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What should i get first?
Deciding to get a bow or strings and better shoulder rest.
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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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October 10, 2012 - 8:45 pm
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MikeV said
Are zyex the best choice for

It really all depend's on the acoustic's of your violin now. I have bought 3 set's of string's from Fiddlershop since April, 2 set's of the Zyex and just last week a set of helicor. All D'Addario string's.

I put one set of Zyex on my 130 year old violin and one set of Zyex on my $90.00 Chinese violin. After the string's settled in on the Chinese violin, they weren't producing quite the sound I was after, so last week, I bought the helicor's. It brightened the sound a bit and really has a nice sound now.

I had to do a lot of adjustment's, like putting in a new sound post, then moving it until I got what I thought was the best sound. cdennyb did a sound analysis on it and he said it was just fine, although the sound wave's on the chart mean nothing to me. LOL

I also had to relocate the bridge in order to get 328 mm from the nut to the bridge and then I had to adjust the string afterlength. That's the distance from the bridge to the tailpiece. That distance as a rule of thumb is 1/6 the distance of the nut to the bridge. I had to lengthen/move the tailpiece back a tiny bit to achieve that measurement. The string length can vary, some set it at 324 mm and some at 330 mm. Anywhere in between there will be ok if it improve's the sound.

Personally, I like the Zyex for the most part but, as I said, I had to change on the Chinese fiddle.

 

Entirely up to you, Mike.     Eventually you'll need all three but, I alway's start with string's then make other adjustment's.

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DanielB
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October 10, 2012 - 8:48 pm
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I was just chiming in about bows, but the strings are what are most likely to make the biggest difference you can hear right away.  I agree with others here on that.

I still have some serious doubt that there can be a bow where I'd say it makes so much of a difference that is worth thousands of dollars.  But I could be wrong. 

On the other hand, though, I think in the very low price and quality ranges one can run across bows that are badly enough made that they will make playing and learning to play harder, and where it is obvious enough that even a beginner can tell.  So it's not crazy to spend some bucks to get a bow if you think the one you have might be badly made.

But usually, I'd say strings and maybe a better rosin will make more of an immediate difference.  If you need a shoulder rest to get a comfortable fit with the violin, it is right up there too.  A bow that is a bit nicer is good too. 

The order I would do it in (and have done it in before) is:

-Strings

-Bow

-Shoulder rest

and rosin anywhere you can maybe fit it in with one of those.

"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman

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MikeV
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October 10, 2012 - 9:42 pm
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Dennis you're right. I had a brain fart! Brazil wood IS a lot different than pernambuco! I have been looking at way too many bows lately. dazed
Fiddlestix and Daniel, thanks for your input on strings. It is much appreciated! I think I will end up trying a couple of strings (zyex and helicore or preludes). My wife says go ahead and get the bow too. clap as long as I got the bosses ok........ I'm good! thumbs-up ( she has to listen to me practice)
THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP EVERYONE .
I will let you know what I end up with and what I think.
I'll have to blow the dust off of the credit card.amuse

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work." - Mark Twain

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cdennyb
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October 10, 2012 - 10:22 pm
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if there's anything left on that card I could use a new set of 4/4 Zyex strings now that were chattin about it... LOL

cheerscheerleadercheerleaderroflolroflolblurry_drunk-2127

"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein

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MikeV
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October 10, 2012 - 10:43 pm
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Dennis you don't want to know what I had to do to get a cf bow! rofl

I'm sure it will be worth it.blink

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work." - Mark Twain

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soma5

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October 10, 2012 - 10:52 pm
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A good bow is going to teach you how to bow a lot better than a crummy one.  It is sort of surprising but I think you will find out what I'm talking about.

By the way, those Zyex strings are very responsive strings.  I like them.

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MikeV
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October 10, 2012 - 11:08 pm
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I was wondering what is the difference (besides the obvious) between the zyex aluminum D or silver D string set?

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work." - Mark Twain

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
October 12, 2012 - 8:39 pm
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MikeV, now we REALLY want to know what you had to do to get a CF bow, LOL

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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cdennyb
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October 12, 2012 - 10:25 pm
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Honestly I can't hear a difference in either one but my checkbook noticed the $1.00 difference when I ordered them LOLfacepalm

"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein

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pky
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October 13, 2012 - 12:07 pm
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Somewhere I read one lasts a little longer than the other, but I could not remember which is which (may be the more expensive one last a little longer?), not being helpful isn't it? Wait, maybe this is it:

http://www.fiddleforum.com/fid.....ic=32259.0

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MikeV
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October 13, 2012 - 5:24 pm
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Thanks! Pky.
Well, I ordered FM's cf bow and a set of strings. Can't wait to try them out.
cool

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work." - Mark Twain

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