Strings information

PAGANINO offers strings for bowed stringed instruments in the categories

To find the right strings for your string instrument, we give a characteristic of the different types of strings here.

Gut strings

The oldest string material is undoubtedly gut. The production of gut strings has remained virtually unchanged. The gut of ungulates, mostly of sheep from barren, dry areas is cleaned down to the fascia, cut into strips and then wet rope-like twisted and dried. Then comes a very delicate operation: the cylindrical grinding of the raw string. Deviations of a few hundredths of a millimeter in diameter cause the string to no longer be purely quint. Gut strings have a natural elasticity, are very comfortable to grip with a very good ability of modulation.

The plain gut string has the unmistakable delicate, slightly dampened, warm sound. It is now used mainly as an authentic stringing for baroque instruments.

Brand:

PIRASTRO Chorda for violin viola cello

The covered gut string brings just the right elasticity for today's sound expectancy and playing technique. It is characterized by a very noble and powerful tone, tonal beauty, charm and richness. The gut core is wound with various types of metal (usually silver and aluminum). But the strings are also sensitive to humidity and temperature changes.

Brands:

PIRASTRO Eudoxa for violin viola cello double bass
PIRASTRO Gold for violin viola
PIRASTRO Passione for violin viola cello
PIRASTRO Oliv for violin viola cello double bass

Steel strings

The ability to draw strings from steel, and the invention of a special casting process paved the way for the production of metal strings for string instruments. The preparation of the steel string requires a lot of knowledge and skill. First, the corresponding raw material must be present: treated crucible cast steel. This is gradually getting thinner drawn through several drawing dies and diamonds. In the twenties of the last century the plain steel string for violin E-string prevailed slowly.

The development of covered string was much more complicated and required many attempts. Also persuasion was necessary because the musicians were reluctant to switch to the metal string, although the thin e-gut string often broke.

Steel strings have consistently a very powerful sound and because of their good tuning stability and long life cycle they are often used by beginners. The variety of covered steel strings qualitatively offers a very wide range from students to soloists. For cellists and bassists it is the first choice. Large voluminous sound and durability characterize these strings.

Brands:

CORELLI for cello double bass
D´ADDARIO Helicore for violin viola cello double bass
HILL E-string for violin
JARGAR for violin viola cello
LARSEN for cello
PIRASTRO Chromcor for violin viola cello
PIRASTRO Flat-Chromesteel for double bass
PIRASTRO Original Flat-Chrome for double bass
PIRASTRO Flexocor for violin cello double bass
PIRASTRO Original Flexocor for double bass
PIRASTRO Permanent for viola cello double bass
PIRASTRO Piranito for violin viola cello
PIRASTRO The Jazzer for double bass
THOMASTIK Spirocore for violin viola cello double bass
THOMASTIK Belcanto for viola cello double bass
WESTMINSTER E-string for violin

Synthetical strings

Plastic strings are similar in sound to gut strings: soft, clear, homogeneous and rich in overtones. They give the play a vibrant, voluminous sound. They also keep good in tune and are very sensitive to humidity and temperature changes.

Brands:

CORELLI Crystal for violin viola
LARSEN for violin viola
PIRASTRO Aricore for violin viola cello
PIRASTRO Synoxa for violin viola
PIRASTRO Tonica for violin viola
THOMASTIK Dominant violin viola cello
THOMASTIK Infeld red for violin
THOMASTIK Infeld blue for violin
THOMASTIK Peter Infeld for violin

Synthetic strings

The latest generation of synthetic strings has a core made of modern plastics (eg PEEK = PolyEtherEtherKetone), which were originally developed for extreme loads in aviation or in high temperature resistant sealing material etc.. The big advantage is in low tension loss compared to the conventional synthetic string and has a longer service life.

The strings have a warm, brilliant, gut-like sound, a powerful tone volume, easy response, are easy to grip and extremely stable tuning. Especially among professional musicians they enjoy growing in popularity.

Brands:

CORELLI Alliance Vivace for violin viola
D´ADDARIO Zyex for violin viola
PIRASTRO Evah Pirazzi for violin viola cello
PIRASTRO Obligato for violin viola cello double bass
PIRASTRO Violino for violin
PIRASTRO Wondertone Solo for violin
THOMASTIK Vision for violin viola
THOMASTIK Vision Titanium for violin

Strings gauges

Many strings are available in different gauges:

soft / medium / strog or: dolce / medium / forte or: light / medium / heavy.

The gauges have a special influence on the sound of the instrument. Although a light, thin string vibrates due to the lower mass stronger and longer, there is less energy passed on to bridge and instrument. This leads to a good response and long sustain, but also to a more gentle tone. Stronger strings with higher string tension produce a louder, richer tone height.

It is crucial to find out the appropriate individual strings or the optimum string tension for each instrument.

Due to high tension generated pressure on the top of the instrument affects the sound characteristic negatively. To determine the influence of another string gauge on the sound, you can try to tune up or -down the intrument. For violin and viola first tune the two upper strings, then the two lower strings about a quarter tone lower (cellos and basses about a semitone). If the instrument sound better after tuning down, you should try thinner, lighter strings; it sounds better after tuning up, you should try thicker strings.

It is also quite recommendable to tune up or down some individual strings in order to make a more differentiated set selection.