New Player, New Violin?, starting violin Options

[lottie]

Hello!!!! At last! It's taken me weeks of problems but I am finally able to post on ABRSM and join in the forums!!!

I just started playing 6months ago and LOVE the violin. I was a clarinet teacher years ago but have taken up the violin as a new challenge. I play with a Scottish fiddle orchestra and am just starting to learn double stopping and position changes but I haven't started vibrato yet.

I'm playing a 'Zeller' but I'm finding problems using my fourth finger partly because the violin has such a thick neck and partly because my hands are quite small.

I'd like to know if anyone has any experience playing a 7/8 size violin and if they think the smaller size affects the tone? I think I'm outgrowing the Zeller already and am thinking of moving to a Gliga Gama.

Any thoughts/opinions would be of interest.

Oh and Hi again - I've been able to read the forums for ages without being able to join in and it sounds like such a friendly knowlegable place!

[all ears]

Elisabeth, lots of Japanese women play 7/8 instruments, and you can certainly find good ones, though it may take you a while.

Big sound...I'm sure others can tell you more, but apart from the tendency for "flattish" violins to be louder than "fat" violins, a poor set-up will really affect both tone and volume, so shop at a stringed instrument specialty shop if possible.

[lottie]

Elisabeth, lots of Japanese women play 7/8 instruments, and you can certainly find good ones, though it may take you a while.

Big sound...I'm sure others can tell you more, but apart from the tendency for "flattish" violins to be louder than "fat" violins, a poor set-up will really affect both tone and volume, so shop at a stringed instrument specialty shop if possible.

By 'set-up' do you mean the bridge and strings etc?? Does that mean you can make a real change to the sound by changing these?

How much does it cost, on average, to have a luthier change the bridge and strings????