December 11, 2011

What Should I Look Out For When Purchasing a Violin?

A common question when it comes to buying a violin is”What should I look out for when purchasing a violin?” Whether or not you are purchasing an instrument for yourself or for your child, violin price is sometimes a concern. As a parent, it is comprehensible to not need to spend a lot of money on a musical instrument till you are certain your child will enjoy his or her lessons and continue to play the instrument. That's where price enters into your factors for the violin purchase.

Nonetheless you should be mindful of what to search for when purchasing a new or a used violin. Buying a cheap Chinese-made violin for under $300 does not come without its issues. There are lots of things to go looking for in the way the violin is made that can assist you in making that purchase decision. In the long term, the materials used and the development of the instrument play key roles in not only the way the instrument sounds, but also in the ease of playing the instrument. This is very important for the new student as well as the experienced one. It is very discouraging if the ins and outs of the instrument adds to the issue in learning how to play it. Also, the sound of cheap strings in themselves will not add to the tone of the violin and may bring you to an early decision to finish 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 on occasion be seen inside the body of the violin thru the f-hole and under the treble side of the bridge, should be vertical and not leaning. The sound post is a tiny dowel generally made from spruce that is held inside by the friction between the top and back plates of a violin and is situated under the treble side of the bridge. It's important for structural support, as well as the tone as it transfers vibrations from the top plate to the back plate of the violin. Its position, as well as its size and sort of wood, make a difference in the tone of the violin. In a later article, we will discuss the correct way to adjust the sound post.

It is also significant to look at the purfling on the violin. These are the “lines” that run parallel to the outline of the violin along the front and back of the violin. Customarily these are made by carving and are inlaid with another thin strip of wood. This adds strength to the instrument. On an inexpensive instrument, the purfling could be faked by simply being painted to appear like inlay.

In most cases of a higher quality violin, but there is always an exception to the rule, the violin company or maker will have a label within the violin that can be viewed through 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 change. There are several reasons to consider paying more for your purchase. However , if the student 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 treated.

Greg Weir is a fiddle (violin) player from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. Greg runs the Violin Price website, a web resource for folks interested in learning, playing or collecting violins and violin value. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6721282

StumbleUpon It!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed under Music & Music Players by Greg Weir

Comment

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to comment

Register Login