Finding the right string for your instrument can be daunting. Each instrument is different, and no one type of string will suit every instrument. And no string is guaranteed to make you sound better either! So, inevitably there will be some trial and error involved in finding the right string for you and you instrument. However, we do have some information which may help you in your quest.
Originally orchestral strings were hand made from sheep gut. Plain gut strings such as the Pirastro Chorda range, give a rich and warm tone and are particularly favoured in Baroque playing. Unwound, or plain, gut strings are prone to temperature and humidity changes and take a while to play in. Suitable only for Baroque specialists, we would suggest. In order to give greater stability and consistency to gut strings, manufacturers started to produce strings wound with metals such as silver, aluminium and gold. Because these strings are more reliable, wound gut strings such as Passione, Eudoxa and Oliv, are far more popular than their plain gut relatives.
Additionally, the second half of the 20th century saw advances in the materials used in the manufacturing of strings with steel and, more popularly, synthetic materials, being used instead of gut as the core. As you would expect, the best of these synthetic core strings, such as Evah Pirazzi, Peter Infeld and Dominant, offer a warm, rich tone and play in quickly and hold their tuning well.
There are many brands out there but from our experience the main brands to choose from are Pirastro, Thomastik and D’addario, with Larsen, Jargar, also having decent offerings. All of these manufacturers have a good range of strings from basic to premium to suit every budget, although Pirastro is the only manufacturer in the world to have strings with sheep gut, steel and various synthetic cores.
Our suggestions are:
| Budget Level: | |
| Violin: | Pirastro Tonica Violin: Available in 1/8, ¼, ½, ¾ and 4/4 sizes D’Addario: Prelude: Available in 1/8, ¼, ½, ¾ and 4/4 sizes |
| Viola | D’Addario Prelude: Available in x-extra short, short, medium and long sizes |
| Cello | D’Addario Prelude: Available in 1/8, ¼, ½, ¾ and 4/4 sizes |
| Medium Price: | |
| Violin | Dominant Available in 1/8, ¼, ½, ¾ and 4/4 sizes |
| Viola | Dominant, Larsen or Jargar |
| Cello | Larsen or Jargar |
| Premium: | |
| Violin and Viola: | Evah Pirazzi (with the Evah Pirazzi Gold giving a brighter more “solo” sound) Peter Infeld |
| Cello | Evah Pirazzi Combination of Larsen Soloist A & D and Spirocore Tungsten G & C |
We can’t stress enough that this is a matter of very personal taste and what you are looking for in a string. Do you attack the strings? Do you want the string to ring when you lift the bow? It will be different for everyone. However, the writers have over 40 years of experience listening to the musicians themselves (I know, it’s weird isn’t it? Actually listening to the people who use them) and these are, we’re told, what soloists and players in some very big orchestras ask for most often.
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