Okay... so, this is going to get quite annoying as time goes on. I have my period instrument violin, which is that crazily old English one, that is set up for Early Music stuff... so, gut strings, and Baroque set up for the internals and everything. However, for the later music (Classical-Romantic Early Music stuff) and the modern symphony orchestras, I currently use this old but not so crazily old French violin. Now, that lands me in a bit of a pickle, as I need a decent violin for both use cases... but for the later Early Music stuff, I have it set up with two naked gut strings on the treble end and for the symphonic orchestra stuff they need me to have a full steel/metal setup. I mean, there is probably a chance that I could just stick to gut only and no one will care... but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don't like to be the arsehole who does the different thing just because I'm weirdly special or just an arsehole. Symphony orchestras have modern setups, and that is that.

That does mean that I need to keep changing the strings on this particular instrument more often than I would like. Metals on, guts off... guts off, metals on. Plus, the fine tuner needs to be replaced each time... the metal of the fine tuner would rip and slice through the gut strings, and the metal e string is too much of a pain in the arse to tune with just the coarse peg tuner.

Given that each set takes a little bit of time to settle into tension... the guts several days, and the metals need a day, it means that I need to plan out the changes whilst keeping an eye on the projects that I have coming up.

Of course, this would all be solved if I had another instrument for specifically modern symphonic work... but given that I don't, and it isn't what I'm wanting to spend money on at this moment in time... well, it just means that I have to make do and keep switching the strings instead!

Now, switching out the strings isn't really that great for the strings... to be at full tension and then released and set aside for a while. The entropy/hysteresis of the procedure means that they get worn and decay in quality of sound and response. However, replacing them completely each time is a pretty expensive affair as well! So, it means that at the moment, I'm setting them aside to be replaced and resued.

Obviously, the metal strings fare a bit better in this regard... the gut strings really dislike being up at full tension and then relaxed and released... and then wound back up again. They tend to fail quite soon after that...

I guess it is a small relief that I can keep the bottom bass strings the same... I would normally use a different combination... but I have settled on a set that can work for both situations without too much fuss. These Tonicas are pretty bright and nothing that special... I move move to a synthetic gut-like core in the next change of strings. I really do prefer that sound... even if they feel and respond nothing like my beloved gut sets... at least they are more stable!

So... this time around, guts off... and metals on! I will treat myself to a nice metal set the next time... gut-like synthetic cores for the bottom three and a gold wound e string I think! Maybe that will make the experience less painful... and let me keep them on for longer, instead of wanting to immediately switch them out for the animal versions!

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