Strings, Explained

Whether you’re a professional string player, an advanced performer, or a budding student, there are almost too many strings to choose from. Which strings work best for my instrument? What are the different brands of strings, and what sort of strings do these brands offer? How can a set of strings impact my style of playing? What sound can each set of strings offer?

Here at WA Music, we believe in helping each musician find the equipment and accessories that best suit their musicality. Read on to learn about the different types of strings and the strengths each set of strings offers. Types of strings, explained!

Pirastro is a renowned manufacturer of strings and accessories for violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Pirastro produces a range of rosin products tailored to different playing styles and preferences, and are often designed to complement a specific set of Pirastro strings.

Eudoxa (Violin)

Eudoxa strings are gut strings that have a warm sound and low string tension.

Evah Pirazzi (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)

Evah Pirazzi strings have a modern synthetic core and are soloistic, rich, and powerful in sound. They also have an excellent response.

Evah Pirazzi Gold (Violin, Viola, Cello)

Evah Pirazzi Gold strings are also a modern synthetic core string, but unlike their green-packaged ‘Evah Pirazzi’ counterpart, the sound is brighter and more brilliant. Evah Pirazzi Gold strings offer a refined and powerful ‘golden’ tone.

Obligato (Violin, Viola, Cello)

Obligato strings are a modern synthetic core string and sound warm and full, yet have a brilliant, rich overtone spectrum and focused tone. They have excellent playability and response throughout the entire dynamic range.

Oliv (Violin)

Oliv strings are gut strings that have a rich, complex, brilliant sound with a wide range of tonal colours available to the player.

Passione (Violin, Viola, Cello)

Another set of gut strings, Passione strings boast a powerful tone and stable tuning.

Passione Solo (Violin)

Passione Solo strings are gut strings more geared towards soloists and are able to play with good projection and an easy response.

Permanent (Double Bass)

These bass steel strings produce excellent volume, great projection, and are ideal for arco and soloist playing.

Perpetual (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)

These flexible rope core steel strings boast volume and clarity, stable tuning, and a full and radiant sound.

Piranito (Violin, Viola, Cello)

These student steel strings have a bright sound, an easy response, and are cheap.

Tonica (Violin, Viola)

These nylon core strings are also ideal for students. Tonica strings have a lively, round sound and a very easy response.

Violino (Violin)

These modern synthetic core strings boast a smooth, gentle and round sound for violinists.

Wondertone Solo (Violin)

These modern synthetic core strings boast a direct, brilliant, clear, and focused sound.

Thomastik-Infeld is based in Vienna and has been producing strings for string instruments with a vast range of tone colours since 1919.

Dominant (Violin)

The most popular Thomastik-Infeld string sold, Dominant strings are multi-strand nylon strings mellow and rich in overtones, giving a gut-like sound.

Dominant Pro (Violin)

The Dominant Pro strings are made from a synthetic core and feature a tin-plated carbon steel E. The sound is focussed, bell-like, resonant, and ideal for soloists. The strings are highly resistant to bow pressure and can perform at extreme dynamic markings.

Infeld Blue (Violin)

The Infeld Blue strings are a powerful, brilliant sounding set of strings made from a composite core and featuring a tin-plated carbon steel E string.  These strings have low tension, settle in very quickly, and are ideal for soloists.

Peter Infeld (Violin)

The Peter Infeld strings boast a rich spectrum of tonal colours and a powerful, clear sound. The tuning is stable and the strings deliver an instant bow response. These strings are synthetic core and aluminium/silver wound.

Spirocore (Cello C+G strings )

These cello strings come in a two-pack of C and G and have an open tone which are highly responsive and easy to play. Spirocore strings are made from a spiral core that is tungsten wound. These strings reduce inertia and elongate periods of musical vibration, and are equally effective when playing arco or pizzicato.

Vision (Violin)

These advances synthetic core strings feature a focused, clear, open sound and mix well with other synthetic-core strings.

Vision Solo (Violin)

Vision Solo strings are a synthetic core string with a warm, clear, focused sound and are capable of energetic and intense projection. They are easy to play with a minimum settle-in time and offer durability, stable tuning and quick response.

Warchal Strings are made in Slovakia by Bohdan Warchal Jr. and his team of string technicians.

Amber (Violin, Viola)

Warchal Amber strings offer a warm, rich, and textured string sound. They are a synthetic string with a metal-core E string.

Ametyst (Violin)

Ametyst strings are synthetic core string (with a metal E-string) and offer a pure and focused sound which is brighter than Karneol. They take a few days to settle in to achieve tuning stability and optimum tone quality.

Avantgarde (Violin A String)

‘Russian style’ A string made from a metal helix core and wound with stainless steel. This string has immense warmth and depth of tone with a fast response, and is well suited to aggressive attacks and articulation.

Brilliant (Violin, Viola, Cello)

The Brilliant strings are an advanced synthetic core string (with metal core E strings) with great power and projection. The tuning is stable and the tone is full, and is great for violinists looked for a big sound without it being too bright.

Brilliant Vintage (Violin)

The Warchal Brilliant vintage strings are a synthetic core string (with metal core E) with low tension, excellent projection, and a bright sound. They are designed to enable the full power and tonal spectrum of older (or vintage) violins.

Karneol (Violin, Viola)

These synthetic-core violin and viola strings are renowned for their velvety, warm tone and balance of sound. They are an excellent alternative to Pirastro Obligato and Thomastik-Infeld Dominants strings.

Prototype (Cello)

This metal core, stainless steel alloy wound cello string was initially designed as a more sturdy alternative to the synthetic Brilliant ‘A’ for cello. It is considered a ‘universal A’ and works well with gut, synthetic, and metal core strings.

Helicore (D’Addario) (Violin, Viola, Cello)

Multi-strand steel core strings with a clear, warm tone. The response is quick and the tuning is stable, and these strings are perfect for intermediate players. Sold as a restringing service only.

Jargar Classic (Violin, Cello)

These strings are made from a flexible steel core and have a warm, brilliant sound. They are very durable and perfect for players of all levels.

Jargar Superior (Violin, Viola, Cello)

These ‘superior’ cello strings boast a solid steel core and are durable with good projection. The sound is warm and round with plenty of power.

Jargar Young Talent (Fractional Cello)

These excellent student strings are made of a solid steel core and are, warm, brilliant, powerful, and easy to play.

Kaplan (D’Addario) (Violin, Viola, Cello)

These synthetic-core strings provide a warm, rich, and flexible sound for brighter instruments and are perfect for advanced to professional players. Sold as a restringing service only.

Larsen (Cello)

These professional-grade cello strings are made with a solid steel core (G+C are tungsten wound, D + A are stainless steel wound) and have a warm, rich, and full-bodied sound

Prelude (D’Addario) (Violin, Viola, Cello)

These solid steel core student strings have a warm tone, excellent response, and are perfect for young or beginner players. Sold as a restringing service only.

Prim (Violin, Cello)

These medium-tension, steel core strings have a bright, warm tone, a quick reponse, and excellent durability. They are ideal for bluegrass, fiddle, folk music.

Prim Lisa (Violin E String)

This E string is responsive, clean, sweet sound, excellent dynamic range, rich in tone.

Rostanvo (Cello)

Rostanvo cello strings are renowned for their easy response, clear tone, and rich bass across all four strings. The founder, Stefan Popov, was a former student of Rostropovich and initially sought to create a D string which fared better in higher positions before going on to create the Rostanvo set.

W.E. Hill & Sons (Violin E String)

These ‘special steel’ E strings provide violinists with clarity and power in their playing.

Westminster (Violin E String)

This unwound steel E string comes in three ‘strengths’ (light, medium, and heavy) and is considered a ‘universal E string’ for its ability to blend with many types of strings.

Zemar (Violin)

These excellent student strings have a steel core and are aluminium wound and provide players with a stable sound and a warm and lively tone at an excellent price point.