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Made in China. Those words on a violin label used to send teachers and violin dealers running the other way with memories of poor workmanship and piercing tone. That kind of violin still exists (see “Hundred Dollar Fiddle,” online at AllThingsStrings.com), but the quality of instruments produced today in the better Chinese workshops and factories has risen dramatically. There’s probably never been a better time to find good quality at an affordable price, whatever your budget.
Still, the market can be confusing to the buyer, whether student, parent, or experienced player in search of an affordable fiddle. At this price point—up to $2,500—violins all look about the same and prices appear to be all over the map. Why? What does more money buy? And what makes an instrument good?
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to answer those questions just by looking. To add to the confusion, there’s not always a direct correlation between price and sound. But there are explanations for the prices and there are definite differences between instruments at
different price points. To get a sense of the affordable production instruments coming from Chinese workshops and factories, Strings asked three long-established companies—Eastman Strings, Scott Cao Violins, and Snow Violins—to send a representative example of each of their entry-level, midrange, and advanced violins under $2,500.
Each of the nine instruments sent by these companies (representing three models from each manufacturer) was made of the proper materials—maple back, ribs, and scroll, with spruce tops and ebony fingerboards. Even the most modest was made of hand-carved parts, with inlaid purfling. Each was set up with quality bridges,
fittings, and strings.
To learn more about the technical elements, I took all nine instruments to violin maker Anthony Lane in Northern California. He pointed out details about the materials and workmanship that make a difference in sound, playability, and overall quality. Then several violin players on our staff gathered for a listening party.
What Makes a Good Violin?
Some aspects of the violin are permanent—the wood it’s made of, how it’s carved, the varnish. These give a violin its inherent quality. Other elements, collectively called the setup, can be changed or adjusted. Both
the inherent and changeable characteristics have a big impact on the sound, look, and feel of a fiddle.
Elements of Sound
Wood The disparities between the different price levels start with wood, which is selected for acoustical properties and also for visual beauty. Aged, flamed maple, with ideal acoustic characteristics, typically is used for the back, ribs, and scroll of a violin, but it’s expensive. So affordable, entry-level models are typically made of plain maple while the more advanced (and expensive) instruments show more flame or “figure.” Spruce, from which tops are made, is less showy than maple, but soundwise, it’s the spruce top that does most of the work. All violin wood must be aged before use or it will distort or crack over time, but the more expensive wood is aged longer.
You’ll hear wood referred to as European or Chinese. European maple is more expensive than Chinese, but according to Lane, the acoustical properties are the same. “They just look different,” he says.
Entry-level instruments will typically be made of plain or slightly flamed Chinese wood while the top-of-the-line instruments (those priced at $1,500 to $2,500) will have more flame or figure.
Workmanship As Jack Hu of Snow Violins explains, each level of instrument is made by a different group of makers. Workers specialize in different tasks, such as arching, scroll carving, or setting the neck. “[They are made] all by hand, just different hands,” Hu says. The older, more figured wood goes to the more skillful group of makers, who make
the more expensive instruments. Skill and attention to detail are very important in violin making. After wood, the shape of the arches and accuracy of the graduations (thickness) of the top and back are the most important factors contributing to sound. Every piece of wood is different and a good craftsman will know where to leave it thicker and where to take more out for the best results.
Model The model dictates the shape, dimensions, placement of sound holes and bridge, shape of the arches, and so on, all of which affect how the instrument looks, sounds, and responds. All elements must work together acoustically and visually to make a good instrument. Developing a model requires knowledge and experience. You’ll hear the terms “Strad model” or “Guarneri model” tossed about. One very successful violin maker admits it took him years to learn to tell them apart by looking. Some musicians gravitate consistently in one direction or the other, depending on their preference of sound (for instance, Guarneri models often have a darker tone favored by some violinists and fiddlers), but one is not better than the other.
Those Things You Can See
If you think instruments are selected by tone alone, think again. Violins are valued almost as much for beauty as for voice, and nobody is immune to the lure of appearances. Even the simplest of our nine sample instruments had a certain visual appeal. Expect the maple on the less-expensive instruments to be plain, while the more-expensive instruments will typically have more flame in the wood.
The primary job of varnish is to protect the wood from the ravages of dirt, weather, and human hands. Varnish that is too thick or hard acts like a straitjacket on the wood, restricting vibration and muffling the sound. Done well, varnish enhances sound and brings out the beauty of the wood, especially flamed maple, which appears to play with the light. Lane, the luthier, explains that the first layer of a good varnish job (called the “ground”) seals the wood, protecting that refractive quality. The colored layers then “float” on top. “It’s what we all strive for,” says Lane, nodding approvingly at a particularly well-done entry-level violin among our samples. When the color soaks into the wood, staining it, the result is dull and opaque.
The finish can be straight, shaded to simulate varnish that has broken down over time, or antiqued with nicks, scrapes, and worn edges. Think distressed denim. Any of these approaches can be done well or badly. For example, the plain, golden varnish of one of our sample instruments makes the most of a simple piece of wood. Antiquing can add visual interest, but look at a heavily distressed instrument and ask yourself what would have had to happen to an instrument to make it look like that!
Remember that antiquing takes time and typically adds cost to an instrument.
Those Things You Can Feel
“The neck is for the player,” violin maker Sigrun Seifert once said. Therefore she gives it special attention. The neck should not feel tacky, sticky, rough, or chunky. A violin neck that’s the proper shape will fit the hand with no dips or unevenness to get in the way of shifting smoothly.
The Significance
of Setup
Certain elements of your instrument are made to be replaced and adjusted. A good setup can bring out the best from a modest instrument, while a poor setup can make a good fiddle miserable to play. Anything you buy from a good violin shop should be properly set up.
The easiest parts to see are the fittings—pegs, tailpiece, end button, and chin rest. Fittings made of boxwood and rosewood are considered fancier than ebony, aesthetically speaking, and cost more. But ebony is actually the better choice functionally, Lane says, because it doesn’t compress or wear out as easily. Our entry-level models tended to have simple ebony fittings, while the advanced models had fancier, ornamented pegs. Chin rests are easily exchanged, so don’t dismiss a violin because the chin rest feels uncomfortable.
Pegs should turn smoothly and stay in place—if you can’t tune it, you can’t play it. Some of our entry-level instruments scored better on this front than pricier models. Four fine tuners, either built into the tailpiece or added individually, are not necessarily a bad thing. Individual tuners are easily replaced if one breaks.
Fingerboards should be ebony and properly shaped so that every note sounds clearly—the curve should be neither too round nor too flat, without bumps, and with a slight dip in the middle. Otherwise, certain notes won’t sound right, or will feel awkward to play.
The bridge is important: it transmits the vibration of the string to the top. All nine instruments came with good- or better-quality bridges from well-known bridge makers. No matter how humble the fiddle, the bridge feet should fit the top. The bridge should be the correct height and should match the curve of the fingerboard so the string height (called the “action”) is comfortable and even for all strings. The strings should be evenly spaced with easy string clearance for the bow.
Peer inside the instrument to see the soundpost standing just behind the bridge. It is not glued in, but carefully carved for a perfect fit. The bridge and soundpost work together to transmit the vibration of the string to the instrument’s body. Small adjustments to the bridge and soundpost can make a big difference in sound.
In Lane’s opinion, the sound difference among most of our sample instruments was well within the margins of what can be adjusted with setup.
Don’t Forget to Compare
There’s no substitute for trying out a lot of violins and choosing the one you like. Two or three fiddles of the very same make and model can look and sound quite different. Fiddles are simply not consistent: They are made of wood, not plastic. They are made by people, not machines. The same violin will sound different depending on strings, setup, the bow used, the player—even the weather!
This variability isn’t necessarily a drawback. Don’t be surprised if the one you like isn’t the most expensive. An inexpensive instrument may happen to be made of
better-than-expected wood. Or a critical step, such as the arching or graduations, could have been done by a particularly talented maker. A midrange instrument may use more expensive, but not better, components and not show significantly better workmanship or attention to setup.
Be sure to have someone play the fiddles you like so you can listen. The sound from the audience perspective can be quite different. Also, try a blind test—close your eyes and listen without knowing what you’re listening to. You may be surprised at how influenced we are by price and by looks. When blindfolded, our staff couldn’t consistently sort out instruments by price, and sometimes made very different remarks about the same instrument than they had when they could see it.
Evaluating the Sound
Some qualities can be evaluated objectively. Others are purely subjective. Try to weed out instruments on the objective merits and then select for tone.
• Listen for evenness of tone from string to string and up and down the neck. Listen for notes that sound dead or strings that have a different timbre than the others. On many of the sample instruments, the E string was significantly brighter than the others. Ask the clerk, if you are unsure, whether this can be adjusted or if a different brand of string might sound better.
• Does it “speak” easily, or is the tone hard to control?
• Check its projection. Why play if no one can hear you? An instrument that sounds a bit bright may be less pleasing under the ear, but project better and even sound better at a distance.
• Test its flexibility. Will it crescendo and decrescendo smoothly?
• Sound is hard to describe in words. Here are some words commonly used to describe violins (ask the sales clerk to explain his or her definition of those terms if they are used): warm, dark, bright, sparkling, boxy, hollow, shrill, edgy, smooth, thin, fat, rich, complex.
Financial Matters
It’s OK to pay more for better sound. “With good violins, the differences in sound are small, but they’re expensive,” Lane says. If you can afford to, consider resale value. “It’s easier to resell a $2,500 fiddle than a $500 fiddle,” he adds. The bargain-priced entry-level fiddle may be good quality for the money, but the higher-quality instrument with some handmade character will do better when it comes time to sell.
“You’re not losing value. You’ll always get your money back out of it,” Lane says.
The Bow Factor
If you don’t already have a bow, or aren’t satisfied with the one you own, factor one into your total budget. A good-quality bow will be far more rewarding to play, will aid your development as a player, and make the most of a less-expensive violin.. |
