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Opinion please
Strings
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x Coach

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May 6, 2019 - 2:02 pm
Member Since: November 22, 2018
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I have a soloist violin with vision strings. After replacing my e string I broke with a piastro e string in the green sleeve (gold?) that the luthier recommended, I can hear a significant sound difference. The violin came with dominants and I ordered vision by mistake but the piastro sounds better than both. My question is, will my overall sound improve with what I call high end strings $75 dollars or more. I have been playing 1 year.

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Irv
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May 6, 2019 - 2:35 pm
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The e string that comes with the dominant set is not very good and is often trashed upon receipt (and it is fairly common to find sets offered with different varieties of e strings).  You do not necessarily have to purchase more expensive strings to get a better sound.  The fm brand is about half the cost of dominants and, I think, sound better.

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
May 6, 2019 - 7:19 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16430

@ x Coach - They might improve the sound but there is no guarantee. Dominants have a great reputation, though as Irv mentioned, not the E string. :) I have had to test different strings on any violin that I have played on for any extensive period of time before figuring out what works the best with that instrument.

You may want to try Eva Pirazzi, Eva Pirazzi Gold, PI-100, or Larsen Virtuoso strings for the fun of it. These are some of my favorite strings.

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

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Mouse
May 6, 2019 - 8:47 pm
Member Since: December 26, 2018
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I love the Pirastro Passion E on my violin, but that is my violin, yours may be different. I have the Kaplan non whistling E on now. Not particular fond of it. It is brighter than the Passione E. It is the Kaplan that is supposed to be warmer, Ammo(?). I have not gotten around to putting my Passione E back on because I have been busy with my cello.

The Bumblebee Flies!

Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.

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AndrewH
Sacramento, California
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May 7, 2019 - 12:43 am
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Thomastik Infeld has an overall reputation for top strings (violin E, viola or cello A) being not quite up to the same standard as the other three in the set. I currently use Vision strings with a Larsen A on my viola after trying out a few brands. It might not help that much to change your G, D, and A strings to a different brand

I've heard good things about Gold Label, Goldbrokat, Larsen, and Warchal Amber violin E strings.

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bocaholly
Boca Raton, Florida
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May 7, 2019 - 10:33 am
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The Warchal Amber E made a big difference ... this guy:
9pAAAA9kAAMBxbW1vZAAAAAAAAAYQAACgQAAAAADVGGSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==

I was able to stop cringing when playing an open e. That was such a welcome relief, I've stuck with it ever since (like a whole 6 months of my total 1 year violin career :-)

I had previously played on the full sets of Evah Pirazzi green, Obligatos, Violinos (briefly) and then various Warchal (Timbre, Brilliant and Brilliant Vintage.) The Timbres come with something like the Amber e spiral. On the two Brilliants, I replaced the e-string from the set with the Amber e spiral and it makes a worthwhile difference, even within the Warchal brand, IMHO. 

Of course that's not going to stop me from trying synthetic tennis gut as an e-string now that Irv and Amateur are discussing funky alternatives on another thread :-)

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Mimi Aysha
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May 7, 2019 - 11:51 am
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Thats too funny Boca!

I love my helicores - busted my E (my own fault, got it caught up in my watch strap) -  had a Pirazzi gold E on hand but it whistled terribly, straight out of the packet - never heard that sound before, wasn't nice...not sure if the string was a mis-manufactured one.

My teach traded me with his Goldbrokat E - it's gold and sounds lovely. Was surprised it was only around $5, seems to work for me. 

Was not aware you could or should mix strings!....

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AndrewH
Sacramento, California
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May 8, 2019 - 7:11 am
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Mimi Aysha said
Thats too funny Boca!

I love my helicores - busted my E (my own fault, got it caught up in my watch strap) -  had a Pirazzi gold E on hand but it whistled terribly, straight out of the packet - never heard that sound before, wasn't nice...not sure if the string was a mis-manufactured one.

My teach traded me with his Goldbrokat E - it's gold and sounds lovely. Was surprised it was only around $5, seems to work for me. 

Was not aware you could or should mix strings!....

  

 

It's less common among violinists, but from intermediate level upward, I would guess that a majority of violists use mixed string sets, and an overwhelming majority (>90%) of cellists do.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
May 8, 2019 - 11:02 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16430

Twenty years ago I was using Dominant G and D, a Piranito A string, and a Pirastro Gold Label E string. I was pretty adamant about it.
Now a days I mix less, except for the E string selection.

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

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