|
Quantity
|
Cost
|
||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
String Set D'Addario Prelude 4/4 for Violin (medium tension)
Prelude is D'Addario's baseline steel range, and the maker states its purpose plainly: "Prelude strings are the educator's preferred choice for student strings due to their unique blend of warm tone, durability, and value." This is its most-ordered configuration — a solid steel core of pitch-stable alloy, 4/4 size, medium gauge, article J810 4/4M. Each voice gets its own treatment: the E is bare steel at 18.6 lb, the A is aluminium-wound at 13.1 lb, the D and G are nickel-wound at 11.7 and 11.4 lb. Together that is 54.8 lb, the "balanced tension for a comfortable feel" the maker advertises. The steel core takes on no moisture and does not react to temperature, and D'Addario describes the tone as the warmest available in an affordable solid steel core design.
🏆 SoundsGood — genuine D'Addario strings only, in official packaging.
54.8 lb: Why Medium Is the Default
Medium is the gauge Prelude usually goes on a student violin in, and the 54.8 lb are laid out so the instrument never works at its limit. The E carries the most at 18.6 lb, because a bare steel cord has to survive bow pressure in the upper positions; from there the tension falls evenly to 13.1, then 11.7, then 11.4 lb. In practice that means a predictable left hand — the same finger pressure gives the same pitch when you cross from A to D and from D to G — while the bow arm meets the same resistance on all four strings. If you want something softer under the fingers the range offers light at 49.6 lb, and if you want it stiffer and louder there is heavy at 60.2 lb; medium sits exactly in the middle and is therefore the least risky choice for a borrowed or rented instrument.
Four Strings, Three Different Windings
This set is deliberately not uniform. The E has no winding at all — bare steel, the most direct route to a clear top and a fast attack. The A is aluminium-wound: a light metal that adds almost no mass, so the middle register stays transparent rather than gluey. The D and G are nickel-wound, a denser metal that gives the bottom weight and support, so the G does not fall apart at forte. The core, though, is the same in all four — solid pitch-stable steel — and it is the reason the set settles into pitch within hours.
The Weather Has No Effect on It
D'Addario puts it without hedging: Prelude strings are "unaffected by temperature and humidity changes" and have "excellent bow response". For a solid steel core that is not marketing language — unlike gut or synthetics it absorbs no moisture, so an open window in the classroom or a cold stage does not eat the first twenty minutes of rehearsal in tuning. The other side of the same construction is service life: the range is "engineered for unparalleled longevity and durability", and every string is sealed in a pouch that protects the metal from corrosion before it ever reaches the instrument.
Specifications
| Application | Violin string set |
| Series | Prelude (violin) |
| Size | 4/4 (full) |
| Gauge | Medium |
| Core | Solid steel core of pitch-stable alloy |
| E string | Unwound bare steel, 18.6 lb, art. J811 4/4M |
| A string | Aluminium wound over steel core, 13.1 lb, art. J812 4/4M |
| D string | Nickel wound over steel core, 11.7 lb, art. J813 4/4M |
| G string | Nickel wound over steel core, 11.4 lb, art. J814 4/4M |
| Total tension | 54.8 lb (24.95 kg) |
| End type | Ball end on all four strings |
| Other 4/4 gauges | Light — 49.6 lb, heavy — 60.2 lb |
| D'Addario Article | J810 4/4M |
| Included | 4 strings, each in a sealed D'Addario pouch marked with its article number and protected against corrosion |
| Country of Manufacture | USA, New York ("Made in the USA at our New York production facility") |
What's Included
The pack holds four strings — E, A, D and G — each in its own sealed D'Addario pouch marked with the article number. It covers a complete restring with nothing to buy separately.
Who It's For
A set for the music-school pupil who needs a tuning that survives until the next lesson, for the beginning orchestral player with a budget instrument and rehearsals in an unheated hall, and for the teacher who restrings class and rental violins and counts service life, not just price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is in set J810 4/4M?
Four 4/4 strings in medium gauge: an unwound bare steel E (18.6 lb, art. J811 4/4M), an aluminium-wound A (13.1 lb, art. J812 4/4M), a nickel-wound D (11.7 lb, art. J813 4/4M) and a nickel-wound G (11.4 lb, art. J814 4/4M). Total tension is 54.8 lb.
How does medium differ from light and heavy?
In tension only: light gives 49.6 lb, medium 54.8 lb and heavy 60.2 lb. Construction, winding metals and end type are identical across all three gauges; only the resistance under the fingers and the bow changes.
Are the strings ball end or loop end?
Ball end: the official D'Addario page lists ball-end construction for Prelude, and it is the same on all four strings. Some dealers describe the E as having a removable ball, which means it can also be fitted to a loop-end holder.
Can this set be fitted to a 3/4 violin?
No — the string size has to match the instrument size. For a 3/4 violin the range offers a separate set, J810 3/4M, with a total tension of 49.9 lb.
How stable is the tuning when the weather changes?
That is the core advantage of the design: D'Addario describes Prelude as "unaffected by temperature and humidity changes" — a solid steel core takes on no moisture, so swings in the classroom or on stage do not pull the pitch the way they do with gut or synthetic sets.
Are these genuine D'Addario strings?
Yes. SoundsGood supplies only genuine D'Addario product in official packaging marked with article numbers.
🚚 Shipping and Payment
🏆 SoundsGood — full warranty and service support
✅ Quality guarantee — genuine strings only
🏪 Pickup — Kyiv, free
🚚 Nova Poshta / Ukrposhta / Meest — 1–3 days
💳 Installments — PrivatBank, Monobank
🎻 Order the Prelude 4/4 medium set at SoundsGood! ⚡