Violin Shopping

Have you ever wondered what goes into making a violin? These gorgeous instruments take hours upon hours of skilled hand crafting. Every instrument is unique in tone quality and feel. This means that they are expensive, but also difficult to choose because of the minute differences between them. One may have a powerful lower register but grate on the ears on the high notes. Another may have a beautiful rich tone but produces clear articulation with difficulty. Watch this video to see bits and pieces of the process of violin making, then read on to see how Marit, A.L., and I had the privilege of sampling several different violin makers’ hard work.

A.L. had been playing a cheap violin that limited her room to grow. So with her parent’s budget in mind, we contacted a couple local Luthiers (people who repair, make, and sell string instruments) to see what they had to offer. “How will I know what’s good?” wondered our student. “You’ll know – and it’s not just good or bad, it’s personality.”

Just walking into the violin shop in Staufen transports us to another world, a woody one full of varnish, detail, and magic. Then we see the instruments lined up on the counter, just asking to be played! Their shiny coats evoke admiration, and my fingers itch at the urge to try them out, to ask them to reveal the mystery of what sounds they have to offer our eager ears. A.L. tried scales on each of them, savoring the sound of each. Even after the initial test, she understood what we meant – “I see what you mean, they have different voices!”

We all tried the instruments and listened to the voices of the instruments. Unfortunately, the violin she liked the most was above her price range. But once we focused our attention on two more affordable yet pleasing instruments, there was a clear favorite. We took them home to try at BFA for 2 weeks.

The next day, we went to the nursing home, and she played her already-favorite instrument:

The other students in orchestra noticed a difference in her sound as soon as she started playing this violin!

A couple days later, we went to another shop (this time in Basel, a 30 minute drive in the opposite direction) and tried more violins.  A.L. picked the favorite of that group and took it back to school to compare it with the instruments from the other shop.

With all 3 violins in one place, the result was clear. There was one violin that just fit A.L.’s personality and playing style! It was the original one from the first shop. We made a final trip to the shop, decided on a bow and a case, and exited the shop. Outside, A.L. squealed with delight – “It’s mine!”