Links
We are pleased to offer the following links to other organizations, string suppliers, luthiers, bow makers, music publishers, etc. who have a strong viola d'amore product or association. If you want your business listed here, please contact the webmaster for such consideration. The listing is at the sole discretion of Viola d'amore Society of America.
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Viola d'amore Strings
Information on available strings for Viola d'Amore is scant. The table provides some of the available strings that have been found thus far. The individual preferences and the interplay between strings, instrument, bow and pieces played are manyfold. A few notes stem from particular experiences of individuals. Each player is encouraged to experiment with various string types and brands. The following sites have some data on Viola d'amore strings in general, and gut strings in particular:
Dimitry Badiarov's site
Damian Dlugolecki's site
Aquilacorde
Playing Strings
Price US$
Thomastik-Infeld Dominant
Dominant viola d'amore strings
These are fairly widely used strings. They have a synthetic perlon core and are wound with silver. These strings can be obtained from major vendors such as www.juststrings.com.
Some have had some issues with a' and f# ripping out at the ball almost immediately after putting them on. Additionally the A string unravelled near the peg a couple of times. Thomastik generously replaced those strings. On some instruments the sound is quite viola like, a bit piercing-sharp particularly on the upper three strings. On others they produce a very pleasing tone.
Set 95
8-18 each
Thomastik-Infeld Superflexible
superflexible viola d'amore strings
Also fairly widely available strings with a rope core (steel core? contradictory information on box and on website). They are supposed to be a bit more durable, but also have a higher tension at the same pitch, hence will produce more strain on the instrument.
Some tried those as an alternative to the Dominant a' and f'# that ripped at the ball (see above). The problem is that the strings of the same pitch are of very different thickness, hence, can not be mixed and matched, because clearance for the bow is reduced to zero. The sound is also more piercing.
Set 80
8-15 each
Pirastro Gut Strings
Pirastro viola d'amore strings gut
A through a: silver wound with loop; f# through d": unvarnished gut without knot. Usually sold as sets not as individual strings. Available at southweststrings.com and 123music.com.
The upper gut strings start to fray after 2-3 hours of playing, which seems rather quick. Tension is very unequal between upper and lower strings and ff-playing on the lower strings may cause them to touch one another. Gauges are interchangeable with Dominant.
