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HOW TO CHOOSE A SET OF STRINGS

Choosing the right strings for your instrument and playing style can be as hard as picking out the instrument! We have detailed some general characteristic, but you may need to experiment with different brands, tensions, or even mixed sets to get the perfect balance between your instrument and the strings.
 
 

Beginners require a string that is durable, responsive and stays in tune. The use of fine tuners on all four strings is a necessity. The obvious choice would be a steel core string. On smaller, or less resonant student violins, a brighter string such as the Super-Sensitive Red Label has become the standard. D’Addario Prelude strings offer a similar response with a string that is a little more mellow.

Professional violinists have long preferred the warm, rich tone of quality gut strings. The complications with consistency, longevity and price, along with the advent of modern synthetics, have steered most players toward other alternatives.
 

Synthetic or Perlon core strings, such as the Thomastik Dominant, or D’Addario Pro*Arte' stings offer a tone that is similar, but without many of the problems associated with gut strings. The softer core, and lower tension of these strings usually allow a player to tune using only the pegs, although a special “wide” fine tuner is available. These strings are slow to respond on the average instrument, and are not recommended for student use or on unresponsive instruments. The player should be comfortable tuning the strings themselves, preferably by using the pegs only.

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Many new synthetic core strings have come on the market recently. These strings offer the player more choices in selecting their optimum tone and playabilty options to suit the instrument and styels of music they play. Strings such as the new Vision strings by string-maker Thomastik/Infeld have a quick response and fast break-in time for demanding situations. These are an ideal string for a slow instrument, or for faster playing. Pirastro has several popular contrasting sets to choose from. Their Evah Pirazzi strings with a bright, clear tone and good projection are a perfect choice for a soloist. Obligato strings offer an extremely dark, rich tone that many players like. For players on a little more of a budget, Violino or Tonica strings, also from Pirastro, may be the perfect choice for a more complex tone upgrade. Zyex strings from D'Addario feature a new core that breaks in quickly, and have a rich tone.

Hybrid strings are extremely popular for many reasons. Usually constructed of multi-strands of steel or other metals, these strings are much softer than a solid steel core. They have the advantage of staying in tune better than gut or perlon, and having a better tone than the solid steel core varieties. Although styles may vary, these strings sound good on almost any instrument, often softening the tone of a “shrill” instrument, or improving the response in a “dead” one. Ropecore (Superflex) strings are made by Thomastik and are bright and responsive. This set includes a wound E which balances well with the other wound strings in the set, but may fray early if the player has rough fingers or nails. D'Addario Helicore strings and Thomastik Spirocore strings can be great for taming a wild instrument, or mellowing out an old favorite.

Many of these new materials are finding thier way into the development of new standards for violin E strings. Kaplan Solutions by D'Addario recently introduced a new "Non-Whistling" E String. Pirastro's #1 E string boasts similar claims. Both companies are maiking similar products for problem strings on Viola and Cello as well.