Technical data
| Core | A/D/G synthetic |
| Line | Rondo |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Size | 4/4 |
| Gauge | medium |
| Supplied as | Set and single strings |
| Item number | ST-RO100-SET44 |
Description
This is especially lovely on old and dark sounding instruments, to which it gives openness. Rondo opens up the tonal space and provides greater modulation capacity across all positions.
For the A string there is, besides the RO02 with synthetic core and aluminium, the RO02A in carbon steel with chrome winding.
Scope of delivery
- Available as a complete set
- Single strings: E string steel, A string, A string chrome, D string, G string
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 RO100 set combines the E string RO01 in tin plated carbon steel with a removable ball, the A string RO02 with synthetic core and aluminium, and the D string RO03A and G string RO04 with synthetic core and silver. For the A string there is the alternative RO02A in carbon steel with chrome winding. Among the 4/4 medium sets of the six Thomastik violin lines we compare here (Alphayue, Dominant, Dominant Pro, Peter Infeld, Rondo, Vision Solo), the RO100 carries the highest set tension at 23.5 kg, just ahead of Peter Infeld at 23.4 kg and 2.3 kg above Dominant 135.
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.
Our experience
For us, Rondo is the set with the grand gesture: brilliant, powerful and firm under the bow. It responds instantly, carries to the back row and takes plenty of bow pressure.
When another model suits you better
On violins that already sound bright, slender or metallic, we recommend Vision Solo or Peter Infeld. They bring the warmth there that Rondo turns so beautifully into openness on old and dark instruments.
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.
What is the tension of the Rondo violin set?
The RO100 medium set in 4/4 has 23.5 kg.
Which violins do you recommend Rondo for?
Above all for old and dark sounding instruments, to which it gives openness.
How long does Rondo take to settle in?
The maker gives about five hours of playing for Rondo.
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.
