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I asked about Obligatos because, although they sound sweet, they tend not to project well at all. The viola strings are excellent but the violin set is not very well-liked among most players. I’ve had only one violin on which I thought they worked well, and it was a very quirky and problematic violin.
The violin set is a little odd in some ways—it’s often thought of as a softer string, but it’s a much higher tension string than you might expect. Dominants are much lower tension but have great color with equal projection. Warchal’s Amber set is quite nice as an alternative that’s similar in warmth. Tonica is a very good set that’s somewhat like Dominant (there was a joke when they were released that they should be named Sub-Dominants).
I’ve seen a few players use Vintage Brilliants at sessions lately. String choices are all over the place, probably about 50% synthetic and 50% steel for Old Time or Celtic around here.
Interesting about the dominant vs obligato tension!
I will keep on with string experimentations…read good things online about the Vintage Brilliants, I never heard of them. I do have an old instrument (100+ years) and one of the articles said that lower tension strings are usually nice on old instruments - so, maybe will try someday…
Thanks for the string geek out!
And meanwhile I put the titanium Helicore A-string on my fiddle, I absolutely love the sound of it.
I find my fiddle sounds less sharp now , it is still nice and loud but much more appealing to my ear.
If I would compare it with a human voice I'd say the alumium A string and the unknown A string made my fiddle sound like it had to do a lot of effort to reach higher notes, while with the titanium string on it sounds like it takes no effort at all to reach the higher notes.
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Originally posted by QuincyAnd meanwhile I put the titanium Helicore A-string on my fiddle, I absolutely love the sound of it.
I find my fiddle sounds less sharp now , it is still nice and loud but much more appealing to my ear.
If I would compare it with a human voice I'd say the alumium A string and the unknown A string made my fiddle sound like it had to do a lot of effort to reach higher notes, while with the titanium string on it sounds like it takes no effort at all to reach the higher notes.
Aluminum wound strings are thicker than those wound with silver, gold, titanium, or tungsten, so they often take more effort to get started. Thinner strings often speak more easily. This a major reason why silver D strings are more desirable than aluminum ones.
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Originally posted by DougDMF is a little high on Prim. I was looking at Johnson strings - SW strings is sometimes cheapest, and they have them at $31. Point is its not that much of a difference. There are other qualities to consider besides longevity, like sound quality. I've tried them both and like Prim better, plus they also last a long time (years), although I don't play very much these days.
I like D'Addario as a company, and have used a lot of their guitar strings. A close friend of mine worked for a time with Jim D'Addario designing violin strings, and it was a good experience (Although I didn't really comprehend the piles of spreadsheets he showed me late at night). I'm sure for their purpose and price Prelude is a good string. I just prefer Prim, and they are not really so much more expensive.
Yes, I like Prim too. I was using Helicore and for no good reason I tried a set of Prims. They dramatically changed the sound of that fiddle -- woke it up and made it sing. Great stuff.
I have another fiddle that also could use a good wake-up, but the Prims didn't quite work out. I don't know what to do next because violin strings are so darn expensive. Gosh, I can buy mandolin strings for much less -- and there are twice as many of them!
I guess I could try some of the more expensive strings , though I hate to spend $$$ on a random choice. But then I remember that I have usually done well when I go for quality rather than cheap-o.
SO I just scrapped out my set of Thomastic Dynamo stings. After 8 or so months. Initially, they were not only incredibly warm sounding, they also projected well and were fairly good on response. Now, they still sound warm on the slower passages, but when really cooking on a fiddle tune, they feel more like rubbing a stick over a rubber band and not as responsive. SO with this price, $130 or so, I am going to pass and go back to my old standard strings, Red Label Supersensitives. If money is no object, they are really good, but that limited lifespan is a killer for my wallet.
I have a set of Dymamo and after extensive comparisons with fiddles with Helicores and other strings, I’ve about decided I can live with Helicores. (I’m also trying unsuccessfully to sell a fiddle or two so that I don’t have to buy so many strings but I’m not having luck selling any so may just keep some in different tunings. Retirement is coming next March and there will be a need to be a little more economical. :) )
Strabo - What gauge Helicores have you been using? The mediums are very popular, but they're actually quite light, and many people prefer the heavy gauge. You could try those.
When you refer to "more expensive strings" most of those are synthetic core, which are quite different in response and tone. Depending on your instrument and playing style they might or might not be an improvement. There are other steel strings with both solid and stranded cores you could try too. Some of the online sellers try to describe the tone of various strings and make recommendations for their use, which might be helpful, although its not exactly scientific. Good luck!
NCnotes - I looked a little further at Obligatos, and it seems some people only get 3 or 4 weeks from them, and 3 or 4 months seems normal. That would get expensive! I looked around for other strings described as "warm" or low tension.
The cheapest are your old friends Pro Arte. If you liked them except for the E you can always try one the many E strings out there without spending too much.
A little more expensive are Pirastro Violino, which sound interesting.
I've never used either of these - the only synthetics I've tried are Dominant (once) and Tonica.
You've got me wondering - which is more important, the initial quality of the strings, or changing them regularly?
Going to try the Violinos, maybe for next change! People online seem to say they are especially good for taming new, harsh instruments? So, not sure what they will do for my century+ fiddle/violin, hmm. Will report if I try them out...
I definitely leave my strings on way too long!! I dislike the changing process, but especially the 1-3 days of constant tuning…luckily in a noisy session/group playing environment, it’s all pretty easygoing! I have no desire to perform or play solo…but If I had to do that, I think I’d be more meticulous about the string changes!
Edited by - NCnotes on 08/16/2024 09:33:20
Also, Did anybody link to the string comparison charts yet?
may be a bit outdated, but:
https://fiddlershop.com/pages/violin-string-comparison
and another here:
Curse you Thomastic! I put my old standby string on once again, Super Sensitives. And they are OK for balls to the wall hard playing, but Wow, very little color. And now softer passages are just not pleasant and take far more finicky control. Even my band mates, my own sons, mentioned this at a gig on Saturday. So I am going to spring for second set of Dynamo strings. If they sound as good as the first set I tried (and why wouldn't they) I suppose I'll get a second job to help pay for them. Kidding but if they prove out, worth the cost. (shaking fist) Darn you Thomastic!
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Originally posted by wrench13Curse you Thomastic! I put my old standby string on once again, Super Sensitives. And they are OK for balls to the wall hard playing, but Wow, very little color. And now softer passages are just not pleasant and take far more finicky control. Even my band mates, my own sons, mentioned this at a gig on Saturday. So I am going to spring for second set of Dynamo strings. If they sound as good as the first set I tried (and why wouldn't they) I suppose I'll get a second job to help pay for them. Kidding but if they prove out, worth the cost. (shaking fist) Darn you Thomastic!
Have you ever tried Rondos? They're not quite as pricey as Dynamos, but I would still say they're the best strings on the market. Even their E is decent (I always use the Goldbrokat, but I have to admit that the Rondo E is good).
When Dynamos were first released, the shop where I was working at the time received some of them to try as samples. Due to their newness, players were a bit curious about them and started asking, so the owner of the shop bought some in bulk to try. But the interest in them faded pretty quickly among the players and the tubes are collecting dust now. I've heard some chatter on online forums about Dynamos, but I never see them on any of my customers' instruments.
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