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.