I know a lot of people have a sort of plastic tube in their violin case in which they can keep spare strings. Is it possible to get hold of one of these seperately - I don't have a posh case which comes with one... I have never seen one advertised (not sure what the proper name would be)...

Any ideas?

W

I don't know where you would get them in this country , but you can get them quite cheaply from America (particularly as the dollar is so low at the moment). They are available here for 8 dollars.

Is this for keeping your G strings ???

I have never seen or heard of these...but it 'may' be possible to do a DIY version?
is it a straight tube? bendy? hard or soft? you could buy a hard rubber tube from DIY shops and make one?
sorry if I sound silly

I *think* (I could well be mistaken...) that some strings come, or used to come, in such tubes... buy the right string, you might get one for free??

Thanks - that's just what I was looking for!


And all the others...

W

I've always assumed that if the strings I use come rolled up in a paper envelope from the manufacturer then that is an OK way to store them. I thought it was just fancy gut strings like Eudoxa etc. that had to be kept in a tube. Any experts here feel that "ordinary" strings need to be kept straight?

The problem has been when I have received "ordinary" strings by post in a large cardboard tube and I don't have a handy paper envelope to store them...

W

According to my luthier, only gut strings should be kept in such a tube, it's not appropriate for metal or synthetic strings.

I know the ones you mean. New bow hair comes in tubes too. Maybe thats what you are thinking about? Whats wrong with having it curled up??!

Why is that?

W

I have no idea! The gut strings should be kept straight to stop them warping and stuff, but I have no idea as to why synthetic ones should not be kept straight...

What makes you want one? Why not just keep your strings rolled up in your fiddle case pocket?

Obsessive neatness..?

W

I think if my strings arrived straight in a tube then I would want to keep them like that rather than curl them up in an envelope. I think the manufacturer would know best.

Gut strings should be kept straight because otherwise they sort of wilt and break wherever they've been bent. Normal ones - I guess it's just easier to store them curly??? lol never really thought about it.

I play the viola da gamba as well as the violin and the gut strings come coiled in packets. So also do my baroque violin gut strings, and there are never any problems. So long as you only coil the string and don't kink it, it will be fine. However I do keep my Eudoxas in the string tube that comes with my case - just because it is there, I suppose.

You can buy clear plastic tubing in various diameter from DIY stores. It may be slightly flexible, though, like syphon tubing, but I have seen this used.

Perhaps, but all the luthiers I have ever dealt with sell synthetic strings rolled and do not recommend the use of a string tube for non gut strings. They might have it wrong, of course, but I think they probably know what they're doing.

Not heard that one before. I keep my synthetic strings in a tube (which came with the case) and it's not proved detrimental to the performance or lifetime of the strings.

I need to investigate further as to why a luthier has said this.........

Maybe they think the steel core might rust in a string tube ???? When I first started using one I was advised by my teacher to leave one end cap off for ventilation, and I have always done this.

No, we're talking SYNTHETIC cored strings (nylon or associated material), not steel cored strings. Synthetic core are wound with the same materials as gut too - silver or aluminium, neither of which corrode.

Just the thought of steel cored strings for classical violin...eeeuuk

That's an excellent point, AmandaL - it doesn't appear to make any sense, does it? Perhaps it's a received idea that people have just never questioned - maybe it started as 'gut strings should really be kept straight' then we added 'steel strings go rusty in the tube' and somewhere along the line the poor old synthetic ones just got grouped in with 'non-gut'.

It would be interesting to hear what your research turns up!

Allan

I will get on the case this week

"Helicore by D'Addario: Multi-strand twisted steel core strings are superb for the advanced and professional player."

I absolutely loathe these!

But to get back to the string tube....some plastics give off various gases and maybe these were thought to react with the synthetic cores. But I have kept both gut and synthetic in tubes and coiled and never had a problem either way (apart from Eudoxa A's which quite frequently broke within two days of putting them on )

I look forward to seeing what AmandaL turns up.

Whatever you do, don't keep strings for too long before you use them - I keep a new spare A and E in my case, as much as anything in case a student needs one, otherwise I prefer to make sure that strings are fresh when they go on. When my violin goes in for service and I change the strings I keep the old ones as spares (rolled up!). That way if I'm playing and a string does go unexpectedly I can quickly replace it with one that has previosly been stretched and so stays in tune much better from the start.

Wow! That's extremely clever - hats off

Well, so far I've not found any luthier with a plausible reason as to why synthetic strings wouldn't be ok in a string tube.

Reading the comment about plasctics, I would think most European case manufacturers, ie. the cases are actually made and assembled in the EU with European produced fittings, would use plastics that are non-reactive.

Talking of which, there was an article I read a while ago about the linings of some Chinese cases reacting with the varnish of peoples violins Whether it was something to do with the glue, or the actual material used to line the case itself, I'm not sure.