E String Whistle Options

[MollyB]

Hi all
My violin when I bought it about 6 months months ago came fitted with Obligatos... a very nice surprise! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

As time has gone on, the E string has started to whistle more and more. The string doesn't look like it needs to be replaced just yet; I've also had my teacher have a look at them and she agrees that they're all fine.

So why the whistling? Something to do with how I'm playing perhaps?

I know there are so called non-whistling "solutions" out there. I'm curious to know if they're just a sales gimic or whether they actually work. Has anyone had any experience with them?
thanks!

[jojo]

if your teacher looked at the strings, has you teacher played your violin and does the string whistle with your teacher too? (that of course will tell you if it's you....)

strings don't necessarily 'look' like they need changing but they still might need changing and e strings often need changing sooner than others, they're quite cheap so you can try a new one? (unless it's an obligato gold that is not cheap!)

[KTViola]

E strings whistle for all sorts of reasons!

Two possibilities:

1. You might be just catching the side of it with the side of your hand - almost imperceptibly (but the string will notice and complain.

2. A lot of people use a different E string from the rest of their set. Hill E's and Pirastro Gold E's are sometimes good solutions. Certainly dominant E's are notorious whistlers. I can't remember about Obligatos, but suspect they might be culprits as well.

3. If the string whistles when you cross to the E from the A string, it may be a combination of your bow pressure, and point 2!

Try & check the string in various ways (straight onto the string, crossing from A to E etc) whilst your hand is away from the neck, to rule out point 1.

Good luck!

[jojo]

2. A lot of people use a different E string from the rest of their set. Hill E's and Pirastro Gold E's are sometimes good solutions. Certainly dominant E's are notorious whistlers. I can't remember about Obligatos, but suspect they might be culprits as well.

'apparently so' even though I've never had a whistling E ever, not with Dominants or any other E string so don't know to be honest, maybe dominants don't like some violins but like others? (ie they like my violins? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )
but I had a whistling E when my hand slightly touched it without realising as you said KTViola (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[miffy]

I also never personally, or with pupils, had any problems with Dominant Es. The whole set are pretty sturdy and stable. Perlman uses them, so does my teacher, and they are both a pretty good recommendation for a string (although I think Perlman uses a gold E).
I think atmospheric conditions can help cause the E whistle, although perhaps it is actually the bow that is affected, never been quite sure which. Mainly I think it is slight user clumsiness or momentary lack of bow control when changing string.

[Organistin]

Sometimes a whistle or a husky sound can be something not quite right with the violin - eg. a hole, sound post not exactly right.
I had problems with two strings whistling - E and A - and it turned out the top of the violin was coming away from the ribs near the fingerboard - ended up with the whole violin having to be taken apart and reglued - but after the repair, no more whistling.

So try a string change first and test the violin out with your teacher playing it and see if that solves it.

[aesir22]

My E string whistles all the time. Practically every time I put the bow on it...horrid sound! Its a dominant. However, I know for a fact it will be my fault not the strings lol. It sounded beautiful when my teacher played it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) But then he makes any piano or violin sound beautiful (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[DiscoPants]

Gold-plated Pirastro E-strings are fairly notorious for whistling.
If your set is fitted with a gold-plated E try replacing it with a plain steel one.

PS: rather confusingly, the "Pirastro Gold" e-strings referred to in a previous post are not gold-plated, they are plain steel!

[MollyB]

Thanks for the ideas and inputs everyone - that's really helpful. Just to clarify, I'm still playing with the Obligato E-string which was on it when I bought it; Dominants are not the issue here, although now that I think about it, on my previous violin I used Dominants and never had a whistling problem.

I had a good look at the violin yesterday; as its an old violin I tend to check it regularly to make sure everything is intact and thats not the issue this time.

Its very possibly something that I'm doing wrong and you've given me plenty of things to watch for, so many thanks everyone (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[miffy]

Gold-plated Pirastro E-strings are fairly notorious for whistling.
If your set is fitted with a gold-plated E try replacing it with a plain steel one.

PS: rather confusingly, the "Pirastro Gold" e-strings referred to in a previous post are not gold-plated, they are plain steel!

Sorry, I should have said Pirastro Olive Gold, which are gold coloured (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[jojo]

Gold-plated Pirastro E-strings are fairly notorious for whistling.
If your set is fitted with a gold-plated E try replacing it with a plain steel one.

PS: rather confusingly, the "Pirastro Gold" e-strings referred to in a previous post are not gold-plated, they are plain steel!

Sorry, I should have said Pirastro Olive Gold, which are gold coloured (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

On the subject of Pirastro Gold E strings, my Obligato E is the 'Obligato gold E' and does not whistle, maybe a lucky one out of the batch? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

[BadStrad]

My teacher had a whistling E-string, which he tracked down to the sleeve that sits on the bridge. The bit of plastic was sitting just slightly further up the string (hanging over the bridge and towards the pegs). When he pushed it back to the edge of the bridge whistling stopped.

[MollyB]

My teacher had a whistling E-string, which he tracked down to the sleeve that sits on the bridge. The bit of plastic was sitting just slightly further up the string (hanging over the bridge and towards the pegs). When he pushed it back to the edge of the bridge whistling stopped.

I'm having an epiphany moment reading this.... I dont have that plastic sleeve anymore (when the luthier set it up they removed the sleeve and instead put something on the bridge). In the last week, the string has started to cut through that material so I reckon it could be that.

The whistle is not caused by me touching the string - I've managed to rule that out. It could of course be bow pressure. Unfortunately its one of those intermittent problems so I'm not sure yet.

It could definitely be something up with the set-up as was mentioned above, but I think I need to take her in for a look-see and get that bridge thing sorted.

thanks everyone for helping (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[DiscoPants]

Gold-plated Pirastro E-strings are fairly notorious for whistling.
If your set is fitted with a gold-plated E try replacing it with a plain steel one.

PS: rather confusingly, the "Pirastro Gold" e-strings referred to in a previous post are not gold-plated, they are plain steel!

Sorry, I should have said Pirastro Olive Gold, which are gold coloured (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

On the subject of Pirastro Gold E strings, my Obligato E is the 'Obligato gold E' and does not whistle, maybe a lucky one out of the batch? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

Don't think it's a batch thing. More a matter of the string working with the violin/bow/you combination. A lot of people can't get on with them at all.

[Geminist]

This may be a bit late to ask now, but what exactly does 'whistle' means?