Let’s move on to the choice of strings. As a supplier of instruments mostly to professionals and serious players, I find that the technical demands cellists face today, together with the need to play according to contemporary taste, means that most players want their instruments to possess as much power as possible without loss of tonal quality. In general this means using as high a tension of strings as the cello will take (although I must admit that I don’t know the working tension of strings and would be very interested to hear from anyone who does).

Cello strings have undergone a revolution in the last few years. Many old favourites have been superseded and new ones have arrived. To take the C string first, this is less influenced by the position of the sound post than the top strings. My usual first choice here is Pirastro Permanent, then Jargar hard, Jargar medium and, finally, Pirastro Olive label. It’s worth noting that if your string improves if you tune it slightly sharp or flat, try using a heavier or lighter grade of string. With the G string I first try Pirastro Permanent (which can be too hard), then Jargar hard, then Jargar medium and finally Pirastro Olive label. I go through the same process for the D string. On the A string I try Pirastro Permanent first, then Larsen medium for a richer sound or Jargar medium for a more responsive sound.

Of course there are many other types of strings available, and the ones that I have mentioned are in different grades, but I tend to stick to these at the moment because trying out a wide variety of strings can be confusing. (By the way, I have no financial interest in these companies!) Also experimenting can be very expensive. On the other hand, if you have a cello worth thousands of pounds it’s a good investment both in terms of time and money, to find the best strings to suit it. Just remember to take your time.

Peter Vel
Email: v@vstrings.co.uk      Website: www.vstrings.co.uk