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Does String Bean work for Advanced Musicians and Pros?

When installed on top contemporary instruments and antiques, testing the beans installed on one at a time can be a way to find the best result. It can be used to mitigate wolf tones as well by focusing and opening up the response of a certain string. The string bean opens up clarity through the registers, especially in the higher positions, as well as increases overtone and subharmonic resonance, which helps tone and projection under the ear as well as all reaches in a hall. The enhanced, nuanced response allows more creativity and inspiration for the player. With tonal response issues balanced, musicians can focus more on the musicality and perform difficult passaes with utmost confidence. String bean is a part of the enhanced sum of its parts that can help achieve that musical nirvana. You are welcome to contact Bay Fine Strings for suggestions and recommendations.

What is String Bean for Instruments?

String Bean® for Tonal Enrichment is an innovative, ultralight, patented, spongy polymer compound "bean" invented in Taiwan that is threaded under the tailpiece. It enriches the natural sound fundamental and increases sensitivity to color nuances. It generally increases the clarity as well as sound projection. It can be used in different string combinations only or as a whole set to influence timbre towards the bass or treble as well for violins, violas, and cellos.

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Does String Bean work for students?

Yes, they can be fit through tailpieces with tuners, and enhance the resonance of student instruments to sound more open, responsive, and colorful. In early musical education, perceiving good quality of sound just as integral as building technique. Kids find happiness when they hear good music, especially when they can get a sense of achievement by making music.  That develops their self-confidence while keeping their interest in music. Due to the size, materials, and budget, musical instruments for kids do not sound as good as the ones for adults. Kids  often feel frustrated when struggling with the sound. In the meantime, parents feel frustrated, too. For most families, it is not practical to buy expensive instruments at the early stages of learning. String Bean becomes a viable, affordable solution in relation to the price of fractional sized instruments, and rentals with the String Bean installed is becoming ever so popular.   

100% Satisfaction Money Back Guarantee

As the official exclusive U.S. Distributor of String Bean®, Bay Fine Strings truly believes in this innovative new product that it will enhance and inspire your music making by offering a full refund minus shipping costs to clients if shipped back to us within the first 7 days of receipt. We are happy to offer guidance, suggestions, trouble shooting in regards to your instrument's compatibility with String Beans.

FAQ

  • Why do we have to replace the String Bean® for strings when we change strings?

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String Beans are mounted between the ball end of the strings and the tailpiece.  Due to the string tension, the String Bean contacting the ball end are weakens and tears nominally over time. The full coverage of the ball end by the String Bean would be reduced, as well as the fatigue of the elasticity due to compression over time.  
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  • Do String Beans generate sound?

In violins/violas/cellos, the total sound output is the combination of all the objects that vibrate when the instruments are being played.  That includes strings, bridge design, sound post materal and placement, tailpieces, tailgut, chinrests, metal hardware, shoulder rests, end pins, pegs, and significantly, bows. This sum of parts generate sound that goes into the resonating cavity.  Therefore, luthiers and musicians usually change the accessories to help their customers optimize the sound.  The vibrational energy is proportional to the mass.  Since the  String Bean® products are ultralight weight, they help refine that vibrational energy to generate sound. The sound heard after the installation of String Beans comes from the instrument itself due to the enhancement of vibrations.  The beans simply unleash tonal the potential of the instruments themselves.

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  • The lowest string is hissing after the installation of the String Beans

String Beans enhances the string vibration dramatically. In the first few days after installation, sometimes the extra vibrational energy dosen't go into the body and remains in the strings.  Sometimes the wooden body is not elastic enough to host the energy.  Similar to the tendons stretching, it may take time for the instrument body to accommodate the extra energy.  As wooden fibers are stretched enough, the energy does not remain in the string and transfers better into the body. Then the hissing sound goes away.  In other words, String Bean can aid to train the instrument to vibrate optimally with sound richer in projection and tonal colors.
 
  • Does my instrument revert to its previous tone, after String Beans are removed?

Yes. there is immediate difference much like swapping out various hardware on instruments, however in the first few days after the removal, the instrument may still sound as loud but not pure as it was with the String Bean because of the memory effect of the wooden fiber elasticity.  It will go back to a previous sound in a few weeks. ​
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  • Can strings using a fine tuner have String Bean

 Yes, it is compatible on many cellos, some violins and violas that feature double prong tuners on the tailpieces built-in or as a separate installation. String Beans are not able to be used on single prong fine tuners common on the e-string on violins and a-string for violas. However, as long as there is one bean installed, the sound quality changes accordingly in the other strings as well, including the one on the fine tuner! You can experiment with different number and string combination of beans installed to find optimal result, usually with 3 or 4 beans installed on the majority of instruments.

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