best beginner strings

[melody4u]

What would be a good up-grade string to help a beginner violin sound better? Dominants are too expensive for most of my students, but I'm sure there is something out there that you could recommend that would be less expensive. Thanks for your help.

[robertdo]

you won't find a much better quality/price bargain that dominant. Pirastro tonica is slightly cheaper but not better. Vision is slightly cheaper too but not better either, and we are talking about a couple of £ or dollars difference. Really cheaper would mean low quality or metal strings and although they can be good and really cheaper, they are not very comfortable to play on a violin.

[gowan]

you won't find a much better quality/price bargain that dominant. Pirastro tonica is slightly cheaper but not better. Vision is slightly cheaper too but not better either, and we are talking about a couple of £ or dollars difference. Really cheaper would mean low quality or metal strings and although they can be good and really cheaper, they are not very comfortable to play on a violin.

I just looked at the prices from a major retail supplier and a set of Tonica is about $20 cheaper than Dominants.

[stephen maloney]

What would be a good up-grade string to help a beginner violin sound better? Dominants are too expensive for most of my students, but I'm sure there is something out there that you could recommend that would be less expensive. Thanks for your help.

Have you tried the Super Sensitive strings? There is a great company out of Indiana that sells strings cheap and often with free shipping. Woodwind and Brasswind. A set of Super Sensitive strings there goes for around 14 bucks. Super Sensitive would be an upgrade if your beginners were using cheap Chinese steel strings initially (as I did when I first started). I'm sure they are good enough until they can afford Dominants.

link strings here

[Sofia Leo]

Black Diamond Violin strings are better and pretty cheap. They made my cheap Chinese fiddle sound much better than with the stock strings. At the moment I prefer Helicore Mediums, but they are a bit more expensive.

Being a beginner myself, I can attest to the improvement in sound and ease of bowing

[robertdo]

I just looked at the prices from a major retail supplier and a set of Tonica is about $20 cheaper than Dominants.

Is it in America? I am interested because in UK a dominant set is about £30-35 and Tonica about £28-30.

[melody4u]

Yes, it is in America....and Dominants are $49 a set plus shipping. Thank you for some great ideas. I'll certainly try some of them out. This board is great!

[La Folia]

Zyex. They're rather similar to Dominant, but they're made in U.S., I think, and less expensive.

[allezlesbleus]

I second the Helicore recommendation. Really easy playing, quick response, mellow sound, relatively inexpensive. Don't understand robertdo's take that they are "not very comfortable" to play.

I would avoid, Red Labels and Black Diamonds.

ALB

[melody4u]

I was just looking through a string catalog...checking out your recommendations...and found "Crown" strings that are aluminum/perlon. Has anyone tried them?

[JTS]

Maestro strings were discussed on a recent thread.I tried a couple of sets and am well pleased.They are certainly affordable.Disclaimer...Symphony orchestras are not beating a path to my door.

[robertdo]

Maestro strings were discussed on a recent thread.I tried a couple of sets and am well pleased.They are certainly affordable.Disclaimer...Symphony orchestras are not beating a path to my door.

I couldn't find a european distributor for these strings. Is there something in USA?

[JTS]

Roberto,I posted a link but it was stripped out of my post.I'm new and still on "probation".Perhaps it was considered spam.I can say they are shipped worldwide.Try googling them.Oh,and fwiw,I have no financial interest or other connection to this company.

[Desert Rat]

Beginners usually are playing on cheap, overly-bright instruments. Also, they typically lack the bowing and intonation skills required to make pleasant sounds consistently, which can be discouraging. As such, strings that produce a less 'edgy' and quieter sound is appreciated by all who are forced to listen (including the student!).

When you combine those desired features with a requirement for high manufacturing quality, wide availability, and low retail cost, there are two clear choices:

D'Addario Pro-Arte' and Corelli Crystal. Both sets are available from Southwest Strings for under $23.00 US. The D'Addario's are also available in fractional sizes.

[fiddleD125]

I also recommend D'Addario Pro-Arte as a great upgrade for a student violin. Much easier and more comfortable to play than cheap steel student strings as Pro-Artes are nylon core strings. Priced in the $20's and come in fractional sizes.