How can anyone go into a pawn shop and select a 'diamond in the rough'? Is there a book that can guide the common joe to select the best fiddle on the rack. Perhaps taking measurements? I wouldn't consider playing them as most often (say, in a pawn shop) they aren't set up at all. Any suggestions?
It's a totally different situation in a pawn shop but I got lucky & picked up a gem of a fiddle worth at least ten times what i paid for it on ebay. I emailed the seller & found out that she was an eldery ex pro-violin player so I had a good felling that the violin was good enough for a pro, which I got lucky & it is nice. Pawn shops are dicey all around - for the most part they are stocked by junkies who have most likely stolen the goods for sale. I live there are a lot of pawn shops & I've only picked up a borderline semi-decent mandolin, they seem to specialize in really crappy second hand electric guitars & DJ equipment. I really do think ebay is a fairly safe bet as well as cheaper music stores. If your after "diamod in the rough" your best off going through yard sales & quirky (not yuppie) antique shops - they both sometimes carry good stuff but have no idea what it is.
As far as stuff to look for - stay away from flashy finishes or inlays. It may look cool - but does not mean it is a fine instrument. Instead (if it isn't set up) simply knocking on the fiddle can give you a clue as to it's properties. Weight is another issue if it's real heavy chances are it's a clunker. Read up & learn about different makes, The Strad magazine has a lot of good violin info it is biased toward classical & a little snotty, but it does have really good info. Fiddler magazine can shed some light on some fiddle issues too. Learn about different makes (Strads, Stainers etc) their benifits, drawbacks etc. This is pretty broad info but I hope it helps.
Kevin, you'll also likely run into a lot of factory instruments made to look old. Many even come with quasi-authentic looking labels with a maker's name on them. Some of these are Slavic or Chinese pieces, bought in the white (unfinished) or in pieces, and then completed in USA. My main fiddle is such a beast, assembled in South Carolina but with a "German maker" label inside. The guy buys them cheap by the dozen, glues the pieces together and puts on a finish, then sells them for $600 to violin shops as "better student" instruments. I happened to find several with the same label and all of them were dogs except this one. For sound quality it beat out several genuine "name" violins that cost 5 times as much (I paid $1,500). After I improved the set up, and found strings that suit the fiddle, I'm content with it even compared to some violins in the $12,000 to $20,000 range. Of course, it will never be worth more than $1,500 because it's just a nameless plank, but who cares?
Instead of pawn shops or ebay, get to know your local music shop folks. I recently picked up a really nice fiddle on trade, and the music shop owner was satisfied because she got the fiddle on trade too. Even the stores that mostly cater to school orchestra programs occasionally come across nice fiddles, and the better shops will try to place these with more devoted musicians, particularly if you're already on friendly terms with them.
Good luck, and don't be disappointed if you end up trying (and owning) 5-6 fiddles in the next 10 years just to find one you really like. Sometimes it takes a year or two just to get all the tweaks right to make a fiddle sing.
When you pick up a good violin, you should do it very carefully. Try not to leave fingerprints on the varnish; this really upset the owner. In fact, it's usually best to pick it up when the owner is not looking.
I've got a guy in Texas who's hobby is re-graduating (re-tuning) fiddles. This is a process where one opens the instrument and shaves the wood down to create a perfect sound. He does a fantastic job and I've picked up several fiddles he's worked on and have found them to be comparable (even better) than violins selling for thousands of dollars.
What I'm looking to do is search the local pawn shops for a well constructed, well measured, aged violin and let this guy do his magic. (I figure the wood of an older violin will have settled in a bit better)
I know there are standard measurements for certain violin models, so I figure if I can select the best 'measured' violin for it's model, I should have a fantastic fiddle after it is re-graduated.
I'm looking for resources for measurements and practical advice on how to identify a well made fiddle simply by examination!
The thought of going into dusty old pawn shops with calipers and measuring devices and finding a great fiddle seems like a nice way to spend an afternoon. Am I weird?
I ordered a little book from Elderly Music one time called something like "How to Choose a Fiddle" or "Fiddle Buyer's Guide." I will look at home and try to find the correct title and author. The basic purpose of the book is to give hints about what to look for when you go to a pawn shop/music store/yard sale/etc. A lot of the book can be summed up by saying that if it sounds good to you, it's probably OK. However, there is a very good section on what to look for. Things like checking for cracks, key points of construction, etc. It tells about what perceived problems can be fixed easily and which can't and should be avoided.
The only kind of fiddle I'd give to someone to re-calibrate in this way was one that wasn't good to start with. If he makes a great job of that, then you might think about giving him a better one.
BUT - be careful - removing wood in this way can easily give you a louder, but "boxier" sounding fiddle. Not necessarily an improvement. I know - I had a very knowledgeable guy do this work on one of mine quite few years ago. On balance I think it would have been better left alone.
How to pick a good violin
How to pick a good violin
How can anyone go into a pawn shop and select a 'diamond in the rough'? Is there a book that can guide the common joe to select the best fiddle on the rack. Perhaps taking measurements? I wouldn't consider playing them as most often (say, in a pawn shop) they aren't set up at all. Any suggestions?
# Posted on January 7th 2002 by Caoimghgin
Re: How to pick a good violin
It's a totally different situation in a pawn shop but I got lucky & picked up a gem of a fiddle worth at least ten times what i paid for it on ebay. I emailed the seller & found out that she was an eldery ex pro-violin player so I had a good felling that the violin was good enough for a pro, which I got lucky & it is nice. Pawn shops are dicey all around - for the most part they are stocked by junkies who have most likely stolen the goods for sale. I live there are a lot of pawn shops & I've only picked up a borderline semi-decent mandolin, they seem to specialize in really crappy second hand electric guitars & DJ equipment. I really do think ebay is a fairly safe bet as well as cheaper music stores. If your after "diamod in the rough" your best off going through yard sales & quirky (not yuppie) antique shops - they both sometimes carry good stuff but have no idea what it is.
As far as stuff to look for - stay away from flashy finishes or inlays. It may look cool - but does not mean it is a fine instrument. Instead (if it isn't set up) simply knocking on the fiddle can give you a clue as to it's properties. Weight is another issue if it's real heavy chances are it's a clunker. Read up & learn about different makes, The Strad magazine has a lot of good violin info it is biased toward classical & a little snotty, but it does have really good info. Fiddler magazine can shed some light on some fiddle issues too. Learn about different makes (Strads, Stainers etc) their benifits, drawbacks etc. This is pretty broad info but I hope it helps.
# Posted on January 7th 2002 by Mad Baloney
Re: How to pick a good violin
Kevin, you'll also likely run into a lot of factory instruments made to look old. Many even come with quasi-authentic looking labels with a maker's name on them. Some of these are Slavic or Chinese pieces, bought in the white (unfinished) or in pieces, and then completed in USA. My main fiddle is such a beast, assembled in South Carolina but with a "German maker" label inside. The guy buys them cheap by the dozen, glues the pieces together and puts on a finish, then sells them for $600 to violin shops as "better student" instruments. I happened to find several with the same label and all of them were dogs except this one. For sound quality it beat out several genuine "name" violins that cost 5 times as much (I paid $1,500). After I improved the set up, and found strings that suit the fiddle, I'm content with it even compared to some violins in the $12,000 to $20,000 range. Of course, it will never be worth more than $1,500 because it's just a nameless plank, but who cares?
Instead of pawn shops or ebay, get to know your local music shop folks. I recently picked up a really nice fiddle on trade, and the music shop owner was satisfied because she got the fiddle on trade too. Even the stores that mostly cater to school orchestra programs occasionally come across nice fiddles, and the better shops will try to place these with more devoted musicians, particularly if you're already on friendly terms with them.
Good luck, and don't be disappointed if you end up trying (and owning) 5-6 fiddles in the next 10 years just to find one you really like. Sometimes it takes a year or two just to get all the tweaks right to make a fiddle sing.
# Posted on January 7th 2002 by Will Harmon
And some really nice shop owners will let you fix the set up BEFORE you buy the thing.
# Posted on January 7th 2002 by Will Harmon
Re: How to pick a good violin
When you pick up a good violin, you should do it very carefully. Try not to leave fingerprints on the varnish; this really upset the owner. In fact, it's usually best to pick it up when the owner is not looking.
# Posted on January 8th 2002 by glauber
Re: How to pick a good violin
OK. Here's the deal.
I've got a guy in Texas who's hobby is re-graduating (re-tuning) fiddles. This is a process where one opens the instrument and shaves the wood down to create a perfect sound. He does a fantastic job and I've picked up several fiddles he's worked on and have found them to be comparable (even better) than violins selling for thousands of dollars.
What I'm looking to do is search the local pawn shops for a well constructed, well measured, aged violin and let this guy do his magic. (I figure the wood of an older violin will have settled in a bit better)
I know there are standard measurements for certain violin models, so I figure if I can select the best 'measured' violin for it's model, I should have a fantastic fiddle after it is re-graduated.
I'm looking for resources for measurements and practical advice on how to identify a well made fiddle simply by examination!
The thought of going into dusty old pawn shops with calipers and measuring devices and finding a great fiddle seems like a nice way to spend an afternoon. Am I weird?
# Posted on January 8th 2002 by Caoimghgin
Re: How to pick a good violin
I ordered a little book from Elderly Music one time called something like "How to Choose a Fiddle" or "Fiddle Buyer's Guide." I will look at home and try to find the correct title and author. The basic purpose of the book is to give hints about what to look for when you go to a pawn shop/music store/yard sale/etc. A lot of the book can be summed up by saying that if it sounds good to you, it's probably OK. However, there is a very good section on what to look for. Things like checking for cracks, key points of construction, etc. It tells about what perceived problems can be fixed easily and which can't and should be avoided.
# Posted on January 9th 2002 by Jiml
Re: How to pick a good violin
COOOL! Thanks Jiml!
BTW, check this out! It's pretty neat anyway!
http://www.violin.odessa.ua/method.html
# Posted on January 9th 2002 by Caoimghgin
Re: How to pick a good violin
The only kind of fiddle I'd give to someone to re-calibrate in this way was one that wasn't good to start with. If he makes a great job of that, then you might think about giving him a better one.
BUT - be careful - removing wood in this way can easily give you a louder, but "boxier" sounding fiddle. Not necessarily an improvement. I know - I had a very knowledgeable guy do this work on one of mine quite few years ago. On balance I think it would have been better left alone.
# Posted on January 13th 2002 by Jeeves Tones