vilolin

[solarbird]

I can has cheap-ass Chinese-made violin, or, more correctly, vilolin. I paid significantly less for it than a set of cheap strings. I had no idea violin strings cost so damn much - the G that I needed to replace after purchase (entirely my fault, but I learned from it) cost me $10 (not for a set, for a string; the good individual strings cost $42); the violin, bow, and case combined I got for $40 including tax. But yay! Toy I can play with to see whether I want a real one someday! ^_^


Vilolin

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

bah, i should have left my old one in seattle -- i've played it maybe twice since bringing it back here.

[solarbird]

That's okay. I don't even know if I'm going to do anything with it yet. Remember, this is to see if I want a real one. I may not! ^_^

[ssha.livejournal.com]

On the plus side, they may accidentally have given you a halfway decent bow. How is the violin's sound in general? And in particular, how does the E-string sound?

[ssha.livejournal.com]

I say decent bow because from my limited viewpoint, it looks like it is real wood, and that the shaft is wrapped above the frog with metal and plastic wire/tape.

[solarbird]

Well, it's the bow that came with the violin originally. It is made of wood - I don't really know what else you'd make one out of that would be cheaper. ^_^ The frog is the part that moves up and down, yes? Above that there's a bit of black sheathing that has kind of half-plasticy/half-leathery feel to it, and above that a bunch of wrapped wire. I don't know what that's for.

[shadesofmauve]

Fiberglass - lots of student violins have fiberglass bows. There are reasonably cheap carbonfiber bows which are comparable to wooden ones in the same price range, but they're not so common you'd be likely to end up with one by accident.

[solarbird]

Huh. Okay. The more you learn (tm).

[solarbird]

Oh, right. Um. I've no idea how to judge, honestly; I don't know how to play yet, so I can make guesses at how it sounds when I fuck with it, but not someone who actually knows what they're doing. But my initial reaction would be that it's kind of bright. Which I kind of enjoy, really, but suspect I would find acoustically tiring over time. But that could be an artifact of my attempts to play. ^_^

I don't really know what else to look for. At this price, I'm happy with all the parts being there and it holding tune. Anything else is bonus.

[ssha.livejournal.com]

A general tip for tuning, incidentally, to avoid future mishaps, is to not tighten at the pegs unless you have loosened all the way at the fine tuners. This is especially true if you have (as you inevitably will) sticky pegs.

[solarbird]

Yeah, I've kinda learned that part. ^_^

The pegs are sticky but not in an annoying way so far. It holds tune okay, which is most important. ^_^

[brombear.livejournal.com]

Yay for cheap Violin-like something to practice and mess around with. I'm doing the same with a Mountain Dulcimer I got for $150 (Chinese made wood veneer...but was for a lefty).Sooo...now I'm looking for a good one now. 8)
(I kinda like this one...but for the cost...*shudder*

http://www.gilamountaindulcimers.com/instruments/new-drag-fullview.jpg

[solarbird]

I like the ornamental carving on the head. ^_^

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Where did you get this from?

[solarbird]

A pawn shop! In Kenmore. I've been wandering into pawn shops when I've been near one lately, looking at any violins they might have. They only had the one.

eta: Er, this pawn shop only had the one. I haven't seen any other of this particular Chinese generic manufacture at other pawn shops yet, tho'. At least, not in usable condition.