XIX. THE STRINGS.
It is very difficult to decide on the quality of the strings; their being light or dark-coloured has no influence on their durability. The natural colour of the strings is dark, those of a lighter shade having been sulphured to render them so. The Italian strings are at present unrivalled, but care should be taken that they do not feel too hard. The choice of strings according to their thickness really depends on personal preference, but as a rule those only of medium size should be chosen, which according to the French measurement of strings would be 14 degrees for the G-string, 23 for the D-string, 14 for the A-string and 12 for the E-string.
The larger the violin is, the weaker should be the strings. The notion that a half-sized violin should be thin-stringed, is quite erroneous, it should, on the contrary, have strings as strong as a full-sized violin, for owing to the shorter length, the strings, if they be a weak set, become too loose and do not give a true sound, and offer insufficient resistance under the pressure of the bow.