I bought these strings as a step up from D'addario Preludes. I was looking for something that would mellow out my sharp E string and would have a fresh, warm, fuller sound than what the steel-cores provided. Installation was very simple, and FiddlerShop emailed me with instructions on what to expect from these strings. I slapped 'em right on to my Fiddlerman OB-1 and let them settle in for a day or so before I went to town playing, and all I can say is WOW. Exactly what I was looking for, for a fraction of the cost! It took about a week for the strings to hold tune, which was expected. I'll definitely be purchasing these again. If you're looking for an affordable high-quality string for your fiddle, especially if you're a beginner, definitely consider these. (I've been playing for almost a year). Tones that I didn't even know could come out of my violin did with these strings, and they're sooo easy on the fingers. When my other violin needs strings, I'll be snagging a set for it too.

I wanted to give this a 4.5! I got a set of strings for an antique Stainer fiddle that I was setting up for my son. I played violin myself, up through college and then taught elementary strings while in graduate school, and played the fiddle for fun. I've changed quite a few strings. I've paid a lot for some good synthetic strings too. These are quite good. However, I broke two strings when installing them, despite the usual caution, the use of pencil lead for the bridge and the peg box. Part of the problem is that the fine tuners on my instrument aren't really designed for ball tipped strings. The thread winding is so tight, I had a hard time fitting the string into the tuner grooves. So, I broke the A at the tuner, the E I broke at the peg. So, I replaced them with D'Addario Ascents. Their winding was also a tight fit, but a little better. It seems that the only loop end strings are the steel ones, and I really didn't want those. I may eventually replace the tail piece with one that will accommodate ball tip strings better. My own violin only has a fine tuner on the E string, but for a kid, I figure that the fine tuners are helpful, at least for the teacher!

So, I cannot speak for the upper two strings, but the lower ones sound good, and make the instrument sound clear and warm. They only took a day or two to settle into pitch and they made an inexpensive instrument sound as good as my nice violin. But if you need to use them with tuners that have narrow metal slots, these are hard to fit. This isn't really a critique of the string, but more of a practical detail to consider.

as all fiddlerman products I have purchased... it is top notch. the strings have a beautiful sound and at an amazing price.

I liked the way they sound, but after 2 months, the ball end of the A string popped off - so the string is now unusable - and thus the set is unusable. This is the first time I've had a ball end pop off. Does this mean the quality of the strings are inferior or is this just a one time occurrence? Don't know. But could be a safety issue if it happened while I was playing. Luckily it happened while violin was on the table. I won't buy them again. Perhaps the "made in Germany" claim is spurious?

I really LOVE how these strings sound !
My instructor agrees with me on this !
They do slip out of tune at first. The strings stretch. But still I am now ordering another set while they are available.