Experimenting with string selection?

[45violin]

I recently sold two of my favorite violins on eBay and now I am doing a bit of research by buying old violins with the intent of playing them for a while, keeping a few that I like the best, and reselling the rest. I'm having fun experimenting with different kinds of violins and learning about them, but I have a question about selecting strings. When a violin has old strings that I cannot identify but need replacement, it's a big mystery to decide what type of strings to experiment with. I've bought quite a few different sets of nice brand name strings (Dominant of course, Thomastik Vision, Pirastro Tonica, Eudoxa, D'Addario Helicore, Zyex, a premium student set called Violino, and probably a few others that I'm forgetting now).

If any of you tend to experiment by buying and selling a number of violins, have you experimented with new strings on several of them, and if so, how do you decide what type of strings to try on the violin, and how long do you try them on that violin before you decide whether or not it's a good match for the instrument? Any other tips?

[Regis]

Quote: "how do you decide what type of strings to try on the violin"

I've asked similar question and the answer was, "Dominant is the default unless client wants somthing different."

I sure hope you get a full/better answer to this (even though I currently have a drawer full of Dominants).

Regis

[priya]

I agree, Dominants are great start.

Dealers take off the guts strings and put on a new set on Dominants. The violinist loves the violin, buys the violin, then puts on a set of guts strings.

[Fellow]

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I recently sold two of my favorite violins on eBay and now I am doing a bit of research by buying old violins with the intent of playing them for a while, keeping a few that I like the best, and reselling the rest. I'm having fun experimenting with different kinds of violins and learning about them, but I have a question about selecting strings. When a violin has old strings that I cannot identify but need replacement, it's a big mystery to decide what type of strings to experiment with. I've bought quite a few different sets of nice brand name strings (Dominant

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It must be fun in doing that. I bought an old (150 yrs)violin for $600 (not from e-bay,but better tone than my $1000 violin), with a lot of problems (dull varnish, hidden open seam yet to be located) and try my best to work it out. As for the strings I use Dominant for G D A and aluminum wounded E. I just learnt that you may have to play differently (contact points) for different violins to get the best out of them. Is it easy to sell a violin on e-bay? I have not sold any violin anywhere (It is my problem,run out of space). /yuen/

[Korngold]

45,

Most buyers replace strings anyway, so as long as they sound good enough for the buyer to get a good taste of the sound of the instrument, you should be okay. If you're selling more expensive violins ($750+), I'd probably make sure there's a nice new set of something on it. Tonicas are great stings--in general, they're not as harsh as Dominants, but are still similar enough (excellent perlon string) and a good brand name. Plus, they're generally cheaper than dominants by about $10-$15. The buyer will still get a good set of new strings that can tide them over for a while.

As for "experimenting" with different strings on violins you have for sale, I think that is best left up to the buyer. It's not really worth your time or money to try 10 different sets of strings. However, if a set makes the violin sound terrible, I suppose I'd swap them out with something else.

I recently bought a violin off ebay with some rather thick Dominants with a wound E. The E and D strings were just plain loud, G was dead and the A sounded okay. They were "new" (hadn't been played), but were 2 years old and just sounded plain bad. I was prepared to return the violin under the user's return policy. On a whim, I decided to swap out the strings. I replaced them with Eudoxas, and now I'm happy as a clam. So, I guess there is something to putting decent strings on a decent instrument before selling it, as this seller almost lost a sale due to the old, poor sounding strings that were on the violin when I got it. Lucky for him, the place I ordered the strings was quick to ship. Had the strings not arrived on Saturday, the violin would have been back at UPS on Monday.

[fiddlecollector]

It sounds like your one of these buyers that sellers dread, i`ve bought 100`s of violins and very rarely are the strings perfect.Why do you put so much emphasis on something like strings than can easily be changed at minimal cost,afterall its the violin your buying not the strings.I don`t think one or two bad strings are a reason to return an instrument.

I`ve had stupid buyers who want a chinrest ,shoulder rest, free French bow, rosin and new case when what i sell are mainly antique violins.

[pahdah_hound]

I buy lots of Tonicas and Dominants as well as Visions. When a violin is a little too edgy or bright I use Evah Pirazzis or Infeld Red. If the violin is too dark and needs some edge, I'll use the Tonicas or Infeld Blue. For the best violins I have, I'll spring for the Vision Titaniums which are fantastic.

jesse

[fiddlecollector]

Hi Jesse, i do put decent strings on violins when i sell,but i never complain because the strings aren`t up to scratch when i buy, if the instrument has faults not mentioned but obvious i might complain but very rarely.

You have to be sort of hardened to this sort of thing when you buy and sell and its just part of the game. On ebay i see much more nasty feedback conflicts over trivial 5GBP or 5 $US items than more expensive ones.I think some of the bargain hunters are never satisified and i think they look forward to the negative feedback they`re going to give an unexpecting buyer.

I sell on ebay occasionally and i`m pleased to say i haven`t got any negatives or neutrals yet,but i sometimes can`t beieve my luck when i see some of the petty arguments and foul language/insults going on.

My wife bought something on ebay for a few pounds,and didn`t receive the item,a few others didn`t and immediately started a barrage of negative feedback against the seller, my wife was civil and asked the seller in a private email if everything was alright? Turned out her mother had just been diagnosed with cancer.Up till then she had a perfect feedback record of several hundred.But the majority couldn`t wait to start attacking her with personal insults over a few pounds.My wife received the item and left positive feedback. But the poor lady had suffered almost 20 negative feedbacks in a period of a couple of weeks.

The point i`m trying to make is that there are many petty minded buyers and good comunication between buyer and seller is the best way to ensure a smooth deal.

[45violin]

Thanks for the interesting and helpful feedback.

Korngold, thanks for your input; I was primarily asking about string experimentation for my own enjoyment of the violins. By the time I decide to sell one, I've usually owned it for a while and settled on some nice strings for it. On the two nice violins I sold recently, I gave the buyers each a bonus of a second, different set of quality strings in addition to what was already on it. One was shipped with Thomastik Vision plus an extra set of D'Addario Zyex, and the other also had Zyex, plus a set of Dominants. This is just a hobby for me, and I would rather spend an extra $25 or $30 to make sure the buyer is happy (on a $300 to $500 purchase) and have the fun of nice e-mails thanking me for the extras.

Fiddlecollector, I didn't interpret Korngold's post as being picky over a set of strings. If he or she is relatively inexperienced with evaluating violins (like I am), the point may be that the violin seemed not to have a very good sound. But by experimenting "on a whim", he discovered that it was a good violin with bad strings.

But it can be difficult for a casual violin buyer to know what strings to try, even if we do realize the strings could make a big difference. Pahdah_hound, thanks for the suggestions on which strings to try for which observations about the tone.

[Korngold]

45,

Thanks for reinterpreting my post! I came off like a psycho bidder, but I really am a decent buyer, and have never sent anything back. Plus, this was actually my second purchase from this seller, and I kept the first one for 2 years. The reason I was distressed was that the instrument was supposed to be new, but did not sound good. I later discovered that the strings had been on it since it was made a few years back, and I think it was just a bum set of strings. The E was a "wound" E and the metal outer-wrap was unraveling. The result was a very harsh E, and the D string was also bad and wouldn't stay in tune. In any case, I only had a 7 day trial period, so I figured that if I started experimenting, I would miss my window. I was already 3 or 4 days in by the time I got used to the instrument and noticed that it was likely a string issue.

Anyway, I e-mailed the seller to ask for a trial period extension (in lieu of returning the instrument) so that I could try some other strings, since I didn't really have any lying around. I tried some Eudoxas, all worked out great, and everyone is happy. However, many buyers would have just dropped it off at UPS without trying different strings or contacting the seller.

The only real point to my story, if there is one, is that if you offer an unconditional return policy or trial period, you should probably make sure the instrument sounds good before you ship it. Or, at least give the buyer a few weeks to get new strings and get used to the instrument. If you're uncomfortable with random bidders having your instrument for a few weeks, don't offer a trial period--that way the buyer knows going into the deal that it is his/her instrument the moment he/she confirms that bid.