In Part 1, we identified the strings that walked in the door on our student’s instrument. Now in Part 2, we’ll explore the possibilities that a change of strings can bring!
When Cheap Violins Meet Expensive Strings
Something I love to do for students is determine the optimum type of strings for their instrument. Lessons are often started on an inexpensive instrument with bargain-basement solid-steel strings (I’m looking at you, Red Label). The sound is typically tinny, narrow and eardrum-piercing. While a sub-$500 “student instrument” certainly isn’t made to high-quality specs with the finest woods, fittings and varnish, it is amazing the difference that can be made in the sound by putting a really great set of strings on.
Case Study:
When I bought my current “professional violin,” a mid-1950s German instrument, I found that it had very delicate varnish, prone to chipping off just by looking at it. It wasn’t going to take long knocking around my studio, constantly on and off my instrument hanger, before it would become degraded. I decided to buy a “beater” violin just for teaching, that I could put tapes on to show students the finger positions and not worry about them permanently marking up my fingerboard. That I could hold up to a webcam and maybe bump against my computer desk without concern for dings in the varnish. That I could leave hanging on the wall through temperature changes and not worry about cracks opening up.
I shopped the “scratch and dent” section of Shar Music and bought a pre-owned Franz Hoffmann Concert violin for under $200. Then the magic touch: I put on a used set of Pirastro Obligato strings and applied the bow. A warm, rich and resonant sound emerged! I love this violin and use it in public anytime I don’t want to risk the varnish on my old German instrument — like fiddle jams, outdoor gigs, or amplified performances with a pickup. It may not sound quite like a million dollars, but I would put it up against any $1000 instrument in a blind test.
If I have an advancing student playing on a harsh or extremely bright 3/4 or 4/4 instrument, I’ll temporarily put on a used Obligato A string and try the tone. In almost every case, for an $80 investment in new strings, the parents, student and I are much happier to listen to that instrument for hours on end! To get the same impact by upgrading the instrument instead of the strings, they would be in for hundreds of dollars more.
String Sound Quality Charts
Once you have determine the desired direction of change to an instrument’s sound (bright to dark; muffled to clear; soft to loud etc.), it’s time to consult a visual aid depicting the spectrum of possible string sounds. These graphics are laid out in quadrants with overtone complexity (e.g. focused to broad) along one axis and “temperature” (e.g. warm to bright — the traditional Guarneri vs. Strad comparison) along the other. These charts are also very helpful to explain to budget-conscious parents why the more expensive strings are worth it. When I point out that Andy Andante’s current strings are Red Label (upper left corner) while the Obligato A I just demonstrated is in the lower right sector, it’s so much easier to explain to Mr. and Mrs. Andante why they just sound… better.
SharMusic.com – Old and New
Shar’s original string chart has been replaced by a new design, but I still like the general layout of the old one better. However, it doesn’t include some of the newer strings on the market. The axes are “Direct<>Subtle” and “Smooth<>Textured.”
The new chart changes the axis orientations and descriptions. They are now “Direct<>Subtle” and “Warm<>Brilliant.” It’s a little confusing, but by combining the two you’ll get a pretty good idea of how different strings compare.
ViolinStringReview.com
This chart is similar to Shar’s original layout, with fewer selections (but also more recent ones). The axes are “Clean<>Complex” and “Warm<>Bright.”
FiddlerShop.com
On this chart, the axes are “Broad<>Focused” and “Warm<>Brilliant.”
Savor the Flavor
When talking about string qualities with students, work together to find useful adjectives for sound comparisons. Flavor and tactile adjectives are often the most effective. Do strings sound “sharp, narrow, pointy?” Or are they “thick, round, creamy?” What kind of sounds do we like best? Listen to the violin both under-the-ear and across the room, to see if the strings truly blend from all listening perspectives. If you aren’t working with an aspiring soloist but merely a school-orchestra section player, defer to the student’s preference for their under-the-ear sound. This will help them enjoy their practicing a little bit more!
Don’t be afraid to consider each individual string’s sound on its own, without regard to the rest of the set. Cello players mix-and-match strings from different sets all the time. If a G and D from one set sound great on your instrument, but the A needs to project a little more to balance with them, try replacing the A with a type that is noted for a more robust sound. Or, maybe you need to tone down the A to match the timbre of the other strings.
Finally, E-strings that are part of sets can contribute dramatically to the cost of the complete set; for example, the Evah Pirazzi and Vision Titanium E’s are quite expensive when priced separately. Many players prefer the sound of other E-strings anyway. See below for some popular E-string substitutions.
These Are A Few Of My Favorite Strings
My go-to strings had been Pirastro Obligatos on my previous 100-year-old-German violin, and are Pirastro Evah Pirazzis on my current one. Obligatos seem to deliver great results on all excessively-bright instruments, and can last a very long time. I also have extensive positive experiences with Pirastro Tonicas (a good lower-cost student string set) and Corelli Alliance Vivaces. I like the sound of Thomastik Vision Titanium Solos, but they seem to physically wear out or break more easily than other lines, and therefore are not a good budget choice for students.
I’ve tried and rejected Thomastik Dominants several times. Though they are “the most popular strings in the world,” anytime I’ve tested Dominants on my own or student instruments, the A’s always seem harsh, the D’s and G’s not full-bodied enough, and the E’s unremarkable.
My E-string faves are Pirastro Wondertone/Gold Label, Lenzner Goldbrokat, and Hill, with a nod to the Warchal Amber “curly” E-string. They all play nicely with the preferred composite string brands above.
While I would like to be able to try out every possible type of string on the market, you can’t return them once they’ve been installed, and they are darned expensive! So now that I know what I like AND don’t like, I use the string graphs above to see what else lives in my favorite “neighborhoods” (quadrants).
I always keep my old undamaged strings to use for testers and loaners to the students who inevitably break a string without a spare!
More String Reviews by Actual Users
The Violin String Review website either wasn’t around when I started my exploration of string qualities, or I missed it in search results. Now it’s the first place I look for reviews of brand-new string introductions, or line extensions from venerable brands like Thomastik-Infeld. Each string review provides a customized sound profile, locating the string along 3 different spectrums of Tone, Complexity and Projection, plus giving an Overall rating of 1 to 5 stars. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite here!
How do you pick strings for your students or yourself? Leave a comment below!
