Are there any recent(ish) cheaper alternatives to Helicore?

[GoPractice]

No players for Jargar violin strings? Just askin'.

When on sale, the familiar strings are purchased. And I purchase almost exclusively from shops. Some shops have set older Jargars and Helicore at very reasonable prices. 

Jargar is mentioned, though the viola a- strings are almost gone, there are a few new cello sets ( different tensions too ) that are in drawers here, somewhere. In recording studios, the Yamaha ns- 10 monitors are found in quite a few, and if not above the mixing console, they can be hauled out and set up. The courtesy is that they have sounded familiar to a group of us old timers. The newer generation are a bit spoiled. The Jargars offer that familiar quality and familiarity.

As for establishing a baseline for cellos, there are the newish set of Jargar mediums. Then the more specific/ expensive/ luxurious can be used to dialed in the desired feel/ sound. E- strings are player's choice, but most do not last as long as the lower strings, understandably. 

[David Burgess]

On 5/4/2023 at 8:43 AM, maxr said:

It would be interesting to see if they respond as fast.

Definitions of "response" can be all over the map. They could mean anything from a seemingly immediate clear tone at the fundamental frequency, to a "crunch", which can help to delineate or emphasize note changes and bow direction changes, especially when a really good player is playing in a large hall.

[Don Noon]

23 hours ago, Don Noon said:

Looks like Amazon is cheapest for 4/4 size here. 

I just got an email from International Violin about a string sale...  $24/set for Helicores, 4/4, medium or heavy. I should buy some.

[maxr]

20 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Definitions of "response" can be all over the map. They could mean anything from a seemingly immediate clear tone at the fundamental frequency, to a "crunch", which can help to delineate or emphasize note changes and bow direction changes, especially when a really good player is playing in a large hall.

True - I'm using it to indicate that if you play a decorative flurry of 3 to 9 notes, as you might in Scottish or Irish (and other) music, or even a trill,  all the notes speak very quickly and clearly.

[maxr]

4 hours ago, Don Noon said:

I just got an email from International Violin about a string sale...  $24/set for Helicores, 4/4, medium or heavy. I should buy some.

Yep, go for it US Helicore enthusiasts! Unfortunately, International has no online listing for Helicores, and no way I can find to register an 'out of USA' customer for their newsletters - it's US mail codes only. Oh well...

[Don Noon]

12 minutes ago, maxr said:

Yep, go for it US Helicore enthusiasts! 

I just did.  Maybe they should be renamed National Violin.  Too bad about all the import/export barriers.

[brokenbow]

I stumbled onto a few sets of Alice A747 violin strings. Chinese made--their "best" at about $15 a set. Passable strings. Only this model, the lower level stuff is horrid.

[maxr]

Looks like Alice are available here in UK on Ebay, but at about double the US retail - £24/$30. I'll give those a try next time a set of Evah Pirazzis (££s!) wear out, and see how they go - thanks.

[LSF]