Hi everyone:

just want to tell all of you that my violin is soooo bad!!
it sounds squeaky and my teacher and all my my friends thinks it's a bad violin although it's one of the Karl Hofner.That's why i think KH is a rip off!!

karl Hofner is a brand name like any other. It used to be a German brand name but I suspect like most they are largely Chnese now.

Liz

QUOTE (elidatrading @ Feb 27 2005, 01:25 PM)

karl Hofner is a brand name like any other. It used to be a German brand name but I suspect like most they are largely Chnese now. Liz

well inside my violin, it says KH germany

Unless it says MADE in Germany, there is no guarantee that it is German. However, even if it is, that doesn't mean much. German violins are not competing very well with Chinese or East european ones these days.

Liz

QUOTE (elidatrading @ Mar 5 2005, 03:44 PM)

Unless it says MADE in Germany, there is no guarantee that it is German. However, even if it is, that doesn't mean much. German violins are not competing very well with Chinese or East european ones these days. Liz

So what brands of violin are good??
I mean which one's better because I've been thinking to buy a better one.
Arround $5,ooo NZD would be nice.
Anyone have any suggestion??

O you've got a lot of possibilities within that price range. If you can't find anything you like in NZ then you'll be looking online I suppose. Allow for shipping and sales taxes and import duties. What sort of tone do you like?

Liz

I read you're a late intermediate player (around grade 6, isn't it?) so you need a good violin. However, saying that your violin is squeaky doesn't just depend on the violin, it's on the strings, too. If it's a new violin, it won't sound great. The wood needs several years to adjust itself so it can produce the best sonority and resonance. Like my cello, 5 years ago it was squeaky but now it sounds like a high-end quality cello! You have to play the violin much. And if you keep producing squeaky sounds, then you have to make sure, whether it's you or the violin that has problems. Maybe your bowing technique is wrong.

Now lots of stringed instruments are made in China, instead of Europe, but usually with European labels. Like Cremona, which was the home town of A. Stradivari but now they are mass-produced in China.

O it shouldn't take anything like 5 years to play in. A lot of the playing in is done even over the first few hours, and most of the improvement happens in the first six months.

Liz

Pianist1210, I suggest you at least visit

/Hewitt's Fiddle Shop

I don't think they keep their website right up to date so it may pay to call up and see what they have in stock.

The Stringed Instrument Company

I'm not familiar with North Shore musical instrument dealers, sorry.

There are also at least two violin makers based in Auckland - Timothy Crake in Remuera, and Li Ming in Mt. Roskill. There are also people who specialize in setting up and improving standard factory-made violins, and judging by the work done on my sister's cello many years ago, it is possible to make a big difference.

Noel Sweetman also makes violins. He lives in a small town just out of Hamilton, so not very far from Auckland. I had his e-mail address somewhere...

Don't forget, New Zealand is a small country and not very wealthy, so there is never a huge number of good instruments around - take your time and wait till you find what you really want!

Hi

my violin was going through a squeaky horrid phase so i took it in to get looked at. They discovered that the glue had given on the back slightly so that got clamped and glued, but the main culprit was the sound post in the wrong place. So a new sound post, new bridge (the other one was too low) and a new tailpiece (the old one didn't fit the violin) and it now sounds great.

Perhaps you just need the violin setting up, I've heard that a lot violins these days are not set up right at all.

Incidentally, I was using dominant strongs, but have found a kaplan e nicer to play.

Cheers
Phil

ps. i also need to learn to spell

O yes that's another thing. A plain steel E string is very prone to squeaks when crossing to the e string on certain instruments. Simply changing the E string may solve the problem.

Liz

QUOTE (all ears @ Mar 6 2005, 02:28 PM)

Pianist1210, I suggest you at least visit /Hewitt's Fiddle Shop The Stringed Instrument Company

Thanks,but I have been to both shops,
I think the stringed instrument Co. was great but i think some of them are too exprensive....and i don't think the Hewitt's one is any good....

QUOTE (all ears @ Mar 6 2005, 02:28 PM)

I'm not familiar with North Shore musical instrument dealers, sorry. There are also at least two violin makers based in Auckland - Timothy Crake in Remuera, and Li Ming in Mt. Roskill. There are also people who specialize in setting up and improving standard factory-made violins, and judging by the work done on my sister's cello many years ago, it is possible to make a big difference.

By the way,how do you know that i live in North Shore??

and one of the people is Chinese isn't he??
I think i met him long ago....

QUOTE (elidatrading @ Mar 6 2005, 08:49 PM)

O yes that's another thing. A plain steel E string is very prone to squeaks when crossing to the e string on certain instruments. Simply changing the E string may solve the problem. Liz

I use the dominant string ...
all of their tone's nice but the E is not...
is it make out of steel??

QUOTE

how do you know that i live in North Shore??

You mentioned the name of your school a while back! So either you have a very long commute, or...

Li Ming, yes, he's Chinese, but I forget where he's from, sorry.

If you want more culture-mixing, there's even a Japanese violinist who also plays traditional Chinese instruments living in Auckland, though I think she lives in her Hong Kong home most of the time!

I did a bit of checking up on violins in Auckland because I was considering buying Viohazard's full-size violin there, but in the end, we couldn't get to NZ last year .

QUOTE (all ears @ Mar 7 2005, 06:49 AM)

QUOTE how do you know that i live in North Shore?? You mentioned the name of your school a while back! So either you have a very long commute, or... Li Ming, yes, he's Chinese, but I forget where he's from, sorry. If you want more culture-mixing, there's even a Japanese violinist who also plays traditional Chinese instruments living in Auckland, though I think she lives in her Hong Kong home most of the time! I did a bit of checking up on violins in Auckland because I was considering buying Viohazard's full-size violin there, but in the end, we couldn't get to NZ last year .

Aha!
Good,good...good observations!!
So do you live in Auckland too??
and are you a secondary school student as well??

QUOTE (pianist_1210 @ Mar 7 2005, 05:43 AM)

I use the dominant string ... all of their tone's nice but the E is not... is it make out of steel??

Well that might be the problem. The Dominant E string is notorious, Either try a wound E or chage it for another. Pirastro gold label is often recommended as a good match. Yes nearly all E strings are made of steel.

Liz

No, I live in Japan, where I have two young sons (and one elderly husband)...so it's a very *long* time since I was a secondary school student .

However, I grew up in Auckland, so of course I notice New Zealand content on the forums!

Good luck with your violin-buying. I hope you can get your teacher to help you - I think most New Zealanders probably buy a Chinese instrument and have a luthier set it up nicely for them. Also, if you leave NZ during holidays, you should check violin shops in other countries too.

I just saw something interesting about Karl Hofner violins on a Japanese site - somebody was making their own violin from a Karl Hofner kit. If you are not happy with the standard of your KH violin, maybe it wasn't made by Karl Hofner craftsmen at their own factory???

QUOTE (all ears @ Mar 8 2005, 12:45 AM)

I just saw something interesting about Karl Hofner violins on a Japanese site - somebody was making their own violin from a Karl Hofner kit. If you are not happy with the standard of your KH violin, maybe it wasn't made by Karl Hofner craftsmen at their own factory???

o really??
so you mean someone was stealing the Karl Hofner's name??
how dare they!!