Long-term experience with Dynamo strings

October 22, 2023, 10:05 AM · I was skeptical at first especially considering the price. But I decided to give the Dynamos a try. I put them on my Cornelison violin about 6 weeks ago. I was using Oliv gut strings which are most beautiful sounding. But the Dynamos have been very impressive. The are completely stable in terms of tuning. They offer a wide dynamic range, power, projection, brilliance, and a nice soft feel under the left hand. They are much easier than gut for bowing as there seems to be more margin for my less-than-perfect technique. Although the tension is lower I can dig-in without crushing the sound. I can't think of anything negative to say about them honestly. They are very good strings.

October 22, 2023, 10:09 AM · Have you tried Rondo?

October 22, 2023, 10:12 AM · I think mine got slightly darker after a few months. Still sound great.

October 23, 2023, 1:56 AM · I have put on the Dynamo on my 2014 Laura Vigato violin.
For me they have been the best strings so far (previously tried Dominant, Evah Pirazzi gree and gold, Warchal Amber, Warchal Brilliant Vintage).

Prior to the Dynamos I settled for the Warchal Brilliant Vintage but now I have decided I don't intend to go back and will stick to the Dynamo which sound good at any bow pressure/volume and yes, they are stable giving me good tone colour whatever I do.

I am hoping they will last me 5 months, I play 1.5 hours to 2 hours per day depending on how hard a day I have in my main job which takes up 12 hours of my day 6 days a week!!!

Edited: October 23, 2023, 3:21 AM · Speaking as one who has devoted very little time or mental energy to the string debate, I'd like to hear from those who have whether their favourites and preferences are context-contingent? In other words, what genres of music have they explored? Would they recommend a different brand of string for chamber music as compared with solo or orchestral? And if so, have they had any feedback from fellow players?

Edited: October 23, 2023, 6:56 AM · @Stephen: Did you ask John Alexander or me? I wrote about my experience with Rondos here and here. In short, before the arrival of the Dynamos, I thought Rondos would be my preferred strings, but they never lost their emphasis on high frequencies (which may be perceived as a metallic sound). I'm afraid I'll also buy the freshly announced Rondo Gold as soon as they're available, maybe they'll be better for my ears than Rondos.

October 23, 2023, 8:55 AM · I did not care for the sound of Rondos personally. I was rather disappointed when I tried them as they have so many good reviews. Personal taste I suppose. For Thomastik strings I much prefer the sound and feel of Dynamos, PIs, or Vision Solos.

Edited: October 23, 2023, 10:23 AM · Rondos are neutral strings, kinda like Dominants but with ultra high tension, higher than Evah Pirazzi green. That's why they were Lutheir strings, for testing, because they are neutral, with lots of tension for newly made instruments. Dynamos and PIs are usually better, because each add something to the instrument. Rondos are good if you have an already "perfect" violin, that needs high tension.

October 23, 2023, 11:15 AM · Hmmm... must give Dynamos a try, but I suspect they won't be an improvement in at least one case.

October 23, 2023, 8:25 PM · I think saying that Rondo strings have ultra-high tension seems a bit extreme.

Using a 325 mm string length, the A, D and G have 5.7, 4.8, and 4.8 kg of tension, respectively, per Thomastik.

Using the same string length, Evah A, D and G (green) in medium tension have 5.6, 4.8 and 4.9 kg of tension, per Pirastro.

The tension across A, D and G actually adds up to be equal between the two sets.

Edited: October 23, 2023, 8:50 PM · And both are ultra high tension. Compare them with Dominants and see the difference.

Evah Pirazzi:
G - 4.9kg
D - 4.8kg
A - 5.6kg
E - 7.8kg
Total: 23.1kg

Rondo:
G - 4.8kg
D - 4.8kg
A - 5.7kg
E - 8.2kg
Total: 23.5kg

October 23, 2023, 10:47 PM · Valentin, the Rondo Gold strings are already available on Thomastik's online store if you'd rather not wait for them to become available at your favorite shop. I'm currently debating buying a set right now or waiting until they show up at shops like Southwest strings, Shar, Fiddlershop, etc.

Edited: October 24, 2023, 2:19 AM · @Jacob: I'm not sure a comparison with Dominants is fair – if Evah greens and Rondos are called ultra-high tension strings, then Dominants are ultra-low tension strings. A great overview is given in this String Tension Guide.

@Christian: thanks for the hint! I think I'll wait until Rondo Golds are regularly available in Europe, because I don't see any reason to replace my Dynamos yet. But I'm looking forward to the first reviews of Rondo Golds.

Edited: October 24, 2023, 8:17 AM · Dominants aren't ultra low tension, they are the reference for synthetic strings.
Pirazzi and Rondo are just very high. Not even PIs are as high as them. Many violins can't hold that much tension.

October 24, 2023, 10:43 AM · Here's a link to a Ray Chen video about Dynamo.

https://youtu.be/HoxMq2hOgM0?feature=shared

October 24, 2023, 11:19 AM · A good advertisement for the strings!

October 24, 2023, 5:51 PM · Valentin: "if Evah greens and Rondos are called ultra-high tension strings, then Dominants are ultra-low tension strings."

That sounds about right because EPs and Rondos are as high on the tension chart as Dominants are low. My confusion is why do we need to use the term "ULTRA". General categories like low/medium/high may be easier to understand and agree upon.

Edited: October 26, 2023, 12:09 PM · Dynamo are good strings on the right fiddle. The last a while, have good response, good color gradient, feel comfortable. Most mainstream strings that I see in my orchestra are good though -- Dominant, Vision Solo, PI, Evah Green, Evah Gold.

I think the string companies are tricking us a bit though -- every few months they release a new string and we buy it. Meanwhile, Hilary Hahn is still out there making amazing music with Dominants and a Gold Label E.

Who is ready for Rondo Gold?

October 26, 2023, 3:56 PM · Prices of some new strings are ABSURD.

Edited: October 26, 2023, 6:03 PM · DB Cooper, because it all depends on the violin. Hilary Hahn obviously has an excellent violin, that plays best with a neutral string like Dominant.
I also use Dominants with Gold Label E in my best violin, but my other violins sound poorly with Dominants.

October 26, 2023, 6:19 PM · I'm sure Thomastik pays her to use Dominants

October 26, 2023, 7:10 PM · Hahn hardly ever talks about string choice. Nor did she add to the hype when the pricier and newer Dominant Pro and Dynamo came out, which quite a few celebrity violinists / content creators did. If Thomastik pays her, they ain't getting their money's worth.

October 26, 2023, 7:39 PM · Dominant pros are a whole different string from dominant in my experience. My violin sounds pretty weak with dominant but pros are almost like PIs with half the price. I might give dynamo a try just based on the positive discussions here though.

October 26, 2023, 7:52 PM · Why would Thomastik pay her to play Dominants instead of some more expensive strings like Peter Infeld?

October 26, 2023, 11:26 PM · Absolutely right. And she’s used them from a very young age, too.

October 26, 2023, 11:34 PM · Hahn has made it pretty clear in interviews that she's used Dominants for a long time and has no desire to experiment. Plenty of nice old instruments work fine with Dominants, although I prefer the durability and faster break-in of Rondos, which are also quite neutral.

October 27, 2023, 2:50 AM · Forgot to add, I love the Dynamos on my violin and have tried them with the original Dynamo E string which is quite nice, then I tried a Pirastro 'Gold E' and this in my case was too 'sweet/mellow' so much so it really stood out and was not blending in well with the rest of the strings then I tried a Larsen 'Gold' E which I found to be a perfect complement.

the Larsen Gold E is very loud compared to the other E strings I tried, with the Dynamos it blends well and makes all the strings louder (but still retaining their tone qualities) and everything more responsive.

I found the winning combination for my violin finally :)

PS yes the Larsen gold E is a little more prone to whistling however if you get used to this and attack it with the right bow arm weight/angle then you can learn to tame it, just need to keep conscious of it

Edited: October 27, 2023, 3:09 AM · I think there are a couple of useful lessons to be drawn from this and all the other threads concerning the choice of strings.

Lesson 1 - it's all about personal preferences and particular circumstances; what kind of sounds YOU like and you can make in your music with your violin and your bow. I wouldn't regard anybody's recommendation as authoritative because their circumstances are likely to be significantly different from mine.

Lesson 2 - more choice doesn't necessarily result in greater consumer satisfaction

Here endeth the lessons

October 27, 2023, 3:46 AM · @Steve: I agree, but my working hypothesis is that the relative characteristics of strings are similar or the same independent of the violin, i.e., Rondos will have more high frequencies than Dynamos independent of the violin. Of course I'm not sure about it, but in this sense, I think that sound charts and discussions about strings are still useful. Whether one prefers this or that sound characteristic is, of course, a matter of personal preference and depends not only on the violin, but also on many other circumstances, such as individual listening habits and hearing ability.

October 27, 2023, 4:29 AM · I agree that charts and facts about strings are useful. The manufacturers do not necessarily provide this info. Guage, density, tension, Youngs modulus, etc.

Higher tension strings will have more pronounced harmonics.

October 27, 2023, 5:00 AM · @Mark: Why do you think the higher tension strings should have more harmonics?

Edited: October 27, 2023, 6:09 AM · @Jo Parker, Very confusing. Gold Label E was too sweet/mellow so it stood out from the rest of the strings section. Then Larsen Gold E is very loud and made everything louder. So that blends well?

@Mark, Thomastik provides very good charts at the back of the package. You just need to compare the boxes against each other.

Edited: October 27, 2023, 6:30 AM · @Jacob, well, yes to my ears at least I noted that the other strings are 'also louder' with the Larsen Gold E on

I would imagine that the string tension will change the pressure on the bridge and will in turn have an effect on the overall pressure on the front panel of the violin...this in turn can make the sound 'open up' (or get louder) or get a little suppressed so closed and/or not as loud

maybe its the way I word it, not sure but that is how I hear it, overall louder but in a way that all strings are similar on how they respond and how loud they are, sorry not sure how to express it better

Also the Pirastro Gold E to me 'stood out' as it was particularly soft compared to the other strings, if that makes any sense :D so it stood out on how different it was and not louder as it certainly was not louder

Edited: October 27, 2023, 9:04 AM · My point about Hahn and the Dominants was misunderstood, I think. I'm not suggesting that they are the superior string for every instrument. But, in the end, we all need to find something that works pretty good for our instrument and our playing style, and settle in to really good practice sessions.

This is why I listed that we have some many good string options, including dynamos. I just think we tend to get in the mindset of a new string will revolutionize our playing and it usually is not the case.

@Lydia - I would add Rondo strings to my list.

October 29, 2023, 7:56 PM · I had a student some years back that would put on a new set of Dominants only a couple days before each performance they had. They absolutely LOVED that metallic "ping" of those new Dominants--something I think most people try to forget about as they break their set in as quickly as they reasonably can.

I think that the original Thomastik Vision (~$55 a set) and Warchal Karneol (~$40 a set) are still some of the best values out there for violin string sets, and perform just as well as so-called "premium" sets over twice their price.

October 29, 2023, 10:27 PM · Warchal strings in general are pretty slept on compared to the more premium sets/manufacturers. I don't use them currently, but I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a set or two of the Timbres in the future.

October 30, 2023, 7:54 AM · @Gene Wie - that's interesting and to me there is a certain allure to a fresh set of Dominant strings. In that case perhaps something like Vision Titanium Solo would please them.

I know other players who hate the sound of fresh strings.

November 4, 2023, 8:35 PM · I think I've tried every string under the sun and am currently sold on Dynamo...but not sure about the E. Might give that Larsen Gold E a try, and am interested if anyone else has found a great alt E to the Dynamo set?

Edited: November 21, 2023, 6:35 AM · Peter, I tried the Gold Label E, but it sounds a bit underpowered, because Dynamos are really loud and bright. If you have a balanced violin, you probably need a high tension E for this set, the E that comes with the set is appropriate.

November 21, 2023, 3:14 AM · Jacob, Peter mentioned the 'Larsen Gold E', are you referring to the Pirastro gold E or the Larsen?
I find that the LARSEN Gold E (at least to my ears and on my violin) is louder, the tension of this E string also makes my violin overall louder too (though of course it is different on all violins...so as usual one has to try), I quite like it, the Pirastro gold label E on the other hand had the opposite effect on my violin anyway

Edited: November 21, 2023, 9:14 AM · Jo, Yes, I know he was talking about the Larsen. But in the end, he asked about other Es.
The E string has some effect on the volume and tone of the entire violin, but it also has its own volume and tone.
I tried a new out of the box Gold Label E with 4 months old Dynamos. Still the Gold Label E is a warm string and didn't have the power to match Dynamo's G D A. Maybe if you have a violin which the E string sounds quite more powerful than the others, it can work. It's no coincidence that all this new sets come with 8.0kg and above E strings.
I found the Dynamo's E to be a great match in volume and tone to the entire set.

On my violins, the Gold Label E still plays good with Dominant Pro, because they're warmer and not as loud, with slightly less tension.

Edited: November 21, 2023, 10:51 AM · You might consider Gold Label in heavy tension - I enjoy it with Peter Infeld and have a feeling it would work very well here.