anyone know that how could us know that whether a violin is good or not???i got two now.one my teacher's which he lent me and one my cousin's whcih he gave me.my cousin's one seems to be easier to play wif.coz the bow is lighter.so, is it consider as better one?

The bow is not the violin: once you get above beginner's outfit level it is normal to buy the bow and the violin separately. Different bow weights suit different people.

Liz

o ic, but will light bow helps in playing violin??

Not really. But that is a personal thing. I prefer a heavy bow.

Think of it like the wands in Harry Potter, each wizard has a wand that suits them. I play best with a heavy bow, not a fan of light bows. Its all about personal preference, if you play better with a light one, then the heavier one will probably be a lot more difficult for you to play with.

oic .what si the different between a higher price violin and a lower price violin?lots of ppl said is the qulity of tone, but what is the different?what do u mean quality, can anyone give me some examples?

A violin thats about £100 won't have good tonal quality, it'll most likely be weak and thin sounding, plus the wood used won't be good, where as a high priced viola or violin, will have a big, strong sound. The wood will be decent, and it'll be a lot easier to play as well. My teacher has lent me his viola until I get my new one (can't wait!! Next week!!!!) and it is a viola that is worth probably about £5,000 to £10,000 as my viola, which is an outfit that is worth £150, probably less and my viola has a lot of problems as the neck is to long which explains a lot of my intonation problems. And swapping over onto my teachers, its just amazing to play on an instrument, and when you are playing it you can actually hear that you sound good and strong. Cheaper violins/violas generally have a lot more problems, such as the length of the neck can be abnormal, they normally have to be re-bridged, as the bridge isn't made of a good wood, strings tend to not be of a high standard, the wood the instrument was made with can be horrible, because thinking about it now, my viola feels as if it was made with plywood instead of proper wood.

Wow your teacher must trust you a lot!

So, do you want your new viola to arrive soon or not since then you could carry on using your teacher's really expensive one .

It's to do with the type of wood, the varnish, all sorts of things. A violin can differ in price between £60 and a £1 million!!! A superb violin will resonate exquisitely and play like a dream.

Having said all that, a really good violinist can bring any violin to life, even the cheapest, but they wouldn't want to keep playing a violin like that.

Good strings can help any violin along, though, up to a point. I recommend Pirastro Obligator, which I've just switched to (from Tomastik Dominants) and I find them somewhat better, although more expensive (£40 a set), but I don't know if it's worth putting them on a Stentor. For a Stentor, Tomastik Dominants will bring out the best of the violin, and I would certainly change to those on a cheaper violin.

Violinia

I prefer gut strings (apart from they go easily out of tune)

They are lovely, can play for hours and they don't leave any marks....

erm.....a question, may i know hot often should i rub my bow wif the rosin???i practise for 15 -20 minutes perday.

QUOTE (i like piano @ Oct 21 2004, 01:50 PM)

erm.....a question, may i know hot often should i rub my bow wif the rosin???i practise for 15 -20 minutes perday.

i put rosin on every time i play... a good thorough rub should last you two or three days though... it's just force of habit for me!

o ic, but if i seldom rub my bow wif the rosin, what will happens?will the sound get horible?

Not necessarily. Practicing 15-25 minutes per day, it is possible to overload on rosin. having too much of a grip will result in a scratchy sound, and more difficult tone control.

It's generally a good practice to apply rosin either every time, or every other time. I practice between 12-15 hours a week, and I use rosin every other time.

I'm very interested in this thread as I'm looking for another violin too.

Which violins would anyone recommend to purchase second hand that aren't hundreds of pounds ?

Or a reasonably priced new one ?

Fiona

The very cheapest violins sometimes go for more secondhand than it is possible to get them for new.

Zeller and Poller violins, along with Stentor Conservatoires, can be had for around £100 used and can be a good buy. Just get an assurance that they really are ready to play.

New models below £100: Stentor 2, Prima 200 and, um, one or two rather good own brands

New models below £200: Stentor Conservatoire, Westbury, Zeller, Gliga Genial, bottom end Strunal, certain own brands again.

The prices vary ENORMOUSLY according to where you buy. Usually, but not always, prices above the list price do reflect significant work having been done to the instrument. Whether it is better to get a cheap violin that has been expertly set up, or a better violin that has had no extra work done, is a subject that could be debated on and on.

Liz

Fiona, If you`re still looking for a good instrument at a very fair price take a look at the Gliga violins that Liz sells at eilidatrading.

I have a Gamma that I purchased as my first violin. I knew nothing about violins and spent weeks looking on the internet for information and recommendations before ordering the Gliga.

I play for about an hour everyday and am finally getting some good intonation and bow control. I have yet to master reading music but can now play a few tunes by ear. My enthusiasim for playing has been reborn (guitarist) and I even enjoy playing scales! My only regret is that I left it so late to begin playing.

I bought the Gliga Gamma, a Glasser composite bow and case for £525. It arrived in perfect condition, set up , ready to play and was even in tune. All this plus it looks superb.