Quality of Sound

Your Question: I have a 1928 Bert Goodwin 4/4 violin that has a good resonance ,reasonable volume,and I should be honest and say that I am a backyard 78 year old low end country fiddler so my knowledge of violin operation is limited. I can play reasonably ok with the radio or computer fiddle or at the fiddle club but as a solo I fail badly. Regardless it's my way of loving to play fiddle I use Daddario Hellicore heavy strings with pirastro gold E. Is that a good choice for resonance and quality sound? Or do you suggest I get live advice by a local luthier. A.J

My Answer: Dear A.J.,
There is no perfect string for all instruments. The combination that you are using is rather unusual. If you are happy with the sound then I'd suggest staying with the string combination that you are using.

My experience with the Helicore strings is that they do wear out quickly and if you don't have four fine tuners they can be difficult to tune. In general I'm not a big fan of gold plated E strings unless the violin has a harsh sounding E that you want to tone down. My experience has been that the gold plated E strings are expensive and the gold plating wears off quickly. I've also noticed that they seem more prone to "whistling" than plain steel E strings.

If you want to try other strings I'd suggest Thomastik Dominant with the #129 (plain steel) E string or the Thomastik Vision strings. The Dominant strings are the standard string used by most violin shops. In our shop we usually set up an instrument with Dominants and if we want to change the sound we then use something different depending on the sound we are trying to achieve. The Vision strings are a good alternative to the Dominant because they are less expensive and settle in much quicker than Dominants. Lots of fiddle players use Thomastik strings. Pirastro also makes very good strings as well.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Sheila Graves, Violin Dealer and CEO
Simply Violin

The CodaBow Joule Viola Bow: Energy and Control

Review of CodaBow Joule Viola Bow

The CodaBow Joule Viola bow is an amazing bow for the price. The suggested list price is $735.00. The bow has a sleek carbon fiber design with a Kevlar acoustic core and a graphite diamond weave. The frog is the “turbo” design manufactured specifically for CodaBow by the Walter Paulus Gmbh of Germany. It is made of Xebony, which is engineered ebony. The frog is nickel mounted with a sterling silver coda sign inlaid on each side. This bow is very attractive visually. The bow also boasts a 10 year warranty.

The Joule gets its name from the Joule unit for measuring energy. The bow adheres well to the string in when playing detaché strokes. It pulls an even sound from frog to tip and back from tip to frog. The Joule is easily controlled in martelé strokes and has a fast and even spiccato. The ricochet and sautillé strokes are easy to control.

The Joule is marketed as a bow designed for extended range instruments but plays great on a standard four string instrument. This bow weighs 70.2 grams and the balance point is 9 3/4 inches. The bow is very stable on the string in legato passages and is extremely responsive. The Joule with the turbo frog makes long slow bows feel like they can be sustained for a longer period of time than a bow with a traditional frog. The sound produced by a carbon fiber bow tends to have more clarity than a wood bow although some warmth of sound is lost. Because this bow is so responsive hair tension and hair length greatly effect the way the bow plays. Upon finding the appropriate hair tension the bow reacts to every nuance. This bow rivals a fine pernambuco bow. It is an excellent choice for viola because it allows good grip on the C string and a fluid and silky sound on the A string. This bow drives like a finely tuned Lamborghini but is priced like a Toyota. The Joule viola bow makes a wonderful bow for an advancing student or an excellent addition to a professional violist's arsenal of bows.

Sheila Graves
Violist, Violin Dealer, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Simply Violin, House of Note

Simply Violin Appraisal -- a Montagnana Copy

Message: I found your web site more informative than any other I have gone to. The violin I have, has a sticker inside. It says Dommicus Montagnana Sub Signo Cremonae Venetia 17 made in Germany. Is it worth restoring? It is in very good shape. Needs stings and bows need it too.



The Violin Dealer: When I try to enlarge the photos to see better detail they get too pixelated to see very well. From what I can tell it looks like the violin has two rather large top cracks. One of the cracks looks to be a bass bar (inside the violin) crack. Those are difficult to fix and the repair usually involves removing the top of the violin to do the repair. If I am correct about the top cracks then I would say that the repairs would exceed the value of the instrument. In addition, I'm not convinced that the fingerboard is ebony. If a violin has an ebony fingerboard that gives a good indication of quality. The violin also needs a new set of pegs in addition to set up work, bridge, sound post, strings, etc. This violin appears to be a Germany made copy of a Montagnana (pre-World War II) made circa 1900 - 1920. When this violin was new it probably sold for $10-$15. In today's market (in the midwest, USA) in excellent condition it would be worth $300-$700. Depending on the shop that did the restoration for you, the repairs could run $1,000 to $3,000 or more.

I can't see enough detail on the bows but I'd guess that the bow in the bottom bow holder is an inexpensive brazilwood bow with a half-mounted frog. It might be worth doing a rehair on it if there is no or minimal warping in the stick. This bow could have a a value of $100-$150 in good condition. The bow in the top bow holder could either be a pernambuco (type of wood) bow or an inexpensive Japanese cherrywood bow. If it is a pernambuco bow, depending upon condition it might be worthwhile to put into playing condition and could be worth $200-$300. If it is stamped Japan and is cherrywood, then generally those bows have little value today, and I would not recommend having a rehair or any other work done on it.

Q and A: Why does my bow bounce?

Question: Hi, I've played violin for about 15 years. When doing long bow strokes, especially on open E, I get a little bounce in the middle of the stroke/bow. Normally don't notice it in the middle of a passage, especially with vibrato "hiding" it. I try to keep my arm and wrist totally relaxed, but I still get a little bounce that breaks up a smooth phrase. Any advice? Thanks

Answer: This could be caused by your bow.  Every bow does this to some extent, the problem is when you can actually hear it.  When a bow is tightened too much it can become bouncy and hard to control.  Check the stick of the bow to see if it is warping in one direction or another.  If it is warped, have the stick straightened by a qualified luthier.  A good luthier can also adjust the camber on your bow to minimize the bounciness.  If you find that nothing works to control this problem it might be time to look for a different bow.

Is it a Stradivarius? An Appraisal

As a violin dealer, I often am asked whether an old violin owned by a customer might be a Stradivarius. The following is an appraisal of an instrument of the kind typically brought to me labeled inside as a Stradivarius. Is it a real Strad? Read on and find out!

Appraisal dated January 31, 2010

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for your inquiry about your violin. I have examined the photos and will offer you my opinion on your instrument. Disclaimer: It is always difficult to do a complete assessment of an instrument through photos.

General Remarks: Your violin appears to be a copy of a Stradivari made circa 1900. My guess is that it was made in Germany although it could have been made in Czechoslovakia. The borders were not as defined during that era as they are today. From the photos, the violin appears to be in reasonably good shape although I did note a few top cracks. There did not appear to be any soundpost cracks in the top or back, which is good. The other cracks can be repaired should you choose to do so. In addition the violin is in need of standard set-up work, which would include new pegs, nut, plane fingerboard, bridge, soundpost, tailpiece, tail wire, fine tuner(s), end button and strings. The violin appears to need a few corner grafts and some cosmetic work such as cleaning and retouch. From what I can tell both bows would be more cost effective to replace than to fix.

Specifics:


1. It is hard to see in this photo but there is a crack ascending from the saddle on the right side. Also there is a crack that originates from under the chinrest. Because of the angle this photo was taken the ff holes appear to be elongated and resemble Guarneri ff holes rather than Stradivari, but I think if the photo were taken straight on they would resemble Stradivari ff holes. Also the fingerboard appears to be ebony (rather than maple dyed black) and the purfling (the alternating black and white strips around the edge) is inlaid. This gives an indication of the quality of the instrument. Strad copies circa 1900 were made by the thousands and of varying degrees of quality. The very cheap copies did not have ebony fingerboards, or pegs and did not have inlaid purfling.



2. This ff hole resembles a Stradivari ff hole and it is easy to see that the purfling is inlaid. To restore this violin to pristine condition both corners in this photo should have a corner graft, which is where new wood is added and varnished to bring the corners back to the original condition. There is also a bit of denting in the C bout. This could be steamed to bring out the crushed wood and then retouched with varnish to make it look great. This would be for cosmetic purposes.




3. This photo shows the neck joint and the ebony fingerboard. This is shot helps to date the violin because the original varnish is unbroken where the neck joins the ribs and the back button. If the violin were made prior to 1850 the neck and fingerboard would be short (ie baroque) or the original neck would have been replaced to bring the violin to modern standards which would include a higher neck projection and a longer neck and fingerboard.



4. I cannot make out the stamp on this bow but I suspect that it says Japan. It appears to be a cherrywood stick. This was a very inexpensive bow in it’s day and the repairs needed would greatly exceed the value of this bow. To most dealers this bow has no “salvage” value.



5. This photo does not show much detail but an educated guess would be that this is a brazilwood bow of German origin. If you look carefully on the stick behind the frog you may see the word “GERMANY” stamped into the stick. It appears that the hair has been left tight for many years and there is significant warping in the stick of the bow, both under the winding and I suspect further down on the stick. The ebony frog appears to be nickel mounted. Better bows generally have silver mountings. As with the other bow, the repairs required to get this bow into playing condition would greatly exceed the value of the bow.

Summary: In my opinion this is a classic “Strad Copy” violin that most violin dealers see on a daily basis. This type of violin was manufactured by the thousands from 1875 to 1940. These instruments were widely distributed by mail-order venues such as Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. There were various grades of these violins made. A dealer typically looks at overall workmanship and other quality indicators such as inlaid purfling and if the fingerboard is ebony, also if the varnish is spirit (alcohol) or oil based. I will not offer a repair estimate on this violin because that can vary from shop to shop and from region to region. In perfect condition this violin could sell for anywhere from $200.00 to $2,000.00 and again that depends upon the region, the dealer and the market. Keep in mind that an object is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. In the mid-west (USA) this violin, in good playable condition, should sell for $600.00 - $1,000.00.

Respectfully submitted,
Sheila Graves
Violin Dealer, Simply Violin

How to Choose an E String for the Violin

Deciding which E string to use on the violin is a very individual choice. There are numerous E strings on the market and opinions will vary from player to player. This article will look at several popular brands and their characteristics.

There are many different types of E strings. They include plain steel, wound, gold plated, silvery steel, multilayer tin plated steel, chrome steel and plain gut.

Plain steel E strings are by far the most popular and preferred strings. They tend to give the truest sound with the most brilliant and clear overtones. A popular string currently is the Pirastro Wondertone Gold. It gives a clean and clear sound with even projection. The light or weich gauge Wondertone can also minimize wolf tones on the E string. If you are looking for a string with a little more color, the Jargar is an excellent choice. It adds more warmth to the sound and is popular amongst many violinists. Another great choices is the Westminster. The 27 1/2 gauge E is a high tension string and, on some instruments, it will open up the sound on all four strings. The Lenzner Goldbrokat has been used by violinists for many years. It is comparable to the Wondertone Gold E string and gives a clean and clear sound. However, Lenzners do not tend to last as long as Wondertones. Other good choices for a steel E include Corelli, Thomastik Dominant #129, Kaplan Golden Spiral, Prim, D'addario, Larsen and Hill, in addition to the many plain steel E strings by Pirastro.

The new generation steel E strings are plated with various alloys including silver, tin and chrome. Silvery steel strings are comparable to plain steel and can give a little more focus to the sound -- but at the cost of warmth. Pirastro manufactures these strings and they are sold as Evah Pirazzi, Wondertone Solo, and Passione. The tin plated E strings tend to have a more strident sound. Thomastik Vision uses tin plating. An excellent choice is the Pirastro No. 1 Universal E, which is chrome plated. This is a fantastic alternative to plain steel E strings, which can whistle. It retains the brilliance and clarity of plain steel -- with an easy response -- while eliminating the annoying whistle. This string is very good for violinists who suffer from hand perspiration.

Wound strings have been around for years. The two most popular wound strings are the Pirastro Eudoxa and the Thomastik Dominant #130. Both of these have a warm and rich sound, but lack the brilliance and clarity on harmonics and overtones. They tend to wear faster as the outer winding breaks down with use and perspiration -- thus leading to more frequent string changing. Hence, they are a poor choice for violinists with sweaty hands. Another popular wound E is the Kaplan Solutions, which is designed for violins that suffer from a whistling E. On many violins, they seem to make the sound seem somewhat dull.

Plain gut E strings are primarily used by baroque violin players. Since they lack an outer protective wrapping, they wear very quickly. They have a thin sound and generally sound nicer when the violin is tuned below A440. The Pirastro Chorda is the most popular of these. Gut strings are affected by temperature and humidity and require frequent tuning. As an organic product, they have a shelf life and require frequent changing.

Of the four strings on a violin, the E string is the least expensive. Thus, it is often possible to experiment with several options to find the one that best suits both your tastes and your instrument.

Embrace and Extend Suzuki - Simply Violin - The Sing, Play, Learn Songbook

Simply Violin: Sing. Play. Learn. Favorite Songs for Violin in First Position is a new book for beginning violin students. I have been teaching violin and viola for nearly 30 years and am always looking for new ways to inspire and teach my students. It can be difficult to keep today's children interested in learning violin -- especially when they are assigned unfamiliar songs and exercises. Although Suzuki has been considered the Gold Standard almost since Book One for violin first came out in 1978, I have always found the songs to be rather dull. I also think the level of difficulty rises far too quickly. In contrast, Sing. Play. Learn's songs are all intended to be played in first position, and every song can be played with or without using the fourth finger of the left hand.

After using the book for about 6 months, I have had good luck with it. I appreciate that there are 80 songs, more than contained in any other violin book that I can think of. And, yet, the children know most of the tunes and enjoy playing music that they recognize. The parents also are happy to hear recognizable tunes and are more able to help their children to learn them. Plus, the musical editing is very clear, the bowings and articulations well thought out, and there are no page turns within songs.

Another aspect of the book that I like is that it is divided logically into sections that feature fingerings such as first finger low, second finger high, etc., introduced separately. The book also has lyrics for each song. I have found that if a student is having trouble with pitch or rhythm, it can be helpful to sing the song first along with the student, so that he or she can make the connection to the notes and rhythms on the page. Because of its logical division of songs, fingerboard and note reading charts that Suzuki does not have, and arrangement in order of increasing difficulty, I do consider this to be a method book as well as a song book, and, thus, a possible competitor or at least supplement to Suzuki Book One. As an accompaniment book is also available, all of the songs can potentially be used in recitals, another strength.

I have found this to be a very well thought out book and am glad to have it in my teaching studio. However, to name just the few quibbles I do have with the book, I would like to see a page introducing beginning rhythms and possibly also some pictures showing correct bow hold, position for holding the violin, and proper positioning of the feet, as well as other instructional images, as are incorporated in the latest release of Suzuki Book One. However, because the book is unique in the market for beginning violin books, I think it is worth considering despite lacking these items.

I hope this book also comes out for viola, as there are even fewer good song books for viola than for violin.