12/13/2011

What Should I Look For When Buying a Violin?

By Greg Weir


A typical question when it comes to purchasing a violin is"What should I look for when purchasing a violin?" Whether or not you are purchasing an instrument for yourself or for your youngster, violin price is often a concern. As a parent, it is comprehensible to not want to spend a large amount of money on a musical instrument till you are certain your kid will enjoy his or her lessons and continue to play the instrument. That's where price enters into your criteria for the violin purchase.

However , you ought to be conscious of what to look for when buying a new or a used violin. Purchasing an inexpensive Chinese-made violin for only $300 doesn't come without its issues. There are plenty of things to have a look for in the way the violin is created that can help you in making that purchase call. In the long run, the materials used and the construction of the instrument play key roles in not only the way in which the instrument sounds, but also in the simplicity of playing the instrument. This is highly important for the new student as well as the experienced one. It is really daunting if the workings of the instrument adds to the problem in learning to play it. Also, the sound of inexpensive strings in themselves won't add to the tone of the violin and may bring you to an early call to end the student's lessons.

It does not pay in the long run to spend less on an instrument when you could end up having to replace the strings, the bridge, or the pegs. The inexpensive violin may finish up costing you $100 to $200 in upgrades.

When buying a violin, one should inspect the fingerboard, which should be made from ebony, a hard wood which is naturally black in color. In more cost-effective violins, this is typically made from a softer, lighter wood which has been painted or stained to seem like ebony. If you inspect the underside of the fingerboard punctiliously where it joins to the body of the violin, you may be in a position to spot where it's not been painted. If this is the case and the wood is lighter in color, then it is not made of ebony.

The bridge is also a key part to look at. The bridge should be footed and sit in an upright position to the body of the violin. It shouldn't be leaning. If you inspect the bridge from a level view from the base of the violin along the strings, the strings should not line up in a straight line. The "E" string should be lower, for example, allowing for the simplicity of playing the individual string with the bow. If the bridge is correctly made and mounted, the instrument will be more easy to learn how to play and make it more delightful to learn.

The sound post, which can sometimes be seen within the body of the violin through the f-hole and under the treble side of the bridge, should be vertical and not leaning. The sound post is a little dowel often made of spruce that's held within by the friction between the top and back plates of a violin and is situated under the treble side of the bridge. It is important for structural support, as well as the tone because it transfers vibrations from the top plate to the back dish of the violin. Its position, as well as its size and kind of wood, contribute in the tone of the violin. In a later article, we're going to discuss the way to adjust the sound post.

It's also important to have a look at the purfling on the violin. These are the "lines" that run parallel to the outline of the violin along the back and front of the violin. Usually these are manufactured by carving and are inlaid with another thin strip of wood. This adds strength to the instrument. On a cheap instrument, the purfling may be was faking by simply being painted to appear like inlay.

Mostly of a higher quality violin, there is however always an exception to the rule, the violin company or maker will have a label inside the violin that may be viewed thru the f-hole on the body of the violin.

Most vitally, there is not any substitution for playing the instrument and listening to its tone, its richness and its depth, the way in which it feels in your hand and the mechanics of how it plays. You can't do this when ordering online!

Prices for violins alter. There are plenty of reasons to consider paying out more for your purchase. Nevertheless if the coed decides the violin isn't for them, you're going to get a better resale price for the quality violin you bought that was well cared for.








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