E String Pirastro Oliv 4/4 for Violin

The only non-gut string in the Oliv range, and that is deliberate. The core here is steel with a gold-plated finish over it: in a gut set the E works hardest, and steel takes that load without losing pitch. This is the mittel version — 0.26 mm, 8.0 kp tension, ball end. Article 311121 is exactly the E fitted in the factory Oliv set 211021. The same gauge with a loop end runs under article 311821.

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Gold Plating Against the First String's Worst Enemy

The E lives under your fingertips every day, and that is where metal gives up first: moisture and salt roughen the surface, the sound dulls, and whistling starts creeping in under the bow. Gold does not oxidise, so a gold-plated finish keeps the contact smooth longer than bare steel. In practice the string stays closer to how it sounded on day one — clean at the top, with the bow gliding evenly.

0.26 mm — the Middle of Three Gauges

The Oliv E comes in three thicknesses and the difference is immediate: 0.25 mm gives 7.3 kp for a softer start to the note and a lighter bow, 0.26 mm gives 8.0 kp, and 0.27 mm gives 8.7 kp — noticeably firmer resistance with more headroom in forte. Mittel at 8.0 kp is the gauge the standard set is built around: it does not whistle at low dynamics and does not need pressure to deliver a full tone.

Steel in a Gut Context

A steel core is more precise than gut on the attack: the note starts at once, without a short run-up, which is exactly what the top register needs when phrases move in short bow strokes. Alongside the gut A, D and G this E does not stand apart from the set — it holds the line above it, at 8.0 kp against 5.2, 5.1 and 3.9 kp for the rest of the set. The top is intentionally denser so it never sinks behind the gut.

Specifications

What's Included

One E string in a branded Pirastro envelope marked 311121. This is the item players buy on its own while the rest of the gut set is still alive.

Who It's For

A string for the violinist playing an Oliv gut set who burns through E strings faster than the rest, for the player after a dense but never harsh top in mittel gauge, and for the owner of set 211021 who needs an exact replacement for the first string.

Frequently Asked Questions

🚚 Shipping and Payment

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✅ Quality guarantee — genuine strings only
🏪 Pickup — Kyiv, free
🚚 Nova Poshta / Ukrposhta / Meest — 1–3 days
💳 Installments — PrivatBank, Monobank

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