D'Addario Helicore Violin Strings Set H310W 4/4M, Medium Tension

Helicores are favorites for fiddle players. I've tried Helicores, Dominants, and Pirastro Tonicas. On my fiddle, the Dominants (the most expensive of the three) were simple, LOUD, one-dimensional, boring-sounding, and unraveled at the ball four weeks in. Comparatively, the Helicores when new had a wonderful, complex tone/sound (as well as having plenty of volume), perfect for my instrument. I feel like I have a lot of range from soft/quiet playing to loud, and a range of clear to gritty sounds depending on how I bow. What is that called - more dynamic? - when compared to the Dominants. Very responsive for fast playing. With bowed triplets I can get that nice chop-a-kah sound whenever I want to. And, they stay in tune wonderfully. I haven't had to touch the tuning pegs since putting them in - I've just moved the fine tuners a few turns. Now that my Helicores are 3 months old, though, they are getting a little muddy. Time to replace them! Of course, your milage on any set of strings will depend very strongly on your instrument and your playing style. Note that there are two sets of Helicore mediums, and this particular set has a wrapped E string (as opposed to a solid steel E string). When this wrapped E is brand new, it is fantastic. It is bright enough, but not as much as the solid varieties. This would be an excellent choice if you have a fiddle where a solid steel E string is too harsh. It also is nice for avoiding squeaking (read: easier to play for beginners). After a few months of heavy playing, however, the wrapped E gets a bit quiet and muddy. And then the wrapping breaks and unwinds under your fingers. That is perfectly normal and will happen with any wrapped string eventually. Just note that it happens more quickly with wrapped E strings because they are smaller and more delicate. I have since gone back to the set with the solid steel E string. Mine lasted 3 months with an average of 2-3 hours per day of playing. Also note that, at jams, I will often strum my fiddle like a mandolin, which will wear on your strings more quickly than just bowing. Note that all the Helicore strings are much thinner than nylon-core strings, which can be a small adjustment for your fingers to get used to, but it does not have any disadvantages. Other than possible issues with the strings sinking into your bridge, if you have a cheap bridge or if you get it wet (rain). This can be avoided with a drop of super glue where the A and E strings sit on the bridge.

I'm an intermediate fiddle player. Very happy with these new strings: warm, rich sound and the medium tension was a good choice.

Exactly what I ordered. They look and sound amazing.

I just changed out my Zyex strings that came with the violin. Too much shrieking with those. I got the set with the aluminum E string. The strings are thinner and play so much better. Bow response is better, warm tonal quality, no shrill E string. Very pleased with this choice, so don't hesitate changing to Helicore.

worked as advertised

Good strings definitely will buy again!

I bought these to replace a set of D'Addario Prelude strings, and like them much better, particularly the E string. I found the Prelude E string to be very harsh sounding; this is a big improvement. I'm not crazy about the G string, but that may be due more to the limitations of my instrument or my playing (I recently picked up the violin after more than 30 years away from it). I'm going to give it some time and see if either my playing improves, or the G string settles a bit and sounds better. I like how well these strings stay in tune. I don't know why, but it seems I had to fuss with the Preludes a lot more to keep them in tune. Update: After a few weeks of daily playing, the G string sounds much better. Either my skill has improved, or the string just needed to be played in for awhile before it could sound its best.

I like the way they sound. Happy with the purchase. Highly recommend!

Excellent strings, they play in very quickly with a lovely silky smooth feel, great for sliding up to 2nd and 3rd positions. They have a warm tone but with plenty of volume. Have tried other strings but always come back to these.

Très bonne

Son increíbles, mejoran muchísimo la calidad de sonido, las uso para mi violín eléctrico.

Have always used tomastic strings but decided to try these instead very satisified

My E-string broke on the friday, I realised I didn't have a spare string so ordered this and it arrived on the saturday. Very affordable string, good for any type of playing for advanced players.