By Megan Westberg | From the May-June 2021 issue of Strings magazine
Fifty years ago, Thomastik-Infeld launched its popular synthetic-core Dominant strings, made with “extremely fine nylon fibers.” The Dominant series was designed to deliver tuning stability and bow response combined with low string tension, modulation capacity, and colorful tone. The company is celebrating the Dominant’s golden anniversary by launching a new, related string set: the Dominant Pro.
Advertisement
Not meant to supplant its predecessor, the Dominant Pro builds on its successful features and adds characteristics players have been requesting: more power, resistance to bow pressure, and sustain; a greater dynamic range; and a longer lifespan. Tonally, the Dominant Pro’s sound is described as “bell-like” and is darker and more focused than the Dominant, which sits right at the crossroads of broad and focused, brilliant and warm on the Thomastik-Infeld soundchart. For further reference, the Dominant Pro tone is considered broader than the Peter Infeld string but carries about
the same warmth.
The set is recommended for orchestral players, chamber musicians, and soloists, especially those who need greater resistance to bow pressure due to the playing requirements of extended techniques. The medium-gauge set available now includes a tin-plated carbon-steel E string; an aluminum-wound synthetic-core A; a silver-wound synthetic-core D; and a silver-wound synthetic- core G.
In July, the company plans to release further options in the Dominant Pro line. These include gold- and platinum-plated stainless-steel E strings; another tin-plated carbon-steel core E without any underlaid nickel; a chrome-wound carbon-steel A; and an aluminum-wound synthetic-core D.