hi folks.
i've recently bought a fiddle (fortunately a cheap one) on e-bay ,and the "clever" seller did not mention the size of the violin. To my disappointment i've received a 3/4 fiddle and , rather than hanging it on a wall of my room, i would like to give it a try , may be by using another strings setting or tuning it in a different way . Any advice, or the nail in the wall is actually the only possible solution to my problem?
thanks
Massimo
Is there any way of complaining to e-bay? You've received goods inadequately described, in that an important part of the description (the fiddle size) was not disclosed, and such a small instrument is not fit for purpose when used by an adult.
Well I suppose the discription wasn't entirely misleading he did say he was selling a "fiddle" which can be loosely translated to mean a scam or a con, and that you recieved!! I would E-mail the seller though and give him a chance to rectify the problem before reporting him, he probably didn't know the difference, if you decided to go the other road I recommend two four inch nails and no more than a three pound hammer!
it was my fault not to check for the size of the fiddle. i think the seller was anyway fully aware that he was selling a 3/4 as when i phoned him afterwards he admitted that he knew that. but, anyway , as he didn't say that ie was a full size violin, i have no ways to complain. Now, if i find some friend's kid who wants to play it i will give it free (better destination than hanging from a wall) , if not, may be nice to experiment something new through a different string setting or another tuning.
Did you pay by Paypal? A friend had a similar experience, though in that case the seller had actually described it as full-size. It might be held that unless the seller says it is a small size it will be assumed by default to be full size.
Go for the jugular - my friend got her money back through the Paypal complaints procedure.
We buy a lot on ebay, and a lesson we learnt the hard way is always, always ask - on specifics such as the size, and about all the places where you usually find damage / cracking.
Most people will go out of their way to avoid negative feedback, but if the seller knew it was a 3/4 and didn't say, I think that's a bit wrong. However, I doubt ebay would back you up on that one!!
I bought a cheap eBay fiddle that turned out to be a 7/8 fiddle (I think). It has a gentle, quiet but acceptable sound, and I can imagine taking it travelling or camping rather than my main fiddle.
I don't seem to have too much trouble adjusting between the two, it takes a few minutes so I wouldn't want to be swapping all night. But maybe a 3/4 would be more difficult to play, I don't know, I've never knowingly played one.
thanks all for the comments, but my very question wasn't about how getting back the money. On that i gave up , as i have no chances . I was just wondering if it is possible to turn the problem (3/4 size) into an opportunity (different setting and tuning, may be open chords, or different strings) in order to obtain a complementary instrument.
Twas a very famous quote on this site some time ago about a 'famous' player and the fact that he had always played o a 3/4 sized fiddle Just ask Zina?
If you are blessed with smaller digits you can find yourself at home with a 3/4. If you have longer fingers you don't have the problem of stretching for the high b and beyond on the e string.
Whatever...it makes no discernable difference. Just tune it up and enjoy!
that's a good advice. As i mostly work on phone I will also get myself a 3/4 size phone,( strictly bought in the e-bay) so that, according to that logic, i will be able to reduce of 25% my working time as well
I got my kids a tiny 1/10 size fiddle to play around on. I found that although the sound quality wasn't anywhere near as good as my full size it was easily playable. I would say tune it up and have a go with it to see how you get on. The only disadvantages I can predict are that the sound quality may not be good and it may be less comfortable for you to play, but that probably depends on the length of your arm more than anything else.
I have a cheap 3/4 that I play in outside venues when the weather is bad... It came in real handy when I traveled to Ireland... I didn't care that I had to check it through baggage and I didn't care that it was misting/raining on the street when I played with a bagpiper in Galway. It's kind of nice to not have a worry... but you do have to adjust your style a bit to account for the slight size difference.
If you are really, really, really long in the arms and the fingers, you might have a problem. Think about those enormous guys with fingers like sausages playing sweetly on a fiddle when they would probably be better off with an upright bass. The real problem is when the fiddle it too big for you. Give it a shot. If it doesn't work, give it to your second cousin's wife's neighbor's kid.
Tune it up a 5th (D-A-E-B), learn to play baroque fiddle and then you'll be able to play all that fantastic stuff by Locatelli where he takes the player up to what is the 22nd position on modern tuning.
BTW, it's only my personal theory that Locatelli tuned his fiddle up to make that high fingering (otherwise way beyond end of the baroque fingerboard) possible. I'm probably completely out of my tree on this one
how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
hi folks.
i've recently bought a fiddle (fortunately a cheap one) on e-bay ,and the "clever" seller did not mention the size of the violin. To my disappointment i've received a 3/4 fiddle and , rather than hanging it on a wall of my room, i would like to give it a try , may be by using another strings setting or tuning it in a different way . Any advice, or the nail in the wall is actually the only possible solution to my problem?
thanks
Massimo
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by fiddlemax
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Is there any way of complaining to e-bay? You've received goods inadequately described, in that an important part of the description (the fiddle size) was not disclosed, and such a small instrument is not fit for purpose when used by an adult.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by Trevor Jennings
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Well I suppose the discription wasn't entirely misleading he did say he was selling a "fiddle" which can be loosely translated to mean a scam or a con, and that you recieved!! I would E-mail the seller though and give him a chance to rectify the problem before reporting him, he probably didn't know the difference, if you decided to go the other road I recommend two four inch nails and no more than a three pound hammer!
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by fap
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
it was my fault not to check for the size of the fiddle. i think the seller was anyway fully aware that he was selling a 3/4 as when i phoned him afterwards he admitted that he knew that. but, anyway , as he didn't say that ie was a full size violin, i have no ways to complain. Now, if i find some friend's kid who wants to play it i will give it free (better destination than hanging from a wall) , if not, may be nice to experiment something new through a different string setting or another tuning.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by fiddlemax
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
You could donate it to a school. They're always short on funding for the arts.
And definitely complain to eBay and give the seller negative feedback.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by kennedy
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Did you pay by Paypal? A friend had a similar experience, though in that case the seller had actually described it as full-size. It might be held that unless the seller says it is a small size it will be assumed by default to be full size.
Go for the jugular - my friend got her money back through the Paypal complaints procedure.
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by c.g.
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
What about trading it in a music shop/??
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by fap
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
We buy a lot on ebay, and a lesson we learnt the hard way is always, always ask - on specifics such as the size, and about all the places where you usually find damage / cracking.
Most people will go out of their way to avoid negative feedback, but if the seller knew it was a 3/4 and didn't say, I think that's a bit wrong. However, I doubt ebay would back you up on that one!!
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
The person my friend bought off described it as full size and then said it was her fault for not asking what size it was!
# Posted on January 15th 2007 by c.g.
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Ah, c.g., then absolutely your friend had a case!
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Hi Max,
I bought a cheap eBay fiddle that turned out to be a 7/8 fiddle (I think). It has a gentle, quiet but acceptable sound, and I can imagine taking it travelling or camping rather than my main fiddle.
I don't seem to have too much trouble adjusting between the two, it takes a few minutes so I wouldn't want to be swapping all night. But maybe a 3/4 would be more difficult to play, I don't know, I've never knowingly played one.
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by Bernie 29
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
thanks all for the comments, but my very question wasn't about how getting back the money. On that i gave up , as i have no chances . I was just wondering if it is possible to turn the problem (3/4 size) into an opportunity (different setting and tuning, may be open chords, or different strings) in order to obtain a complementary instrument.
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by fiddlemax
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Twas a very famous quote on this site some time ago about a 'famous' player and the fact that he had always played o a 3/4 sized fiddle
Just ask Zina?
If you are blessed with smaller digits you can find yourself at home with a 3/4. If you have longer fingers you don't have the problem of stretching for the high b and beyond on the e string.
Whatever...it makes no discernable difference. Just tune it up and enjoy!
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by Greenwiggle
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
...but you are only allowed to play 75% of any piece of music.
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by Mark Harmer
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
that's a good advice. As i mostly work on phone I will also get myself a 3/4 size phone,( strictly bought in the e-bay) so that, according to that logic, i will be able to reduce of 25% my working time as well
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by fiddlemax
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
I got my kids a tiny 1/10 size fiddle to play around on. I found that although the sound quality wasn't anywhere near as good as my full size it was easily playable. I would say tune it up and have a go with it to see how you get on. The only disadvantages I can predict are that the sound quality may not be good and it may be less comfortable for you to play, but that probably depends on the length of your arm more than anything else.
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by bowburner
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
I have a cheap 3/4 that I play in outside venues when the weather is bad... It came in real handy when I traveled to Ireland... I didn't care that I had to check it through baggage and I didn't care that it was misting/raining on the street when I played with a bagpiper in Galway. It's kind of nice to not have a worry... but you do have to adjust your style a bit to account for the slight size difference.
# Posted on January 16th 2007 by pastrings
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
If you are really, really, really long in the arms and the fingers, you might have a problem. Think about those enormous guys with fingers like sausages playing sweetly on a fiddle when they would probably be better off with an upright bass. The real problem is when the fiddle it too big for you. Give it a shot. If it doesn't work, give it to your second cousin's wife's neighbor's kid.
# Posted on January 21st 2007 by Meri-pixie
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
Tune it up a 5th (D-A-E-B), learn to play baroque fiddle and then you'll be able to play all that fantastic stuff by Locatelli where he takes the player up to what is the 22nd position on modern tuning.
BTW, it's only my personal theory that Locatelli tuned his fiddle up to make that high fingering (otherwise way beyond end of the baroque fingerboard) possible. I'm probably completely out of my tree on this one
# Posted on January 22nd 2007 by Trevor Jennings
Re: how to use a 3/4 fiddle .
You could try playing it on your chest instead of under your chin. You'll be able to sing along as well!
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by Alancorsini