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E String Pirastro Obligato 4/4 for Violin, ball end
The E is the one string in Obligato that is not built on synthetic fibre but on a steel base — no other material would take that much bow pressure at the top. This version is finished in Goldchrome, gold-plated steel: 4/4 size, mittel gauge, 8.0 kp of tension and a ball end, article 313121. It is the very E fitted in the factory Obligato 411021 set, so buying it singly restores the set's native top rather than an approximation. Pirastro built the line for a "brilliant and full sound" with a "focused tone", and the E decides whether that brilliance rings or cuts. Steel under a layer of gold gives an instant attack: the note starts with the bow, not a fraction after it.
🏆 SoundsGood — genuine Pirastro strings only, handmade in Germany.
8.0 kp — The Tightest String on the Instrument
Tension in an Obligato set falls from E down to G, and the 8.0 kp on the E is no arbitrary maximum. A thin steel string with a shorter speaking length needs that reserve, otherwise it buckles under the bow and answers with a hiss instead of a note. You feel it in fast passages in third to fifth position: the string does not squirm under the finger and does not lose the centre of the sound at forte.
The Gold Plating Is Not Cosmetic
That layer of gold sits between the steel and your finger. Bare steel starts reacting with perspiration within a few rehearsals — a dull film forms, and with it goes exactly the ring you bought an E for. Goldchrome removes that reaction: the surface stays smooth, the finger slides along it without drag, and the top voice keeps its timbre for the working life of the string.
Ball End: Check What Your Tailpiece Expects
This version ends in a ball — the standard fit for tailpieces with a separate E fine tuner and for classic tailpieces with four slots. Pirastro makes the same string with a loop as well (article 313821, the same 8.0 kp) for built-in adjusters that hook the E instead. The only difference is the attachment: sound, plating and tension are identical, so choose by tailpiece, not by tone.
Specifications
| Purpose | Single violin string |
| Line | Obligato |
| Note | E |
| Size | 4/4 (full) |
| Gauge | mittel (medium) — the only gauge still produced in 4/4 |
| Base | Steel |
| Finish | Goldchrome — gold-plated steel |
| Tension | 8.0 kp |
| End | Ball end |
| Same E with a loop end | 313821, tension 8.0 kp |
| Plain steel E in this line | 313721 (ball) and 313921 (loop), 7.7 kp |
| Set containing this E | 411021 — Obligato 4/4 set, 22.6 kp total |
| Pirastro article | 313121 |
| Included | 1 string in a branded Pirastro envelope marked with the article number |
| Country of Manufacture | Germany (handmade) |
What's Included
One E string in a branded Pirastro envelope printed with the article number, the gauge and the end type. This is a single string — A, D and G are ordered separately or as set 411021.
Who It's For
For the player whose E gives up before the rest of the set; for the violinist who wants a ringing rather than a cutting top in solo repertoire; and for anyone with a ball-end fine tuner who specifically wants gold-plated steel rather than plain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tension of this E string?
8.0 kp, mittel gauge — the tightest string in an Obligato set, where the other voices run at 5.4, 4.7 and 4.5 kp. All four together come to 22.6 kp.
Is this E ball end or loop end?
Ball end. The same string with a loop is article 313821, at the same 8.0 kp — plating and gauge are identical.
How does Goldchrome differ from the plain steel E in this line?
In finish and tension. Goldchrome is gold-plated steel at 8.0 kp (313121 ball, 313821 loop). The unplated plain steel E in the same line runs at 7.7 kp: 313721 with a ball, 313921 with a loop.
Why is this E built on steel if the line is synthetic?
That is how the whole line is laid out: per the Pirastro datasheet the synthetic multifilament fibre is used in the A, D and G, while the E is made on steel. For the top voice that is standard — a thin synthetic string would not hold the required tension.
Can this E be used with strings from another line?
Technically yes: its core is steel and independent of the synthetic strings around it, which is why this E is often fitted on its own. Use the 8.0 kp figure as your guide — if it is close to the E of your current set, the instrument's balance will not shift.
Are these genuine Pirastro strings?
Yes. SoundsGood supplies only genuine Pirastro product, handmade in Germany, in branded envelopes 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 Obligato ball-end E string at SoundsGood! ⚡