Strings for a Sweet/Mellow Violin

July 6, 2012 at 10:05 AM · You could also try Warchal Brilliants. They are very very nice, though E tends to whistle sometimes (dependng on the rosin). Other options: Evah's, Vision solos...

July 6, 2012 at 01:31 PM · I have a very sweet violin that responded surprisingly well to Violinos (originally marketed as Pirastro's student strings). I used a more costly E, but that was still not much to lay out.

At the other end of the $$ scale, same instrument sounds magnificent with Peter Infelds...and they last remarkably well (should do, for the price). I was fascinated that both ends of the money spectrum do better than most in the middle--on that particular violin.

July 6, 2012 at 02:39 PM · This is not exactly an answer to your question, but a different bow can make a big difference.

July 6, 2012 at 03:20 PM · I know these strings are a hit or miss, but they work well on my mellower, sweet German violin. The warmness of the violin rounds out the harshness that people usually complain about Evah Pirazzis, altogether resulting in a nice sound. I switched out the E for a Gold Label E though.

July 6, 2012 at 05:11 PM · Unfortunately, strings sound very different on each violin so nobody can really tell what a set of strings will sound like on your violin. You just have to try them and see...all part of the fun !

I have D'Addario Pro-Arte strings on two of my violins and they sound great on one violin but not so great on the other. I will be trying Tonicas on the latter violin soon. Pirastro Tonicas are worth a look if you have already tried Dominants.

July 7, 2012 at 03:32 AM ·

July 7, 2012 at 06:17 AM · If you haven't read this article from Ifshin about strings' qualities, it might be interesting. I'd forgotten about it, then stumbled on it this afternoon.

July 7, 2012 at 03:22 PM · Danica, you can order the strings directly from Warchal's website. The is a chance of buying once a string set for trial purposes at a very reasonable price.

July 8, 2012 at 09:31 PM · Tonicas are great strings and will run you about $32. :)

September 27, 2012 at 01:52 AM · I would suggest the Corelli Crystals. My violin responds well to Evahs, and the Crystals make a nice but much less expensive alternative.

September 27, 2012 at 05:04 PM · Sorry.

June 23, 2014 at 10:35 AM · It also depends on why yout violin is "mellow".

If it is a new violin that hasn't yet "woken up", then maybe Helcores (steel) would help.

On my own old but mellow violin, I found the Tonica light tension ("weich") set gave a clearer tone without cramping the vibrations. I chose the wound E.

June 23, 2014 at 02:34 PM ·

June 23, 2014 at 06:20 PM · We cannot hear your violin with its currents strings, nor is "mellow" a clear description, at least to me, of a kind of tone. Anyhow, different strings sound different on different violins. What might make my violin sound "mellow" might make yours sound awful. Go to your luthier. S/he will listen to your violin with its current strings, try to understand exactly what sound you are trying to achieve, and then, having heard the violin, suggest the best strings to try. This is the only way to do it. You will receive a lot of good, well-meaning advice from v.commers, but none of them can hear your violin. At best, all they can help you do is narrow the choice a bit, e.g., Evahs will not make your violin sound mellow. Good luck!

June 24, 2014 at 12:50 PM · I have onlty just realised the ambiguity of Danica's question. Are we dealing witha mellow violin that needs brightening, or a bright violin that needs mellowing?