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Hi Ron, I think the Zyex are a good modest priced Perlon string and I have searched long and hard for a long lasting A string. I’ve heard from another player that D’Addario makes a Titanium A string that is very durable and long wearing. You might try one of those with your Zyex and see if it matches up and is a good alternative string.

Good stuff, Roland. I think good posture and technique are both important in staying comfortable. And yes, having a well-adjusted shoulder rest makes all the difference in the world.

P.S. Nothing wrong with playing the guitar!!! But glad to hear you are challenging yourself with the fiddle.

Good info, Ron. I’ve not heard any feedback on Zyex strings…and I’ve also had good luck with Thomastiks. Thx for sharing.

I started with dominant then went to Helicore then to Zyex then back to helicore. It seems they have the sound and feel I like on my fiddle. (1870 Mittenwald) Plus they seem to hold up well, the Zyex (A) string shredded soon after install and again after it was replaced by my violin shop at no charge so I switched back to Helicore. But I’m not a…[Read more]

Yeah, Roland. Good to change them up on an instrument till you find a combo that works well. I’ve found that the box makes a big difference. I use Prim med on the G, D and A…wound thomststik Dominant on the E (#129 or 130).

BUT, on a different instrument, Prims don’t work as well. I do stay pretty faithful with the wound E though. Hope the…[Read more]

You bet, Mike. DVD lessons which will include all of the components of the on-line lessons (sheet music, guitar tracks, performance/basic melody/advanced melody lessons) will be offered in the future. I know that this will be a good option for some folks. Hopefully late 2015…stay tuned!

Yep, Roland! I need to spend some time exploring Jonny’s and Buddy Spicher’s double stops. It really does open up tons of new possibilities on the instrument. I just need more time!!!

Casey, You picked one of my favorite all time fiddlers. I’m so impressed with his playing and of the tunes he has made up Gardenia Waltz is one of the best. Beautiful moving double stops through the entire pieces and his playing is just exquisite in my book. Reminds me of Byron Berline and his mastery of double stops and both of them play with…[Read more]

Hi Casey – it is a lovely site and I wish you guys all the best for the future. I am (like many others) very busy with other parts of my life so practice/learning time can be very sporadic. You have a monthly subscription but would it be worth considering a second option? i.e. A series of lessons that could be bought outside of the monthly…[Read more]

Ron,

Great suggestion. I researched this before launching the site as I absolutely agree that this would be a helpful feature. Unfortunately, the technology hasn’t matured enough to be “plug and play” and would require me to get some custom javascript code written. BUT, I am keeping my eye on this capability and as soon as it is available…[Read more]

Hello Casey, I am new to the site and I am very impressed with the quality of the instruction. My suggestion for improvement is to add a loop feature to the video so when I’m trying to learn an advanced technique or phrasing I can loop it and let it run so I can play along with just that section without putting my fiddle down and backing the…[Read more]