Comparison of Violin Strings
The violin strings contribute to the quality of your sound. The trick is to find a string that compliments your instrument and style. It may take trying several types of strings before settling on a type or brand. New strings are introduced to the market every day, so it's important to review buying guides to avoid being overwhelmed by choices.
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Gut Strings
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Violin strings have been made of gut since their earliest days. Until the 20th century, they were the only types of strings available. Most modern musicians use gut string lined in aluminum or silver. Gut strings have a full sound, which is complex and full of overtones. Of all strings, gut have the slowest response time. While some instruments have a natural "catch" or hesitation, in some instruments, this delay can be more pronounced. Unstable to temperature and humidity, these strings require at least a week of stretching before they can be tuned reliably.
Synthetic Core Strings
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In the 1970s, synthetic core strings were introduced to the market. Using a core of perlon (similar to nylon), and then wrapped in silver or aluminum, these strings claimed to avoid the instability of gut core strings, since they are not affected by temperatures or humidity. After two days, the strings are stretched and tune easier. They also have a quicker response. Other manufacturers use Kevlar as core, but each brand has its own particular tone quality.
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Steel Core Strings
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Many steel core strings have a tendency towards too much brightness in their tone. The sound generally has few undertones, but steel core strings have the fastest response of any other. The least expensive range of these strings can be tinny, while the expensive end can be quite good quality. Steel core strings are not susceptible to temperature or humidity changes and tend to tune better than synthetic strings. These are great strings for students to begin with.
Gauges
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Synthetic violin strings also are available in different widths. Thicker strings offer more tone and volume. Thinner strings have less carrying power.
Popularity
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According to Violinist.com, "Synthetic core strings are by far the most popular type of strings, because they are more stable than fickle gut strings but have most of the tonal colors of gut strings, generally speaking. Gut core strings are regarded as having the best tone, but they need to be tuned more often and react to changes in the weather, generally speaking. Steel strings are generally for specialized uses."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Old Violin image by Jan Bandolik from Fotolia.com
