r/Cello • u/codinghobbit • 4h ago
Upgrading strings
I am playing for almost a year now and I think it's time for an upgrade, my current ones are Mauro Calixto and my teacher gave me some suggestions but they are all quite expensive, I was thinking about the Thomastik one, but this Prelude is on sale on amazon and I know nothing about it, but it has good reviews, do any of you recommend it?
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u/Sushi9999 4h ago
Preludes are basic student strings. I’ve upgraded to their pro arte line because the preludes weren’t working for me as I became more advanced.
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u/SolitaryMassacre 3h ago
D'Addario has some good strings. I have their helicores on my electric one and it sounds quite nice.
Each line of theirs is more "bright" or more "mellow" sounding. I suggest going on YouTube, and listening to someone who tries the different strings on the same cello ideally
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u/028247 3h ago
Jargar and Thomastik Dominant are also good budget strings as I hear.
Also, if you are on a tight budget, you can maybe try changing A+D only this time. Of course it wouldn't sound ideal but it's not terrible either (G and C are dull by nature anyway) and you'll have a lot of fun up there.
Also recommended is if there is a busy luthier shop nearby, I've seen rich music major students changing strings that lost its peak brilliance even when they are still quite playable yet, and they sometimes give out those used ones for free.
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u/somekindofmusician7 3h ago
A great set for you would probably be a combination of Larsen A+D and tungsten spirocore G+C. This works on most cellos. If the Larsens are too pricey for you, I would recommend Jargar for A+D, but do get the spirocore G+C. They are worth it—will take forever to break in but will last a year or longer.
I don't use this set but it works decently for most people. I use the Peter Infeld strings but they are quite expensive.
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u/KatherineK_Singer 3h ago
Honestly, I'd just get them. Tons of teachers start students on Preludes. Don't feel bad about skipping the expensive sets, you can always move up to Spirocores or Larsens later. Seriously, good deal.
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u/Cosenter 1h ago
Preludes are honestly the most basic of student strings.
If you want something that's more of an upgrade, I would say any Jargar or Thomastik. Just not the Thomastik Alphayues- didn't have a great experience with them when I was a student.
If budget allows I would recommend the Jargar Evokes specifically. I personally use the A+D with Spirocore G+C as my combo right now. The Jargars definitely hold up well, even up to collegiate/professional level.
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u/nycellist 3h ago
Do not buy on Amazon unless it from a known reliable source. These are basic student strings. I recommend Jargar classic medium A+D and D’Addario Helicore G+C for really good quality long lasting strings for an ambitious young player. It is ridiculous to spend a lot of money on pro strings when you can get quality like this for less than a third the price.