ESPAÑOLHave you spent years mastering the art of string playing but still know little about the ideal way to handle your tools? Are you curious to learn more about the possibilities a high-performance string offers and do you want to optimize your performance in a few simple steps? Stringtelligence offers you an exclusive insight into the science of strings. Find widely unknown tips and tricks of the trade to perfect your sound and elevate your playing to an unexpected level! More than 20,000 words and 19 video tutorials in over 90 chapters: This is string know-how at its best!
How can I improve the life span of my strings?
First of all, it is important to know what life span you mean. Tonal lifespan means that the string is still in complete mechanical working order, but the sound has changed. The end of the mechanical life span means that the string breaks at the bridge or even snaps.
Tonal lifespan
- With high-quality products, the following applies: a long tonal break-in time generally means a prolonged tonal lifespan. The right string doesn’t overburden the instrument. Because putting too much pressure on the soundboard when the strings are too tense shortens the tonal lifespan of the string and can also damage the instrument in the medium to long term.
- The leading string of an instrument is a decisive factor too. For violin this is the D-string, for viola and cello it is the G-string, and for double bass it is the A-string. It is recommended to select the leading string of the respective instrument to be approximately 5-10% (subjectively) brighter and more metallic than the other strings. This increases the tonal lifespan and brilliance of the entire string set. If a set of strings already sounds warm and not very metallic upon first being strung, the tonal lifespan is usually shorter. If the leading string produces more bow noise, the tonal projection capacity of an instrument increases.
Mechanical lifespan
To avoid a break in the area over the bridge or saddle or any tearing of the strings, you should ensure that the grooves on the bridge and nut are adapted to the diameter of the string. If the string is too thick, it can get jammed in the bridge and lead to a reduced lifespan. For all strings (especially very thin silver D- or aluminum A-strings), you must ensure that enough graphite has been applied to the nuts on the bridge and that the arches and edges are adapted.
Corrosion
Aluminum-wound A-strings for violins break more easily if you suffer from excessively sweaty hands. The solution: steel core A-strings with chromium steel winding or our innovative synthetic core A-string with chromium steel winding Vision Solo® VIS02B (currently only available as a custom string). - Please direct any inquiries to [email protected]).
In principle, the products that are least affected by sweaty hands are silver-, chrome- (non-rusting steels) or nickel-wound strings. We also recommend cleaning the strings with a soft microfiber cloth after each time you play. (Cotton cloths are not recommended because the threads may be pulled out and get stuck on the strings.)
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