String Review: D'Addario Prelude

At first, I was going to write a scathing review of the D'Addario Prelude strings, since I detest them.

I got them in the cheapest light tension or gauge. The E string downright hurt my ears, it was so shrill, sending me to the Goldbrokat E which is much sweeter but still leaves much to be desired. They are available on Amazon for $17 but I think I paid more like $12 on Ebay.

http://www.amazon.com/DAddario-Prelude-Violin-String-Tension/dp/B003BNHJHU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1446820654&sr=8-3&keywords=prelude+d%27addario+violin+light+4%2F4

However, I have now read other, more knowledgeable people's opinions on these strings here: http://www.violinstringreview.com/prelude.html

Now I am considering that perhaps these are OK for student strings -- after all, they are durable, having lasted me a summer and fall already without breaking. They stay in tune pretty well, even when constantly traveling to and fro venues. They do project, to the point where playing with other acoustic instruments and singers requires putting the other guys on a mic while the violin stays acoustic in a large cathedral-like church.

So, perhaps these are OK student strings. The problem is probably metal-core, student-grade strings in general. Why would you save only a few dollars but sound terrible? It's really discouraging to a student when her instrument makes her own skin crawl.

A few more dollars will get you Pro Arte strings, with synthetic core. (Check Ebay -- I see them for $23 including shipping.) I like a warm sound, so much that I have looked into gut strings. The Pro Arte strings are supposed to be very warm and dark. They are not powerful; to me this is a plus! Downsides include a reputation for wearing out after a few months, and an E-string that is nothing to write home about. Some people include the lack of projection as a downside too, but to me that is a plus.