One of the most common beliefs in choosing a violin is
that the more you pay the better the
tone. This is unfortunately not true. There are some
people who get a fine sounding violin for a small amount of money and there are
some who spend a lot of money for a poor sounding violin.
There are many criteria in evaluating a violin.
Unfortunately tone is not typically near the top. For the most part here is the
list of characteristics of a violin that determine price, in declining order of
importance:
- The
Maker
- Country
of Origin
- Condition
- Age
- Physical
Beauty
- Tone
- Investment
Potential
- Size
and Arching
Others not necessarily in order are: responsiveness, evenness,
arching (flat as opposed to high), wolf tones or lack of them, clarity of tone,
correct measurements -- particularly for the 4/4 size.
The Maker
Stradivari made some fine sounding violins, some mediocre
sounding violins and some poor sounding violins. A violin is made of wood. Each
piece of wood vibrates differently. The spruce top is the sounding board.
Spruce is generally considered to the be best material for the sounding board
of a string instrument. It is the sounding board for the piano, harpsichord,
guitar, lute, etc. Each piece of spruce vibrates differently.
In addition to the spruce top, the back, sides, blocks,
even the fingerboard vibrate. It is impossible to duplicate this combination of
vibrating parts from one instrument to another. Therefore don't let the name
intimidate you when trying a violin. If it doesn't sound well don't feel guilty
if you don't hear the magical quality that is supposed to be in there.
Over and over I hear the complaint that "I have
this Vuillaume, Gagliano or Scarampella, etc. The only problem I have with it
is it doesn't sound well". I have seen any number of fine violinists
trade-in a fine sounding violin for a big name instrument that doesn't sound.
They think there is some sort of magical quality in the expensive violin that
just needs some coaxing out, or a new bridge, soundpost, bass bar, etc.
Country of
Origin
Most people think the Italian instruments are the best.
The Italians have a few advantages here. The violin was invented in Italy and
the earliest music for the violin comes from Italy. Also the Italians have
rarely gone in for commercialism in violin making like France and Germany, for
instance. Chances are if the violin is Italian it was made by one person or if
the person had some reputation, by apprentices, assistants or students in a
small enterprise supervised by the person whose name is on the violin.
"Handmade" is the catchword here as opposed to machines or many hands
making the same violin.
Condition
With an older violin condition becomes very important. A
violin with a lot of cracks and repairs may sound well when it is purchased,
but changes in the weather, bumps, lack of humidity or too much humidity can
cause structural or tonal probems. Cracks can open, form, the neck can drop,
buzzes can occur and endless problems can result from many repairs. I never
send a violin to Puerto Rico or Alaska that has any structural repairs because
of the extremes in their climates.
Age
There is no question that all things being equal, an old
violin will sound better than a new one. With age the wood hardens and becomes
more resonant. If the violin has a soft varnish age will make the varnish
harden also. However, a new violin is much more preferable to an old violin
with many repairs. A good new violin will improve with age. (On the other hand
a new violin with plates that are too thin may deteriorate with age). All in
all, the condition of an old violin must be weighed with the advantages of the
structurally perfect condition of a new violin.
Physical Beauty
If I line up 5 or 6 violins for a customer to try, the
first one he or she usually goes for is the best looking one. Quite often
people will zero in on a violin if it is highly flamed or if it has a one piece
back. The flaming has little to do with the tone. Even if I ask the person
before he or she tries the instruments "does the appearance matter?"
and they say "all I want is a beautiful tone" they will gravitate to
the best looking instrument. It is difficult to enjoy a meal which may taste
great but looks horrible. There are many modern makers who take great pains to
make violins look like an old Italian masterpiece. If there is a connection
with the physical beauty and the tone, it has to do with how much time and
money the maker has put into the instrument. However, the antiquing doesn't
make the violin sound better. The choice of wood for its beauty as opposed to
its acoustical properties will be detrimental to the sound.
Tone
There are hundreds of adjectives that describe the tone of
a violin: "warm, lyrical, rich, clear, deep, smooth, brilliant, and on and
on. The most important one though, is power. A good violin will be loud. Power
is measurable in concrete terms. Over and over I ask these hypothetical
questions: Why do you think an orchestra has 35 violins and 3 flutes? The
answer is the flute produces the power of 10 violins. Have you ever seen a
violin drown out a piano? Have you ever seen in a violin concerto, the soloist
drowning out the orchestra? Other tonal characteristics are of lesser importance
such as evenness, responsiveness and physical comfort, etc. A violin can never
be too loud. It is the only instrument in the orchestra (other than the viola)
where the tone comes out of a hole three inches from the left ear and aimed
directly at the ear. It sounds much louder to the player than to the audience.
A flute blows the tone out away from the players ear, as does the clarinet,
trumpet etc. If you have been playing on a violin with a sweet and warm quality
under the ear, a violin with a strong tone will make you jump when you first
try it. However within one hour you can get used to it and going back to a
violin with a soft tone will leave you frustrated.
Investment
potential
A good Italian and or French violin with papers from a
reputable authenticator can be a good investment. In the past 50 years or so
the prices on these instruments have increased dramatically. However, if you
are a player trying to make a career a violin that has the type of tone that
you want should outweigh the investment potential. For a collector or an
amateur this might not be the case. I tell customers that after you play a
recital and nobody can hear you you can't turn to the audience and say
"but the violin has great investment potential"!!!
Size and Arching
Correct measurements are very important. Sticking to
standard measurements will help greatly, particularly for intonation if you
play on more than one violin. (For instance you have one violin for solo work
and another for teaching, playing outdoors, etc.) Most people don't like high
arching as a violin with high arching will tend to have a nasal quality and not
produce the power of a good violin with relatively flat arching.
Additional
Considerations
It is very important to deal with a violin shop as
opposed to a store that sells other musical items such as flutes, guitars,
keyboards, etc. Bowed string instruments need people with specialized training
and focus who can do proper set-ups, select the best strings for the individual
instrument, and generally maximize a stringed instrument's potential. An
expensive instrument can sound and behave as badly as a student instrument if
it is not properly set-up. Since a violin shop is so specialized most string
players in a particular city will usually know about and recommend the best
shops.
Frequently Asked
Questions
Should a violin teacher help students pick a violin?
A teacher's input can be very helpful in selecting a
violin, particularly if the teacher is a good player. Sound can be very
subjective and the student should have the benefit of a good ear for sound from
the teacher.
It is important, however, to make sure the teacher can
be objective in the selection. There are occasions where the teacher is getting
a commission from the dealer or shop. Since the teacher is spending a lot of
time in the decision process he or she should be compensated. However, if there
is a choice for instance between a couple of violins, one from a shop where the
teacher gets a commission and another from a shop that doesn't give commissions,
it is important that the best violin is recommended. This can be a very awkward
situation.
What is the price range for an intermediate or advanced
instrument?
For a reasonably serious student to professional the range
is likely to be between approximately $1000 - $4000. Depending on your
situation it may be better to start from the other side of the equation: how
much can you spend? Then, look for the best sounding instrument in good
condition in that range. Violin making is a very inexact science. There are
many fine expensive violins that don't sound well and there are many
inexpensive violins that do sound well. You need to pick up as many as you can
and play them.
When should I
rent instead of buy or vise versa?
It is a good idea to rent if the person playing is a
beginner. This gives you the flexibility of getting rid of the violin if there
isn't progress. However, most rental instruments are of the most basic quality,
which means they don't have a great sound and may not be as
"playable" as a higher quality instrument. There is always a dilemma
here. Ideally you should rent a violin long enough to evaluate whether there is
a true interest in learning and playing the instrument. When an adequate level
of seriousness is evidenced, invest in the best instrument you can afford at
the next level. (The "next level" is a very broad place.) A playable,
good sounding instrument makes practicing much more pleasurable and will
increase progress. Common sense is important here - the most gifted child might
not yet be responsible enough to be trusted with a very expensive instrument.
But a discerning student at any age will appreciate the differences between a
cheap starter instrument and a better one. If the student is committed, the
time to upgrade is at the point the when the musician can tell the difference.
Many shops give you credit for a certain amount of
money in the rental and will apply it to the purchase of either that instrument
or a better one.
Should I buy a
violin from eBay?
This is a difficult question. Occasionally there are good
buys on eBay but most of the time it is a bad idea. The main problem is that
you can't try the violin before you buy it. The violin might be a bargain but
unplayable. The violin might be "worth" the money but have an
inferior tone. Once again a high price doesn't guarantee a good tone and visa
versa. I have seen at least three instances where a violin purchased on eBay --
supposedly from abroad with a high price and purportedly made by such and such
a maker -- turned out to be a fake for which the customer grossly overpaid.
Buyer Beware!
Making stringed instruments is both an art and a
science. Selecting one is similar. Some of your considerations should be logical:
is the instrument in good repair? Will it hold or increase its value? Is it
"playable" for me? But you also have to use your emotions and
artistic judgement: does this instrument delight me? Can I make it sing? Does
it give me chills? You're going to spend a lot of time with this instrument,
whatever you pay for it, so evaluate it on as many levels as you can.
Good Luck!
by Peter Zaret