Technical data
| Core | A/D/G synthetic |
| Set tension 4/4 medium | 22,6 kg |
| Line | Dominant Pro |
| Instrument | Violin |
| Size | 4/4 |
| Gauge | medium |
| Supplied as | Set and single strings |
| Item number | ST-DP100-SET44 |
Description
The construction is built around a newly developed core architecture. The windings have been reworked to maximise tonal directness and richness at the same time. The result is a string that keeps the warm Dominant character but feels noticeably more agile and brilliant under the bow.
Dominant Pro is especially well suited to violinists who love the familiar Dominant feel but need more volume and quicker response in solo and chamber-music repertoire. Several E-string variants (tin, gold, platinum) and different D windings (aluminium, silver) allow fine-tuning to the instrument and the music.
Scope of delivery
- Available as a complete set
- Single strings: E string gold, E string platinum, E string steel, E string tin, A string, A string chrome, D string, D string aluminium, 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 DP100 set consists of the E string DP01 in tin plated carbon steel, the A string DP02 with synthetic core and aluminium, the D string DP03A with synthetic core and silver and the G string DP04 with synthetic core and silver. The set tension of 22.6 kg is spread over 8.0 kg (E), 5.5 kg (A), 4.5 kg (D) and 4.6 kg (G).
The aluminium D DP03 stands higher at 4.6 kg than the silver D DP03A at 4.5 kg and so also carries slightly more mass per metre; because aluminium (2,700 kg/m³) is far lighter than silver (10,500 kg/m³), it has the more voluminous winding to get there. For the top there are four versions of the E string: tin plated DP01 at 8.0 kg and DP01SN at 7.9 kg, gold plated DP01AU at 8.0 kg and platinum plated DP01PT at 8.2 kg. The A string is also made as DP02B in carbon steel with chrome winding at 6.1 kg.
Our experience
For us, Dominant Pro is the set that gives a violin warmth and focus at the same time. It speaks very directly, settles in after about five hours of playing, and stays finely modulated in every position. We recommend it above all to players coming from Dominant who want more body in the middle and more colour from their instrument.
When another model suits you better
On violins that already sound dark and full we recommend Rondo or Peter Infeld. They bring the clarity there that Dominant Pro brings out so beautifully on bright, slender 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 Dominant Pro set?
The DP100 medium set in 4/4 has 22.6 kg, 1.4 kg more than Dominant 135.
What distinguishes the DP01 and DP01SN E strings?
Both are tin plated carbon steel; the maker lists them at 8.0 kg and 7.9 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.
