A new set of strings for beginner cellists
Danish manufacturer Larsen has entered the beginner market with a new set of strings for players starting out on the cello. For Larsen, which has a long history of creating strings aimed at professional players and more advanced students, do the new Aurora cello strings reflect a different set of priorities? According to the firm’s director of sales and marketing Ole Wichmann, the maker has a responsibility not to put off young or inexperienced cellists. ‘They need strings that are easy to play and forgiving of mistakes,’ he says. ‘The sound the strings make should be balanced, pleasant and warm in order to motivate and stimulate these musicians. The Aurora strings have smoothness and brilliance but without metallic overtones.’
Thomas Zwieg, Larsen’s director of product development, agrees. ‘It’s important that you give the player the ability to form a sound and tell a story,’ he says ‘The warm, round sound of the Aurora strings increases in brilliance from the C string across to the A string. We made a big effort to add clarity and brightness to the sound – it’s so important to have focus and projection. Like all our products, the Aurora strings are made with the needs of the musician in mind.’
All four strings have solid steel cores. The A and D are wound with a material Larsen describe only as ‘a corrosion-resistant alloy,’ the G with nickel and the C with tungsten. They are available for full-size instruments as well as sizes 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16. ‘The design of the Aurora strings uses the latest production technology, based on our long experience of making strings with solid steel cores, and their qualities are the same regardless of the instrument size,’ says Wichmann.
Larsen Aurora cello strings set £85
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