Others have answered your question about string types, but to answer your other 
question about modifications there is an easy and absolutely non-invasive 
solution to your problem: you can always tie a short extension of a lighter 
string (or even fishing line) to the end of the string (really easy with a 
ball-end string if you have one) and then run that through the tailpiece. It 
needs to be short, but as long as you don't have the silk overwound part of the 
string past the bridge, you'll be fine.

If you have a ball-end you simply feed the light string through ball and then 
feed both ends of the lighter string through the hole in the tail piece and 
knot them as appropriate after they are through the hole. If that doesn't make 
sense, let me know and I can make you a drawing (it's super simple).

The best knots to do this depend on the type of string end (and string 
material) you're dealing with, but as long as you can securely grab the string 
with your lighter piece of string and run the extension through the tailpiece, 
you should be fine. I've done this a number of times with no problem.

I'd also second the recommendations for octave tuning. My own instrument has 
three chanterelles, and is tuned g g' d''. I don't use the d'' very much, but 
the combination of all three sounds fantastic for certain kinds of music. (I 
did an arrangement of Granados' Spanish Dance No. 2 where the three together is 
just fantastic). In my playing I tend to treat the different chanter strings 
the way an organist would treat different stops: by selecting them I have up to 
seven timbre combinations I can use for different things.

Best,

Arle

On 2014 Apr 25, at 19:28 , Norm Sohl <[email protected]> wrote:

> I've always treasured this list in particular as a source of excellent 
> technical advice - so here is a technical question. 
> My instrument is currently tuned G/C with the two chanters tuned to the 
> typical g'.  Since one of the chanters broke, I've been thinking of replacing 
> it with a string that would sound an octave below the g' to get a richer 
> sound.
> so far the viola string I purchased is too large to fit in the tailpiece, and 
> I am reluctant to enlarge the hole without further discussion of the topic - 
> so, what do you all think?  Is this a reasonable modification, are there good 
> strings I should be considering, are there better ways to get a lower sound 
> (like a different tuning entirely)?
> Sent from Windows Mail

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