One rule for changing strings on a violin Seany is to change them one at a time. Under one foot of the bridge is a soundpost that is only held in place by the bridge bearing down due to the tension on the strings. If you take all the strings off the bridge will fall over and the soundpost most likely will fall down inside the body. If you were to rectify the bridge and not have the soundpost refixed, you might crack the belly under the foot of the bridge.

I am not a fiddler myself but my late wife was one. She sometimes used Kaplan strings which are marketed in the US by D'Addario. They are a little cheaper than the Pirastro line and are more brilliant than Dominants.

There are "Black Diamond Bluegrass strings". I think they are to be shunned like their dreaded guitar counterparts.

Murray