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Do you prefer gut, synthetic, steel, or mixed set of strings on your violin? Please state what type of music you play with those strings. Thank you. Not talking the brand.
- Synthetic
- Gut
- Mixed
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I prefer synthetic strings on my violin. Play folk, classical and traditional. I feel synthetic strings fit all of the above since I don't play strictly one type of music. My E string is of course steel.
'Armed with theory, practice becomes meaningful. Through practice, theory becomes fulfilled.' - Egon von Neindorff.
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HP said
My E string is of course steel.
I have heard that comment about E strings being steel, and I think that was how my Obligatos package is, although I opted for the Gold E.
Why is the E string on a violin so often steel? Is it because gut and synthetic cannot get those high notes with clarity? With loudness?
I have not really investigated E strings, but are most violin string sets, be they synthetic or gut, with a steel E?
My instructor just put gut in her violin for the first time a couple days ago. We had a lesson yesterday. They sounded lovely. Not sure how much was her beautiful sounding violin and lovely playing, and how much was the gut, but compared to the previous lesson, I did notice the much more mellow sound.
I almost thought classical would call for steel because I think of it as so fast and short motes, etc. For some reason, I associate that with steel strings. But, I guess not all classical is like that.
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All E strings, as far as I know, are some sort of steel. Some are wounded, plated or just plain. I'm guessing it's due to the tension the string undergoes or the brightness one want to achieve. I don't know for sure though.
I played for awhile some gut strings. They didn't have a long lifetime and are pretty expensive as well. To me it wasn't worth the money, even though they had a decent sound.
For classical music it's usually gut or synthetic because they want a even and warmer sound. Steel strings are typically used for specialized uses.
'Armed with theory, practice becomes meaningful. Through practice, theory becomes fulfilled.' - Egon von Neindorff.
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I use synthetic.
I just got Larsen Virtuoso and I love them. I usually have used a gold e string... The e sting in this set is pure mellow magic and I love it.
I am pretty sure I have only or mostly used synthetic. I might have tried something more steel like in my learning fiddle days. I don't recall.
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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I use synthetics on 3 of my fiddles (other than the E - which I *usually* replace with a Kaplan wound steel - although - I'm not certain it matches well with the other strings - I started using that particular string early on to totally avoid the whistling-E - not a peep, ever, from the Kaplans - but - as I say - not overly happy about the tonal mix with the synths)
On my EV, they are all steel (Preludes), and on my 3/4 size e-bay fiddle, Preludes as well - it really SINGS with them ( it is a really cheap, 1920's mass produced thing - but, she has her own special voice ! )
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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I use synthetic sets on both violin and viola, though both my violin E and viola A strings are steel. (Note, of course, that virtually all violin E strings and many viola A strings are steel, even in synthetic sets.) I play almost entirely classical today, though I briefly played viola with a rock band several years ago. On violin, I currently have a full set of Vision strings (the E string is tin-plated steel). On viola, I use Vision C, G, and D strings (synthetic) and a Larsen A string (wound steel). I'm pretty sure I've never used anything but synthetic strings.
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They still make gut E strings, they have a very warm sound, the open E is quite plesant sounding, the issue is they break quite often.
I've used 2 different brands of gut string, Passiona strings are a modern reworking of gut it's primary gut but has some synthetic strands in it for tuning stability, metal wound they sound very warm and rich feel good under the fingers last 4 to 6 months draw back there 125.00 USD a set
Tri color strings are gut strings that come metal wound or plain gut, theythave a very different sound under the ear lots of hiss but 10 feet away you don't hear it very flexible under the finger and it takes some getting used to to bowing on them mine lasted 4 to 5 months price 80.00 USD
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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