Both firms recently launched on the market a modern set of strings specially designed for da Spalla. My intention in the video above is to offer a comparison of the two sets with the same instrument, bow, setting and hands. Just to have an idea that can help you orient between them. Of course, when you have settled your mind on one set, it would be better to visit your luthier and have a perfect set-up. As an example, they all have quite different gauges, so when trying them, you may experience an uncomfortable curve of the bridge: it’s an easy thing to fix for a luthier, but the DIY is very risky. And there are many other small adjustments your luthier will be happy to make for you to give you the easiest playability possible and the best performance of your instrument.
In the video above, I played:
8 bars from the prelude of Bach’s sixth suite, with the intention of showing the colours spam between the basses and the trebles, and how the basses can be percussive and the trebles can sing
The last part of the obbligato aria in Bach’s BWV 199 Cantata to show the same as above, with more breath and in the typical style of the parts written for our instrument. This part is more focused on the basses
The first 8 bars of the cello sonata in D major by Francischello
A scale, with long notes with messa di voce to show you if it’s easy or hard to find different colours and intensity (no vibrato!) and if they speak easily also in pianissimo
I played each excerpt first with Eliakim Boussoir’s new modern set (which uses silk core), then with Aquila’s synthetic strings, and at last with my standard set, which is Aquila HU 116 and 160, Boussoir’s basses with gut core 220, 340, 460.
I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was playing Aquila’s at pitch 415. It was not my intention, they can be played at 440, I did it several times and Sergey Malov uses them at 440. I hope you can benefit from the comparison anyway.
Here are the links where you can buy all those strings:
Atelier Boussoir (if you cannot find the set you are looking form write him an email!)
Updates from our workshop
Our two instruments are settled, and… we are on holiday! We’ll be on the road for three weeks, so this newsletter may have a pause. But you may as well receive a few updates, who knows!
If you wish to try our instruments, the time to contact us is now, not tomorrow! Anywhere is good:
on our Facebook and Instagram, you can comment below here or send us an email at info@violoncellodaspalla.it
Featured video of the week
The fourth episode of the podcast “Cool Instruments for Hep Cats” is out. The guest this time is William Hurd on his Violoncello da Spalla story, and here’s the part where he speaks about strings. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to subscribe, to see the other 4 parts, and also the episode 3 where your truly was the guest! 😉)
Violoncello da Spalla strings compared.