Choosing Strings for Your Violin

Before deciding on what kind of string you should get, narrow the price range. Individual strings range from a couple dollars to nearly sixty dollars for sets (or more if you buy at retail). Although higher quality strings will make all violins sound better, it is possible that your violin may not handle the "intensity" of some strings, notably, Evah Pirazzi, one of the most powerful strings out there. The quality of the string should typically match the quality of the violin but that is a personal choice.

There are three types of string: Metal, synthetic core and gut. Which you want is a personal choice but if you're unsure, go with the synthetic as it is like the "middle ground" of the two (sort of). Metal strings are the most stable and loudest. Generally speaking, they are not used to play classical music as they lack the richness. Gut strings (called gut because they are made from the guts of certain animals) have the cleanest and richest sound. They are the best to play classical or romantic pieces with; however, they are not recommended for beginners because of its instability. Synthetic core strings have the advantages of stability from a metal string with the richness of gut strings (not as much in each), so they're usually used as they can play all kinds of music. Remember, it's better to try all of them out before deciding which one you really want later on.

Here are the three types of strings that I have used:

Dominant - The most popular string among students. For the beginner to the intermediate, this string will serve you well. It has a great sound for the price and if an advanced student were to use it, it can still bring out the best out of a violin. Price-wise, it is by far the best value. Note: They sound a lot like metal strings, more so than the other ones listed here.

Obligato - For the intermediate to advanced player, I would highly recommend these strings. I personally use these because it makes my violin sound great (probably because my violin cannot handle Evah Pirazzi). They need to be tuned a lot more than Dominant, possibly every eight hours or so but that maybe because of my violin. They produce a great sound but are not as loud as Evah Pirazzi, about the same as Dominant. The tone, however, is much more rich and sounds great when playing romantic pieces.

Evah Pirazzi - Recommended for the advanced player. However, anyone can use these provided their instrument can handle the force created by these strings. They are much stronger than Obligato and much more powerful. Extremely loud but can be quite if needed. Overall, this string surpasses the other two easily in terms of volume and tone; however, the power from this string is difficult to "control" (hard to describe!). I recommend you try these but if they sound worse than what you had, then your violin probably cannot handle the force from the string; literally, the string generates more force onto the bridge than any other string.