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I have a Cecilio $100 VSO. I am pretty happy with it for the most part. I was wondering if a better bow would make it easier to play. Maybe less noise starting and stopping, less squealing when changing strings. I know much of the above can be fixed with lots of practice, just looking for good sound. I saw some factory second pernambuco bows for $50. These were being sold by the manufacturer with a full warranty and a description of the defect on that particular bow. You would not know exactly what you are buying until you receive it. It could be just a blemish on the finish, it could be worse. The regular price of theses bows was $100. I don't remember the make. Which brings me to strings, I have the stock steel strings that came with the violin. The A and E sound bright and clear, for the most part. D and G are somewhat muted…less powerful…prone to odd noises with the bow. As I make my way down the finger board, the tone gradually gets weaker and weaker. Would gut strings help for these two strings? I hear a lot of talk about Dominant Strings, is it true they do not hold their tone for long? I practiced for 7 hours the past two nights, how many playing hours can you get out of a set of Dominant Strings? And how in the heck do they make Teflon stick to a frying pan?
Dave
P.S.
Here is a copy of the description from the SharMusic website.
Item # SVB5544
Sale: $50.00 Regular: $99.00
Our inspectors are tough! And they have the last word when it comes to quality. These bows were rejected by them for a variety of reasons, which could include: screws that are a bit too tight, minor warping or small knots in the wood, wood grain that is inconsistent in appearance, hair that is slightly long and requires too many turns of the screw, etc. However, these bows will play well. Each bow is marked with the inspectors' own sticker, detailing the reason they rejected the bow. These bows carry full return and warranty privileges.
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I have the same VSO and have found that Black Diamond 7207 violin strings work and sound the best. My experience with Dominant strings hasn't been favorable, at least on my Cheap Chinese fiddle, or the electric, or the fiddle I just finished building - the D and G are mushy and the A just sounds like garbage. I like Helicore Mediums on the CCF and am experimenting with D'Addario Zyex mediums on the blonde fiddle. For now. YMMV, of course - the only way to truly know how you like them is to try them.
The bow I use is not expensive and the sound is good. You can spend a lot of money trying out bows, so I would change strings (and practice - it could be a technique issue) and see how you like the sound.
P.S. Here's an explanation of why teflon sticks to the pan...
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
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A bow will not stop "mechanical" noises. Rosin quantity might have some effect.
While some bows will work better than others for sound, it is not at all a matter of price. Some just work better than others in each individual case. I have 6 bows up to $200 and depending on season, I probably wind up playing 2 – 4 bows during the course of the year.
I don't know if different strings make more noise than others but I've been noticing more and more favorable comments about Helicores (which I use).
Incidentally .... Shar second quality ......... I would not even think of a bow that may be warped. I have one. Mission Impossible!
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
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CatMcCall said:
I have the same VSO and have found that Black Diamond 7207 violin strings work and sound the best. My experience with Dominant strings hasn't been favorable, at least on my Cheap Chinese fiddle, or the electric, or the fiddle I just finished building - the D and G are mushy and the A just sounds like garbage. I like Helicore Mediums on the CCF and am experimenting with D'Addario Zyex mediums on the blonde fiddle. For now. YMMV, of course - the only way to truly know how you like them is to try them.
The bow I use is not expensive and the sound is good. You can spend a lot of money trying out bows, so I would change strings (and practice - it could be a technique issue) and see how you like the sound.
P.S. Here's an explanation of why teflon sticks to the pan...
Thanks for your answer, on the strings. I was hung up on YMMV. But I did finally get it. 
Are Black Diamond Strings all metal, or synthetic core? I realize practice will cure my problems, just want it to sound good.
And thanks for the teflon answer as well.
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The Black Diamond strings are steel strings and quite a favorite with many players over on the Fiddle Hangout.
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
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David Burns said:
But I did finally get it.
High-carbon steel round core, David.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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There's quite a difference - you want the violin strings, number 7207. 
Mary in Springfield, Oregon http://www.thefiddleandbanjopr.....dpress.com
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Barry said:
Just stay away from the black diamond fiddle strings, I tried those and they were gawd awful
I havent tried the Black Diamond violin strings as of yet.
I did read that the fiddle strings were referred to as "Bow Eaters". That can't be a good thing!
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