Synoxa (Pirastro)
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Reviews
A. Valle-Rivera (3/30/15)
Excellent nylon core set by Pirastro. Would recommend as a worthy alternative to medium gauge Dominants, as well as players longing for the feel (if not necessarily the tone) of wound gut strings. They are a true "sleeper" set, which barely anyone mentions and rarely players use, but sound quite beautiful, especially considering they are "merely" nylon core strings (as opposed to newer generation synthetic cores as heard in Evah Pirazzi, Vision, and many others.)
The set is extremely well balanced, and comes only in "Medium" gauge. Even the E is a great match for the set (it is the very same medium Pirastro Gold Label E string with different silk colors.) The A is aluminum, and there is no option for a Silver D, but is still quite clear, if not the brightest-PERFECT match with the G though. This A in particular is very sensitive to bowing-while responsive, it reminds me of how wound gut feels under the bow in that you could "crush" the tone if you apply undue finger pressure, but it resists a vigorous attack and bite quite well nonetheless. The G sounds reasonably full and is also very clear sounding-it resists aggressive playing quite well. Love how it's not muddy in the highest positions, while retaining warmth/fullness. The A is one of the best synthetics I remember using, because not only it has great tone and response, but it also feels like a wound gut string while being very resistant to "tone crushing". Bright but rich at the same time, it matches well both D and "gold label" E somehow. Despite being more old-school, this set tonal balance is rather perfect, and sounds quite beautifully-which surprises me because it's hardly popular (I imagine most players just keep using Dominants when using nylon core strings, as tradition dictates.)
While the price is higher than Pirastro's own Tonica, bear in mind that Synoxas have their own, beautiful and rich tone, so it's worth trying them out even if one is already famiar with the other non-Dominant nylon cores. Also, the newer, "improved" formula Tonica production seems to be more affordable, so Synoxas will be more expensive anyway, but they are still more affordable than the modern core Evah Pirazzi and Obligato (the old Tonicas used to be about the same price as Synoxas, if I remember correctly-that makes new Tonica a "better value", but they won't sound the same even when they are both nylon core strings.)
Many players like to use the Synoxa A with wound gut G and D strings. I can see why. Excellent sound and string, but the set is also worth it in my humble opinion and personal experience.
In summary:
-Clear sounding strings that do not sound shrill
-Have their own beautiful, brilliant sound-may remind you of Dominants in feel and even somewhat in tone, though they sound quite refined and individually rich. They lack Dominants initial edge, but are not dull or necessarily "less powerful".
-Like many other nylon core strings, they feel a lot like wound gut under the bow (more so than with most modern core synthetics, in my experience.) The wound gut bow change "click" can be attained if desired.
-Easy to play, though again, they play more similar to wound gut than modern core strings (to me, an advantage, but something to keep in mind.) Response is very fast, nevertheless
- Reasonably powerful, but not as intense as Evah Pirazzi (hardly a fault, as EPs are just among the most powerful strings in the market). They are not quiet or dull, however, and sing clearly and beautifully from top to bottom, projecting well.
They do NOT sound "like gut", but no synthetic does. They still please me, however, because the tone is rich and alive, with an excellent feel under the fingers and bow reminiscent of the best wound gut strings. I even consider them a better "replacement" for wound gut strings than the usually recommended Obligato, because the tone is so much more beautiful and clearer, and really play closer in feel to gut than Obligatos.
(There's no proper synthetic "replacement" for gut strings though-just options and compromises to be made according to each player taste as well to fit the needs of each particular instrument.)
Highly recommend the Synoxa, despite their evident lack of popularity and them not being Pirastro's latest-addictive sounding indeed, and among the best synthetic core strings I've used both in feel and tone.
The set is extremely well balanced, and comes only in "Medium" gauge. Even the E is a great match for the set (it is the very same medium Pirastro Gold Label E string with different silk colors.) The A is aluminum, and there is no option for a Silver D, but is still quite clear, if not the brightest-PERFECT match with the G though. This A in particular is very sensitive to bowing-while responsive, it reminds me of how wound gut feels under the bow in that you could "crush" the tone if you apply undue finger pressure, but it resists a vigorous attack and bite quite well nonetheless. The G sounds reasonably full and is also very clear sounding-it resists aggressive playing quite well. Love how it's not muddy in the highest positions, while retaining warmth/fullness. The A is one of the best synthetics I remember using, because not only it has great tone and response, but it also feels like a wound gut string while being very resistant to "tone crushing". Bright but rich at the same time, it matches well both D and "gold label" E somehow. Despite being more old-school, this set tonal balance is rather perfect, and sounds quite beautifully-which surprises me because it's hardly popular (I imagine most players just keep using Dominants when using nylon core strings, as tradition dictates.)
While the price is higher than Pirastro's own Tonica, bear in mind that Synoxas have their own, beautiful and rich tone, so it's worth trying them out even if one is already famiar with the other non-Dominant nylon cores. Also, the newer, "improved" formula Tonica production seems to be more affordable, so Synoxas will be more expensive anyway, but they are still more affordable than the modern core Evah Pirazzi and Obligato (the old Tonicas used to be about the same price as Synoxas, if I remember correctly-that makes new Tonica a "better value", but they won't sound the same even when they are both nylon core strings.)
Many players like to use the Synoxa A with wound gut G and D strings. I can see why. Excellent sound and string, but the set is also worth it in my humble opinion and personal experience.
In summary:
-Clear sounding strings that do not sound shrill
-Have their own beautiful, brilliant sound-may remind you of Dominants in feel and even somewhat in tone, though they sound quite refined and individually rich. They lack Dominants initial edge, but are not dull or necessarily "less powerful".
-Like many other nylon core strings, they feel a lot like wound gut under the bow (more so than with most modern core synthetics, in my experience.) The wound gut bow change "click" can be attained if desired.
-Easy to play, though again, they play more similar to wound gut than modern core strings (to me, an advantage, but something to keep in mind.) Response is very fast, nevertheless
- Reasonably powerful, but not as intense as Evah Pirazzi (hardly a fault, as EPs are just among the most powerful strings in the market). They are not quiet or dull, however, and sing clearly and beautifully from top to bottom, projecting well.
They do NOT sound "like gut", but no synthetic does. They still please me, however, because the tone is rich and alive, with an excellent feel under the fingers and bow reminiscent of the best wound gut strings. I even consider them a better "replacement" for wound gut strings than the usually recommended Obligato, because the tone is so much more beautiful and clearer, and really play closer in feel to gut than Obligatos.
(There's no proper synthetic "replacement" for gut strings though-just options and compromises to be made according to each player taste as well to fit the needs of each particular instrument.)
Highly recommend the Synoxa, despite their evident lack of popularity and them not being Pirastro's latest-addictive sounding indeed, and among the best synthetic core strings I've used both in feel and tone.