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Gary524 - Posted - 10/02/2017: 13:44:48
I'm considering purchasing a violin from Yitamusic. I've got the T18, T19, T20, M19,etc. figured out but I have two questions:
1 The violins have further designations such as whitemarsh, stratdivari, Guarnieri 'ole bull', Dolphin, The Kruse, Guarnieri 'del Gesu' ,The Titian, Lord Wilton, The Cannon, The Cremoneser, etc. Of course, I know Stradivari, but what do the other names denote?.
2. What is the difference in the various finishes (i.e. transparent varnish,
oil antique, half oil antique, German oil)
Thanks for any help you can give.
cjourney - Posted - 10/02/2017: 14:00:16
I got a T20..nice instrument, by the way, and the other descriptors indicate it is supposedly patterned after famous violins of these names. I don't think there is much difference in patterns that matters much. It's also tough to figure out what the finishes actually are going to look like.
I think the most difference between instruments is indicated by 19, 20, etc.
amwildman - Posted - 10/02/2017: 14:41:19
Most of the names are famous Strad or del Gesu violins. They are given names by rich people or whatever. Il Cannone (The Cannon) is a famous del Gesu played by Paganini back in the day. He was a virtual rockstar, so the fiddle became famous. Lots of stories behind the specific models.
I highly doubt Yita models them faithfully after the originals.
bluenote23 - Posted - 10/02/2017: 14:44:38
I have some Yita bows but have never bought one of their violins. This is what I have picked up from reading on the internet.
T and M denote different workshops. Their better models are T20 and M20 and most suggest not purchasing anything lower than these unless you are able to work on finishing the violins yourself. Often the lower models need new hardware (tuners, tailpiece, bridge etc) and recarving to make them playable.
In my experience with bows, the ones that are on auction as opposed to Buy It Now prices often have slight cosmetic or other flaws.
the_ghostis - Posted - 10/03/2017: 22:11:29
How are the Yita bows? My primary bow is the bow that came with a Chinese “viola d’amore” so I would hope the Yita bows might be an upgrade.
Does anyone have experience with Yita 5 string violins? I’m curious about those and the baroque models.
bluenote23 - Posted - 10/04/2017: 08:26:03
I wish I could give you a more informed opinion on Yita bows.
I have only been playing about 14 months and previous to my Yita bows I was using the student bows that came with the violins I bought. One of these was pernambuco but was half clad. Another was a 50's or 60's German Bernini brand fully clad bow in brasilwood. I have never played with a really good (meaning expensive) bow.
I have a Yita Master bow in pernambuco. It feels much lighter and more balanced than the student bows. The student bows feel 'clunky' in comparison.
The Yita bow has a much better bounce for off string. It's like you have to force the bounce with the student bows but with the Yita, the bounce is more natural and controllable.
My tone is awful because my playing is awful. The student bows sound flatter and less 'resonant' than the Yita bow. There is a noticeable difference but it does not turn bad tone into good tone. All this is what I hear with the violin under my chin.
So I have three of these bows. The first one was so much better than my student bows that I wanted a backup. So I got a second and then a third. All were bought on auction for less than the $500 asking price for these bows.
All have little flaws. One has an odd sized frog and a slide that doesn't sit flush with the frog. One has an off center inlay on the adjuster and the balance point is closer to the tip making it feel heavier than the others. The other is very stiff with a tight adjuster (I am not good enough to be able to tell what the consequences of this stiffness will be).
I also bought a Yita Master Snakewood bow. This was okay but heavy. The pernambuco bows are really a lot nicer.
On auction, the Master bows sell in the $200-$250 range.
One thing that I stated in another thread was that one of the biggest changes to tone was when I changed my rosin from medium priced Salchow and Kaplan rosins to the more expensive Andrea Solo. This is a cheap ($30 on Amazon) change that could make a big improvement in tone.
