Eureka! I have found the 4/4 Cello E string!

by **5kwkdw3** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:58 pm

I know I have too many posts/threads but I wanted to do a seperate one so that people would see it and read it. My insistance on making things easier for myself lead me to the search for a Helicore type Cello strings for all three of my bowed dulcimer strings. My BD is curently set up like a cello in CGd and I was able to change out the C & G to cello strings but not the d, still using the plain wire string. And boy could you hear the difference in my playing.

Well, the searching finally paid off. I spoke with a Chris at Quinn Violins" <sales@quinnviolins.com and apparently a couple of companies make an "E" string for a 4/4 sized cello which in our case or mine, would fill the bill perfectly as a high d string. The one I have ordered is made by Larson (his suggestion) which is similar to the Helicore made by D'Addario. I'll know more next week when I string er up for the first time and draw the bow across it. We had quite a legnthy email exchange and when he realized what it was I was doing, he asked "would a 4/4 cello E string work?". I about fell over and said that that was absolutly perfect for the job at hand. The web site to Quinn is http://www.quinnviolins.com/index.html however, they do not list the cello E string directly. You need to email Chris at the above email adress. The Larson E a bit costly at 35 and would bring a 3 string restringing up to 66 for the total job. Still not bad when you consider stringed instruments in general. Well, that's it for now........more when I know more.....................Kevin

by **indigomusic** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 3:05 pm

Hi Kevin,

This is indeed a major breakthrough! Many of us bowed dulcimer players have been wondering about the possibility of a cello "e" string for quite some time. I myself hadn't really looked too hard because I didn't need one for my 3-stringer, but this would fit the bill for my 4-stringer! Thanks so much for sharing your research results.

Laura

by **Robin T** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:20 pm

Kevin & Laura,
I'm curious about how are you each are liking the cello string?
Robin T

by **5kwkdw3** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:22 pm

Robin I just love it! There is no transition between strings like there used to be. The feel of the strings is the same. And, the sound is terrific (operator allowing). Of course there is no magic pill (or in this case, string) and as I hinted, it's up to the operator I found out. Shucks. At least my practice sounds better while I'm working on the latter. Before, I just could not get a decent tone out of the steel string at all. It sounded like somthing the cat dragged home. At least that problem has been resolved with the cello E string.

My previous music background set me up pretty well for the bowed dulcimer and I can sight read just about any piece that I personally would care to play (left hand taken care of). It all comes down to the bowing and the Years it's going to take for me to figure that one out. Wow! I thought I was going to be the big guy in the BD department until the "bowing" was required. Oh well, practice, practice, practice. I'll get there some day I hope. But, with the cello E string at least my hair is not standing on end........................Kevin.

by **Robin T** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:48 pm

Kevin,
Glad your hair's no longer in a mess because of the sounds put out by the old string!

I may make the switch to the cello string at some point. Since I like fiddle tunes, I'm not sure if it would be a good move or not. And lately, I'm loving slow, droning stuff and finding it quite a challenge to bow two strings evenly and smoothly on a consistent basis. I don't have enough life left to master bowing.

all good wishes,
Robin T