String suggestion for bright on top/dark on bottom violin.

[richardz]

A couple of months ago I bought a violin that is bigger and louder than my previous violins. It has been very enjoyable to have an instrument who's sound fills large spaces and is also still heard in the midst of other loud instruments. The problem is, it now leaves my ears ringing after playing for a couple of hours.

 

One remedy is to play it more softly when volume isn't needed and I've been experimenting with that, sort of like having a race car but not driving it fast all the time...medium for around town, and all out only when necessary. I guess it's the concept of a violin that can do it all. I've also been playing with an earplug in my left ear, which seems to help.

 

I experimented with a lot of types of strings when I first got the violin, and settled on Vision Titanium Solos, not necessarily for the volume, but because I like the response of higher tension strings and they really gave definition and texture to the lower darker G and D strings that other strings didn't. Now the A and E strings sound exceedingly bright to me. (I've been playing the same set for a couple of months now). I'm wondering about replacing the A and E but keeping the Vision D and G.

 

Does anyone have a string suggestion for the A and E that might be a similar high tension response but a warmer less brilliant sound, that will match the Vision D and G?

 

Thank you for any suggestions.

[Dwight Brown]

Obligatos or Evah Pirazzi Gold may be a possibility.

 

 

I have been enjoying the Evah Perazzi Gold E string as well.  Hill E strings are nice too.

 

 

 

DLB

[JacksonMaberry]

The "Heifetz" setup may be worth investigating. He used something like this as i recall: gut core G, plain gut D and A, and a steel E. If you think the steel E is too strident still, maybe a wound E like the pirastro universal?

[Fjodor]

I have been happy with Vision Solo strings (not titanium solo) on most violins I have tried them on.

If you want to experiment with the e string I can recommend the Prim Lisa e string, it is warm sounding and blend well with the other strings.
Available at least in medium and heavy gauges.

[Addie]

Warchal Karneol are very warm and rich, so that might work for A & E. I also like the Prim E but currently have a Goldbrokat E on.

[mmmm]

You could try the Warchal Avant Garde A and a Warchal Amber E forte...that might do the trick...or at least help.

[Craig Tucker]

 

Does anyone have a string suggestion for the A and E that might be a similar high tension response but a warmer less brilliant sound, that will match the Vision D and G?

 

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

I would not discount the remedy of 'a sound post adjustment' or a bridge placement (bridge position - thickness & etc.) adjustment to arrive the necessary tonal changes, either...

It may not be simply a 'string brand''/string material' or type of string problem at all.

 

I'm curious who you've had look at this fiddle - for set up parameters ??

[Craig Tucker]

What you're describing above, sounds (to me at least) like it may not originate, or be cured with, changing the string(s).

[deans]

I'm with Craig. Take it in for adjustments, usually you need this after a couple months anyway, especially if the instrument was freshly set up when you bought it. If  things are still the same then you can start the money-draining process of trying all the different string brands.

[richardz]

Dwight:

Obligato in is a direction I've never tried. Besides yourself, it has been suggested by a couple of friends and I read a bit about them, so I have a feeling I'll be adding it to my string collection. Somehow I had them confused with Edoxas which I tried once and didn't like, but now I see they are a whole different animal. Not sure about the Pirazzis for this violin, It seems to work best with the more focused/less harmonics Visions. I do have an EP gold E here somewhere, and you're right it is sweeter/warmer will give it a try. Thanks

 

Jackson:

I've never used gut strings, and not sure I want to go in that direction at the moment. I do have a Kaplan wound E around here someplace. I'll have to dig it out. Thank you.

 

Fjodor:

My first experiment: I'll try replacing the titanium e with a Vision Solo e to see what that does. Would be nice if that's the answer and I can keep the strings more like a matching set. Haven't heard of the Prim Lisa. I'll investigate further if necessary. Thank you

 

Addie:

I have some slightly used Karneols here that I bought on Martins suggestion a while back. I seem to like higher tension strings better. I'm not sure the lower tension Karneol A and E would match the higher tension Visions too well. I was hoping to remain around the same tension with the replacement strings. Since I own a whole set of slightly used Karneols I had thought about putting the whole set on to have another look at them. Maybe I'll do that if as a sound experiment at some point. Thanks.

 

mmmm:

Thanks for the reminder I do have a couple of those Amber E's around. I've yet to try the A.

[Addie]

The Karneol E has very high tension, which makes it prone to whistling.

CT makes an excellent point.

[richardz]

Craig and Deans:

Ha, you folks were posting while I was writing.

I had thought about the soundpost, but since over the years I have a collected lot of strings to experiment with, so will not cost me, I thought I would start there.

Now that you guys have spoken up, It's got me thinking I should probably do as you say. It actually took me a lot of string experimentation to settle on the Vision strings and I am very happy with them, so maybe a soundpost adjustment would tame the brilliance and i can stay with my best choice.

It's a newer violin and was set up by a friend who has a good shop near Lincoln Center in NYC. He changed the old set up quite a bit with SP adjustment and bridge placement, so it makes sense it is settling in and after the couple of months it's been changed, and now could use further adjustment. I'm going to call him and see if he can do it today. Will report back.

Thanks!

[richardz]

I managed to get an appointment and go to the shop for adjustment. It was interesting but not entirely conclusive. As soon as he saw it was a Titanium E (as opposed to a regular Vision Solo E) he said "Nobody uses those...Nobody!" He put a Goldbrokat medium E on it and said it was a more appropriate string. I played it a little in the shop and obviously the brilliance was reduced. The shop was very busy with people coming and going and he finally said it wasn't a good time to be there. I ended up leaving and he didn't charge me anything.

 

Afterward, I played the violin in a resonant space I'm familiar with for about an hour. It is in fact less brilliant and maybe/possibly fine. It's hard to tell as it also seemed like the whole violin had possibly lost a bit of punch, like the medium e string changed the overall tension balance if that's possible. It's also possible that my ears are slightly out of whack from the previous brilliance. I'm going to experiment with a few different E strings over the next few days...probably start with a Vision Solo E just to see what that does. Depending on the result, I'll get the SP adjusted.

 

BTW: Has anyone heard that Nobody uses a Titanium E?

[Addie]

Lots of people say changing the E will change the overall sound. I think this is mainly tension. The Goldbrokat seems to take a bit to settle in (?) so give it a day or two of playing.

[peace]

I am from the old school and this is what I really like on my violin.

 

Pirastro Eudoxa G,D and A and Pirastro Gold label wound E. I have tried Vision Solo but did not work out so I returned to my Eudoxa strings. The Eudoxa E is too soft and I did not like it.