Synthetic-core E strings

March 18, 2012 at 02:29 AM · The first thing that comes to my mind is that the violin needs a brilliant tone on the higher notes, and wound strings cannot achive that as well as the pure metal strings do.

Also, the E string may be just to thin to have a synthetic core inside.

March 18, 2012 at 09:21 AM · In the 1960's I asked my dealer why the guitar could have nylon strings, but not the violin. He explained that the tension in a violin string is much greater, and that nylon would stretch too far, especially for wound strings, (even if breaking pont were never reached).

Since then, Perlon etc. were developped..

I did try half a guitar E, which had a similar diameter to a plain gut E. The tone was sweet, but the string not only stretched even more than the gut one, but became flattened where my fingers pressed!

John, I was relieved to read your thread, as I seemed to be in a minority of one in prefering the dominant A and E (which is aluminium-wound steel)to Jargar or Larsen.

When I use my (only one decent) violin in solos, I use a plain steel E, and a Helicore A to avoid the sudden change in timbre from A to E.

On the viola, I am totally allergic to a steel A, unless the instrument is mounted with all 4 rope cored steel strings and set up accordingly (lower bridge etc.)

The concertos of Brahms, Tchaikovsky were played on a plain gut E. Makes one think..

March 18, 2012 at 03:37 PM · It would be nice to have a modern alternative to a plain gut E - same sound but more durable. I don't think a traditional synthetic wound string would work, the synthetic viola A is already a fragile string and probably at the limit.

So, are the string manufacturers working on anything new?

March 18, 2012 at 04:02 PM · An elderly violinist in my chamber orchestra, who has done a lot of principal work in his time, told me he remembers playing on silk-wound gut E's when he was a young man. They didn't last long, and were expensive, he said.

Plain gut strings are of course still very much around, including the E. I've played on plain gut quite a lot and can confirm you get a lovely, almost seamless, transition from the gut A to the gut E. The E feels like an extension of the A, and you never worry about playing an open E (no whistling!). This changes your understanding of the music, partly because you naturally start using the first position again more than you would otherwise.

When playing music up to the end of the 18th century on those strings there is something to be said for using a bow of the period, suitably a transition bow or very late baroque (which is what I use, even for a lot of modern music – as I did in a concert last night, but with Tzigane strings). You'll probably have to adapt your bowing technique to gut, but that's no bad thing.

100+ years ago everyone used gut, in concertos as well, as has just been pointed out. However, it should be remembered that orchestras in those days were a little smaller and certainly a little quieter than they are today, so the balance of a soloist playing the Mendelssohn or Beethoven with all gut strings alongside an orchestra also using gut, would have been right. I would imagine that the advent of bigger, louder orchestras would have changed this balance and necessitated the use of the steel E. But even today, the gut A, D and G can still project very effectively.

March 18, 2012 at 04:15 PM · To get back to the original question, I would hazard a guess that nano carbon fiber (or even spider silk!) is probably up to the job as far as tension is concerned, but you also need weight, which implies either an uncomfortably thick E or a metal-covered nano carbon fiber core. And then everything needs to be tweaked to get the tone and response right, which implies a lot of further R&D. Either way, the final product is likely to be super-expensive.

I'd be just a little surprised if no research in this area is being done somewhere, but I do not know.

March 18, 2012 at 06:01 PM · Thanks Trevor. If I may ask, who makes your favorite plain gut strings? I've been waiting for Aquila to start production again, but who knows when they'll get around to it.

March 18, 2012 at 06:04 PM · I also wonder what these companies use to make their synthetic / composite core strings. I know that Dominants are made of perlon, but as far as the others, like Vision, Peter Infeld, or Evah Pirazzi, I'm in the dark. I remember reading somewhere that one of them is made of kevlar, but that might be wrong. Anyone know?

March 18, 2012 at 07:38 PM · I'm a big fan of Gamut plain gut strings... I usually use Dominants or PIs though.

March 18, 2012 at 10:52 PM · John, see my post of January 14, 2012 on discussion #21732.

Savarez have been making strings for instruments since 1770.

March 29, 2012 at 04:30 AM · ooo-interesting thread. been wandering the same for a long time. I like to play thru an amp to small live houses, and so, while I can make do with synthetic GDAs, I love the thick Gamut gut e, and I've been wondering if other non-classical or even baroque-ish folks do the same. really wish there were wound gut e strings.

January 10, 2013 at 05:25 PM · Just came across this info:

"Super-Sensitive Octava Wound E-String: The only Perlon core E-string on the market. The wound E-strings matches well with many other strings. But I found them not as strong as steel strings; they break more easily."

January 10, 2013 at 08:35 PM · You can still get steel wound silk strings for acoustic guitars, they call the silk & steel. They are for steel string acoustics, but have a sound and feel closer to nylon strings. I really like them because I usually play on nylon, so the normal steel strings eat my fingers (and nails) up. Not sure how they would work on a violin, but I'd be interested to see the same technique applied to violin strings.

January 11, 2013 at 11:55 PM · One alternative is to get a varnished gut string from Gamut.

... and it does depend on what type of sound are you looking for.

my 2 cents.