Strings are very personal things. There are so many to choose from and which set will work best for you depends on the individual characteristics of your violin and your playing style. Unlike chin rests and shoulder rests, you cannot realistically try all of the available options before you make your choice. Thus, you may find my review of strings to be, at least, a starting point for choosing a set. It is important neither to underestimate nor to overestimate the effect that different strings can have on an instrument. Sometimes, rather than trying several different sets, it makes more sense to evaluate other things that affect the sound, such as placement of the soundpost and bridge or maintenance issues such as cracks or open seams. In addition, strings have a synergistic response; hence, it is usually best not to mix sets, with the exception of the e-string.
There are many different types of strings on the market today, but most of them fall into three main categories: 1) steel strings; 2) gut strings; and 3) sythetics designed to sound like gut but which are designed to offer a quicker response without the need for frequent tuning, and 4) a gut and synthetic blend.
1) Steel strings have a very quick response but also a thin, one-dimensional sound. Most violin e-strings are made of steel, but apart from that, steel strings on not a good option for a classical violinist and should not even be considered for the a, d, or g strings.
2) Gut is the origninal material used for violin strings. Gut strings have a warm, complex sound and were used exclusively until the introduction of synthetics in the early 1970s. These strings are typically wrapped with different metals to improve volume and responsiveness, which was certainly a large improvement over the plain gut strings that were used in earlier centuries. Gut has two rather limiting properties. The first is that the strings simply will not stay in tune. Sometimes they even need to be re-tuned several times during a performance. The other issue is that gut strings have a very slow response. For these reasons, gut strings have largely fallen out of favor. The two most popular gut strings still in use today are both made by Pirastro. These are the Oliv set and the Gold Label. The Gold-label e string is tan excellent choice and is used in combination with many other string sets.
3) Synthetic strings were introduced in the early 1970s as an alternative to gut. The first synthetic string released was Thomastik-Infeld's Dominant line. The a, d, and g consist of a "perlon" (plastic) core wrapped in metal. In several ways, these strings were a huge improvement over gut. First, after requiring a few days to stretch, they stayed in tune, often for days at a time. Second, they had a very quick response. 3) they were much more responsive and coulld tolerate much more bow pressure. For these reasons, sythetic-core strings have largely replaced gut and are the choice of most professional violinists, including soloists. One of the first to adopt synthetics was violin soloist Itzakh Perlman, whose gorgeous tone is evidence of how beautiful the synthetics can sound. (Perlman plays the Bruch Concerto, Movement 2). Dominants "dominated" the synthetic string market for many years, and it took a long time for other companies to launch competing string sets. In recent years, we have seen sythetics with many different core materials from kevlar (Corelli) to a material used for tennis racket strings (D'addarrio zyex). Because most violinists are always searching for a better sound, the new synthetics have gotten a lot of attention but have not necessarily been improvements over the time-tested Dominant string. In my opinion, Pirastro's relatively recently released Evah Pirazzi string set marked the first excellent alternative to Dominants, and has replaced Dominants for many soloists. (Pirastro won't tell us what the core is actually made of!)
4) Pirastro has recently released a string that falls into a fourth category, namely a combination of gut and synthetic. This string is called Passione and will be included in my review below. The image below contains pictures of all of Pirastro's current string sets!
A few final general hints about string selection: Be careful when you experiment with strings. Each time you change a string, the stability of the bridge is disrupted. If the bridge should lean too far it could snap or collapse. This could cause the wood in the body of the violin to crack. Also, strings needs time to break in. The final sound and responsiveness are usually apparent within 3 to 4 days. Thus, it is generally not wise to judge a string by its initial sound.
Below is my review of strings. It is not a complete list. I've included commonly available strings with which I have a reasonable amount of experience, either as a teacher or as a performer.
There are many other string sets on the market, but those listed above are amoung the most popular.
Choosing an E-string is a different story. Almost all e-strings are made of steel. Some are wound, but the majority are not. Most steel e-strings can be combined with any set of strings. A few of the most popular are Pirastro Gold Label, Hill, Westminster, Goldbrokat, and Jargar. Since e-strings are relatively cheap, it is reasonable to try a few, since each one will tend to sound different from one instrument to another. Certainly, however, the Pirastro Gold Label has been considered the gold standard for decades.
Getting back to your original question, for a soft violin with a high arch I recommend either: Pirastro Passione or Obligato with a Gold label e-string; or Vision Titanium Orchestra with matching vision titanium e string. Strings usually come in several different gauges. Commonly, light, medium, and thick. Often, a soft violin with a high arch can benefit from a lighter tension. Conversely, stringing a violin with a high arch with a higher tension set of strings can seem to choke the sound entirely.
Remember that finding a luthier you trust is essential to keeping your violin sounding as beautiful as possible. He or she can recommend strings to suit your instrument, and can also make sure that your instrument is not in need of repairs that are affecting the sound. As one wonderful luthior once told me, "What affects the sound? The answer is: EVERYTHING!"
