This is all Peggy's fault. Shame on her!!!
What would you consider to be a "fad" - within the old time fiddling world?
Bib overalls........I don't think that they are here to stay.
pernambuco.........................................................................
Black Diamond Fiddle Strings.............................................
Down bowing is a fiddling fad! Uh-oh...hope that don't create any post titled, "Mad," lol.
Haha feds among us oh my brings back memories... Oh it was so easy to get in yes but do I really want to get out ?
After all this daughter of the infamous genius of this hometown ... celebrates that her good old professor in the communication sciences greeted her back from the past. On new year I'll be free. That will be round the end of the peak of the propagation.
Fail proof it is and yes I kind of tested that out as well bit complicated to explain.
But here my dear fiddle friends I just found gold. We, that is me and ZiefZief, highly value everything we learned so far. But to be honest I'm having some fun in a dojo now LOL. We got this. We really do. Kind regards from my father as well. He is the best, no doubt about it but it's a little complicated.
An Old Time fiddling fad, eh?
It's probably 10 or 15 years yet to come. But there's some that are already fed up with it!
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjonesAn Old Time fiddling fad, eh?
It's probably 10 or 15 years yet to come. But there's some that are already fed up with it!
Don't you end fed me haha
quote:
Originally posted by imapicker2Bib overalls........I don't think that they are here to stay.
LOL ...as I sit here in front of the computer in my bib overalls. 
When I retired - I pretty much exchanged my pants for overalls. I got tired of having to yank up my britches all the time (mama didn't give me a rear end). I don't care for suspenders, and belts cinched up tight enough makes me feel like I'm being cut in half.
But - like any fad - its closer to the time for my coveralls to be folded up and put away more than ever before. So, I guess things will be getting back to normal for everyone soon enough. 
Edited by - tonyelder on 12/04/2025 07:19:21
Tony-my coverall comment was tongue-in-cheek. I was born in Tennessee and raised in Kentucky,so you know that I have at least one pair of Libertys hanging in the closet. I like to mow in mine.
My fiddle world changed ,when someone on here ,suggested that I move from Black Diamond to Helicore. Thanks, whomever you were.
quote:
Originally posted by imapicker2Tony-my coverall comment was tongue-in-cheek. I was born in Tennessee and raised in Kentucky,so you know that I have at least one pair of Libertys hanging in the closet. I like to mow in mine.
My fiddle world changed ,when someone on here ,suggested that I move from Black Diamond to Helicore. Thanks, whomever you were.
Libertys. Is there any other? 
...I wasn't being as serious as it might have sounded - having fun too! Thanks.
Helicores
quote:
Originally posted by The Violin BeautifulHelicores
Never liked the A string. I'm using Jargars (med) on one fiddle, and Prims (med) on my other three.
A friend has suggest that I try the Helicore heavy gauge - but not available local - what is your opinion of them?
Edited by - tonyelder on 12/04/2025 18:28:42
quote:
Originally posted by tonyelderquote:
Originally posted by The Violin BeautifulHelicores
Never liked the A string. I'm using Jargars (med) on one fiddle, and Prims (med) on my other three.
A friend has suggest that I try the Helicore heavy gauge - but not available local - what is your opinion of them?
I think they're the most overrated set ever made, regardless of gauge (and instrument).
Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 12/05/2025 06:52:18
Someone gave me a set of Helicore soft. I did not like them but I like the mediums just fine. I would try heavy but they have become somewhat expensive for just a random trial.
Helicore works just fine for me......but I don't need a $5,000 fiddle either. So I guess it just depends on where you are coming from.
quote:
Originally posted by imapicker2Helicore works just fine for me......but I don't need a $5,000 fiddle either. So I guess it just depends on where you are coming from.
There are other strings you can buy that are similarly priced to Helicore and you can get so much more depth and tone quality from them. I don't think the violin needs to be expensive to have a good quality set of strings. The owner of a shop where I worked previously used to say that a good set of strings was the most effective change a player could make to their instrument without changing the setup.
Yes sir! A better grade of string made a difference in my fiddle experience.
Could you please recommend some strings, in that price range that you like better? Thank You
quote:
Originally posted by imapicker2Yes sir! A better grade of string made a difference in my fiddle experience.
Could you please recommend some strings, in that price range that you like better? Thank You
I think Tonica is hard to beat. They sound almost as good as Dominants and they're quite budget-friendly.
Looking online, it seems that Helicores are selling at about $55 a set now, so they're approaching the price of Dominants. Since I don't stock them, I had no idea they had risen to that level. For a few dollars more, Dominants will be a world apart in tone color.
As a cheaper option, Alphayue is decent. They don't have the range of Dominants, but they're good for the money and they last fairly well.
Warchal's Brilliant Vintage is a little more, but they're an interesting option if you're not looking to spend the extra for Amber or Timbre. You can even experiment with the Russian style setup by choosing a special Russian A if you want instead of buying the regular set.
Rich, Thanks for providing the string information .I am always looking for a better options.
Hmm.. Focus on smooth, classically trained fiddlers... vs that Old time Sound..?
Absolutely. Imapicker2 - If switching to a better grade of strings made a difference in your fiddling experience, switching to any of these plastic European strings might make more of a difference, maybe not for the better.
I said that..." I am always looking for better options", and I am, but I still think that Helicore and Prim are probably .......MY!...... best fit; (I also like to cross-tune sometime)
I use mostly Prim, but I do agree with Rich that Tonica are "hard to beat," for the price and that type of string. I have a set ready to put on a pretty nice old German violin I have, whenever I get time to try and solve a little neck problem.
Indeed Prims last so long, companies come and go before I need strings.
I won't let h_cores in the house. It's funny cuz D'Adario's other strings are fine.
quote:
Originally posted by DougDAbsolutely. Imapicker2 - If switching to a better grade of strings made a difference in your fiddling experience, switching to any of these plastic European strings might make more of a difference, maybe not for the better.
Strings are not a replacement for technique. Of course a certain level of ability is required to appreciate the differences between strings oneself, but the instrument will sound better when played by multiple players if it's given a better set of strings. Strings do make a difference to the instrument. And the playing level required to demonstrate this is not even very high.
I can see no good reason to handicap instruments by choosing strings that will choke them. At the time that some of the old fiddlers recorded, they used what they could get, and steel was more practical for people that had limited access to strings and couldn't replace a set of gut every two weeks or so. But we must remember that it has only been possible to play fiddle music on steel strings for about a century. Gut and silk were the only options before that, so the idea that fiddling is more authentic on steel is risible.
If the idea of using strings that contain perlon is too odious, you could instead choose plain or wound gut strings. Some players still prefer them, even if they're not quite as pitch-stable or durable.
I’m not cheap, but the high prices of violin strings does make me a little price-sensitive -- especially when compared with mandolin strings. I cannot imagine spending $100+ for a set of strings for my fiddle.
Helicore strings have become significantly more expensive in the last coupla years, that’s disappointing.
I have a fiddle strung up with Helicores that’s about ready for new strings. I think I’ll take Rich’s advice and give the Tonicas a whirl.
I do think that the Tonicas sound interesting and something I might try.
I guess that I have been lucky. In years of fiddling with Helicores,I have only broken one string and had one A string to unravel. I change strings once a year .
