I was wondering if it's worth me getting new strings?
I don't have a very good violin (to be frank haha), it's the stentor student model II. So i was wondering if better strings could improve the sound and stuff...
Is it worth getting new strings? Considering i'm planning on buying a new and better violin next year, possibly after my grade 4 which im doing in March.
I've only had 2 lessons so far so i'm obviously not planning on going out right away to get some, just thinking about an idea for the nearish future. I don't know if there's any point - or even if i'll end up buying worse strings than are already on there? I was thinking of these... http://www.normans.co.uk/Items/p4120-2?

Anywhoo, just wondering if i should or not. I'd be pretty embarrassed asking my teacher to re-string my violin and have her tell me there was no need for me to go spend £35 on strings.

I don't really see the logic of spending £35 on strings for a Stentor 2. You might try Helicores which are a bit cheaper.

Liz

Thanks.
I've since decided to wait until i get a new violin anyway - no point spending money on strings when i'm getting a new violin in 6 months.

If you have the strings that came with the violin, DO change them, the ones that come with the violin are practically barbed wire. A set of dominants or the like, does really make a difference.

Don't forget that, if you do go ahead and buy new strings, you can always keep them and put them on your new violin in time too.

BTW, am I reading this wrong (ie have your learned before), or are you really planning on taking G4 after only 6 months playing? If you are, WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?? I've been playing about 8 months now and I'm not even ready for prep test!!!!!

Haha well i've been learning for about 3 months, but i'm doing my grade 4 in March

But that's keeping in mind it's like my 6th instrument xD So it was easy to pick it up =]

Though i thought i'd go a lot slower as i've never done strings before - and when i do another new woodwind instrument i tended to start on grade 3 then go to 5. Yet i started higher on a completely new instrument XD
So i guess i don't have a secret, just an advantage of playing lots of other stuff xD And lots and lots of practise =]

I got a Stentor 2 violin as well and I love it! My teacher said it's got a excllent tone which is really unusual for a Stentor student instrument and with the cheap strings that came with the instrument. I tried changing my strings to Dominants and it doesn't work well with my violin and made it sound really bright and loud! I'm currently using some cheap metal strings called Astrea and my violin sounds great. But when I can afford it, I want to upgrade cos I know there are better sounding instruments.

Wow you're doing really well to get up to grade 4 on the violin, how do you learn shifting and all the bowing techniques so fast! And wow you play so many instruments! That's amazing!

I have the same violin and when I upgraded my strings it made a big difference to the sound. I'm taking my grade 5 on it.

I'd love to know your secret too though - I've played violin for 8 years!!

Ooh, i didn't know the stentor 2 was considered a good violin (for it's level) =] As its description was that it is 'good for beginners' so i didn't think it would be good enough for grade 4

What grade does 'beginner' go up to? I always saw grade 4 as kind of the beginning of the 'intermediate' level, which then went up to about grade 6. Grade 7 and 8 would be advanced, and diploma etc would be very advanced.

Did anyone else have the same conception, or was it just me?

Although, now I have just thought about it (for like five seconds) I would call myself a firm beginner on the piano still, even though I am working up to grade 4. The violin I would call myself an advanced beginner
So I suppose it is different on different instruments. Maybe. I think I'm just waffling now.

I can't see why a Stentor II wouldn't do for grade 4.

I know, i was planning on getting a new one after my grade 4 - although i may now be getting one for christmas anyway xD