if that's your thing, but take the steel-synth strung fiddle to sessions.)
*sigh* gee Will, I was not reading anything into your words..I was offering up an option that may help with the "harshness"...it's not up to me what riverrunner chooses to use...and you're not the one who was questioning their suitability...reread your own posts if you don't remember...my above reply was not directed only at your responses...
and in your original "show of hands" you did not qualify your statement by saying "irish" fiddlers...
I don't care who you thought you were addressing, but writing: "Do you actually think the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings" strikes me as just a wee bit condescending, eh?
Actually, I have it on good authority that Pagganinny used synthetic core strings, made from the silk of artifical silk worms.
Oh my God!, I go to work for a day, come back and log on, and the string assessment world's exploded!
Thanks to all for their comments and opinions.
I don't think that the soundpost is at fault, as the guy who made my fiddles lives half a mile up the road, and he's checked it out and says all's OK.
I was really interested in Sunnybear's comments about the Visions. I've always liked the sound fron Thomastik strings, and guess that I might give the Visions a go next time i'm due for a change, and i've saved up the necessary.
I've always fancied the Evah's, but reading the reviews on sites like the ishfin pages, it would appear that they're "brilliant" in tone, which, in my humble translation reads "metallic".
At the risk of putting you all to too much trouble, how would the Visions compare with something that would act as a standard, say, Dominants?
The Evah's don't sound metallic or even particularly bright on my fiddle. More open, woody, and dark. Very resonant and responsive. And they work that way on two very different fiddles I have.
I think that the Visions have a little more "roundness", for lack of a beter term.
Have a look at your rosin, too. I used Bernardel for a long time...very smooth and "lush", but just switched (6-8 months ago) to Millant -Deroux as I was looking for a little more bite. The verdict is still out whether I will stay with the M_D or not, but I do know that rosin can make a difference. A rosin cake tha's even a little more soft sounding is Jade.
Keep in mind that teh Dominants can sound "scratchy" under your ear, but that tone does not carry.
I know several people who use Evahs, and they are a fine string, but I don't think that they are dark or warm sounding. They are not exactly metallic though either. They "shimmer", aort of like silver.
Riverrunner...I just looked in my "string box"...(can't seem to throw anything away)...
I have a set of Larsens in there that I kept as spares, but then switched from Larsens several years ago...they are used, but still have a little life left in them...enough to give you a sense of what they would be like on your fiddle...they're yours if you want them...just e-mail me your address...
I find the Evahs to be very focused, but not particularly bright, at least on my fiddle. Not real dark, nor woody as on Will's fiddles, but not real brilliant either.
Focused is a good word, and yes, warm, at least on the fiddles around here. Obligatos are good too, and Helicores are one of the most toneful steel strings on the market. I've also liked Prims on certain fiddles.
Strings sound different on different fiddles. No way around it but to try different brands on yours.
I've been using Hella-cores for awhile now, and have enjoyed them. They are not what I expected, having played Dominant for years, and having sampled Visions and Evah's (and Prims for about a day).
The Visions did nothing for me, nothing that the standard Dominant didn't already do, at least. The Evah's faded too quickly for me, but were great right off the mark. Prims and my fiddle do not get along. I got a bad G string on my first Hella set, but all the rest have been great since.
But as Will says, you might as well try a few of them, if you have the cash and the inclination. My next set will be Tonicas, because I have never tried them, and they were also recommended. After that, I might try Dominant again, but will probably settle into Hellas for a good while. They sound good on my fiddle, don't take too much breaking in, and they last a good while and are stable to boot.
I used to use a full set of dominants and was unhappy with the tone, particularly on the E, but following advice from Zina and Will, I changed the E string to a Pirastro Gold and renewed the dominant A. What a difference just doing that made. I hope to graduate to Evah's one day, but as Will says, just experiment.
Good luck.
Previously, my strings only lasted me about 6 weeks with the amount I play. But I've just come across Warchal strings, which are a new brand. They have four different types of strings I think. I use the Brilliants. They're the most expensive, but they're absolutely incredible; the sound of them is amazing and they last three months for me, which is incredible for the amount I play! They're only recommended for fairly advanced players though, because on most fiddles they require solid playing to get a good sound from them. But the other three types they do are meant to be very good as well and more suitable for less advanced players.
Give your strings at least a couple of weeks, if you play for an hour or more a day. If you change their tension, e.g. tuning up for Eflat sessions or using open A tuning, this'll disrupt it a little bit.
Tize, I got a set of the Warchals as samples, but ahve yet to try them (the Brilliants) b/c I've not heard much about them...guess I'll go ahead and give them a go....
I also receives some of the Visions as samples, and used them and they were great...esp. the Orchestras...my violin just doesn't "need" them...
yes the Dominant E is crap..Gold label is what I use now, but have with success used a Westminster, and GOldbrokat (these are cheap)..the e string will definitely change the tone of the violin...
Tonicas will be close to Dominants in tone without the scratchiness. (answering to some of above in no particular order.
I,m finding the Dominant (aluminum wound) A string wears way too fast for the money, and turns me fingers black also! Anyone substituting the A with something else that works?
Sunny, I might like the Tonicas then. The scratchiness and break-in time were the reasons I moved away from Dominant. Also, I have used the Goldbrokat E with great success, but find the Helicore E to be decent too.
Many people have commented about the Dominant A, but I don't recall any such problems on my fiddle.
yeah, a lot of people comment on strings unravelling, etc. but I usually find it not to be the strings fault...usually a nut needs some lubricating, like graphite...same with the bridge, or the nails need a trim.
Actually, Dominant As tend to unwrap up around the B note (index finger) for most people. This isn't due to the nut but rather heavy use on that particular spot. Dominant As don't last me a week, while every other string I've ever used is good for weeks or months.
I keep my fingernails clipped (not that they'd touch the strings anyway), and buff my fingertips with an emory board eacg time before playing to remove any rough skin or snags in my callouses. I also get my fingerboard dressed as soon as it warrants to prevent grooves in the wood from affecting string life and intonation.
It's possible that skin oils play a role in the early demise of Dominant As, but so many people report problems with that string alone, it seems unlikely to be the only cause. I suspect the winding is just less durable than many other strings.
My Evah Pirrazi A just unwrapped on me last week--it was getting time to change strings anyway, for tone reasons. But that A lasted 5 months. In nearly 30 years of playing, I've never had a Dominant A last more than 3 weeks without unwrapping.
Currently, I'm using Obligatos (Obligati?) on my Jay Haide fiddle, because I find they take some of the tonal brightness off what is a fairly bright instrument. Anyway, Obligatos are lovely strings to play on, and once they've settled in are fairly stable in intonation - they're best tuned from the pegs.
On my old German fiddle the tone is the other way; I'm using Zyex to give it just a little more brightness. Zyex are very stableand, like Obligatos, they're best peg tuned.
Ask me in 6 months time and I'll probably be using something quite different on both fiddles
State side the Evahs seem to get the most stars by the pros and contest winners in most all traditional forms of violin. I found one thing that may dove tail with Will, I set up one of my fiddles with piastro gold and immediately disliked what I thought was the harshness. Then as Sunnybear suggested I used the Piastro gold E with a set of Zyra syncs. The E immediately started to sound harsh (but it is the steel core string of the set). Bottomline, I realized it was me, I need to know my strings and monitor my bow attack. So, my point is probably best stated as, if it is not your sound post or rosin, do a SELF Check on your bowing. Will may have mentioned this in the past, but I check the rosin pattern after I play a while and fell unhappy with the sound. Where is the target for that particular fiddle and where have I wondered off to with my bow. How that makes sense. Also, I have heard a lot of hype about Jauguer strings, (and you think Evahs are expensive) and wonder if anybody (come on Will tell me) has tried them.
Texross, I assume you're talking about Jargar steel-core strings. I haven't tried them--they're not readily available in Montana as far as I know, and I've just never got around to special ordering a set. The ifshin's site says they're warmer sounding than most steel-core strings, and I know that Kevin Burke used them for a time.
I recently played a fiddle that had a wound E string, and I found I had to really change my attack to get a decent tone. Right now I have Evahs on G, D, and A, and an el cheapo Goldbrokat E that seems less bright than the Evah E (the only string of the Evahs that ever seemed "bright" to me). I may also revert to Helicore Es if this GOldbrokat doesn't hold its tone.
Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Assessing Fiddle Strings.
just a quick question if I may, to find out what others feel about just how long you should give a set of strings on a fiddle before you can say that you are hearing the full tone , rather that "letting them settle down".
One of my fiddles is quite bright, to the extent that Infeld Reds sound brash, so i'm looking for a string that mellows the sound, without taking all the life out of it.
I tried Obligato's as they're supposed to be "Dark", whatever that translates to, but they killed the sound and seemed quite flat.
I know that it's a costly business, this chopping and changing strings, but i'd just be interested to know what others thought about just how long one should give a new set before making a judgement.
# Posted on January 15th 2006 by riverrunner
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
A harsh violin can be toned down some by moving the soundpost...I like Dominant strings, but you could try the Vision Titanium Orchestrasor even Eudoxa if you want to deal with wound gut, but first I would go to a luthier and ask for some help in soundpost adjustment.
# Posted on January 15th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I HATED Infelds. With a passion. They were HORRIBLE on my fiddle. I also have a rather bright fiddle. Will got me into the Evah Pirazzis, damn his eyes, and I can't find another string I like better. And they're SO expensive.
Anyway, all the strings have certain amounts of time that it's best to let them settle -- anywhere from 3 days to a month in really outré cases. I'm trying to remember where I saw a site with recommendations of how long to let the different brands settle in...see if I can find it for you...
# Posted on January 15th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Ifshin Violins has a handy guide to string characteristics here: http://www.ifshinviolins.com/features_guide.html
Show of hands--how many people actually use gut strings on their fiddle?
If Obligatos killed the sound, you really might want to get your sound post looked at. How's the balance, from treble to bass?
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
P.S. Damn my *ears* maybe, but my eyes plead not guilty....
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
LOL -- it's YOUR fault I spend $45-60 on every set of strings, all your fault!
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I like to allow 6-7 years to settle in. If you want that real prissy violin sound you might like gut strings or shorter break-ins.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Owell Mabee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Exactly
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Just a person
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
"Show of hands--how many people actually use gut strings on their fiddle?"
I've got Kaplan Golden Spirals on one right now. Not because I "use" them, but because it came to me that way.
"I like to allow 6-7 years to settle in."
But they're some years old and seem to be settling in nicely.
KFG
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by KFG
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I know several people who use wound gut...not too prissy sounding to my ear! I like to have one of my violins strung in eudoxas or olives, but my main violin stays strung with Dominants.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I'm asking about fiddlers, not violinists. In 30 years, I've never met a fiddler who as a matter of course used gut strings. I'm just wondering if there are any Irish trad fiddlers reading this who do.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
As a matter of course I use Helicores, but I was reasonably content to leave the stock strings on my cheapy Chinese fiddle (my primary instrument since aquisition) for a year before switching over and the stamped back Stainer has Black Diamonds on it.
I'm not at all opposed to the idea however and have thought it would be interesting to get a baroque instrument with gut strings, at least to try out. After all, for the majority of its history Irish fiddle music was played on baroque fiddles with gut strings.
We just don't think of that way because the introduction of steel strings happened to coincide with the beginnings of recording Irish music.
KFG
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by KFG
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I live in Denver -- they'd prolly snap long before they ever broke in...
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
And 500 years from now, in all likelihood, Irish fiddle music will have been played for a majority of its history on something other than gut strings. So what?
Some of us don't think of gut strings because we'd rather play than spend all day tuning. There's no lack of good choices for strings from the steel and synth core makes, so no need to bother with all the hassles of gut.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I blame Will and Zina for getting me on to Evahs as well. They're even more expensive over here! However, they weren't suitable for the Yamaha electric fiddle on band gigs - after three gigs they were starting to turn black! I've gone over to Helicores on that fiddle. But my other three all have Evahs on - luckily they're wearing well as I can only afford to replace them about once a year!!
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Tarrantella
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
". . .no need to bother with all the hassles of gut."
Which is one of the reasons why I use steel as a matter of course and intend to continue to do so. Personally I don't see the point of using gut strings, as a matter of course, for any reason other than historical.
However, Owell raised the issue of a "prissy violin sound" with gut strings. I was simply pointing out that gut strings are what traditional Irish music has traditionally sounded like and I do think it would be interesting to play some fiddle music on an old style fiddle.
500 years from now I wouldn't be at all surprised if the whole string issue had long been done away with entirely, Irish fiddle music having been played for a majority of its existence on Theremin.
I think it would be interesting to try that too.
Until I have I'll have no idea if doing so as a matter of course appeals to me.
KFG
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by KFG
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Helicores here, with a pirastro gold E. I always felt that the strings were settled after about a week.
Never tried gut. I have one old fiddle that had a bit of original gut string left on it when I got it, but it was very quiet and now has Helicores on, though Helicores were painfully loud on my other fiddles.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Martin Milner
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I'm using Obligatos at the moment and was very disappointed when I first put them on but they took several days to settle and now I like them a lot. The have a little less tension than Evahs and I think they suit my playing level, encouraging me to do more double-stopping and slurring. I had Evahs on it before, and they settled in almost immediately, and were great, but changed them after 4 months because the windings were showing signs of damage. I may stick with Obligatos next time.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by RichardB
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
...my low playing level that is! I think Obligato are possible a more forgiving string.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by RichardB
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
In Manchester (UK) lots of players use Thomastik 'Superflexible' medium strings. They last forever and stay in pitch wonderfully well. I leave them on my fiddles for at least two years with little sign of deterioration.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Bob Tracey
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
well, here's a couple fiddlers for ya then Will...
Colyn Fischer, '05 National US Scottish Fiddle champ, Eudoxas
Dr. John Turner 10 Nat. Scottish Fiddle Champion, Eudoxas, Kaplan Golden Spiral,
do you actually think that the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings?
Steel strings have been around for a while, but before that it was gut, and I don;t think those folks lacked for any ability to draw out a tune just because they were using gut strings.
I've even been known to fiddle out a tune on a gut strung violin.
With all of that though, I still prefer synthetic due to the tuning issues. There cerainly is no lack of string choice out there.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
"certainly", I mean
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
". . .do you actually think that the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings?"
I'll reiterate that it was Owell who questioned their use on suitability for the music grounds, not Will.
KFG
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by KFG
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I know
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Now I'm sounding like Will.
KFG
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by KFG
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
"Do you actually think that the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings?"
LOL, Sunnybear, you can read the strangest ideas into my words. Obviously fiddlers from previous generations used gut--it was the only "choice" they had.
But since the advent of steel and then synth core, very few fiddlers bother with gut. The two examples you came up with only reinforce my sense that the vast majority of Irish fiddlers favor steel and synth. (And it doesn't surprise me that a couple of Scottish champs would go with gut--a penchant for historical accuracy and a more classical sensibility are not uncommon in that music.)
Is there an Irish fiddler out there since 1960 who regularly uses gut? I doubt it.
I'd go so far as to suggest that if you have a fiddle that responds well only with gut strings on it, get another fiddle for your main axe. (Keep the gut one for kicks and grins if that's your thing, but take the steel-synth strung fiddle to sessions.)
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
*sigh* gee Will, I was not reading anything into your words..I was offering up an option that may help with the "harshness"...it's not up to me what riverrunner chooses to use...and you're not the one who was questioning their suitability...reread your own posts if you don't remember...my above reply was not directed only at your responses...
and in your original "show of hands" you did not qualify your statement by saying "irish" fiddlers...
geesh
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
If you roll your eyes, you can stop communication even MORE effectively.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
LOL, Sunnybear isn't very sunny is he?
I don't care who you thought you were addressing, but writing: "Do you actually think the old fiddle players had synthetic wound strings" strikes me as just a wee bit condescending, eh?
Actually, I have it on good authority that Pagganinny used synthetic core strings, made from the silk of artifical silk worms.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
LOL
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Good to see a smile.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
likewise
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Oh my God!, I go to work for a day, come back and log on, and the string assessment world's exploded!
Thanks to all for their comments and opinions.
I don't think that the soundpost is at fault, as the guy who made my fiddles lives half a mile up the road, and he's checked it out and says all's OK.
I was really interested in Sunnybear's comments about the Visions. I've always liked the sound fron Thomastik strings, and guess that I might give the Visions a go next time i'm due for a change, and i've saved up the necessary.
I've always fancied the Evah's, but reading the reviews on sites like the ishfin pages, it would appear that they're "brilliant" in tone, which, in my humble translation reads "metallic".
At the risk of putting you all to too much trouble, how would the Visions compare with something that would act as a standard, say, Dominants?
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by riverrunner
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
The Evah's don't sound metallic or even particularly bright on my fiddle. More open, woody, and dark. Very resonant and responsive. And they work that way on two very different fiddles I have.
# Posted on January 16th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I think that the Visions have a little more "roundness", for lack of a beter term.
Have a look at your rosin, too. I used Bernardel for a long time...very smooth and "lush", but just switched (6-8 months ago) to Millant -Deroux as I was looking for a little more bite. The verdict is still out whether I will stay with the M_D or not, but I do know that rosin can make a difference. A rosin cake tha's even a little more soft sounding is Jade.
Keep in mind that teh Dominants can sound "scratchy" under your ear, but that tone does not carry.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I know several people who use Evahs, and they are a fine string, but I don't think that they are dark or warm sounding. They are not exactly metallic though either. They "shimmer", aort of like silver.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
just thought...give a look at Larsens, too..another fine string...
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Riverrunner...I just looked in my "string box"...(can't seem to throw anything away)...
I have a set of Larsens in there that I kept as spares, but then switched from Larsens several years ago...they are used, but still have a little life left in them...enough to give you a sense of what they would be like on your fiddle...they're yours if you want them...just e-mail me your address...
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I find the Evahs to be very focused, but not particularly bright, at least on my fiddle. Not real dark, nor woody as on Will's fiddles, but not real brilliant either.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Focused is a good word, and yes, warm, at least on the fiddles around here. Obligatos are good too, and Helicores are one of the most toneful steel strings on the market. I've also liked Prims on certain fiddles.
Strings sound different on different fiddles. No way around it but to try different brands on yours.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I've been using Hella-cores for awhile now, and have enjoyed them. They are not what I expected, having played Dominant for years, and having sampled Visions and Evah's (and Prims for about a day).
The Visions did nothing for me, nothing that the standard Dominant didn't already do, at least. The Evah's faded too quickly for me, but were great right off the mark. Prims and my fiddle do not get along. I got a bad G string on my first Hella set, but all the rest have been great since.
But as Will says, you might as well try a few of them, if you have the cash and the inclination. My next set will be Tonicas, because I have never tried them, and they were also recommended. After that, I might try Dominant again, but will probably settle into Hellas for a good while. They sound good on my fiddle, don't take too much breaking in, and they last a good while and are stable to boot.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by Jode
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I used to use a full set of dominants and was unhappy with the tone, particularly on the E, but following advice from Zina and Will, I changed the E string to a Pirastro Gold and renewed the dominant A. What a difference just doing that made. I hope to graduate to Evah's one day, but as Will says, just experiment.
Good luck.
# Posted on January 17th 2006 by celticrichie
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Previously, my strings only lasted me about 6 weeks with the amount I play. But I've just come across Warchal strings, which are a new brand. They have four different types of strings I think. I use the Brilliants. They're the most expensive, but they're absolutely incredible; the sound of them is amazing and they last three months for me, which is incredible for the amount I play! They're only recommended for fairly advanced players though, because on most fiddles they require solid playing to get a good sound from them. But the other three types they do are meant to be very good as well and more suitable for less advanced players.
Give your strings at least a couple of weeks, if you play for an hour or more a day. If you change their tension, e.g. tuning up for Eflat sessions or using open A tuning, this'll disrupt it a little bit.
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by tbag
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Tize, I got a set of the Warchals as samples, but ahve yet to try them (the Brilliants) b/c I've not heard much about them...guess I'll go ahead and give them a go....
I also receives some of the Visions as samples, and used them and they were great...esp. the Orchestras...my violin just doesn't "need" them...
yes the Dominant E is crap..Gold label is what I use now, but have with success used a Westminster, and GOldbrokat (these are cheap)..the e string will definitely change the tone of the violin...
Tonicas will be close to Dominants in tone without the scratchiness. (answering to some of above in no particular order.
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
I,m finding the Dominant (aluminum wound) A string wears way too fast for the money, and turns me fingers black also! Anyone substituting the A with something else that works?
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by mandobrynley
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Sunny, I might like the Tonicas then. The scratchiness and break-in time were the reasons I moved away from Dominant. Also, I have used the Goldbrokat E with great success, but find the Helicore E to be decent too.
Many people have commented about the Dominant A, but I don't recall any such problems on my fiddle.
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by Jode
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
yeah, a lot of people comment on strings unravelling, etc. but I usually find it not to be the strings fault...usually a nut needs some lubricating, like graphite...same with the bridge, or the nails need a trim.
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by Sunnybear
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Actually, Dominant As tend to unwrap up around the B note (index finger) for most people. This isn't due to the nut but rather heavy use on that particular spot. Dominant As don't last me a week, while every other string I've ever used is good for weeks or months.
I keep my fingernails clipped (not that they'd touch the strings anyway), and buff my fingertips with an emory board eacg time before playing to remove any rough skin or snags in my callouses. I also get my fingerboard dressed as soon as it warrants to prevent grooves in the wood from affecting string life and intonation.
It's possible that skin oils play a role in the early demise of Dominant As, but so many people report problems with that string alone, it seems unlikely to be the only cause. I suspect the winding is just less durable than many other strings.
My Evah Pirrazi A just unwrapped on me last week--it was getting time to change strings anyway, for tone reasons. But that A lasted 5 months. In nearly 30 years of playing, I've never had a Dominant A last more than 3 weeks without unwrapping.
# Posted on January 18th 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Well if you play the same A string for 30 years, it's bound to unwrap in 3 weeks...
# Posted on January 19th 2006 by Jode
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Currently, I'm using Obligatos (Obligati?) on my Jay Haide fiddle, because I find they take some of the tonal brightness off what is a fairly bright instrument. Anyway, Obligatos are lovely strings to play on, and once they've settled in are fairly stable in intonation - they're best tuned from the pegs.
On my old German fiddle the tone is the other way; I'm using Zyex to give it just a little more brightness. Zyex are very stableand, like Obligatos, they're best peg tuned.
Ask me in 6 months time and I'll probably be using something quite different on both fiddles
# Posted on January 21st 2006 by lazyhound
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
State side the Evahs seem to get the most stars by the pros and contest winners in most all traditional forms of violin. I found one thing that may dove tail with Will, I set up one of my fiddles with piastro gold and immediately disliked what I thought was the harshness. Then as Sunnybear suggested I used the Piastro gold E with a set of Zyra syncs. The E immediately started to sound harsh (but it is the steel core string of the set). Bottomline, I realized it was me, I need to know my strings and monitor my bow attack. So, my point is probably best stated as, if it is not your sound post or rosin, do a SELF Check on your bowing. Will may have mentioned this in the past, but I check the rosin pattern after I play a while and fell unhappy with the sound. Where is the target for that particular fiddle and where have I wondered off to with my bow. How that makes sense. Also, I have heard a lot of hype about Jauguer strings, (and you think Evahs are expensive) and wonder if anybody (come on Will tell me) has tried them.
# Posted on January 22nd 2006 by texross
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
LOL Jode, but wouldn't you think you'd eventually erode it down to an unwound core?
# Posted on January 22nd 2006 by Will CPT
Re: Assessing Fiddle Strings.
Texross, I assume you're talking about Jargar steel-core strings. I haven't tried them--they're not readily available in Montana as far as I know, and I've just never got around to special ordering a set. The ifshin's site says they're warmer sounding than most steel-core strings, and I know that Kevin Burke used them for a time.
I recently played a fiddle that had a wound E string, and I found I had to really change my attack to get a decent tone. Right now I have Evahs on G, D, and A, and an el cheapo Goldbrokat E that seems less bright than the Evah E (the only string of the Evahs that ever seemed "bright" to me). I may also revert to Helicore Es if this GOldbrokat doesn't hold its tone.
# Posted on January 22nd 2006 by Will CPT