Can anybody suggest a website where I can buy single Prim strings at a good price? I'd rather not buy a whole set at this time.
Try Fiddlermanshop.com they are in you home state
Play Happy
Swing
Yes, but I think its just fiddlershop.com Most of the online retailers sell single strings. I checked SW strings and Shar ad they're both about the same price - $8 - $10 for the wound strings. The E string is less, but there are better choices than Prim for that one.
Edited by - DougD on 02/23/2023 07:34:27
Almost anyplace! Amazon, Southwest Strings, etc. I seldom buy strings retail but when I have to buy onesies or brands that I don't carry, Amazon is where I often end up buying them.
Another thought: If you need to replace one string, it's time to replace the set anyway, unless it's an E, and those often break before the set goes bad. I usually use a different E, anyway.
I tend to use Southwest Strings. Good service from them for years.
I was in a hurry to head for my day job when I posted this question. Now that I have more time, I'll explain. I'd like 3 out of 4 Prims and use a Goldbrokat E. I'd rather not buy a Prim E that I won't use.
quote:
Originally posted by FiddleharpI was in a hurry to head for my day job when I posted this question. Now that I have more time, I'll explain. I'd like 3 out of 4 Prims and use a Goldbrokat E. I'd rather not buy a Prim E that I won't use.
There are a few reliable online retailers you could try. Check the price of buying the strings individually against just buying a full set and a Goldbrokat E, though. It might be more cost effective to just throw the Prim E in the trash or keep it as a spare if your good E breaks.
I would recommend caution buying online, though. Amazon and eBay are rife with fakes. Make sure you're getting the real product when you buy. Even cheaper strungs are faked. I recently saw a set of fake Tonicas that were purchased on Amazon. The envelopes appeared to be legitimate, but the strings themselves were just junk steel strings that you'd find on a VSO.
Very interesting! How can you tell if strings are fake? Over the years I've bought several sets of Prims and Thomasiks off of Amazon and they seemed okay to me. Am I missing something? Which seller would you say is the most reliable?
Several good retailers have already been mentioned in this thread. Just compare prices - I noticed that one well regarded shop seemed almost twice as high as others.
I'll add that some shops sell custom sets - popular strings with (usually) a different E string. Those are mostly higher end synthetic strings though, not Prim, although I think you can buy sets of Prim with the Lisa E, that people seem to like.
quote:
Originally posted by FiddleharpVery interesting! How can you tell if strings are fake? Over the years I've bought several sets of Prims and Thomasiks off of Amazon and they seemed okay to me. Am I missing something? Which seller would you say is the most reliable?
You can spot fakes immediately if you're familiar enough with the various brands and how the strings are made. For example, all the manufacturers have color codes for the silk on each end of the string. If the colors at both ends aren't correct, that's the first red flag. Another indicator is the ball at the end of the string (unless it's a loop E or natural gut string.) The metal and design of the ball is recognizable for each string. A last indicator is the characteristics of the string itself. It should be the proper thickness and material. Most of the fakes are steel strings pretending to be synthetics, and they're drastically thinner, often just single strand wire.
Sometimes the packaging can give it away, but, as in the example I gave above, some fakers will use real packaging for their fake strings.
There are several established online retailers. I tend to recommend going to your luthier if you can because you get the advantage of free installation and a quick check for any issues while you're there, and at least with me, anyone who buys a set I regularly carry is welcome to return it and get a different set because I can always just put the strings on something else I'm setting up if they're still fresh.
Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 02/28/2023 13:51:03
I think you can just get a set of Prims plus an E string for about the same price as 3 of the 4 tin the set. That's what I have been doing for a while.
