Okay, so I'm getting a new violin and I have two at home that I've been trying out. Violin 1 has a really clean tone with no squeaks or surface sound or buzzing or barking noises, but it doesn't project very well and doesn't have as loud of a sound as the other one does. It also can sound nasally.
Violin 2 has a very nice, warm, complex tone. It projects very well and is loud, but its tone isn't very clean. If I play heavy accents on the G string it makes a strange barking sort of noise for a second. It also has some surface sound and fuzziness.
I like Violin 2's sound better, I think violin 1 sounds muted and not very nice and I generally like violin 2 more overall. but I'm worried about violin 2's imperfections (barking, surface sound, stuff listed above) and wondering if they will hinder me as I move on up the scale of difficult repitore. Are any of violin 2's imperfections big concerns or can they be fixed with a sound post adjustment? Which one should I go with?
2007-07-11 08:41:28 · 6 answers · asked by ruby red rose @>-'-,-- 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
I took the both of them back to the luthier that I'm dealing with and I talked to him about my issues with them. He adjusted the second one and put a new bridge on it and now it's not making the strange sounds anymore.
I did purchase the second one in the end. It has a beautiful tone and I love love love playing on it. Thank all of you so much for your help!
***Tubaplayingviolinist, your guess was wrong, I am playing in fifth position and higher on all of the strings.***
2007-07-16 03:50:36 · update #1
From someone who has bought instruments for myself and helped students purchase instruments for themselves I would not get either of them. It just doesn't sound like you are completely happy with violin 2. This is a huge decision and I'm sure you're shelling out nice bit of cash. Certain things can make a difference but if you are buying it from a music store or a luthier it should already be adjusted. The bow you are playing with can make a huge difference as can different types of strings but i would not count on those to completely alter the tone. A good rule is that you really should buy a violin you are completely happy with and then you can try different strings, rosin, and upgrading your bow to make it sound better. My guess is that you aren't playing in 5th position or higher much on the G but if it has a bad tone when you start playing high on the G you are really going to struggle.
You haven't said how nice it feels to play. Take that into consideration. It should feel vastly more comfortable and easier to play than your student model. Make sure you listen to other people play it as well. When it is next to your head it sounds completely different than when it is across the room. My bottom line is that you need to feel 100% satisfied. Take the time to wait and keep looking. You don't want to be stuck with something you're unhappy with and that you are going to have to replace in a couple of years because it can't keep up with you.
2007-07-15 18:36:39 · answer #1 · answered by I ♥ Norma Jean 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bring these concerns up to the place where you are purchasing the instruments from. If it's a minor adjustment, I'm sure they will be happy to make it, if only to get the sale. It could be something as simple as a soundpost adjustment as you said, a faulty string, a string that is not properly seated in the tailpiece, an improperly wound string (I would never have believed that this could be an issue until I put a cello string on an instrument for a student in the dark, and all of a sudden there was a rude noise in the instrument that was never there before) a hairline crack in the bridge, or a problem with the gut at the end of the tailpiece.
If you are buying this from a private party, take the time to visit a luthier and ask the same question. It would be a shame to choose an instrument you are less satisfied with for the lack of a minor repair that might take less than ten minutes.
2007-07-11 09:03:00 · answer #2 · answered by MUDD 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go with the second one. But do get it looked at before you hand over any money to the seller. Could be the violin itself, or it could also be that you have to change a couple things in the way that you play it to fix the fuzziness and the "barking".
I have to do that going between my electric and my acoustic. Once you get used to the instrument, it's not a big deal.
2007-07-11 11:46:50 · answer #3 · answered by faeriefiddler 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would get number 2. Take it to a luthier and have them take a look at it. They will do some stuff to fix strange noises it makes.
2007-07-11 13:02:22 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go for no 2. but have it checked out. May be it needs a new G. I had my fiddle set up by a repairer - he took all the rosin off under the fingerboard, and cleaned out a lot of dirt from inside. It improved the soound no end. Hope this helps
2007-07-11 12:04:07 · answer #5 · answered by SKCave 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd definitely go with #2 but take it to a luthier and have them look at it.
2007-07-11 08:54:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋