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????

[nigel]

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

I Know that at my local violin shop - Beverley Music Centre - they charge about £20 to fit a DJ bridge (one with adjustable feet) which is the type the fit to Zellers along with Dominant strings. Dominant strings are a bit mellow sounding to offset the possibly robust Zeller tone. Zellers are a bit bulky but as long as youcan reach the scroll comfortably I would try a violin with a less chunky neck to make it more comfortable to play rather than a smaller one. Loreato violins from Soundpost for instance are a similar price to Zeller but feel smaller and nicer to play. I used a 7/8 professionally myself years ago, but do not recomend this to my pupils

[elidatrading]

Loreato violins from Soundpost for instance are a similar price to Zeller but feel smaller and nicer to play. I used a 7/8 professionally myself years ago, but do not recomend this to my pupils

You can't have done, Nigel, they've only been around for a couple of years at most, probably less. You must be confusing them with some other Soundpost product.

Liz