D'Addario Pro Arte 4/4 Violin String Set Medium Gauge

by D'Addario

Product Features

• 4/4 Violin, Medium Gauge
• Set Includes All Ball End Aluminum/Perlon A, Aluminum/Perlon D and Silver/Perlon G

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B0002D08W0
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,634 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #9 in Musical Instruments > Instrument Accessories > Stringed Instrument Accessories > Violin Accessories > Strings

Product Description

These perlon core strings are exceptional for serious students and amateur players. Pro-Arte strings have a warm sound, are less sensitive to humidity and temperature changes, and break in quickly.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great strings., April 14, 2010

By 

Mark H. Barsamian "markbarsamian" (Athens, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D'Addario Pro Arte 4/4 Violin String Set Medium Gauge

I discovered these strings by accident a couple of years ago when I broke a violin string and had no spares. A local music store had Pro Arte medium tension strings in stock and they were inexpensive, so I figured that I would buy a set as a stopgap until I could get a set of my preferred strings online.

I noticed right away that the strings come packaged in sealed pouches, which is a nice touch, and that the ends of the strings are nicely finished. The sound is very sweet. A darker sound than many classical players prefer. I read another review that said that the reviewer hated the Pro Arte strings because they were dull. The reviewer was going back to Dominant strings. I find Dominant stings very loud, for sure, but it is a bright, glaring sound that I find that I am always trying to sweeten. I find Evah Pirazzi strings even louder and more glaring.

If you, like me, find some of these more popular strings to be loud but overly glaring, you should try a set of the Pro Arte strings. The price is so good that trying them won't break the bank. I am hooked on these strings now and am glad to be saving so much money with each set. I will try the Pro Arte heavy tension strings next.

Side remark: On their website, D'Addario publishes wonderfully clear tables showing the tensions (in pounds) of its various strings. So refreshing. Pirastro's site describes tensions only as soft, medium or thick. I prefer to know the actual tension.

Another remark: My most recent set of Pro Arte strings was too wide to fit through the slots in my violin tailpiece. This was a big disappointment at first. But I learned from my violin shop that this is a common problem these days and is no big deal: One can simply have the slots in the tailpiece filed a bit wider to accommodate contemporary strings.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing sound on low-budget violin, April 27, 2010

By 

Carla J. Schroder - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D'Addario Pro Arte 4/4 Violin String Set Medium Gauge

I have an low-budget student violin, and started out using Red Label strings because they are inexpensive and indestructible. Red Label strings sound OK, but on my fiddle the D and G strings sounded harsh. After reading some reviews that said the D'Addario Pro Arte strings improve a harsh-sounding instrument I ordered a set of mediums, and I am very pleased. They sound markedly better than the Red label. The E is strong and clear without being shrieky, A is rich and solid, D sounds smooth and nice, and even the G string is much improved. G is still a tad harsh, but I think getting any more improvement means getting a better violin, and this is plenty fine for now. The Pro Arte strings are also more responsive than the Red Label, it's like I gained some dexterity. For $25 they are a bargain.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice sound, long-lasting, inexpensive., January 8, 2011

By 

Beautiful Dreamer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: D'Addario Pro Arte 4/4 Violin String Set Medium Gauge

When I got my used violin, the luthier who set it up said it had D'addario Pro Arte strings on it. I had no idea how long the strings had been on there for the previous owner. I had no experience with other strings, and since he seemed to think they were a good choice, I intended to buy the same ones when my violin needed new strings.

Seven months later, the strings did not show signs of wear even though I practiced at least an hour a day, at least five days per week (sometimes up to 3 hours per day).

I had my first recital in December, and being nervous, I wanted to do everything I could to get the best sound possible. I ordered Pro Arte strings (from Shar, an excellent company, btw), and after watching tutorials and reading about how to change strings, I changed them myself one night. There was immediate difference in sound. Vast improvement. It was beautiful, and I realized that even if the strings still look fine, I want to change them at least every six months for that nice, warm tone.

I'm sure I will experiment with other brands now and then, but Pro Arte will probably be on my violin more often than not, because I know they sound good and last a long time. The price is good too.