ABitRusty said
That E string can be a booger.  Still fighting it myself but I think its getting better.  Pretty sure its a normal thing when learning violin to have E string issues. 

 I hate to jump into the change string category here but that may be something to try.  Not the whole set just different E's.  The tzigane E seemed ok and the obligato gold is what ive settled on for the moment.

It also sounds like youre experimenting with different attacks, pressure, and speed so thats good.  Possibly going sideways with bow maybe?   not saying just a thought for something to check.

also rosin buildup and maybe too much on bow.. Im constantly wrestling with that.

  

Currently I'm using the full Larsen Tzigane set.  It's ok but not what it's advertised to be, which is "warmer."  I might have to go to full gut strings to get the tone qualities I want, but not right now.  Not next year either.  Or maybe even the year after that.

Re: Rosin buildup...

I saw a video by one of the major string makers who recommended taking a soft dry toothbrush to the bow hairs on a weekly basis.  I've been doing that and I believe it's to help keep the rosin from building up (the video didn't say why other than "general maintenance") on the hair.  It certainly makes the brush sticky and I can see a line of excess rosin from the hair about halfway up the bristles so it's doing something.

I also clean my strings after each session with a microfiber cloth and clean weekly with alcohol on a tissue.

I'm trying to get that smooth/even tone on the E string that's in all of the recordings of the pieces and not getting there.  I can only assume that the players are a lot more experienced and that's the reason they sound like they do.  Of course this is rebutted by the fact that there are recital videos out there of 6 year olds playing the same way so I have to take the hit and admit that it's me and my playing where the problem lies.

I'm just wondering if higher quality bow hair is part of the difference and if it's time to trade up.

@SharonC

I've watched a ton of videos on "how to get rid of the E string screech" and they all discuss moving up the contact point toward the bridge the higher you go on the string.

I'll probably replace my current bow with something better eventually.  At this point I'm leaning more toward a wooden bow but the carbon weave bows get good reviews.  It won't be immediate, but I'll probably upgrade within a year.  We shall see I guess.

Gordon Shumway said
It's possible you are using too much bow speed and not enough bow pressure. It's also possible that just before playing the string a stray lefthand finger is accidentally touching the E string and setting up a harmonic or simply preventing the string from vibrating properly.

  

Anything is possible.  However, what if it isn't me?  Or partly me and partly the violin?

THAT is the question I have no answer for other than to say, based on several videos from self-professed luthiers on youboob, the measurements on my violin put my soundpost about 2mm further toward the centerline than the bass bar.

I won't mess with it.  Something like that is above my pay grade at this point in time.  Which means that for now I have to live with it until I can find a luthier who will return my messages.  There's a cello luthier in Santa Barbara I've hesitated to contact but her website does mention luthier services so... maybe.

At some point I will have to consider upgrading my bow.  A student bow will take me a long way, but eventually I will need something more capable of delivering better performance if I wish to continue to progress in my studies.  I have a long way to go before I get to that point, but I will eventually get there.  When I do I'd like to have enough knowledge to make a good choice.

Fiddlerman said
@RDP - The first thing to enter my mind after reading your post is that you may not be using enough pressure to get the sound that you want.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want you to crush the string, but the fourth finger is the weakest finger and a firm downwards pressure is crucial in getting a pure solid sounding tone.

We want to use enough pressure to get the string to touch the fingerboard but not so much that you create unnecessary excess pressure.

To test my idea, simply press down harder for now and let me know if you can hear an improvement.

  

Like anything, the more you practice the better you get at it.  Right now I'm doing ok and improving my 4th finger intonation.  It's not as reliable as the other notes when I'm not playing scales, but I'm getting there.  Mostly it's because of sloppy fingering on my part where I'm not on the tips and more on the pads.

That's the result of playing pieces that do a lot of bridging so I'm flattening my fingers to catch both strings at the same time.  Which means I'm not actually fingering on the strings but in between the strings all the time.  Bad RDP!!!

I'm seriously looking at the DZ Strad M4 bow for when I'm ready to step up.  It's 59g and my Fiddlerman bow is 60g.  The DZ Strad 854 is also in the running but its 62g and I'm concerned about it being too heavy.  They're both hand made.  That's not to say they're bench made, but hand made is probably better than high speed production machine made.

Gordon Shumway said

RDP said

Currently I'm using the full Larsen Tzigane set.  It's ok but not what it's advertised to be, which is "warmer."  I might have to go to full gut strings to get the tone qualities I want, but not right now.

.

.

I'm just wondering if higher quality bow hair is part of the difference and if it's time to trade up.

The difference is 99% in you. You are a beginner, and you need to be patient for a few years. What you call string howl, I don't perceive as howl, just beginner's tone. You are bowing over the fingerboard. Bow half way between the fingerboard and the bridge. Good tone production is a technique. It needs to be taught and it needs to be practised. Money doesn't buy it.

Your bowhair doesn't need to be that tight, btw. 

RDP said Technique?  Or equipment?  Or both?  

This sounds like denial.

Rather than describe a bow (warped carbon, really?), you're going to have to quote dollars spent on violin and bow. Then if it's foolishly low, a better alternative could be suggested, such as one of Fiddlershop's kits, but then could you be happy with that kit for at least 5 years?

  

1.  The Tzgane strings are advertised as "warmer".  You don't have to be an expert violinist to recognize "warmer" vis a vis "brighter."  However, I'm going to retune at a half-step lower frequency to see if that changes my opinion of the strings.  I might even go lower and tune for Baroque.

2.  The howl shows up, my note quavers then the tone disappears as long as I continue to bow.  If I stop bowing for a second, the tone may or may not reappear when I begin bowing again.  Whether it does or not depends on how long I pause.  This is a CLASSIC sign for a wolf.  I have had other people play my violin and it happens to them too.  We did a test with a graphing setup when this phenomenon first showed and it shows clearly on the display.  That's not my being a "beginner" it's a wolf.  Retuning might let me work around it since the sympathetic resonant frequency won't be there.

3.  Yes carbon can warp.  I sent a picture of my carbon Fiddlerman bow showing the warp in it to Fiddlershop and they agreed and sent me a replacement bow.

4.  My violin is a Fiddlershop Artist which I purchased new last November.  The quality and construction of my violin is top notch and I have EXACTLY ZERO complaints about my violin, Fiddlershop, or their customer service.  Prices are available on the Fiddlershop website for those who need those details.

5.  My high bow tension is an attempt to compensate for my shaking due to my hand/arm tremors.  For me, the excess tension works to somewhat reduce bow bounce.  Currently I'm working with my doctor to find a way to reduce the tremors even more.  We are not having much success at the moment.

6.  All of the above is not new to this reply to your post.  I have been open and honest about my abilities and the issues I face since first joining this forum.