Russian Style A - Warchal Spotlight Review

The big concern is a lot of violinist's minds is the E-string.  many string players will go through countless E strings to find the best one.  We look for an E string that has a bold sound but doesn't clash with the rest of the set.  This is a difficult task since most of the E strings on the market are a single strand of steel while the rest of the set has a wound exterior.  The Russian Style A string is made to fix this issue.  The Russian style A is a metal core A string that is made to ease the transition across the strings.  

In the recording I paired the Russian Style A with Kaplan Amo by D'Addario simply because it was already on the instrument. 

Manufacture Notes

• The Russian Style violin A string gives you a seamless and mellow switch between the alto and soprano registers, excellent response and incredible durability. I believe that you will enjoy it.
  

Warchal is known for being a big proponent of synthetic core strings.  His studies in the "Soviet and Russian school and playing style" influenced him to make an A string that caused the break between the soprano and alto voices between the D and A string instead of the A and E string as was typical on many of his Russian violinists friends.

Tone
The Russian Style A has a surprisingly warm tone.  Besides the thin gauge I would not assume that it was a metal string.  This by no means has the richness of a gut string or even that of a low tension synthetic but it should not be put in the same realm as other metal cored violin strings.

Projection
This string can sing!  I found myself playing more and more on the A string just to hear the power that the string has.  It keeps its tone throughout the string.  Often I have found that high tension synthetic strings that boast a large volume become shrill when too much force is applied but the Russian Style A keeps a clear tone throughout.

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Conclusion
In all my years of playing I have used synthetics, gut, and metal cored strings.  Finding a comfortable set that has a smooth transition between the lower and upper notes has always been an issue that many violinists struggle with.  The Russian Style A is a fantastic solution to the transition issue.  I was worried that I would just be avoiding the A as much as the E but it masks the shift in tone so evenly that it becomes a joy to flow across all four strings.  If you are struggling with a bright upper register there are many nice E's out there (Like the Warchal Amber E) that can create a richer tone, but adding the Russian Style A may be the best solution to violinist's problems.

Bright (Tone)

Neutral (Complexity

Loud (Projection)