Jargar Evoke Cello Strings Review
Jargar Strings has been manufacturing steel strings in Denmark since 1956. Their Classic A and D strings have been a reference standard used by cellists for decades. Jargar has expanded their selection to include the Special and Superior line, but the Classic brand has endured in popularity.
Evoke is Jargar's latest string brand for cello. Interestingly, although these strings are designed by Jargar in Denmark, they are manufactured in Austria, presumably by Thomastik-Infeld. Jargar graciously provided these strings for me to try complimentary. Although I didn’t pay for them, I am still keeping the retail pricing in mind as I consider their value.
An important criteria I will use to evaluate these strings is Jargar’s marketing and technical information. String companies face the difficult task of describing how the strings will sound and feel for thousands of cellists and cellos while persuading you to buy their product. I'll want to see if the expectations set by the marketing meets the reality of using the product: do I perceive the sound and response to be similar to their promises, or is there a disconnect? More subjectively, I will also consider how these strings spark my musical imagination and whether they are fun to play on my cello.
This review reflects my time with the strings on my cello and it is not a definitive judgement of their quality for all players. I hope my perspective as a cellist and teacher will be useful to others considering these strings.
Let's dive in!
A String
Gives a fine, brilliant and direct sound with multiple articulation possibilities.
Carbon steel core wound with multi-alloy
I enjoy the smooth, legato sound from the Evoke A string, as well as its balance of warmth and brilliance. With its round tone, this string reminds me of the Jargar Classic A while at the same time offering greater power and projection. At 18.2 kg, the Jargar Evoke A has slightly less tension than other popular strings. Importantly, this string enables me to produce the singing legato I look for in an A string.
Modern strings often promise to be more forgiving and offer greater playability. The new Peter Infeld A string from Thomastik-Infeld impressed me with its clarity with trills and vibrato and responsiveness in fast passages. The Jargar Evoke A is similar in this regard. The string seems especially responsive to the flutter of the finger, and trills gain a pianistic clarity that are never “mushy.”
D String
Is a fine round sounding string with a powerful projection and a direct response.
Carbon steel core wound with multi-alloy
The Jargar Evoke D string has among the lowest tension on the table. Lest you think low tension equals low power, the Evoke D is probably the loudest and most resonant D string I have ever used on my cello. It is proof that lower tension does not mean lower volume and projection.
The D string blends incredibly well with the A—even in higher positions where many strings become muted. I could rework some passages to have fewer shifts by utilizing the brilliance of Evoke D string, aided by its fast response. While the string was slightly metallic when initially tuned up, that subsided by the second day. The tone, once settled, combined warmth and brilliance with astonishing projection.
The only issue I can think of with the Evoke D is I found myself needing to adjust my bow pressure for double stops in higher position with the open A string. It's not unmanageable, but it did feel a little weird at first to get the correct balance between the D and A string.
If you only try one string from the Evoke set, try the D string.
G String
Gives a focused, round and crystal clear sound with a noble timbre and slightly metallic overtones.
Spiral Core wound with Tungsten and Nickel
Before tuning, I noticed how flexible the lower Evoke strings felt in the hand. This flexibility is not related to tension however because it has a slightly higher tension than other G strings on the table. An additional 100 grams in tension is unlikely to make a noticeable difference on most instruments.
The sound of the Evoke G is smooth and round from the start. I would not describe the string as having the "slightly metallic overtones" Jargar mentions, and it actually seems to have less of the tungsten twang that plagues many G strings. While my first impression was that the string sounded slightly weak on my cello, it gained strength with time. Perhaps this initial lack of power is related to how quickly string settles. If your cello is susceptible to a “twangy” tungsten G, the Jargar Evoke might be worth trying.
The Evoke G functions well within the overall set. After a few days to settle, the transition between D and G strings felt smooth and the sound blended. Although it's a very good string with warmth and resonance, I felt somewhat limited by its dynamic range and timbral possibilities. While the Evoke G string is my least favorite from the set, it is still among the best G strings under $100, and it could offer a solution for cellos with a problematic G string.
C String
Gives a focused, round and crystal clear sound with a noble timbre and slightly metallic overtones.
Spiral Core wound with Tungsten and Nickel
Like the G string, the Evoke C string is probably the best tungsten-wound string under $100 available today. However, it addresses my main complaint about the Evoke G: it’s capable of the booming, punchy sound cellists look for in certain passages. Its tension is comparable to many other brands.
I received feedback from listeners that the Evoke C on my cello has the slightly metallic overtones described by the company. It's not offensive, and it likely contributes to the string’s distinctive sound and projection. The C string took the longest to break-in on my cello, and continued playing will hopefully lessen that metallic edge. Compared to the Peter Infeld C, the Evoke takes longer to break-in and sounds like a new string for longer.
I also noticed that Jargar's technical chart for the Evoke strings describes the C string's bow response as “Direct/Slow.” I found the string’s response to be consistent with other brands, but I wouldn't describe it as slow. I appreciate Jargar’s attempt to accurately portray their strings and not overpromise its qualities.
Overall, I like the Evoke C string. It has power and warmth while feeling more forgiving and playable than the Spirocore C string. Like the G, it’s sub-$100 price is a major strength over many competitors while sacrificing little—if anything—in tonal possibilities.
“Spiro-voke”
The Evoke strings work well as a set, but I also experimented combining them with other brands. Jargar upper strings and Spirocore lower strings are among the more popular combinations, so I decided to try the Evoke A and D with the Spirocore G and C.
This combination of strings might be the loudest and most resonant setup I have ever used on my cello. The strings were so loud that they hurt my ears while settling on my instrument. After a few hours, my ears no longer hurt, but I perceived more resonance and extra vibration from my cello. Across the instrument’s entire range, there seemed be greater openness and clarity. The Spirocore and Evoke strings seem to unlock each other's potential, and I had fun playing with the booming sound of this setup. Cellists happy with Spirocore strings should consider trying the Evoke upper strings.
Observers of the tension tables will notice that this string combo has lower overall tension. Common advice suggests that smaller-bodied or modern instruments can benefit from higher string tension. Given that my cello is 15 years old and has a slightly smaller body, I was surprised by how well the “Spiro-voke” combo worked. This experiment has me curious to try other low-tension setups on my instrument.
Conclusions
I appreciate that although Evoke is a new line, they are available at a reasonable price. The upper Evokes, while more expensive than the Jargar Classics, are comparably priced with other premium strings. The lower Evoke strings are an outright bargain however, and I’ll recommend them as a G/C option for cellists on a budget.
I am interested to see Jargar make another attempt at truly "professional" lower strings. While the Evoke G and C are excellent for their price, I still feel that more expensive strings from other companies offer more for my instrument. The Evokes may have been designed with certain compromises to meet a target price. Based on the success of the Evoke design, I am interested to see Jargar make lower strings without constraints.
Overall, the Jargar Evoke strings have exceeded my expectations. I love the upper strings, particularly the D string. The G and C strings are very good, and their approachable pricing is a major strength. The Evoke strings retain Jargar’s distinctive sound and warmth while offering greater projection, easy playability, and quicker break-in time thanks to modern string technology. Fans of the original Jargar should try the Evoke set; you might discover new possibilities for your cello.