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Vintage Viator Strings

Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:15 am
by vic with viator
It's all Gordon's fault!! Shouldn't have made such a big thing about this lovely instrument when he was recently at Lancaster. I had to go and buy one.

I absolutely love mine, but would value some advice on best strings ( both nylon and folk - make and weight). I am told that heavier strings will have better intonation, stay in tune, and still allow some bending ( too light, I have discovered, and the 6th string will roll off the finger board). Also that buying 3/4 length strings is not critical.

Views and experience please.

Vic

Re: Vintage Viator Strings

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 7:15 pm
by GORDON
Hi Vic.I tune my Viator above concert pitch in a C tuning. Certainly a heavy gauge set will work well in concert pitch. A really light gauge set will open even more possibilities for tune well above concert. Hope this helps buddy. G

Re: Vintage Viator Strings

Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2017 9:14 pm
by BRC
Hi Vic,

I mixed the strings on my Viator with Medium and light gauge - 4th, 5th and 6th as medium and 1st,2nd and 3rd as light gauge. The effect is to give slightly more depth to the 4th to 6th strings, which I found more acceptable. However, as I am sure you are aware, the size of the Viator won’t give a deep bass. I would suggest the Viator is definitely not suited to nylon strings and that standard length strings are more readily available than 3/4 ... just a little more waste metal once shortened on fitting.

Gordon mentions tuning to open ‘C’ whereas most of the time I leave in standard EADGBE tuning. What brand of strings will depend on your own taste and preference. These days I tend to use Elixir Phosphor Bronze as their longevity is considerable given day-to-day playing of around an hour a day, though not in performance anywhere.

Best of fortune in your