string tension

[fidleir]

I've recently repaced a top on a fiddle which was always too dull and fuzzy. The new top has brightened the fiddle a little.The other day I tuned up a half tone (a practice common amoung Irish players when playing alone,) the subsequent brighter tone is often preferred to concert pitch.I was very very pleased with the resultant tone on this fiddle. bright, sweet and ringing.My question is this is there a way by changing gauge or certain strings that give this effect at concert pitch?I'm using helicores (medium gauge)

[andy989]

Yes--try heavy-tension strings. Helicore strings are available in heavy tension.

[vmhuang]

Thicker strings have higher tension. Adjusting string

after length can also affect the tension. 

[Andrew Victor]

Changing string afterlength would affect tension only because of increased or decreased distance from nut to bridge. But it is a thought!

Andy

[Selim]

"--The other day I tuned up a half tone (a practice common amoung Irish players when playing alone,) the subsequent brighter tone is often preferred to concert pitch.I was very very pleased with the resultant tone on this fiddle. bright, sweet and ringing--"

I think your violin is good and still has more potential then revealed now. Increasing tension may help, but still It will be brighter and better when you tune it up half tone or so.

Playing the violin with heavy bowing after It is tuned up by a full note for a while might help or thinner bridge may help too, I may be wrong.

I am sure break in will help a lot.

Over thinned violins will choke or loose quality in sound when they are tuned up by half note.