Here at Simply for Strings, we love Larsen strings! Here is our review of the Larsen Magnacore Arioso Cello strings, plus thoughts from some of our wonderful customers.
Larsen describe the Magnacore Arioso Cello strings as providing a true freedom of expression, with an almost singing quality, combined with a focused colour of tone. They are recommended for the “gourmet musician”, experimenting with new combinations of sound texture and colour. Free your voice with the complete Magnacore Arioso set for cello. The Magnacore Arioso A and D have been purpose designed for the professional cellist. True freedom of expression with an almost singing quality combined with a focussed colour of tone. The Magnacore Arioso C and G deliver a lower tension without compromising sound volume. Liberating your overall sound and providing easy response and effortless playing in the lower register.
“The new Arioso A and D strings not only hold the well-known charm of the warm Larsen sound but set also new standards with their harmonious brilliance and easiest playing up to the highest positions. The singing character of these strings facilitates wonderful, cantabile, legato passages and brings to me as a player inspiration to discover new possibilities with my instrument. Combined with the C and G strings already on the market, they form an ideal symbiosis. The instrument sounds more free and open, it resonates longer and simply feels good. I would say: Strings to satisfy the highest of demands.” Christopher Franzius, First Principal Cello of the NDR Elbphilharmonie.
Here is Michael’s review of the Magnacore Arioso cello strings, trialled on his Jay Haide Montagnana 7/8 cello.
To sum up, Magnacore Arioso strings 1) give the most glorious overtones, 2) superb response to the bow and 3) sing with beauty and clarity.
On my cello the A string gives a full, bright sound with richness and beauty: almost a “joyous” sound. The D has a matching brightness as far as the neck and then warms up quite nicely. The C & G speak out clearly and with plenty of power. I just sat and played through a couple of Bach Suites, and it was a most rewarding experience. Their instant and beautiful responsiveness to my bow strokes amazed me.
Played expressively and with very deliberately precise intonation, these strings made my cello ring on just about every note. I also fitted this set to a full size Jay Haide Montagnana being purchased by one of my students.
I had the same experience with that cello: a very full, rich sound with exceptional resonance, wonderfully clear harmonic overtones and very easy to play with perfect intonation. I found that the level of harmonic “ring” actually made my cello much easier to play and to teach from.
Here is a review from one of our customers, who is a teacher and professional cellist.
The lower tension is noticeable. This makes these strings extremely easy to play for both the left and right hands. I do miss the resistance under the bow around 4th position on the G and C string sometimes though. The D string is a noticeable improvement on almost any other I have played. Tonally flexible enough to pair with the texture of the G string, but able to lead into the singing quality of the A string easily. The A string sings very well, but (on my brighter cello) lacks some depth and texture of the standard Larsen A string.
Overall I’ve found these strings most effective on shorter, broader cellos. The easy playing and singing quality of the strings pairs well with the depth and resistance offered on these instruments. Longer body length Strad copies (like mine) will open up even more with the strings, but might miss some depth of tone.
A String Library experience we’d like to share with you.
A cellist wanted to replace her A string because the existing A did not suit the cello and there was an imbalance in the overall sound. The strings (Jargar Medium A&D, Spirocore Chrome G&C) were very old and unresponsive. On this particular cello the Jargar A was too bright and lacked warmth. The cello felt muted and expressionless.
Needing to improve the harmonic response of this cello, we first tried a Larsen Magnacore Arioso A string. The sound was exactly what she was hoping for, but also because of the clarity and resonance of this new A string, the dull old D string actually seemed to sound better as well. We then tried a Magnacore Arioso C string because the C on this cello sounded very subdued.
The result was astonishing. Having the two outside strings as Magnacore Arioso created an overall harmonic resonance that allowed the all four strings to resonate beautifully. The Ariosos actually made the very old G & D sound better. Our customer was extremely happy with the result and soon returned and fitted the Magnacore Arioso G & D to complete the set.
Learn more about the Larsen Magnacore Arioso Cello strings via their FactSheet.
The A & D strings have a solid steel core, and the G & C strings have a concentric multi-stranded steel core. The A & D strings are wound with high-quality precision rolled flat wire, and the G & C strings are wound with tungsten and precision rolled flat wire. The overall lower tension gives the cello a pure singing sound. These strings are well suited to older Italian instruments as well as modern ones.
The A & D strings are medium tension, enchanting brilliance and projection with wide range of tone colours. The G & C strings lower tension liberates the whole balance of strings, while providing an easy response and effortless playing in the lower register.
Shop Larsen Magnacore Arioso Cello strings with free and speedy delivery Australia wide.
About the Cello String Library
Simply for Strings has created a trial ‘String Library’ for cellists to visit on appointment and try different string sets and/or combinations, so that we can help with their search for the sound and response they need. Here you can try before you buy, with our guidance and assistance. In this appointment, we’ll have a discussion with you before we start fitting up to three different sets on your cello. We let you trial the strings in-store to determine which strings may suit you and your needs best. And if you need, we can play your cello for you, so you can hear it as both listener and player. It’s an obligation free appointment, all you need to do is bring your cello, and prepare to fall in love with some new strings!
Read more about our Cello String Library here and visit our blog for more cello resources.
