A workshop that has been making strings since 1798
Long before recording studios, before modern steel strings, before most of the concert halls we know today, a workshop in Germany began making strings for musicians. That was 1798. More than 220 years later, Pirastro is still doing exactly that — still handmaking strings, still in Germany, still chasing one thing: a string that helps a player sound like themselves. Few names in music can claim that kind of unbroken devotion to a single craft.
The art of the handmade string
It would be easy, after two centuries, to hand everything over to machines. Pirastro hasn't. Making a fine string is closer to craft than manufacturing — the choice of materials, the precise winding of metals over a core, the tension calibrated so the string speaks the instant the bow touches it. These are the details a player feels rather than sees: the difference between fighting an instrument and flowing with it. That attention, repeated across millions of strings, is what a heritage like this really protects.
From gut to the modern era
When Pirastro began, strings meant gut — beautiful in tone but temperamental, especially as music moved into larger halls demanding more power and projection. Over the generations, the company grew with the music, developing steel and then synthetic strings that gave players stability and volume without losing warmth. Each step answered a real need from real musicians, which is why the name earned its place on stands from student practice rooms to the world's great stages.
The families players know — and which one is yours
Today, Pirastro's strings come in distinct families, each voiced for a different player and purpose. If you're just finding your feet, Tonica is a warm, dependable all-rounder that holds up beautifully to our climate — a natural place to start. When you're ready for more colour and depth, Obligato offers a rich, singing warmth many players fall for. And when it's time to fill a hall, soloists reach for Evah Pirazzi, the flagship prized for its power and projection. For those drawn to tradition, the Gold line carries the gut-string character that started it all. Whatever your instrument and your sound, there is a Pirastro designed to bring the best out of it.
What 220 years means for your sound
Heritage isn't just a nice story — it's accumulated knowledge. Every string Pirastro makes carries more than two centuries of listening to musicians and refining the craft. For you, that shows up as consistency you can trust and a tonal character that has been tested by generations of players before you. Strings are also the fastest, most affordable way to transform an instrument's voice — far cheaper than any change to the instrument itself — which makes choosing them well one of the most rewarding decisions a player can make.
Find your Pirastro sound
We're proud to carry Pirastro strings, and our team plays and fits them every day. Whether you're setting up a student instrument or searching for the voice that finally suits your professional one, we can help you match the right Pirastro family to your playing. Come and try a set — visit us or make an appointment.