Warchal String Reviews

Many violinists struggle to find the perfect strings for themselves and their instruments. Making good sound, however, is the player's responsibility, and no string can turn a bad violinist into a good one. Further, no string can turn a bad instrument into a Stradavarius. Even for a good player with a good instrument, bad strings can create all kinds of frustrations. Notes that stick out or don't speak, wolf tones, and double stops that just will not tune can all be related to strings that aren't doing their job.

All players should understand the place of the string in producing sound. It is, after all, the string that produces the vibrations that get amplified by the instrument. If the string produces unbalanced and distorted overtones, or if it responds with a squeak or scratch, the instrument amplifies these problems, and there's nothing the player can do about it.

Keep in mind, in many instances, the above mentioned problems can be traced to the player, but this is not a pedagogical article. If you are having a specific problem, take it to a teacher or other professional player. Sometimes, an instrument's biggest problem is the person playing it!

Warchal strings have proven themselves worthy of consideration by all players. There is no Warchal string I absolutely hate. Some players might not like them, but no product in the world is universally liked. If you disagree with my findings on Warchal strings, that is OK. You have your likings, and I probably disagree with you!

Enough beginning fluff, let's look at some strings!

Nefrit:
Warchal's Nefrit strings are designed for students and lower-priced instruments. They are the least expensive of Warchal's strings. They have characteristics of much more expensive strings in their sound, feel, and response. The set is unique in that the D and G are synthetic core, but the A is steel. Steel A strings have more brightness than synthetic A's, and smooth out the difference between the high end and the low end of the instrument. On many instruments, the A string can sound dull, and a steel A solves that problem. Warchal knows how to make a steel A pleasantly bright and lively without any harshness.

Nefrits have a pleasant sound with good projection, and sound more like professional strings than typical student strings. They are only a couple of dollars more than many other popular student strings, but they sound more expensive. This set is also suitable for electric violins.

Ametyst:
The Ametyst set is a step up from Nefrit, and along with the Karneol set forms the middle of Warchal's line.

These are synthetic core strings, which means that they need time to stretch out and gain stability. That being said, they do this more quickly than many other synthetic strings. Even right from installation, these strings did not have nearly the metallic sound that I expect from brand new synthetic strings.

In playing, I notice that these strings are low tension, but low tension does not mean low power and slow response. These strings respond crisply and cleanly at the lightest of bow strokes, but they don't "crack" under bow pressure. These strings have a wonderfully bright and clear sound, but they can be nasal sounding on some instruments. Because of their low tension, they are buttery smooth under the fingers. My left hand does not have to work hard to play with these strings.

Karneol:
Much like Ametyst, but mellower and better on bright instruments. On the flip side, they can sound muddy on a dark sounding instrument.

Amber:
Upon taking these strings out of the packages, I was impressed with the craftsmanship of them. The metal windings were clean and smooth, and the silk wrappings at the ends were (like all Warchal products) impeccable. These are good looking strings. The gold spiral on the bottom end adds an elegant touch.

These are among Warchal's flagship strings. Amber strings are possibly the best gut substitute I've found. They have a crisp response, and don't over drive the violin. Their sound is extremely pure with some texture. I have used them on my violin for a couple of years now, and I've been impressed with their longevity. In my experience, when these strings get old, the just go a bit dull and their projection isn't as good. With many other strings, the intonation goes wacky, and they sound very bad--not the case with Warchal Ambers.

Brilliant:
The Brilliant set is Warchal's set for those power hungry players. These are powerful strings with huge projection. As good as these strings look on paper, Warchal missed the mark. I was wondering why they had response issues, then I cut them open. The G has a synthetic core, a thick steel wrapping, and a very thin foil-like silver wrapping on the outside. This is more of a cable than a string--it's so thick. The D is thicker than the G, which brings its own set of issues. Read my previous article, Some Thoughts on Violin Strings, for more information on thickness of strings. Double stops were all but impossible to tune between the Brilliant D and G.

The hydronalium D doesn't respond very well, especially to light bow pressure. It seems to whistle like an E string. Frankly, I expect better from Warhal.

I don't have any experience with the Brilliant Vintage. Maybe they're better.

Even though this review is for violin strings, it's worth noting that I've seen Warchal Brilliant cello strings perform extraordinarily well on certain instruments.

Russian Style A:
This is a great A string, especially for instruments where the upper reaches of the A string are dead. It does not sound metallic like a typical steel string, but it has plenty of power, a pleasant tone, lots of tonal colors, and great response. Despite its thin appearance, the Russian Style A feels very nice under the fingers, and does not sound thin.

Avant Garde A:
This string combines the technology of the Russian style A and the Amber E. It is a steel core string, and it has a helical twist over its entire length. Even when stretched out, you can still feel the twist. In playing, I can see the benefits of the twist. It has a fast response like a steel string, but it has a deep sound. I don't like this string, because the intimation and overtones aren't as precise and true as on the Russian A. I also notice a buzz on certain notes where the twist puts the string too close to the fingerboard. I don't think this string is worth the price.

How to Spot Violin Scams

You can hardly turn on the TV news without hearing about some kind of new scam. The advice is usually to just to hang up when a scammer calls, never give personal information in response to unsolicited communication, never wire money, etc.

Usually the scammer comes to the victim, but i have seen several instances of people literally walking right into a scam, and not knowing it. Welcome to the world of violin dealing.

Before you read further, read the disclaimer below.

DISCLAIMER: I am not mentioning any specific shops or people, and I don't intend to make you believe that all violin dealers are rip off artists. Most people in the trade are fair, honest people who will not try to rip you off or decieve you. Further, this post may not cover all the possible ways you can get duped in a violin deal, as scam artists are always innovating. Sometimes, a bad deal can be an honest mistake, which any good shop will always work to make right.

Online sales sites (for example, Ebay) constitute a great world for scam artists. All you see of the instrument is usually some pictures, and what the seller has to say about it. Sellers sometimes inflate an instrument's credentials, or just plain lie about what it is or where it has been. At this point it is hard to prove what the seller is saying. You simply don't know. If the price is low enough, you might decide to make the wager, and you might come out OK.

A popular Ebay trick consists of a seller colluding with someone else (or using a second account) to place a highly inflated bid on the instrument, only to have it fall through. The seller may tell you that the high bidder had an emergency and couldn't come up with the money. That seller will then let it go to you for a lower price and make you think you got a good deal. If you find yourself on the receiving end of this kind of "miracle," just back away and hold on to your money.

As easy as it is for scammers to do their dirty work online, they can still operate between the four walls of a shop. A salesman can tell you stories about an instrument and sound believable. They will accompany the story with bringing this "special" instrument from deep in the bowels of the shop. There is usually no price tag, and they may just make up a number and a story to match.

Even buying a brand new instrument can be frought with problems. Here there is really no history or provenance that goes into the price, and you will know who built it and when. In fact, you're probably buying it from the maker. It is up to the maker to decide what to charge. I have seen where people have paid way too much for problematic instruments. If the seller will let you take in on trial, bring it to an independent luthier or professional violinist, and ask their opinion on what its worth, and what they think of the sound and construction. Watch out for instruments that are carved down too thin. This makes them sound dark and resonant when new (thus inflating the price), but brings many structural problems down the line. Also, watch for labels that try to make the maker's name or place sound foreign or exotic. That is usually just a trick.

Sometimes, shops misidentify instruments, but some will attempt to deceive. Some shops have been known to insert fake labels into instruments in order to give them provenance that they don't have. It may be impossible to prove that label authentic or not. If the instrument seems old, take the label with a grain of salt, and don't drop a whole lot of money unless you're sure what the instrument is actually worth.

Whether it's an unsolicited phone call, or a violin deal, if you're suspicious, walk away with your money!