Review: 'The Beast' Violin Strings by Warchal
In mid-August I strung my violin with The Beast violin strings by Warchal - and I would like to offer you my impressions.
Full disclosure: These strings were sent to me by Bohdan Warchal (the company's founder and CEO, and a longtime Violinist.com member) so that I could try them out and review them for everyone. Currently the price runs about $130-140 for the set.
Some background: These strings came out in spring 2025 and in April Warchal wrote on Violinist.com that "We developed this string set with soloists who need the widest possible dynamic range while still wanting to keep their instrument's rich, colourful timbre." Of course, there are a number of strings on the market aimed at the soloist, but the selling point for Warchal is the idea that these strings will sound "natural" on any instrument: "We try to create a string with a sound that does not alter the natural character and voice of your instrument."
When I opened the strings to put them on my violin, I noticed the very nice packaging - elegantly designed and environmentally responsible (biodegradable cardboard) - each string in its own envelope, all housed in an easy-to-open outer envelope.
I also appreciated the no-nonsense message written on the inside of the envelope as well: "It isn't easy to describe the character of a sound. When each of us hears a sound, we use different words to describe it." They don't have a chart for Warchal, they are just trying to make them all broad and playable. Strings will respond differently to different instruments, players, etc.
The first thing I noticed was Warchal's unique patented spiral-design E string (perhaps this is what the coils pictured on the packaging reference)...
The Beast E - just out of the package, and then on my violin, before being tightened.
Warchal first introduced its New Generation E string in its Amber line of strings and also has it in the Timbre line. The idea of this is to eliminate the whistling E, as well as "irritating overtones," warm up the sound, tune easier, and feel a bit softer. It was kind of fun to put this string on, so here is a little video of me tightening up the coiled string:
On my violin, "The Beast" strings were pitch-stable in about a day and a half.
These are high-tension strings, designed for projection and power, and indeed they have put my instrument into maximum-projection mode. They are loud and ringy and have pretty much stayed that way over the last month. I found the G string to be a little slippery at first, needing more rosin to speak. Occasionally when playing very high on the G I am still getting that phenomenon, where the sound breaks in a way I don't expect. This might be something that I would adjust to over time.
The D string has been my favorite sounding "Beast" string on my violin, it's warm and speaks nicely.
About the E string: it has not whistled once, it is true! I actually tried to get it to whistle, played those
Before I read that the E string was supposed to feel softer under the finger, I had actually made a note that the E string wasn't feeling great under my fingers - especially when playing extreme high positions (like higher than fifth position). I think it is due to the high tension. Granted, it never feels great up there. But this week I'm playing some very-high first-violin stuff and it just aggravates me a little more with this string.
All that said, I do feel like my violin has remained "my violin" in its voice (a voice I very much like) with "The Beast" strings - just a louder version thereof. The sound is very clear and the pitch is very true. They are bright and clean-sounding strings.
That said, I find them a little edgy for orchestra playing, which is more about blending than penetrating - and I am mostly an orchestral player! However, I can see how this higher level of penetration would be ideal if I were using my violin for solo work or for a recital - or even for quartet-playing.
As with all violin strings, you have to find the ones that suit your violin, your purposes, your taste and maybe even your physiology. It's wonderful that there are so many excellent options these days - Warchal's "The Beast" is certainly among them, at the high end.
Here are a few places where you can find "The Beast" strings: Fiddlershop and Kennedy Violins.
You might also like:
- Discussion: Warchal's 'The Beast'
- Warchal Announces New 'Timbre' Viola String Set
- Discussion: Warchal 'Amber' Strings
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Replies
Actually, I had some Warchals on my Breton once and found them pretty nasty, so I'd rather not win a set of these.
Thanks for the market intelligence.
This is your own good fiddle? Did you ever find which of the family made that one?
Andrew, most major-brand string manufacturers produce quite a wide variety of strings, all with different characteristics.
For example, I don't happen to like Obligato strings at all, but really like some other Pirastro strings.
So I don't quite understand how your experience with trying some unspecified sub-group of strings from a certain manufacturer, on one fiddle, one time, offers any meaningful input.
Thanks for your review Laurie. I just started selling the Warchal Beast at my shop, LVL Music Academy here in Singapore – and wow, it really lives up to its name. The sound is powerful and super projective, definitely a step up in terms of presence. I’ve also tried the Brilliant version, which is good too, but it doesn’t cut through quite the way the Beast does. My students’ feedback so far: it’s really the BEAST! Haha
I tried to delete that post last night and wondered why it had disappeared from the competition thread. Aren't all Warchals bright? If so, they aren't the way I want to go. Maybe I tried Warchal Brilliants. As others have commented, calling them The Beast is going to lead to prejudice. I wonder how popular they will be in Christian conservatories, lol. The Vision family suits my violin best. Practice will work better than a string change, not to mention stability, for most mortals.
Andrew, The Beast has been requested by players (mostly Timbre and Amber users) who asked for a bit more brightness and power. Brilliant is already quite an old model, and it deserves to be revised. We will do this in 2026.
@Bohdan, "nasty" was a poor choice of adjective: "harsh" is better, iirc.
I also tried EP Vintage(?) which gave a "brittle" sound, so I gave up on bright strings and sought focus instead.
I understand. I probably shouldn’t be giving unsolicited advice, especially since I don’t know your particular instrument, but French violins are generally known for their bright sound. Choosing strings with Brilliant in their name may therefore be a risky choice :-). Some manufacturers have at least one model in their range with a warmer sound. In our case, it is Amber.
My Breton is very warm and very dark. It originally sounded like a viola with Dominants. I chose it for its sound and handling but later lost faith in Dominants.
Brilliant vintage sounds so warm and mellow on German violins
Hi Janice, how would you compare Warchal Brilliant Vintage to other low tension strings? I've used the Dominant Pros and while I found them to be a very good string, especially the G, they didn't speak as quickly as I'd like. I currently use the Perpetual Cadenzas (Pirastro) which to me have a more direct sound and are more responsive minus a slight bit of the warmth of the DP set. I play on a contemporary Italian made in 2006 but he has an old soul.
-M
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September 20, 2025 at 07:59 AM · Thanks for the review Laurie. Were you just about to put the E string sleeve on the bridge in the video? (Also, irrelevantly, lovely carpet!)