Just need some help on strings, as in prices and brands etc. Using standard metal strings at the moment and cant stand the sound they produce... Also what is the difference in sound?

the best are Thomastik, they run aabout 20 bucks a string, go to Sharmusic.com, they are a only string catalog and h`ve abunch of bradns to chose from

I use Pirastro Obligato on my violin (46-68USD). They sound like their Eudoxa strings but you don`t have to worry about them as much. I have all mittel; silver D and G, aluminum A, gold E.

Thomastik Dominant work well for almost all violins. You`d best start out with those.

A link to Strings Magazine`s review of some strings: http://www.allthingsstrings.com/issues/strings95/CoverStory.shtml

A link to someone else`s review of some strings. I find this more informative than the Strings Magazine review: http://www.wps.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/violin_strings.htm

LIke Harvey, i use pirastro obligato and i think they are awesome, especially the gold E-string. Another good brand of strings is Zyex(i think thats how its spelled) and the are made out of some synthetic material and whats good about them is that the wether doesn`t change the strings tunning. Sometimes u could tune a stirng one day and the next day it will stop the tuner dead on.

Pirastro Zyex and Helicore have always worked well for me. Deep mellow tone. I get them from www.juststrings.com in Nashua, NH USA and the always arrive within 3 days of ordering !!!