# Another new violin - another sound experience!



## Nox

My new violin arrived in the mail yesterday! I played it this morning. I'm still astounded at the differences between instruments...quite remarkable.

I've gone from what turned out to be a terrible sounding cheap violin...to a slightly better sounding cheap violin...to a 'real' 1900s violin with issues...(interject one brand new factory made viola  ) ...to a brand new 'small shop' violin... :lol: 

I'm learning as I go along...and also realizing I still have tons to learn.. Although I basically like my German Trade violin...since it's the first 'real' violin I've had, I was getting dissatisfied with it...although I think it basically sounds good...something undefinable (for me) was happening. This dissatisfaction started when I got my Shen viola. It somehow sounds much better than the violin. Then there's the issue of the repaired pegbox...I'm always scared to tune it. That's actually a bigger factor than maybe it should be.

So, I went shopping again. This time I was primarily looking for performance. I wanted a violin I knew wouldn't hold me back and that if I made a 'bad sound' it was soley my fault and NOT the fault of the violin. Hard to find all that on a limited budget.

However I think I succeeded! I just purchased one of Gianna Violin's 'Rose' violins (Steven and Gianna Perry, Tenessee). It may be more violin than I'll ever need...but it's nice to know I likely won't outgrow it. 

Inital thoughts: It's very different from my German Trade violin. It's much more responsive (which I really needed). It projects much better. I'm very pleased! Both violins resonate very well...but quite differently...however I don't have the words at hand to describe the tonal difference. It plays much better on the higher registars...but I don't know if the bridge on the German violin is quite right...it looks very high, which would affect playability. And I don't know if it's cut that way to compensate for the fingerboard, or if she just didn't cut it quite right (I had a new bridge put one when I bought it last winter).

I know I can trust the set-up on Steve's, so that's one less thing I'm wondering about.

Now I need to take a few photos...it's a del Gesu model...but the differences must be subtle to the untrained eye...I can't tell the difference yet between it and a Strad., which I'm assuming the German violin is (but it might not be...  ).


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## 009

Yes...yes... The thrill of getting a better instrument that essentially aids u in your playing development... :lol: 

but 1 interesting thing to note  ... better violins/viola etc are harder to control. They are always termed as 'tricky', caz they make u sound more 'real' and responsive, that being that they amplify all the tiny mistakes that u make. Esp. intonation wise... U realise that bad intonation are magnified soooo many times :blink: with a better instrument. Strange... :huh:


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## Nox

You're right...LOL...I've already noticed...but I think I'm ready to get more accurate when hitting notes outside my current 'comfort' zone (which is still 1st position - with a few notes outside of first - oh yes, I don't seem to have too many problems with 1/2 position )


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## Daniel

What about 3 rd position? Actually I like it more than 1 st. :lol:


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## becky

Cool, I'm glad you like your new violin. That's a lot of fiddles in a short time! It's really nice looking, too. I've found the photo gallery at soloviolin!


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## Nox

> _Originally posted by Daniel_@Oct 4 2004, 03:40 PM
> *What about 3 rd position? Actually I like it more than 1 st. :lol:
> [snapback]2319[/snapback]​*


I'm still not comfortable. I think I need to do a series of studies...but I don't have them...and can't figure it out totally on my own...if I had to pick one, so far I find 4th easiest, because I know better where the notes should be...


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## Nox

> _Originally posted by becky_@Oct 4 2004, 04:52 PM
> *Cool, I'm glad you like your new violin. That's a lot of fiddles in a short time! It's really nice looking, too. I've found the photo gallery at soloviolin!
> [snapback]2322[/snapback]​*


Thank you. In all honesty I have to say it's not the fiddle I would have picked on appearance alone. :huh: I've come to like the more dramatic flaming on the back and I prefer a brown colouration (love the look of my Shen :wub. This violin has very subtle flaming on the back and is reddish in colour (but thankfully not too red!). However, although not my favourite I find don't mind the colour - it's growing on me ...I do like the shading on it (antiquing) and I rather like the matt finish more so that the highly glossed (on my Shen for example). I also like the Rosewood fittings - very pretty. I now have instruments with ebony fittings, boxwood (datewood) and rosewood. I like them all but if I had to rank them though - I'd say ebony, rosewood and then boxwood. But it's nice to have all of them at hand...just to look at  .

I bought this latest violin primarily for function - ultimately appearance doesn't mean much (as long as you don't totally hate it!). It's made in a small shop in Bulgaria, sent to the US in the white and totally refurbished and set-up to the luthier's specs. Lots of attention to detail. I like that I don't have to wonder if the instrument is set-up properly or not. 

Yes, lots of fiddles since last December. But I think I'm done now. No more burning need to buy anything - instruments or bows or cases! However, I am hunting for a new rosin (just for the heck of it) and will be playing around with strings when the time comes to switch! B)


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## Quaverion

Any pictures coming?


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## Nox

Yes, there are some in the soloviolin gallery.


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## Daniel

Check this out: http://www.soloviolin.com/forum/index.php?act=gal

James and I were thinking of merging the gallery for soloviolin and solomusic.


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## Nox

Works for me!


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## baroque flute

Congratulations! I am glad you were able to find better violin--and that you told us all about it!


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## Nox

LOL...I couldn't help myself...*bouncybouncybouncy*...


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## Quaverion

Yes. Congrats on the new "baby."


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## Nox

...thanks so much!  My truck won't start...I'm missing orchestra practice...*sigh* and I was so looking forward to it...


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## 009

Oh My! Is your red truck ok? :huh:



> *What about 3 rd position? Actually I like it more than 1 st. *


Yeah, me too. The tone is much balanced and refined in the third also, and staying up there allows u to do much more. Actually 1st position is the hardest. Once u get used to shifting, u'll discover how ambiguous this truly is. The higher the position, the easier.
The hand shape in 1st position tends to change more than other positions... Esp. when changing between flats/naturals etc. :lol:


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## Nox

...the truck must have a slow power drain somewhere...it seems fine if we use it every day...but if it sits for a while...we'll have to take it in...*argh*...

Had my first lesson with the new violin last night!

My teacher really put it through it's paces...wow! Did it ever sound good! Even better from a distance than under the ear...

...she really is a world class player...can she ever make a violin sing!...

...it's still a little tight...needs to fully open up...but that will only make it sound better...it plays evenly on all strings...is very responsive...good to know she confirmed what I was thinking...(see I am learning!)


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## Daniel

How is your violin going? Gets "warmer" with time?


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## Nox

...I think it is! Thanks for asking! ...wish I had more hours in the day to practice!


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## Herbstlied

My violin is Chinese... I was told that not even the poorest student in Europe would accept using such a violin...
So... now I'm saving to buy a German one!...so, for the next six months or so, I'll stick to my Shanghaiese violin...


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## Kezza

It probably sounds better than me trying to play a good one


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## Elaryad

Herbstlied said:


> My violin is Chinese... I was told that not even the poorest student in Europe would accept using such a violin...
> So... now I'm saving to buy a German one!...so, for the next six months or so, I'll stick to my Shanghaiese violin...


"I was told that not even the poorest student in Europe would accept using such a violin..." - This is a very stupid thing to say. Who told you that? Jesus... hope it wasn't your teacher.

I will also need to go for a Chinese cello. Don't think that makes me happy. But I prefer to be poor and playing that to be poor and stupid.

And make sure your new violin is not "German made in China".


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## Herbstlied

Well...maybe you're right... sure you're rigth!
actually...my Russian teacher tells me with his broken English:'' I know it's a bad instrument, but it's YOUR instrument''...
I've never complained but friends always complain about their violins...and what made me more influenced with this ''doctrine!!'' is that I changed my bow with a German one... and the first thing I thought: what the hell was I playing with!!... truly it's too different... so I thought the whole violin could be ''not as good as I thought''...


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## Elaryad

And of course it's not as good and you thought. But what makes me mad is not your awareness but the pretentious attitude of your friends. People are always complaining about what they have or don't have, but sometimes you need to stick to what you really have. Your Russian teacher was right.


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