Pirastro Passione Strings: Highs and Lows

Pirastro Passione String Set

Pirastro Passione Strings. These strings combine a gut core with a synthetic polymer wrapped, as with most modern strings, in various metals.

Pirastro states that these strings have been many years in the making, and that they are truly unique. From my experience with gut core strings, (such as pirastro oliv or gold label), gut can seem quite unresponsive, feel odd and soft under the fingers, and “die” quickly (as might be expected from a string incorporating organic material).

With the Passione string, however Pirastro has sought to combine the warmth of gut with the stability of pitch and easy response of synthetic core strings.

But do they succeed? My feeling is yes and no.

When first installed, these strings are very responsive, aside from the G string, which feels a touch loose (i.e. unresponsive). For a few months, they do seem to add warmth and color that I have not seen in any other synthetic core string, while, for the most part, retaining playability consistent with other synthetic-core strings. One downside is that these strings are very expensive, and, considering their shorter life-span, many violinists might be turned off by this alone. Additionally, despite their relatively easy response, they still feel a bit soft under the fingers compared to most modern strings.

Finally, another quality of the Passione strings is that they are a lower tension, and thus optimal for certain violins (especially highly arched violins) that can respond to higher tension strings such as Evah Pirazzi, with a choked and muted sound. There are a lot of strings on the market, and the major players (primarily D’Addario, Pirastro, and Thomastik-Infeld) seem to come out with new additions every few years. I do believe that choice of strings does affect the sound, but, as “everything affects the sound,” sometimes there are other factors (such as an ill-fitting bridge or sound post) that are impacting the violin even more significantly, and, sometimes, fixing these rather than searching for the “perfect string” is more important to getting a great sound out of your violin.

Rating: 4 stars (deductions for shorter life-span and slightly loose G-string)