helicore A string

[fiddlefaddle]

I wear out a Helicore aluminum wound A in about 2 weeks. The aluminum shread at the 1st finger.

The rest of the set is OK.

Should I replace the set. or just the A?

[Yankee Fiddler]

Wow, Bud, and I thought I was bad!! I go through Dominant A's every 4 to 6 weeks, with them shreading at the third finger. I've been told that you should check your finger board. I have had the same problem, with 2 different fiddles so it's not the finger board. Another thing I have heard is that you have to be careful that your fingernails are not causing the problem. Again, that's not my problem.

Hmmmmm....I switched to Helicores hoping that the A would last longer. Someone posted recently that he switched to Tonica's and that they don't turn into barbed wire as quickly. I have not had a chance to try Tonica's yet, but they are next on my list. Maybe you would have success with them as well?

Yankee Fiddler

[Yankee Fiddler]

Let me know how Tonica strings work for you, if you happen to try them.

As far as changing the other strings, sometimes I switch out all my strings when the A goes, and sometimes I don't. Sometimes they all just sound so very dead that I change them all. Sometimes, I feel I can get a little more life out of them, expecially the D and G. The E's start to sound a bit strange around the time that the A is going bad. And, E's are pretty inexpensive, so if you are beating your A to death, probably, at the very least, you should change out the E too.

How many hours a day are you playing, anyway? All day long?

Yankee Fiddler

[fiddlefaddle]

I can't fault the strings, I have a heavy callous on a big finger.

I probably play 2 hours a day.

[Yankee Fiddler]

One last thought. I just got new bow hair. The hair I now have has much more grip. I had questioned my luthier about strings wearing out. I thought maybe because I play at really loud sessions, and really push my fiddle to the max, that maybe my playing style was also part of the cause for my strings wearing out so soon. He suggested this bow hair with more grip, thinking that I would get more sound with less pressure and effort, and that possibly my strings would last longer.

I just got the re-hair, so I don't know if this will help. It's an experiment in progress.

Yankee Fiddler

[fiddlefaddle]

That's funny!! I just did my first rehair job last night , with the greeat teaching of our own ct(craig)violin.

I used pioneer valley fiddlers hair. love it!

[Yankee Fiddler]

The new bow hair would only help possibly keep the strings from going dead so soon. It would not have any effect on my unraveling the A at the 3rd finger. The only way to fix that would be, I think, to stop hammering my third finger down so hard.

Good luck. I hope you find your answer.

Yankee Fiddler

[EternalStudent]

Just one thought: The first finger is that one which touches the string at the steepest angle. Is probably your nail touching the string, especially during vibrato?

2 weeks lifetime with 2 hours of playing per day seems ways too fast.

[Yankee Fiddler]

EternalStudent is right. Two weeks string life for 2 hours a day of play is WAY off. I bet it is your fingernail.

Yankee Fiddler

[D_A]

After only two weeks, I'd only replace the string, not the set. It's also possible that the string was faulty (unless the same thing has happened to you several times in a row). Sometimes if a string gets bent, it damages the winding and causes it to shred at that spot.

[fiddlefaddle]

yes, I ordered a new set, and two A strings today.

I wish I could say it was my fingernail,but it ain't.

I may be wrong about the two weeks, it may be a month, I'm going to keep a mileage sticker on the new string

I'm not a string experimenter, and I like the helicores.

But I think I'm very hard on aluminum, I used Prim until several monthes ago.

Thanks everyone

[sunnybear]

I have a helicore on one fiddle and like it on THAT violin very much... I have tried infeld red, blue, evah pirazzi and dominants. Dominants sound pretty good. Reds did not project much. Blues were too harsh as were Evahs. I'm glad I found the Helicores. They DO feel different under the finger because they are a thinner string with higher tension than , say Obligatos..

[EternalStudent]

Just one more thought - it may be a sharp edge on the saddle or the saddle being too high or too low.

[K544]

I'm with EternalStudent. I've used Helicores on both my fiddle and my viola and never had any trouble with unwinding or breaking. It sounds like a bad saddle or fingerboard to me.

[mthss]

I've been using Helicores for a while now (generally switch between Helicores, Doms. and Tonicas) and they usually last anywhere from 3 to 6 months depending on about 2 to 4 hours of play a day. One or two weeks seems a bit short for a steel string.

Per chance, do you let your fingers fall straight down on the string or do you tend to "pull" the string horizontally to one side as you stop the string against the fingerboard? I think this tends to be done mostly by the third finger (weakest) if other fingers are held in position for quick string crossings.

If you do and there are any minute rough spots on the fingerboard, the constant friction might cause the winding to start to unravel or barb. Try playing in front of a mirror to see any pulling may be a contributing factor.

Just a "S.W.A.G." as to why you may be going through strings quickly outside of any rough string contact points (ie. peg, nut, bridge, tail piece, etc) .

[Yankee Fiddler]

MTHSS, my gosh, you have hit the nail on the head for me. I'm a string puller. I would not be aware of it, except that another player once mentioned that I do that. So, that could be the reason that I wear strings out quickly?

I do notice that on steel strings I don't do it as much as on the perlon strings, maybe because they are just harder to pull.

It did take me a full 2 weeks to get used to the Helicores. When I switch back and forth, I have a very hard time adjusting to the different string type, between steel and perlon.

Thanks for the insight on "string pulling."

Yankee Fiddler