I’m a musician and I’ve been playing the violin for over 30 years. I’ve tried many different strings and heard many different strings from my students and colleagues, so I can help you choose the best violin strings for you.
Quick Look: Best Violin Strings
★ #1 Best Violin Strings Overall: Thomastik Dominant ★
- Best Cheap Violin Strings: Fiddlerman Violin Set
- Best Violin String Set: Thomastik Dominant
What kind of string to use depends on your violin, what your budget is, and what you are looking for in a violin string. I’m hoping this post will give you a little more information in order to make your decision on which violin strings are best for you to buy.
What Is a Violin String?
The violin strings are what you play on, so obviously you can’t do without them. You’ll need four strings: G, D, A, and E. They’re sold as a set or individually.
Usually, it’s good to change all of your strings at the same time, unless one broke prematurely. Often the E string will break and the other strings will still be fine, but if one is unraveling it’s usually recommended to go ahead and change them all.
Types of Violin Strings
Here’s a list of the most common types of violin strings.
Loop End or Ball End
Strings go into the tailpiece two different ways: loop or ball end. Usually, if it’s a ball end string, you can take the ball out to make it a loop end string, but you can’t do it the other way.
Gut Strings
I don’t recommend buying gut strings unless you’re playing a certain style of music that requires it. These are mostly for baroque violin players and not your everyday violin player.
Synthetic Strings
Strings are made with a variety of metals and synthetic materials. Strings that have more synthetic materials tend to break in easily and are easier to use right away. Most synthetic strings are made to sound like gut strings, but with modern materials.
Things to Consider When Choosing Violin Strings
Picking which violin strings to use is pretty straightforward, but there are a few things to think about.
Size
If you play a violin other than a full size (4/4) violin, you’ll want to make sure the string you order is the right size. Not all brands have fractional sizes, but many do.
Price
Price may be a consideration, especially since strings will break and you really should change them once or twice a year. Strings can cost anywhere between $20 for a set to over $100.
Tension
Strings are sold in different tensions, usually light, medium, and heavy. Most of the time you’ll just want medium, and it’s important to know to look for it.
10 Best Violin Strings
These are the 10 best violin strings in my personal opinion and based on my personal experience. Most are sets of strings, but can also be purchased separately.
1. Thomastik Alphayle
- Size: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 4/4
- Materials: E string: tin-plated steel, A string: aluminum over a synthetic core, D string: aluminum over a synthetic core, G string: silver over a synthetic core
- Tension: Medium
- Best for: Students, beginners/intermediate players
Thomastik Alphayle is a great budget brand for students. It’s a good all-around string and you’ll find it suits your needs well.
✅ Stays in tune well
✅ Short break-in time
✅ Nice sounds
✅ Easy to play
❌ Not super long lasting
❌ Could be louder and brighter
Why I Recommend It
The Alphaue is a solid student string from a good brand. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to my beginning and intermediate students.
2. Fiddlerman Violin Set
- Size: 1/4, 1/2, 3/4-4/4
- Materials: Synthetic core, ball end E string
- Tension: Medium
- Best for: Students, beginners/intermediate, some advanced, and fiddle players
Fiddlerman Violin Set is actually one of the sets here I haven’t tried myself, but the reviews are great! I think it looks like a quality set for many kinds of players. It’s worth a try.
✅ Clear sound
✅ Compare to Dominant strings
✅ Resistant to humidity
✅ Rich in overtones
❌ Not super loud sounding
❌ Might not be long lasting
Why I Recommend It
These strings have the best reviews, and that’s because it’s a great product for the cost. I recommend giving them a try for any level.
3. D’Addario Helicore
- Size: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 4/4
- Materials: Stranded steel core, choice of aluminum wound or steel E, removable ball end
- Tension: Heavy and light tension available for 4/4 size, medium for all others
- Best for: Younger students, fiddle players, all levels
D’Addario Helicore strings are smooth and supple. They’re a good value and feel nice under your fingers.
✅ Bright and warm tone
✅ Quick bow response
✅ Stays in tune
✅ Lots of size options
❌ Might not be loud enough
❌ Some players don’t like the E string
Why I Recommend It
Helicores are a solid string choice and worth trying out for a while. I find people tend to have strong opinions about these strings, but many like them! You’ll get a good sound and they’ll last a bit longer than some kinds.
4. Thomastik Dominant
- Size: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 4/4
- Materials: Multi-strand synthetic core, choice for E string of aluminum/steel or steel, ball or loop end
- Tension: Medium recommended for smaller sizes, light and heavy available for 4/4
- Best for: Any player, good all-around string
Thomastik Dominants are the world’s most popular string, and people compare other strings to these strings. If you haven’t tried them, you should.
✅ Popular for a reason
✅ Clear sound
✅ Stable overtones
✅ Last longer than some
❌ Can be pricey
❌ Might not be as brilliant as other options
Why I Recommend It
I think everybody should try out Dominants on their violin at some point. If you haven’t tried the most popular string, how can you compare other strings to it? I’ve used these strings many times over the years.
5. D’Addario Prelude
- Size: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 4/4
- Materials: Solid steel core
- Tension: Heavy and light available in 4/4 size, medium for all
- Best for: This is the top string recommended for students by educators nationally
The D’Addario brand has a variety of good strings, and the D’Addario Prelude is the most budget one. It’s great for students, beginners, and anybody really wanting to keep a low budget for strings.
✅ Good value
✅ Durable and unaffected by humidity
✅ Warm tone
✅ Great size options
❌ Less complex sound
❌ Not as bright as some
Why I Recommend It
It’s hard sometimes because a con to some (less bright) is a pro to others (less bright). Strings are personal, and this is a great string for students.
6. Warchal Amber
- Size: Full size only
- Materials: Made of W-Core, an invention of the Warchal company, ball or loop end E string
- Tension: Medium
- Best for: Intermediate and advanced players, professionals
Warchal Amber violin strings are great strings, made to sound like a good gut string but with synthetic materials so they stay in tune.
✅ Great feel under your fingers
✅ Stable tuning
✅ Powerful and clean sound
✅ No whistle on the E string
❌ Not a bright sound
❌ E not as clear or bright
Why I Recommend It
If you want a lovely, warm and powerful sound, this is a good set for you. You can always try a different E string if you want.
7. Thomastik Vision Solo
- Size: 4/4 only
- Materials: E string: multilayered steel wire, tin plated, removable ball, A string: synthetic core, aluminum wound, D string: synthetic core, silver wound or aluminum wound, G string: synthetic core, silver wound
- Tension: Medium
- Best for: Advanced or professional violinists
I use the Thomastik Vision Solo strings on my violin the most. I have a bright violin and these are just perfect to give me what I want in my sound.
✅ Quick break-in period
✅ Even across all four strings
✅ Wide range of expression
✅ Stays in tune well
❌ Only available in full size
❌ No choice of tension
Why I Recommend It
I can’t make a list of best strings without including the ones I use the most. I’ve played the same violin for about 25 years, and I’ve tried just about every string out there. For my violin, this one is best.
8. Evah Pirazzi
- Size: 1/4-1/8, 3/4-1/2, 4/4
- Materials: E string: carbon steel, loop or ball end, A string: aluminum wound on a steel core, D string: silver wound on a synthetic core, G string: silver wound on a synthetic core
- Tension: Light, medium, or heavy
- Best for: Intermediate to professional players
When the Evah Pirazzis hit the market a while back, they were very popular right away. They’re a great string for many players, with a wide dynamic range and a quick break-in period.
✅ Stays in tune
✅ Breaks in quickly
✅ Easy response
✅ Variety of sizes
❌ May be too loud for some
❌ E string might not be the best
Why I Recommend It
These Evah Pirazzi strings are a great quality product from Pirastro for a wide variety of players. They’re really popular among professional musicians and a good bright string.
9. Pirastro Obligato
- Size: 4/4
- Materials: E string: Chromesteel, A string: aluminum, D and G strings: silver
- Tension: Medium
- Best for: Advanced/professional players looking for a darker sound
I think of the Pirastro Obligatos as sort of a counterbalance to the Evah Pirazzi strings. If you want a darker, luscious sound, these might be for you.
✅ Easy break-in period
✅ Impervious to humidity changes
✅ Warm, rich sound
✅ Long lasting
❌ May be too dark for some
❌ More expensive than some
Why I Recommend It
These are a great string and will last a long time, so the cost isn’t so bad if you consider that. If you want a warm, full sound, I recommend trying out Obligatos.
10. Lenzner Optima Goldbrokat E
- Size: 4/4
- Materials: Aluminum around a steel core
- Tension: light, medium, heavy, “soloist”
- Best for: Advanced to professionals
The Lenzner Optima Goldbrokat E option is just an E string. Many times you’ll get a full set of strings but you don’t want to use the E string. Or, you want to have an extra E string on hand since those break the most often.
✅ No whistling
✅ Not too bright, not too dark
✅ Blends well with other strings
✅ Long lasting
❌ Only the E string
❌ Can be confusing which tension to buy
Why I Recommend It
This is the type of E string recommended to me by my favorite luthier, and I love it. I usually alternate between the E string from my set and the Lenzner as not to be wasteful, and then I change the E at least twice as often as the other strings.
What Are the Best Violin Strings?
Overall, here are the best violin strings for every level.
Thomastik Dominant: Best for Everybody
These are the most popular and best all-around.
Vision Solo: Best for Professionals
What I like to use, and more expressive than Dominants if you’re an advanced player.
Fiddlerman Violin String Set: Best Cheap String
They say they’re as good as Dominants for half the price.
Where to Buy Violin Strings
The violin strings listed in this article are either available on Amazon or on Fiddlershop. Only high quality and highly rated products have been chosen.
Amazon
I often recommend Amazon, but I’m not in this case unless you know you’re buying from a reputable violin shop online. Violin strings are sensitive to temperature and humidity when they’re stored, and if they’re left for too long they’ll go bad.
However, all of the violin strings listed in this post have very high, positive reviews on Amazon.
Online Music Retailers
I definitely recommend Fiddlershop as an online music shop for their great customer service and quality. There are many other good online retailers as well.
Your Local Music Store
If you need a string put on for you or need a string in an emergency, your local music store is a great option. It’s a good idea to have a good relationship with the store so when you need them, they’ll be willing to go above and beyond.
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In Conclusion
I hope this article helps you figure out the best set of violin strings to try next. One main takeaway is that if you don’t love the set you try, pick a different one the next time. Each violin is different, and each of us has different sounds that we want to hear in our playing.
If this helped you, please share this article with your friends. What type of strings do you use? Leave a note in the comments.
