Tone Donut

January 13, 2026, 7:59 AM · Had an old violin come in for service yesterday. Violin itself was nothing special; just an old German factory instrument that the owner wanted cleaned up mostly for sentimental reasons. Came with some nice 1960's Spirocores though, in the original packaging. The A and D came with a rubber "tone-filter" which is basically just a rubber washer that goes between the string and the bridge to damp the high frequencies.
What a strange idea. At some point they ditched this concept, because of course modern Spiros don't come with the tone donut. But I've heard of these before, and of fiddlers using leather strips to the same effect.
Personally I think Spiros sound just fine without any fandangling, but evidently tastes in the 1960's found them to be much too bright. Just interesting.

Replies (1)

Richard Pairaudeau

January 13, 2026, 8:06 AM · I remember the donuts, Cotton, back in the seventies, but I can't remember what brand I used to buy. I probably went for the cheaper end of the market when changing strings, and really, like most amateurs, I still do. Economical value, is the watchword. My first set of Dominants was the point of discovery, and I used them for years. Nothing against them, though I have developed a loyalty to Warchal Ambers.