Technical data
| Gauge | medium only |
| Line | Alphayue |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Size | 4/4 |
| Supplied as | Set and single strings |
| Item number | ST-AL100-SET44 |
Description
At the heart of each Alphayue string sits a synthetic multi-layer core that produces a warm, rounded tone with a clear overtone spectrum. The A, D and G are aluminium- or silver-wound, the E is built on a tin-plated carbon-steel core. The combination gives beginners a sound that is genuinely playable and at the same time projects well enough for music-school concerts.
Compared with plain steel strings, Alphayue offers far more tonal variety: warmth instead of harshness, depth instead of one-dimensional brilliance. The strings remain patient under the bow; an important quality while bowing technique is still developing. Tuning stability is another strong point: Alphayue settles quickly and holds pitch reliably over long playing sessions.
Available in all common fractional sizes from 4/4 through 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 down to 1/8 and 1/16. Corrosion-resistant winding materials are part of the specification too; relevant for younger players whose sweat and storage habits are not yet always ideal.
Scope of delivery
- Available as a complete set
- Single strings: E string tin, A string aluminium, D string aluminium, G string silver
Sound and physics
The construction of the string (string length, tension, cross section, material properties) keeps its overtones close to the harmonic series; the higher partials lie only fractionally above the exact multiples of the fundamental. In wound strings this is achieved by the composite design of a thin, flexible core with one or more windings of metal ribbon or wire, which puts a lot of mass on the string with little bending stiffness.
A string tuned to the same pitch on the same string length carries proportionally more mass per metre (linear mass density) when it is under higher tension.
Under the bow the travelling kink of the Helmholtz motion (the string sticks to the bow hair and slips back) stays sharp on the flexible string, and the bridge receives a sawtooth force that contains every overtone of the fundamental.
The violin is tuned in fifths; at A = 440 Hz and pure fifths the open strings G, D, A and E sound at about 195.6 Hz, 293.3 Hz, 440 Hz and 660 Hz.
The E string is usually steel today, because gut would be loaded to the limit of its breaking strength in this position. Steel stretches far less than gut when tuned, which is why a steel E is tuned most finely with a fine tuner in the tailpiece. The low G string sounds rounder and fuller than the higher strings; composers therefore ask for whole passages on it (sul G).
With the Thomastik synthetic sets we carry, the longitudinal pull lies between 21.2 kg (Dominant 135) and 23.5 kg (Rondo); angled over the bridge (string angle about 157°), about 8.5 to 9.5 kg of it press the bridge onto the top. Towards the G string the strings sit higher above the fingerboard, because their amplitude grows towards the low strings; the bridge is cut asymmetrically to match.
The AL100 set combines the E string AL01 in tin plated carbon steel, the A string AL02 and D string AL03 with synthetic core and aluminium, and the G string AL04 with synthetic core and silver. Among the 4/4 medium sets of the six Thomastik violin lines we compare here (Alphayue, Dominant, Dominant Pro, Peter Infeld, Rondo, Vision Solo), it sits at 22.4 kg between Dominant 135 at 21.2 kg and Dominant Pro at 22.6 kg.
The polyamide synthetic core (1,130 to 1,150 kg/m³, modulus of elasticity as a measure of material stiffness 2,500 to 3,500 MPa) reacts far less to humidity than gut and settles in faster than gut, though not as fast as steel. The silver winding of the G string (10,500 kg/m³ against 2,700 kg/m³ for the aluminium of A and D) carries the mass the low string needs on a smaller diameter.
Our experience
For us, Alphayue is the set for teaching: brilliant and warm at once, clear and direct in tone. It responds very easily and quickly, holds its tuning well and takes changes of climate calmly. It is built like the great lines, a synthetic core with aluminium and silver winding, and that build brings a grown up sound to the training years at a friendly price.
When another model suits you better
When a violin has grown a voice of its own over the years and deserves more colour and carrying power, we recommend Dominant or Dominant Pro. Alphayue stays on board then as the reliable second set of strings, for travel, rehearsal and playing outdoors.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the lower strings wound?
The winding adds mass to the string without making it stiff. On the same string length a low note at similar tension needs a much higher linear mass density, and the metal of the winding supplies it.
How much does tension change when I tune higher?
From 440 Hz to 442 Hz, as many orchestras tune today, tension rises by about 0.9 per cent, and to 445 Hz by about 2.3 per cent.
Does a fine tuner for loop ends also take ball end strings?
No, our fine tuners are made for loop end strings. For a ball end string you choose a tailpiece or fine tuner that takes a ball, or a string with a removable ball.
Which strings do you recommend for students?
Alphayue, for us the set for the teaching years, with very easy response and sizes down to 1/16.
What is the tension of the Alphayue set?
The AL100 set in 4/4 has 22.4 kg.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
