A WORD FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS
Most people only have one chance in their life to learn music, and parents tend to be the main providers of that chance. Instead of a life-long pleasure, a bad quality instrument could turn that opportunity into a short-lived experience and disapointment. So, how can you make sure that you give your child the best chance to succeed ?
If you visit a general music shop, the chances are that you are going to be advised by somebody who does not understand the intricacies of stringed instruments, and will tell you that 'this one is more expensive than that one therefore it is better (or vice versa!). Beware! This is not necessarily true. In today's market, there are many instruments available, with all sorts of price tags, but they reflect the country of origin more than the quality of the instrument. You may think that spending a little more (or even a lot more) than the cheapest instrument will get you something decent, but this gives no guarantee of a good instrument. In fact, whatever instrument you buy, even if it costs £ 800 or more, will usually have problems, unless it has been through the hands of an experienced violin maker or restorer.
You might also have been given the idea that an old instrument would be better than a new one because it has been 'played in'. Again, this is not necessarily true. In fact, some of the worst instruments we have ever seen date from the middle of the 19th century.
It is not HOW MUCH you spend that counts, it is WHAT you spend it on!
WHY A CARDIFF VIOLINS INSTRUMENT WILL SET YOU
UP FOR SUCCESS
If you come to Cardiff Violins, you will be met by people who understand stringed instruments, because we are string specialists with considerable in-depth knowledge and experience. Over the years, we have worked on several fine old Italian instruments, including the work of Stradivarius and Guarneri Del Gesu, arguably the two greatest violin makers of all times. These Instruments were in the hands of important musicians, who would not entrust their precious tools to just any repairer.
Often people tell us that they want something as cheap as possible because 'she's only learning. We'll get a better one when she is better at it'. The problem is that an instrument that is not properly working will discourage anybody from playing, or at least slow their learning process down a great deal. It would be similar to giving a pair of Doc Martens to a child starting gymnastics.
A Cardiff Violins instrument will allow you to go further faster, because it works, right from the start.
For the young commencing player, we would recommend :
An inexpensive instrument that is correctly set up, to help you learn, progress and ENJOY MUSIC (an aspect a lot of people forget about).
If you buy an instrument "off the peg", you are going to have to cope with a number of things that do not work properly. This is due to one or more reasons. :
1) Poor workmanship. Very often, undertaken by a machine, not a violin maker
2) Poor materials. Badly selected woods can cause a considerable amount of distortion in the instrument
3) Varying levels of humidity. Humidity varies enormously between countries and causes the wood to come under tension either through contraction or expansion. Even instruments made from the finest old selected air-dried wood will be affected by these climatic changes. However, not to the same degree as poorly dried and selected wood.
4) General music stores usually do not employ trained in-store violin makers, which results in poor handling of instruments.
The most common problems are listed below, with the work Cardiff Violins carry out to remedy them.
Pegs
When instruments are subjected to humidity changes, the pegs and their holes become oval, due to either expansion (too wet) or shrinking (too dry). As a result, the pegs will only hold their position when the two ovals are in line. It would be a rare coincidence for the string to be at the correct pitch in this situation, making the instrument virtually untunable. This will cause a lot of frustration for the player, who will not be able to play the instrument in tune. It could also cost a few points at exams, as intonation is an important marking criteria.
Cardiff Violins reshape the pegs and holes of the instrument to allow perfect tuning
Nut
The nut is the piece of wood, usually ebony, that raises the strings away from the fingerboard at the "head" or "scroll" end of the instrument. If it is too high, the player will have difficulties to press the strings down against the fingerboard, and if it is too low, the strings will buzz or rattle against the fingerboard. If the nut grooves are too deep, they will damage the string windings.
If the edge of the nut is too sharp or square, it will hurt the index finger and also damage or break the strings. If the string spacing is wrong, the player will have problems with string crossing when playing.
Cardiff Violins reshape and correct all defects on the nut, or replace it.
The fingerboard
In order to work properly and avoid buzzes and rattles, the fingerboard has to be subtely concave along its length (most factory instruments come with irregularities, or are too deeply hollowed), and of course convex across its width. Usually, only the second of these two conditions is met.
Cardiff Violins reshape or replace the fingerboard as appropriate.
The bridge
The bridge transmits the sound through to the belly of the instrument. It has to be perfectly fitted to the table . All of its measurements are crucial for good sound transmission and ease of playing. These measurements could vary significantly from one instrument to another, depending upon other parameters such as neck angle, back and belly thickness and arching, to name but a few. The bridges you get on an instrument you buy "off the shelf" are not properly fitted. Very often they have too flat a curve across the top, which makes bowing difficult. The string heights are normally incorrect, either too high, (extremely uncomfortable) or too low, causing unpleasant buzzes.Bridges also tend to be too thick and heavy, giving poor tone and slow sound transmission.
Cardiff Violins rebridge all new instruments before selling them.
The strings
Inexpensive new instruments invariably come with very poor metal strings, which sound strident and unpleasant and, when coupled with too great a string height, can feel extremely hard under the fingers, particularly if they are tender little fingers.
Cardiff Violins replace the old metal strings with good quality soft strings of a compatible nature to the instrument.
The tail-piece
Cardiff Violins make sure that all beginners instruments are fitted with adjustable tail-pieces. Instruments for more advanced players would normally have ordinary wooden tailpieces with an E string adjuster, as by then, players normally can tune with the pegs.
The sound-post
As well as being a structural support, the sound-post greatly enhances the sound of the treble notes, and to a lesser extent, also of the bass notes. In French, the sound-post is justifiably called the 'soul'. The dimensions and position of the sound-post are essential for a good voice. More often than not, very little or no care has been given to them at the factory of origin, and the instruments will not perform to the best of their abilities. Contrary to common belief, there is no ideal position for a sound-post, or even an ideal thickness. Each sound-post is unique to an instrument, and can be individually tailored to the taste of the instrument owner.
Cardiff Violin endeavour to achieve the optimum sound from the instrument through the sound-post and bridge fitting, but can alter them tonally to accommodate the player's individual needs.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE
Choosing an instrument of the right size is essential for the player's comfort and development. Too large an instrument will make the player stretch their arms and fingers to the limit of their ability, causing discomfort, and often neck, shoulder and arm pains.
An instrument which is too small will restrict movement and cause slight discomfort.It will also generally not sound as full and rich as the next size up. Whilst Cardiff Violins can advise on the correct sized instrument for a young player, sometimes the teacher concerned likes to be involved in the decision to move up or not.
We endeavour to help parents save money by part-exchanging the previous instrument, which can make considerable savings to parents in the case of young players moving up through the sizes. Whilst we always part-exchange instruments bought from ourselves, we are more selective with others, for the reasons stated at the beginning of this chapter. Do bring your instrument in anyway, as we will have a look at it.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT INSTRUMENT
All instruments, even if they are made in the same place and cost the same price, will have a different sound and, having decided on a size and budget, it is important that the player gets a chance to play a number of instruments to decide which one suits them best. We keep in stock a number of instruments in each price bracket.
Cardiff Violins have several trying-out rooms in which people can play in peace and comfort before selecting the instrument of their choice. It is essential that the player is involved in the final decision, as this instrument will become a friend for the next few years, and the bond with it can start right from the moment it is chosen.
We look forward to meeting you and helping you find the right instrument for your child, or yourself. If you have any questions, please ring us on 0845 230 1812 (local call rate)