Posted by brya31 on Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Well I went and picked up my Chinese fiddle tonight and while I was there with the Luthier he said. You wanna here a good fiddle, listen to this one. I think he said it was hand made in Germany in 1951?? Anyway he gave me the bow and said, just run her across the strings once and give her a listen. Holey smokes, that was the sweeetest sound I ever heard coming from a fiddle....of course the majority of the sounds I hear is from my cheepos, LOL Anyway when I got home and gave ole Chinese a few strokes....I was depressed. Damn I got over $300 rapped up in the Chinese poo poo and it still doesnt sound worth a hoot compared to other fiddles. The one he was playing he said he is selling for $600. I thought, jeesh do I have the begginer blues. I got about that much rapped up in two average...to below average fiddles. I know I have only been at it a year, but boy do I wish I would have held back and bought a sweet sounding fiddle. I guess the excitement of owning my own fiddle overwhelmed me. I would put mine on ebay but there is simply no way I could recoved the cash that I got in them. I will mark this one off to experience and play my average poo poo fiddles until the economy picks up and gives me some overtime cash, LOL <-----ole dad here knows this only means my kids get more money for clothes and toys hehehe
ps The back of the fiddle looked like Tiger stripes...I think he said it was Tiger Maple???? or something like that
9 comments on “I should have never listend to a gooood fiddle”
Cyndy Says:
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 @7:53:28 PM
I've resisted trying out other fiddles (and OH how hard it's been) because I suspected it would be hard to play my old one if I ever had a taste of what I was missing. Here's to the economy picking up enough to provide clothes, toys, AND new violins.
Looks like we're one the same page fiddle-wise. I started in 2008, too.
Cynthia
Swing Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @5:03:15 AM
I would suggest that you try every fiddle that you can. That one you tried isn't the only good one. Eventually you will learn to distinguish between good, bad and theother fiddle. There are fiddle out there that can be had for very little money and with a proper set up be really something special.
The one other thing is to create a small fund for yourself.. a few dollars here and there. When the right fiddle comes and finds you, you will have the funds to buy it.
Play Happy
tiquose Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @6:31:19 AM
Ask the luthier if you could get anything for the Chinese fiddle as a trade-in. Such policies are very common.
bj Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @6:35:15 AM
Haunt your local Antique Shops, thrift shops, garage sales and flea markets. Good fiddles CAN be had cheaply. And you're starting to know enough about what makes a good fiddle that you can spot 'em. Even if it isn't a good fiddle you want to keep, if you find one cheap you can always sell it at a profit. They're out there.
If a used fiddle is missing strings and such, you can hum into the f hole and get an idea for how it'll resonate with strings on. Next time you're at your luthier's shop, give it a try on a half dozen fiddles. I got that trick from voodoo.
I have two sweet sounding fiddles, one of which is absolutely exceptional, and with what I paid for 'em and luthier bills since, I have about the same into the both of them as you have in your china cheapie.
ViolaFiddler Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @7:09:08 AM
I have been there too many years ago. I started on a student Japanese made little viola as a kid at school orchestra, tired my hand and harmony noting with friends about 25 years ago, took lessons while at college 12 years ago and the instructor laughed at my little old viola and loaned me a full-size student donated viola for a year. WOW! Great big fat sound. Then once I was graduating and moving out of town the instructor found me a viola to buy that he'd had in the shop. He brought it for me to take home for a night and when I put a bow to her it was love and first note!!! This is my 16 1/2 Stradiverious copy, red-viola, that cost me, are you sitting down, $2500, which I was told was a good deal at the time.
I'm with bj of the mind to trade your two 'cheepie' in and get a fiddle with a good sound. That humming into the f-hole trick sounds good too.
fet fit and fiddling,
Jan
brya31 Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @8:32:59 AM
Flea market season is upon us here and now I reallly got the itchin to go, LOL
bj Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @10:30:37 AM
Just get there right before sunup, or the musical instrument dealers will beat you to the good ones! Bring a good flashlight and extra batteries. :-)
Rene Says:
Wednesday, April 8, 2009 @3:59:48 PM
Even though I have a much better fiddle now, I still am fond of my chinese fiddle, after all it was "my first" and it tolerated my many sour notes, and it also has the footprint of my firstborn granddaughter on it.
Just remember bud, it's your first. A good one will come along at the right time.
Marianne Says:
Thursday, April 9, 2009 @2:30:46 PM
Stay away from a Cooper. Jon's fiddles sound great but will cost you about $12,000.
But I will tell you that you should try to play as many different fiddles so that you develop an ear for the tone. I remember going up to Darol Anger after a show. I could tell by the sound that he was not playing his Cooper fiddle during the show. He showed me his Kogut. It had a nice deeper sound and the price was much lower. I found a new maker and bought one of his fiddles for 600. A year later, he was asking and getting 6,000. Developing a good ear for tone will help you find a good deal!
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