| Author |
Subject |
trilled
Local user
(5/10/00 1:03:12 am)
Reply |
strings
recommendations anyone?
Time for a make-over! My instrument
has had the same strings for about 5 years now. They're all false
and driving me bananas!
Let me describe my cello. It's a 1994
Antonin Stohr. I would describe it's tone as dark hued which suits
my playing well. I tend to put a lot of muscle into my bow arm. What
I'm mainly looking for is something that can withstand my heavy
bowing yet give a nice pianissimo.
I haven't had much chance to
shop around for strings that I like and can't remember exactly what
the current set up I have on it now. It's a mix of Dominant and
Jarger though which strings are what I can't say. I plan to buy a
new set from Shar soon after asking around for suggestions. I've
saved some money for this, so I can buy whatever suits my
needs.
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ruthann
Local user
(5/10/00 12:49:51 pm)
Reply |
Re:
strings recommendations anyone?
Everyone's favorite can of
worms!!
I'm planning on trying the Pirastro Obligatos for my
next string purchase. My preferences lean more toward gut than
metal. Funny you would use a mix of Jargars and Dominants - I'd
consider trying the Dominants but I would never use Jargars. So my
opinion is probably of absolutely no use to you whatsoever...
suttonr@ca.freei.net
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Tracie
Price 
Local user
(5/10/00 4:55:12 pm)
Reply |
Re:
strings recommendations anyone?
The Jargar/Dominant mix used to be
(and still is for some) quite popular. That is, Jargar A and D, and
Dominant G and C. I personally never liked it much on my
cellos.
One nice mix that many use is Larsen on the top and
Spirocore (tungstun or reg.) on the bottom. Some people I know use
that but have a Helicore G. I use Larsens on the A, D, and G, and a
Spirocore Tungstun C. The Larsen G doesn't work on some cellos
though. It's extremely thin- thinner than a D string!
Good
luck in your string search!
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MGATOF
Global
user
(5/10/00 6:05:23 pm)
Reply |
Pirastro Obligato
We received a trial set of current
production Pirastro Obligatos late last week. After about 3 days,
they finally settled in (though still need more tuning than
'usual').
The jury is still out, but so far...they're noticeably
louder, a bit brighter than what we're used to (Larsen A & D,
Prim G, Jargar Silver C), not nasal, but also warmer - more like
gut, less like metal.
We think we like them A LOT, but we've only
had them on for five days. I'd definitely recommend trying them!
BTW, I recall an earlier post from (Paul? Ryan? - one of the
regulars really 'in the know') who didn't care for the early
pre-release Obligatos, so hopefully these represent a significant
improvement. We'd be curious to see how they fare with
you.
Regards,
Mark
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SueA
Local user
(5/10/00 8:55:55 pm)
Reply |
Pirastro Obligato--where to get 'em?
Are the Obligato cello strings
available for sale yet--if so, where?
|
TerryM
Global
user
(5/11/00 11:19:53 am)
Reply |
Pirastro Obligato Strings
I have been testing these strings
for the past several months and have been impressed by them. There
were some problems with the D string, but they appear to have
rectified this with the final release. The strings are available as
of late April, but North American distributors may not have them in
stock as yet.
The strings take a bit longer to stablize and
have a somewhat bright tone at first. This diminishes within a
couple of days and they then have a nice rounded tone, with good
projection. The strings, probably because they are synthetic core,
take over a week to stablize. They do seem to need more tuning than
steel strings, but unlike gut strings, they can be adjusted with
fine tuners once they have stabilized.
I really like the
Obligato A string sound on my cello. It is rich in harmonic content
and sounds for a long period of time. Overall, the strings are very
resonant and rich in harmonic content. I think I will be staying
with these strings from now on. I have no idea what they will cost,
but I think they will be slightly more expensive than what I have
been using (Larsen).
Terry
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Daniel
Ortbals 
Global
user
(5/11/00 11:20:51 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Strings...
I'm into Larsen A and D, with
Helicore G and C. The Helicores are very easy to play, and I've even
gotten compliments on my C string. I don't know how to respond to
that; it's very similar to someone saying you have a nice haircut I
guess.
|
Andrew
Victor
Global
user
(5/13/00 10:02:58 am)
Reply |
Re:
Strings...
Beware of string advice!
I
started following "string advice" with my first issue of STRINGS
magazine, 3 years ago. A rave review of Pro Arté viola strings
therein led me on a merry chase that may still not be over (but
that's another story). I have continued that chase with violin and
cello strings and have concluded that the selection of strings is so
instrument dependent that suggestions may be useless unless they
lead one to previously unknown brands or combinations. (P.S. I'm
still chasing down the Obligato - Thomastic/Infeld paths on
violins.)
A friend and I did a cello string experiment 2 weeks
ago. His cello was strung with Helicores on the bottom 2 and Larsens
on top, and sounding much better than it had a few weeks before. He
brought along a set of Belcantos - but they sounded too rough on his
cello. Then we tried tungsten Spirocores on his G and C, and they
too were rough, but not as rough as the Belcantos.
I had found
Helicores nice on my German cellos - they certainly dampen the F (or
F#) wolf on the G string pretty well. But on my newer Chinese cello
(from Ifshin earlier this year) Helicores play and sound realatvely
dead on the C and G, and the combination of Larsens on top (better
than the Jargar A and D it came with) and Spirocore tungsten G and C
(which it came with) seems very good. The slight F wolf needed
throttling with Spirocore strings, and a brass/rubber eliminator
placed on the C string afterlength does it very well without seeming
to affect the tone negatively in any way (and I can still use a
2-hole Tourte-style rubber mute).
I am interested to learn more
about the Obligato cello strings. (I find Obligatos great on my
violas and on two of my violins - the other violin seems best with
the new Infeld Red strings but rather terrible with
Obligatos.)
Andy
|
TerryM
Global
user
(5/13/00 1:38:41 pm)
Reply |
Regarding string advice
I couldn't agree with you more. Any
comments about strings should be a guide only. Every cello sounds
different in some respect and the sound that one person may want to
achieve could also be very different from what another may want as
well. As an example, Heliocore C&G strings on my cello were too
muted and lacked volume especially in the upper registers but they
sound great on my teacher's cello.
I think it is very
important too, that sufficient time is given, to allow the strings
to be 'played in.' They and the cello often need some time to come
to a equilibrium after being put on. The Obligato strings took a
couple of weeks to achieve this equilibrium and they sound much
better now than they did at first. If I had made my judgement early
on, I may not have left them on my cello.
This 'string
evaluation thing' can get to be a very expensive
pastime.
Terry
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lblake
Global
user
(5/13/00 8:38:51 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Regarding string advice
I also agree - the string chase can
become a very expensive past-time. (trying failed strings from other
people never hurts, though.  ) I,
too, have Larsens on the top two and Helicores on the bottom two.
I'm quite happy with them, although I'm still willing to try
others... But the main thing I wanted to say here is: Don't let the
Prims'price tag throw you off. Prim has a surprisingly good G
string. Before I had the Helicores on the bottom of my cello, I had
tried Corellis and Spirocore silvers, and Prims. Neither of the
first two was nearly as good as the Prim G & C. The G,
especially, was very good. They're at least worth a try, with the
price of a G&C together being less than the Larsen D I had next
to them! I will definitely hold on to those as back-ups. (the rest,
I'll let my friends try. )
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ruthann
Local user
(5/15/00 11:41:50 am)
Reply |
Andy...is that really you???
We miss you, but I hear you're
having a good time in the "big city" these days. Woods told me you
bought ANOTHER cello...
Ruthann
suttonr@ca.freei.net
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Andrew
Victor
Global
user
(5/15/00 2:00:42 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Andy...is that really you???
Hi, Ruthann,
It sure is me! (I've
been posting at Maestronet Fingerboard, but in need of a break from
HS poetry, who's you favorite "-----" stuff, etc.) I was so glad to
have caught the video of your Beethoven Triple Concerto, just 2 days
after you did it. (I sent you an e-mail about that and about small
violins.)
Yes, I bought a new cello at Ifshin's in Berkeley this
January. My two old German beasts just were too hard to play in the
thumb positions and nothing I did over a period of a year or more
did enough to help it out (total string changes, new bridges,
raising the saddle, new composite tailpiece, new soundpost, etc.). A
couple of different bows seemed to help - but I think it was just
that the hairs had been stuck together by old rosin, because when I
removed and then replaced the frog, the magic was gone from one of
them. The biggest problem this leads to in an apt. up here is
finding room for 3 "boxed" cellos.
I bought one of the
Hay-Heide (Chinese-made) Strad models. It was the only cello in
either that line or the Montangana model he had at the time that
worked right for me. I also tried an old cello that they were
selling for 12-times more, but preferred the one I bought. I have
been very pleased (it is getting even easier to play with time) and
bought the music to start working on the Dvorak.
I also
bought a Codabow (81.1 g) to go with the new cello, 2 days later,
with which I am very pleased. In the trials that led to the purchase
I tried a number of cello bows including Spiccato, Sandner,
Andersen, Siefried, both Poullots, one real Sartory and one German
copy - probably 20 bows in all. For me, regardless of price, the
Coda did what I and the new cello needed as well as any. (Although I
must add that somebody's Hoyer that I tried for a moment yesterday
afternoon articulated fast C-string notes better, as did a Finkel
(wood/carbon hybrid from Shar that I tried over a year ago, but on
different cellos - with different problems).)
I also got to
try lblakes Arcus cello bow yesterday - it was out here in NO. Cal
for various reasons. It's an interesting bow. One might well choose
it over the Coda. But I think that depends on what problems your
instrument had that one bow or the other might help correct. I would
not be unhappy to have one, but I did think it looks a little "fat"
- probably because of the octagonal cross section. It takes a little
getting used to handling it because it is very stiff (but realy no
stiffer than some wood sticks I have tried). For my cello, I think
the Codabow helps a little more with C-string thumb position
sound.
Charles was just here Saturday, transferring his
violin #51 to his customer from Santa Rosa. So far our home has been
a transfer point for two of his violins (#50 to a Davis, CA customer
earlier this year, and now #51). I still play my #11, that he made
10 years ago. I also got to try Tony Veit's #49 at the DCO rehearsal
on Mar 7 - quite a fiddle, gorgeous silky tone. Sorry I missed you
that night, I would have arrived there "in the middle of nowhere,
CA" a day earlier than I did, to attend the concert if the DCOA
flyer had been mailed to me on time so I'd known it was
happening.
Andy
|
ruthann
Local user
(5/16/00 12:34:55 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Andy...is that really you???
Andy, you are too kind! That Triple
was quite a moment for us all. Since you've seen the tape, you know
what I mean. I was quite happy with my playing.
I, too,
bought a Coda Classic this year. Nice and bouncy, quite responsive.
I'm happy to have it as my main bow.
I knew that Charles
Woods was going to visit you, we've had a few conversations on the
subject of small violins lately. I asked him if he would make a 3/4
and he didn't say no, just that he didn't have the forms (is that
the right term?) His violins do have such a lovely sound and that
viola, wow! I had an opportunity to buy cello #2 but as my husband
pointed out, I already have a cello. I think Fran Rogers found it a
home with one of her students who isn't quite big enough for it yet.
It's a pity Charles thinks that cellos are a waste of wood! I played
#3 in the white, before he made the new top for it. The old top is
hanging up in his workshop, no doubt to remind him to say no if
anyone else asks him to make a cello!
How about coming to
Mamoth this year? Meet up with some of your old Ridgecrest buddies
and play for Bogidar again. Get this, on the program is the
Beethoven Triple featuring the Felici Trio. Also Bach Orchestral
Suite #3 and Brahms Symphony #1. And you know there are plenty of
opportunities for playing chamber music. Come as a cellist, or if
you must, a violinist. It's just a hop skip and a jump over the
Sierras from the Bay area.
suttonr@ca.freei.net
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GlenC
Global user
(5/20/00 12:04:41 am)
Reply |
Pirastro Obligatos
I, too, sampled Obligatos during the
last few weeks, and loved them. For those who wish to suffer through
it, what follows is some of the feedback I gave Pirastro. As
everyone's instruments and tastes differ, take this all with a grain
of salt.
I am favorably impressed with these strings. I
particularly like the C and G. I had been using Pirastro Permanents
because they had good focus and a fairly large sound. However, I
hadn't been pleased that on my cello, Permanents were not as punchy
and big sounding as Thomastik's tungsten Spirocores. I was very
impressed that the Obligato C & G strings had some of the best
qualities of both the Permanents and Spirocores -- they were very
punchy and big sounding, while retaining good focus. However, the
Obligatos still lacked a certain sweetness that the Permanents
somehow gave my cello. And, the response certainly is not as easy as
the Permanents; it is more like the Spirocores. The Obligato C &
G strings give my cello the biggest sound it has ever had -- lots of
body, punch, clarity, and focus. They are easily my new string of
choice.
I like that the D has plenty of body (better than the
Jargar fortes I had been using) while maintaining fairly good
clarity. It is just dark enough to dampen certain harmonics that
have always annoyed me, without sounding too dull.
The A
string has wonderfully rich harmonic content. But while it has a bit
of extra brightness to it as befits A strings, I think it could use
a bit more punch.
The balance of the set is remarkable. I
feel very little inclination to mix and match strings.
On the
down side, in the upper registers, particularly when playing pp,
there is more bow noise than I am accustomed to. And unfortunately,
these strings accentuated my cello's wolf tone range. Also, it took
10 days or more for the strings to hold their tuning well. The D was
easily the worst of the lot.
All told, however, I do seem to
enjoy playing more with this set than with my previous
Permanent/Jargar combo. And that cuts straight to the heart of it.
I'm staying with Obligatos!
|
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
(8/6/00 3:51:21 pm)
Reply |
WAgFe
(Living with the Spirocore Family)
Back again. Thanks to everyone here
and letters from Jack Havivi and Jeffrey Solow in the July, 2000
issue of STRINGS magazine - I think I have finally settled on
strings for my 3 cellos.
In the process I had the two older
German beasts rebridged, soundposted and their fingerboards adjusted
at Ifshin's - and I couldn't be happier with the results - once the
right strings are mounted. I've been through Larsens, Jargars,
Spirocores, Helocores, and Obligatos with them in this current
string cycle.
I had switched the low ends of the two old
cellos to tungsten (W) strings almost 20 years ago at the suggestion
of a pro who had had similar problems of poor response (before she
switched to a new cello that she was making "house payments" on at
the time). A tungsten C did help in that regard.
Now I find
that Larsens on the top (A and D) serve me better than anything else
on all three cellos. The loudest (liveliest) cello actually does
better with regular Larsens, while the newest (1999 Chinese) cello
is helped by having "Soloist" strings on top and Spirocore tungsten
on the two bottom strings.
The two older cellos were too
growly (for me) with Spirocore tungsten, or Obligatos on the bottom
and were relatively unresponsive (but sweet and lacking a wolf) with
Helicores. So I've ended up with Spirocore silver (Ag) C & G on
the 1965 Carl Sandner and Spirocore steel (Fe) on the 1876
Lowendall. All the instruments are helped by having a wolf
eliminator, and all are nice sounding and responsive from bottom to
top.
This leaves me with a thrice-mounted but virtually
virgin set of Obligato cello strings, that, conservatively
estimated, has three minutes total playing time on it (or about 45
seconds per string). I doubt that I will ever want to use the
Obligatos again.
Any bids? (Original envelopes.) Send me an
e-mail.
Andy
Edited by Andrew
Victor at: 8/6/00 3:51:21 pm
|
Andrew
Perry
Registered
User
(8/8/00 7:03:31 am)
Reply |
Re:
strings recommendations anyone?
I've recently switched to Larsens on
the top and Helicores on the bottom. So far these are performing
better than my dominants I had before. For a really good price,
check out cellos2go.com. Also further string advice can be found
at:
students.washington.edu/c...rings.html
| |
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