Metal wound strings and modern synthetic core strings (e.g. Dr. Thomastik) are wonderful for the modern fiddler, regardless of the type of music he or she is playing. The good ones, such as D'Addario Helicores and Infeld Super-Flexible rope core strings, sound great, are easy on the fingers (and your instrument) and stay in tune. Other very good synthetic core strings are Correlli Alliance, Pirastro Obligato and D'Addario Pro-Arte.
Of course, these benefits can only be derived if your fiddle is structurally sound, it is well set-up and you use a high-performance bow. If any of these requirements are not met, especially the good bow requirement, you are wasting your money on good strings.
So why would anyone want to use a 400+ year old type of string on a modern fiddle?
The answer is simple. If you are serious about a genre of music from a byegone era going back to about the middle of the 18th Century, you should use the type of string that players used then and have your fiddle set up in the authentic manner of the period. The post-Baroque violin (i.e. the modern violin) is about 250 years old. If you want to play music any older than the 1930s the way it was really played, gut strings are part of the deal. To find out the details of what else is involved besides the gut strings, an article will be published within the next few days. For those who just can't wait, here is a summary:
- New tuning pegs drilled for gut strings and reaming the peg holes for perfect, smooth tuning without use of fine tuners
- New bridge (generally higher)
- Remove the fine tuners from the tail piece
- Remove the chin rest
- Adjust nut for the wider diamter gut strings
- Install correct gut strings for the period being replicated
- Sound post adjustment
- You have to learn to play using the correct "hold" for the period you are re-enacting. In all cases, this will involve NO chin rest and NO shoulder rest
Types of Gut Strings and Their Period Authenticity
But beware, not all gut strings are right for the job and stringing a fiddle with gut is a lot more involved than just winding on any old gut strings. Read on.
Most of the real gut string sets available today are modern (as in mid 20th Century), with metal windings on the a, d and g strings and a steel e-string. The e-string may be itself wound, typically with aluminum, or plain with either a silver or gold coating (called "goldstahl"). These modern gut strings are intended for orchetral playing and are no more historically correct for old genres than good synthetic core strings
Some of the modern gut string sets, such as the Pirastro Passione strings have polymer woven in with the gut and are extremely stable (i.e. they stay in tune well). Other popular modern gut strings are Pirastro Euxoxa and Pirastro Oliv strings, both of which are a bit more like traditional gut strings, but they are still modern wound strings with metal e-strings for classical violinists.
Those who do care about historical authenticity to have their fiddles properly set up with gut strings are often disappointed with results. Probably the most commonly available pure gut string sets, which has a wound g-string (appropriate from about 1790 onwards) is the Pirastro Chorda set.
The most common complaints are great difficulty keeping thier instruments in tune and frequent string breakage. Incorrect instrument setup an poor fitting tuning pegs are contributing factors, but the Chorda strings just do not seem up to the task for fiddling.
The Best Gut String Available
After extensive research we have concluded that the best string available for fiddle retro-fits are those made by the world-renowned Damian Dlugolecki. It is Dlugolecki strings, which are highly resistant to breakage and are quite stable (once broken in) that we now prefer for our Neil Gow II and Glasgow Pochettes, as well as retro fiddle setup for the following:
- Late 18th to mid-19th Century
- Civil War to late 19th Century
- Early 20th Century (i.e. Old Time)
Comments