Warchal Brilliant Cello Set

String quartet player here.

I was looking for something different for my modern cello (I need a change of sound now and then) and thought I'd give these a go.

So.

They have all the benefits and drawbacks of lower tension strings. Lucky me that my cello apparently loves low tension (whereas a previous cello loved high tension); much more resonant & open, much more sound. And in string quartet the name of the game is response response response to match the immediate starts of the upper strings (especially in ppp), and these strings are FAST. Articulation and clarity is simply the easiest to achieve ever in my playing career, and ensemble is better. There is tons of focus and density if you need it, and any color you want.

The bow technique is different, particularly in the upper positions. The strings are much more likely to squawk if your bow placement, speed and weight isn't just so. These strings can take a heavy bow but you can often get even more by letting the string breathe under the bow.
Intonation is also more sensitive to the bow (pitch can go flat if the bow is too close to the fingerboard or too slow, can go sharp if really heavy). The lower tension is much easier on your callouses.

I would strongly advise against mixing these with "normal" strings (like a typical Larsen/Spirocore combination). Fifths and double stops react very differently between these and normal strings and my cello was basically unplayable until I went all-Warchal.

Yes they need four days to hold their pitch more than 30 seconds so seriously...plan ahead, there's no getting around it. Keep your old stretched-out set as your traveling spare. Oddly though the cello is always tuned exactly where I left it...my tuner basically just gives me a thumbs up no matter the location or the weather.

Long review, but these strings have been great to me and I'm ordering my second set after 18 months on the first set. As long as you have an open mind and are willing to adapt, hopefully you'll have as good a time as I did!

Of all the strings I've played over the years, from Pirastro Obligato, Permanent (& soloist), Oliv, Eudoxa, Passione, Evah Pirazzi, Larsen (& soloist), Magnacore, Spirocore, Helicore, Dominant, Jargar, etc., these strings have the perfect combination of smoothness, warmth, directness and power for my cello. Their response is very similar to gut strings. They may sound brilliant to your (player's) ears but surprisingly not to all the conaisseur listeners I've asked. Warchal sent me the Prototype A as a trial before it was launched in 2012. It has a similar sound quality but is stiffer with a higher tension and I still prefer the original synthetic A. Beware, these strings have a larger diameter than metal core strings. Ask your luthier to file larger grooves on the top nut and bridge to prevent the strings from fraying or breaking. Be patient as they do take many days to stretch out and stabilize.

I tried the Warchal Brilliant cello strings after being disappointed with other brands I had tried on my current cello (Mirecourt c. 1890), which I have had for two years. The strings took 3-4 days to lose their edge, and about 7 days to stop stretching and settle in. The Brilliant strings are superb, comparable to the Larsen A and D that I used to favor on my previous cello (Germany, 1890), before they became so expensive. The cello I now have took over a year to really open up, but I was disappointed in the upper register. No longer. The Warchal Brilliant A and D are richer, with more projection, than I thought possible. The strings are even across all registers. They bring out the best in my instrument.
Chords are easy to play, in fact, the response is quick in general.

Beforehand, I had worried that they might have a rather "plastic" feel, but in fact, the feel under the hand is very similar to the metal core strings I have played my whole life. The only caveat I have is that with fine tuners, you have to turn twice as far to achieve the same change in pitch.

This is a tough one. So far the Warchal brilliant set has been my favorite set on my cello so far. I play on an old German cello and these strings produce a tone that is wonderfully resonant, clear, and warm. The only problem I had with this set is that the A string does not last very long. I had changed it twice before I decided to go with the Warchal Prototype A string. I prefer the sound of the synthetic A but the prototype string is a good compliment to the rest of the set. As well it is not far off the sound of the synthetic string, and so far has held up to lots of use. I highly recommend the Warchal Prototype A along with the Brilliant D,G,and C strings.

I'm an amateur cellist and play in a community orchestra. I have had a set of Evah Pirazzi Gold strings on my cello for about a year. My cello is a Schroetter German factory made cello c. 1964. My A string sounded like it needed changing. After researching a number of sites I found several recommendations for Warchal strings They were about 1/2 the price of the Evah Pirazzi Golds so I decided to buy a set and give them a try. So far I have only put on the A string. It is excellent and blends well with the other Pirazzi Golds. It took about 2 weeks for the string to completely play in. Initially the string was a bit muted but now it is fine. I play about an hour a day on average, more on weekends. I had to tune it every day at first as it stretched (synthetic core). Now I can tune it with the fine tuner as necessary. I haven't tried the other 3 strings yet but expect they will be great.