Saturday, January 16th, 2010
Choosing a Violin Brand for Lasting Quality and Sound
Looking for a violin can be overwhelming, if nothing else, because of the sheer number of products on the market. To the untrained eye there is very little difference between the $100 dollar violin and its $850 dollar counterpart. But, in reality the quality of a violin and the sound that it produces are very much effected by factors like wood quality and manufacturing techniques which may not be obvious to the unsuspecting novice. Luckily, with a little guidance, anyone can master the array of violin brands, and know what separates a great violin from the rest.
Generally, violin instructors begin by telling their pupils that reputable violin brands do not generally have brand names, but rather are categorized by the name of the craftsman who initiated the design. For example, one of the most prestigious names in violin craftsmanship is Stradivari, and his name has become synonymous with the style of violin he created. These violins, generally, are manufactured in Europe and imported to other areas of the world, and are known not only for their consistent sound quality, but also for their ability to maintain financial value. I well made European violin will not depreciate, and may actually gain value after use; a good violin’s sound gets richer the more it is played, and many violinists seek instruments which have been “played in”.
The primary reason that European violins remain the most respected on the market, are because those named for the masters are still made in the original hand-crafting tradition. While this form of craftsmanship does drive up the price, it also insures the precision of the instrument, which, in the case of the violin, is of utmost importance, because the sound produced by the instrument is entirely dependent on the quality of its body. Both cracking and shrinking can be of major concern, and are more likely to occur in a violin that was not hand crafted by a luthier, or a master in violin craftsmanship. These individuals have studied the craftsmanship of violins, and know how to judge the quality of each wooden cut, to insure that each piece creates a sound that is consistent to a violins overall sound quality, a discernment which cannot be made by machine.
Buying a violin is not a casual past-time but a serious investment. Finding a violin of high quality takes a careful eye, and should not be made lightly. So consider violin brands which are named for a master, and who still employ luthiers, whose consider their professional reputation as hanging in the balance of their instument’s sound.
