It’s always fun to think about buying a new (though maybe not NEW) violin, but sometimes lots of joy can simply come from a new set of strings!
(Yes, I know that some folks like their strings old, and the older the better, but I’ve never been able to find too much joy in that, lol.)
With my fretted instruments, I usually know it’s time to change strings when intonation up the neck suffers, but with violin and no frets, that point isn’t so obvious to me. My main violin was starting to sound fuzzy on the G string (especially when playing a C) and I was wondering if there was something wrong with the violin. The strings were only a year old (and I’ve not played a lot of violin in that past year, not until recently), but I was wanting to try a different set of strings (Obligato - I've had Kaplan AMO strings on this violin), so this seemed like a good time to try them.
I put on a new set of strings today and all was well with my G string (and the C’s in particular)! I’ve read that these strings (Obligato) generally take some playing to get settled in, but they’re sounding fine already. My thirst for a new fiddle definitely has been reduced!
Edited by - DougBrock on 05/27/2022 17:13:11
I equate new guitar string to getting your old worn out speakers re-coned. Night and day. New fiddle strings can have the same effect. Glad to hear you don't "need" a new fiddle 
Edited by - ChickenMan on 05/27/2022 19:10:44
congrats on new strings. it is like a breath of fresh air. i'm pretty lazy about changing any of my strings...lol...so it's an extra appreciated thing when i get it done.
I recently put on Obligatos, I really like their sound!
The only thing I noticed that my E (gold) will whistle every once in a while...
For guitar strings, I just noticed it was sounding "dead", no sustain...that's how I knew it was time for a change. On violin/fiddle, the strings seem to go dead more slowly? I don't notice as much...the string gets changed when it starts unravelling, rusts, or breaks!
Edited by - NCnotes on 05/28/2022 10:39:12
Four or five hours playing and so far no problem with the gold e string whistling. Fingers crossed! (I keep some spare e strings on hand just in case I find a set that whistles. :)
I know it's high time for a string change when the winding on a lower string starts to become ragged or begins to come off. When it comes to tone, however, once the strings break in they sound fine for a very long time. All you have to do is gently clean them with a cloth every once in a while.
In keeping with what NC Notes says, there's a big difference between how long fiddle strings last compared to how long guitar strings last. When I was a total guitar nut (okay, I still am), I'd change the strings on my instruments each month. On a guitar you can easily feel and hear how the strings break in, reach their peak, and eventually go dead. Not so on the fiddle. In other words, don't fret over your fiddle strings and how vintage they might be.
