These are my favourite kind of videos. I also live in a country where expending $3000 on an instrument is impossible for most people. I bought a begginer but nice violin that was not played in years, without strings and bridge for cheap and set it up myself with your videos Olaf, even the soundpost. So thanks!.
Actually its the same the same in the US but its more about Greed then actual cost, with CNC machining viols could be made cheaper for the unwashed masses . Like me 😊
@@d4z_l20svaQ12 I was curious about the name Carlo Lamberti so I did a little researching and came up blank. That also includes lists of European instrument makers. I even emailed Shar and received no answer. In the greater scheme of things it really doesn't matter because Shar's Carlo Lamberti line is awesome, but I can only conclude that Carlo Lamberti is a made up name just because it sounds Italian. Hopefully I'm wrong.
This is basically like what I'm doing for my friends' violins (vso) for free. I just ask them to replace the strings. I'm not a professional luthier, I'm just a woodworking hobbyist. But there is no choice for us who are far from the luthiers. I also have a soundpost setter, that tool for making proper holes for pegs, a small chisel, and a nice retractable office cutter to do everything. I just ask them to replace their strings with the brtter strings available here in our place. Why am I doing this for free? Because they don't have money to pay (or if they have, it's for the priorities such as food and formal education which is not about music). If they give me $2 or $3, that's fine, just to cover up some of my expenses for the tools I acquired. If they give me a snack, that's fine also. I just ask them to pay me with good sound of the violin and with good music that they play. I prefer first for the music to sound better, before filling our pockets. This is what is practical in our locality. Love, from a poor province in the Philippines.
Kevin, God bless you brother, you are doing a great job of paying it forward. I love helping other musicians fine tune their instruments. Whether it be a violin or a guitar, I set them up for free because I love music. I'm retired now, and my children are all grown up, so I try to help those who are raising a family. They need every penny for food and household expenses, so I can afford to spend a little bit on helping them out. If you pay it forward, it will come back to you as blessings. I'm a lifelong multi-instrumentalist and I often give free lessons to children and young adults. It pays me back by having someone to play along with :-)
I love that one of its few redeeming aspects is: "It's got the shape!" LOL But for $89 you did get an excellent cloth, albeit in yukky green! Valuable insights as ever, Olaf.
That cheap violin looks very similar to my first violin 😔. We didn't have money growing up and I always remember my rosin looking worse than everyone else's. Like really plasticky. We could only afford the cheap strings too. The joy I felt when I bought a real violin 🎻 was immense.
every single violin player should have to atleast play a cheap violin.. you can learn basic setup and when you finally get a good quality violin you can actually appreciate it.
Cork sniffers and wine swishers hate these cheap instruments, but I love them. They provide a chance for people on a strict budget [ like right now ] to purchase and try out an instrument to see if they want to pursue learning that instrument, or not. And I have found that with some targeted TLC, these 'cheapos' can play and sound pretty good, especially for beginners. As a player improves, and their musical experience advances, they can move up in quality. So there is a real place in music for these inexpensive instruments. However, most of them will require some set-up and adjustments, and maybe some repairs as well. Know that before buying.
The snobbery in this is ridiculous. Who has thousands to throw into a hobby all in one go. And all that bullshit about different countries, pal, open your eyes, the average person in every country doesn't have that money sitting around just for fun.
@@orangew3988 dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy.. i agree with the fact that a cheap violin is a good option for some but olaf is a violin maker seeing a cheap violin as a violin maker is painful. you gotta cut some slack when it comes to that. thats like gordan ramsay seeing someone eat instant noodles, the fact he tells you to not buy the cheap violin is proof he cares about what he does.. that is a rarer and rarer thing nowadays..
I totally agree. My advice is to start with a cheap instrument but don’t buy it on line. Go to a real shop and try the instruments. That way you can buy a decent set of strings too. And if you are on the way for a ‘real’ violin, why not look for a used instrument that you can have rejuvenated by a luthier the moment you can afford that?
@@sirspongadoodle "dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy" - He may very well be a decent guy (I've watched only a few of his videos, but I would agree with that assessment so far), but his comments in this video show that he is out of touch with reality with regard to what most people can afford. As an average middle class guy from the U.S., It is inconceivable to me that anyone would believe the average person can afford to spend 3,000-5,000 USD on a beginner instrument.
@@nomore6167 that’s a fair point and especially in America that would be even more true.. i just don’t think he should be insulted for having a taste in expensive violins..
Cool video. I did this years ago, got a 100 dollar cheapie on ebay, set the string height and changed strings, it was ok. I did it myself and I'm no pro. Sold it later and got a better one, but it was quite playable.
I spent two years (not working constantly on it though) and was able to save a despicable 150$ factory made violin but I am not a luthier which is why it took so long. Took off the varnish completely, made my own shellac based varnish from store bought shellac varnish with added copal powder and several other questionable ingredients and colorants, ebonized the maple fingerboard, and took a lot of the thickness because the wood was way too thick. The violin is made of two violins because I accidentally broke the top and I found an incomplete violin without a top for about 20$ so I wanted to experiment and see how a *fully maple violin* would sound like. I did cheat a bit, asked my luthier to set up the bridge, pegs and soundpost, but everything else I did myself. With D'Addario Helicore Octave strings I actually enjoy playing it, before these modifications I barely touched this violin, I only played my decent violin, but now I play both. My idea was not to deal with it cheaply but to do the best i could without woodworking or violinmaking knowledge (besides watching many violinmaking videos) and without any proper tools (opened the violin with a butter knife and glued it with hide glue, tied it very tight with string instead of clamps) . Love this kind of video! Would love to see more like this.
This VSO is very much like the first violin that I purchased. It cost $100 USD, and I bought it just to make sure I would be able to play a violin, before I purchased a really good violin. I was forty-one years old, and I had already been a performing musician for over twenty years playing the guitar and bass in rock bands. I took to the violin very naturally, the fifths tuning is very easy to play scales with and the fingerings came quite easily to me. I bought a professional modern German violin ($4500 USD), that was just at the entry of a professional quality violin. I took three years of lessons, and I've been sawing away on it for the past twenty years (I'm sixty-one years old now). I inherited my grandfather's fifty year old Gibson F-5 mandolin about fifteen years ago, and I was immediately surprised by the tuning. Hmmmm...... G, D, A, E, same strings names as a violin, same lowest note, same highest note as a violin. Oh my goodness........it's like a violin with frets, but it played with a pick instead of a bow. I took to the mandolin like a duck on water! I'm now playing my beloved JS Bach violin pieces on the mandolin...... WooHoo! I love my little Gibby mando, and I play it in the church worship band. EDIT 5/12/22 : When I inherited the Gibson mandolin, I was picking it up from grandma's house (she lived another couple of years), and my uncle told me that "there is a stick in the garbage can over there and we think it might be a violin bow stick". I took a look at it, and sure enough it was a violin bow without the hair and silver wire on the leather piece just above the frog. I gladly accepted it and took it home with me. I took it to my violin maker and had the hair and silver wire wrap installed, and when I picked it up he had some very exciting news to tell me. Apparently the bow was made in Germany in the mid to late 1700's and he made a few calls to his bow makers for a valuation, and he was told that the bow has a value of $6800 USD, which is $2k more than my violin is worth! Score.... Direct Hit!...... I was flabbergasted, but I tucked it away in the case, and I still have grandpa's old fiddle bow to this day. It's too light for me, it's designed for a professional violinist. I get too much chatter when my daft hand uses it. But it's a family heirloom, and if I ever sell it, I would like to be certain that none of my extended family will be able to use it.
@@amyx231 I'm retired Army, and I could tell you a lot of interesting things. I finished my Army career at Ft Bragg NC, I was a member of the 18th Airborne Corp, which is direct support for the 82nd Airborne Division. We followed them to all the hot spots. I got to jump out of an airplane forty-three times and march about a million miles! Life is a journey, make every day count. For the past twenty-five years, I've tried to uphold four simple agreements with myself. #1. Be impeccable with your word. #2. Don't take anything personally. #3. Never assume #4. Always do your best I don't adhere to these agreements 100 %, but I do my best. Incorporating these agreements into your life is a process, not an event. I've been at it for twenty-five years, and it's only in the past five years that I have become very comfortable with them and realize a great deal of benefits from them. If you can make these four simple agreements with yourself, you will eliminate countless personal suffering and anxiety.
Your story is nearly identical to mine… the violin is incredibly difficult to play for me, I’ve mastered vibrato on many stringed instruments, but I couldn’t even get my hand to budge at all which was highly disappointing. I’m still working at it… I’m sure glad I bought a cheap one though, I did get a decent bow though and better strings.
@@robertw1871 keep practicing, Robert, it will come! You're already a musician, so you are halfway there. The violin is the most difficult musical instrument that I play, it takes twice as long for me to progress on than any other instrument that I have ever played. It can be frustrating at times, but I play through the burn, and do my best. Perhaps you could take some lessons like I did, I would have been lost without them. A good teacher can make all the the world, they will not only show you the correct way to play the violin, they will show you how not to play as well. Good luck with it buddy, I wish you all the best!
I'm 200 usd in saving for one of your violins!! I have one of these cheap ones from Amazon, and it's passing for now. I'm terrible anyway! But I can't wait to get one of yours!
Use a razor blade as a scraper to align the fingerboard with the neck, and then a fine steel wool on the neck for feel and softness. Also, could probably add a little relief in the fingerboard with that razor and some fine sand paper, if you are poor, and can't afford quality tools, and I often rub paraffin in with my hands a little, and sometimes the fingerboard comes out ok. I like Helicore strings on these types of violins, which don't cost too much in USA, but add a bit of power to a top that is a little too thick - Tonicas mellow out a fiddle, but the Helicores bring out a bit of volume, which these usually need. Also, the thicker brides (and also softer maple) mellow the highs a little, which helps parents with kids learning violin, so maybe just thin a little. Once set up properly with decent strings, and played for a few years, they open up, and work fine for old time fiddle type of a sound. For classical, save your money and buy at least 1000 or 1500 if you can, though if you can try a bunch, I've found a few for 800 that sound and play pretty darn good.
Thanks for this video, I had a friend give me one of these $100 violins. I know it is not great but I wanted to get it to be playable without spending more than a new one would cost. This video gave me a GREAT guide to help understand what the minimum I should have done.
I have the exact same cloth, got it from amazon or somewhere, a pack of 4 different colours. :) This was a really awesome video. I am a bit more fortunate financially and when I get to buy I will be able to afford a better one, but it's always useful to understand the different degrees of acceptable based on price points.
Looks like the one I just bought. At least it's in the same price range anyway. I can't afford any higher. Too bad we are worlds apart. And making it better will cost a bomb and I'm clueless to do it myself. I'll just have to accept it and have fun.
The top plate/soundboard looks like it could possibly be Basswood/Linden/Lime. It's not as commonly seen in instruments because its weaker and less beautiful than other hardwood/tonewood species. Bass usually has that fine grain too; and the sunburst finish (stain) is likely painted for effect. You'll know if it's bass if gets crunchy or brittle as it ages and dries.
Honestly one of the kinda funny parts about the $89 Violin being solid wood with the $100 being plywood, reminds me of my recent kilt purchase. I payed more than what it would have cost on Amazon. I payed the local seller to do the importing and measuring, as well as all the hard work verifying the quality of the makers so that I got the best quality cheap Kilt
What are your thoughts on the old family violins, or, actually, fiddles. My great uncle had a 1910 german violin which is worth nothing. ( Per our local shop) My great uncle used to play it. So, 1960ish it was last played. Many living people in my family remember dances where this fiddle was played. Im retired now, have always wanted to learn. But it wasnt something a girl did. But i now have the fiddle. It needs a soundpost, it has always been stored in its case, in the house, and the strings were gut when it was put away. They were loosened. My family thinks im nuts to try and learn an instrument at the great age of 60, and even nuttier to try and have a 100 year old instrument repaired. (Except for the few old people who say, yah, that was some fiddling Josef could play). I figure its been waiting, and it must be as good as an 89 dollar violin, and after few hundred dollars why not? Just curious if youve come across this situation much
Absolutely! It's never too late... I've had clients start at 70! Those German instruments can turn out really nice... It may need a bit more than a Soundpost. I love giving instruments with a story a new lease of life. I usually plane the fingerboard, clean and polish the violin, replace the bridge and soundpost, tailpiece, chinrest and strings. Violin can be a little bit hard to learn at the start, but once you get some muscle memory it lots of fun! All the best with your violin journey!!
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thank you! You have strengthened my resolve. it definitely needs a new tail piece, and the bridge . It has a spare bridge it looks like he started to shape, but will need a new one. He never had a chin rest. He folded a handkerchief under his chin. You can see the worn spot on the finish, and theres a photo of him playing like that. Your kind words mean so much.
Many thanks for your vid, I think that's the same thing what manylutiers did. The import instruments from China for 400$and rework them... new pirastro strings maybe a new finish.... And after that she take 1000 $(i don't know).
I started teaching begging string classes in 1970 in elementary schools in California, USA. I am now retired. At that time we were seeing lots of cheap Chinese violins. They had all the problems you mentioned, but the instrument you showed here looked to be of much better quality. Pegs on those Chinese instruments were often pine painted black. I actually had several pegs break when I tried to tune the instruments. Chin rests were cheap plastic things that easily broke and were of little help in holding the violin properly, As to bows, I found that the fiber-glass bows of the early "70"s were often a better choice for beginners than the bad wood bows. Now days I suspect a carbon-fiber bow might be a good option for a beginner. I know that many professional players have carbon-fiber as a second bow or one to use in less than satisfactory conditions. Great video. Thank you.
Sure, it,s cheap. But if your trying one for the first time, they are good enough. I use a 100$ Antion Brenton and it sound just fine for playing fiddel tunes.
This isn't just good for cost, but also for kids who will outgrow their 1/4 size real quick. I have only ever gotten these sub 150 dollar violins til high school for that reason. First time I re stringed (well my teacher not me) my quarter size after breaking an E this sounded way better and meant that the next few violins we're kept cheap but I got new strings from the start with the old strings being my backups.
Great video Olaf! It’s interesting to see what improvements can be made to a not so good violin to make it playable on a budget. The important thing is to have a playable violin on which to learn!
6:14 your recording of your performance is in mono panned to the left. You want to either record with stereo microphones or duplicate the first channel.
I haven't played strings in two decades but I really enjoy your videos because it reminds me of what I loved about my time in orchestra and ensemble. Playing and tinkering with my instruments. Heck, at one point my saddle broke and I had to replace it with what I had on hand: a piece of solid copper mains electrical wire, in red insulation, of course.
The "original setup" sections seems to be recorded in only mono, would be nice if you could mirror it next time so both my ears can "enjoy" the cheap strings :)
The minimum improvements you made Olaf have transformed the instrument from bloody awful to not half bad! About a 400% improvement to my old ears listening on headphones. By the way in those test parts of the video only the left channel of the audio was working ..
I don't play the violin, but I love and listen to all kinds of music. In my ears, the violin as it was, sounded horrible, but after you made those few changes and used a good bow, the violin sounded very good actually. I am very impressed, that you could do that. I hope that many people which can not afford a more expensive violin will see this video and not be discouraged in their passion for playing this lovely instrument. You have all my respect for doing this!
I buy broken old early 20th Century and late 19 Century violins and improve them. Most of them I have to re-carve the back and bellies. It's common to have to install linings and corner blocks and replace the bass bar. I am retired and do it for fun so I don't care about the labor. I have a cousin who bought a violin, needing the neck glued back on, for $6.50 (USD). It has a nice flamed back and no cracks. I'm jealous.
i bought a medio fino for $60. i used the body, neck, finger board and sound post. got some domination string ans the rest ebay things. tail piece, bridge, begs, went with a berber chinrest and a caron bow. served my daughter well at school.
Yes, and it’s fun too! Have 3 of those and i can’t even play. Also, one can find a cheap sound post setter and even a length of proper sound post material too but, if it is your first student violin you really want the sound post positioned by a proper luthier, it just look easy when Olaf does it.
I recently bought a bow which started hissing. So I wiped the rosin off it and washed it with shampoo! I let it dry naturally by coming and tested it today and the hissing has gone!
It seems to me that for a violin newbie, there’s no way around spending less than a good few hundred US$ dollars for a workable violin outfit to get started on, and that will take a good few years to grow out of the violin . These days, probably about $350 to a reputable shop in the USA. Even after playing a short time, the bow needs to be upgraded and violin string are not cheap either, so not having to change strings the first year helps. Some inexpensive outfits have substandard cases, which can screw you, too! Taking the violin seriously will also require cost of about $100 a year to keep good strings and bowhairs on. Self teaching also requires cash outlay periodically to procure musical material. A humidification system is also a good idea in winter to avoid problems, as well as thoughtful storage in summer months. The Humistat humidifiers are a very good inexpensive option (
Hey Olaf, Ray Chen bought and played a cheap violin; he made a video on it. It sounded pretty good; I know he's a professional and can make anything sound good. Still, I think of your videos when I watch it. Maybe a good brand would make decent, inexpensive violins.
My violin would probably cost more to get set up by a professional than I paid for it! Lol. The bridge is more lopsided than yours. Also no notches. I’ve only ever plucked. The rosin…doesn’t come off!
A lot of the hundred dollar violins are fine for beginners, I’ve got one and it plays and sounds fine for what it is… I play other instruments mostly, and the real price point of a decent instrument today no matter what it is is around $200-$300 so obviously you get what you pay for… I see just about zero people buying a decent guitar either which is my main instrument… but even in that case I can tell a difference between my $6000 guitars and my $200 guitars, but the difference even there is subtle…. Violins are the weird exception, some very expensive ones sound terrible, really have to learn for a few years before you’re even able to choose one… Find and instrument and practice practice practice practice… eventually you’ll appreciate a better instrument and what the differences are….
Something I always tell people who are buying guitars is to put aside ~$AUD300 for a professional set-up after purchasing. Some guitar shops are good enough to do it and include it in the price, but many still don't. You can make a $600 guitar feel and play like a $1500+ instrument. And having an instrument with the right feel and intonation will inspire you to play much more.
Tonicas are definitely a good call. I would've knocked that bump down with a file or some 80 grit Abranet on a stick, as modern basic tech has 'em scooting up and down in 2 8ve shifts with backswing from almost day one, the days of being confined to 1st pos for months SHOULD be behind us, other than that, this is very sound advice indeed. The cleaning cloth being the best thing in the box says it all! 🤣Never mind, this is v useful for a situation which is all too common. Keep up the good work! 👍
I have to say as a non violin player, I think I could buy this and just assume it was all correct. Sort of like everything just looks like a violin and a bow.
Exactly... The problem is that it can be really frustrating for a new player who wonder why it is so hard and sounds so bad when they try and play. Don't get me wrong... The first year is hard, but a terrible instrument can make it a nightmare.
I've long said that even a budget instrument can play decent enough if it gets a good setup. Some people can't afford much else, yet there is no reason why they can't also have a playable instrument at the lower price ranges.
I use the Tonicas on a pretty good modern fiddle. Do a similar job to the Dominants (on my fiddle they are slightly warmer), but at half the price. An under-rated string.
So we get the bridge and sound post right, dump the crappy tailpiece for a proper one, correct the I'll fitting pegs, and put a set of Pro Artes on it, but no one ever mentions how these violins can open up after playing time. I ordered a Tonerite so I can torture my Mendini with for a couple of weeks just to actually hear its potential.
There's nothing that will open up a crappy plywood violin... Yes good playing will change the sound of a violin but it's worth at least having a solid wood VSO. Also why the heck wouldn't you use the $300 buying a 'sound improvement' device to add to the instrument budget 🤣
It's not too expensive to plane the fingerboard. Just get some scrap wood, and sandpaper. Sandpaper costs next to nothing in countries where income is sparce. Attach a piece of sandpaper to the wood block. Plane the fingerboard up and down, a section at a time. Then take sandpaper and round off any streaks you created. Use your fingers as micrometers.
i'v been watching you for so long and i've been admiring your work but i'v always questioned about the piece played in the intro i've been listening to a lot of repetoires lately but i didn't find it can anybody please tell me the name of the piece
Olaf, your workshop is in Brisbane? I might be interested in bringing my violin in that needs a bit of work.. sadly I don't look after it as much as I should but I have been playing it a lot more recently
I love the video. With that said, the work he did with the strings would make it more like a $300-$350 violin. Better to buy a good used one for $200 and then replace the strings and get a basic setup. You'd spend about the same and end up with a much better instrument. The bow will always need to be replaced on these cheap violins. There are a couple of passable carbon fiber bows for around $75 that would be acceptable for a beginner or if you are just broke.
Olaf here's a controversial queston but I want a professional opinion, Is a VSO acceptable in regards to a young child (maybe between 2-5 years old)? I ask this because recently my brother wanted to get is 3 year old in to music but he feels he shouldn't spend a lot money on something his kid is going to see as a "Toy". I feel the same way and I think it should be okay as long as it is set up correctly.
Hi, Yes I can understand that... Little ones don't always know how to look after a violin. The 3 year old daughter of a client of mine dropped her violin and broke the bridge. So as long as it's well set up a VSO would be fine for 2 to 5 year Olds... You can definitely teach small kids to look after instruments well...
I did that just to teach my children what (not) to do with an instrument. They always want to play too when I pla and I'm not letting them come too close to my violin yet. The VSOs aren’t playable (curved fingerborad like in this video is just one of the problems). But if anything breaks, it won’t be a big loss. And for teaching kids to be careful, they work.
So I'm learning the cello right now and I'm renting it from an actual music shop. But I was curious how violin was because I really like the sounds and music of both so I ordered the eastar violin off amazon just because it's so cheap and I'm not sure if I will even pursue violin so I didn't mind getting a cheapo. But I'm about to replace the strings to D'Addario strings for now, like you said about the strings that came with that one thats how mine sound
It stuns me how many people always want to cheap out on instruments. Yes, instruments are not cheap, if you want something decent then you are going to need to invest - You can't buy a piece of trash and expect to become a musician! That's like the height of entitlement! It's like buying a $200 car because you think cars are too expensive, and then having to pay an additional $1000 in repairs just to get it to run because you bought a piece of trash! I think if you're going to end up spending the money in repairs or a better violin later anyway, just buy a decent violin to begin with. Otherwise you will end up paying for a junk violin + decent violin when you were complaining about how you didn't have the money, _but then you ended up spending more anyway!_ - which just isn't very smart.
Why are violin strings so expensive? The sales volume for violin strings must be 100 to 1000 (at least) times greater than for mandolin strings. Yet, you can buy an very good set of mandolin strings for $15 (USD) and an excellent set of ""concert" or orchestra grade set of German-made mandolin strings for less than $200. What's more there are 8 strings in a mandolin set of course not 4 like a violin. In addition, the G and D strings for mandolin are wound (and of course they are all metal -- various alloys like phosphor bronze, or monel etc.). Seems like violin strings are way over priced?
I think they may have to do more work to the outside of strings to make them bowable... And it's what they can charge because there isn't much competition for good string makers
Mate, you've got the sound only coming out of one speaker during the playing segments. Could be whatever gear your using during those segments is mono, so only giving you one channel of audio. Should be easy enough to fix in post
Hi, I'm wondering if there's any way to add weight to the tip of the violin bow. I'm asking it because my daughter teacher says that the bow it's to light, it's actually 57,6gr. It's an old bow, the local luthier told me that's a good 3/4 bow. Really don't want to buy a new one that maybe will last few months because my daughter soon will need a 4/4 violin. Thanks in advance for your help
It is possible to change the weight distribution of a bow using lead fillings, but it is not as trivial as simply adding weight to the tip and the bow will play fine. 57,6g is certainly not uncommonly light for a 3/4 bow. But I’d trust a decent bow maker more than an average teacher.
- Dear Olaf, I can't afford a 5k Violin :( The guy who texts Olaf with an iPhone13, $300 Jordan shoes, and drives a Tesla While it is true that a U$5k instrument is just not possible for a lot of people, but as a musician you need to know how you spend your money. For example, if I am a musician with cheap instruments but I mostly spend my money on brand new clothes, wallets, bags, phones and buy similar stuff then the issue is not me being able to afford high quality instruments but spending my money on non musical stuff... I live in NIcaragua and I have been able to afford my cool instruments;) I own 11 Recorders (5 soprano, 5 alto and 1 bass), 1 baroque flute, 2 multichamber ocarinas (those were pricey but worth the investment), 1 melodica, 2 dizi, 1 xiao and 1 xun. When I used to work my monthly earning was U$480... Then people ask me how I was able to afford so many instruments since they are impossible to afford for most Nicaraguans... the answer is simple: if I want to purchase clothes then I visit a thrift shop, if I want a pair of shoes I just spent on good quality shoes (it happens that cheap and poorly made shoes will make you spend more money on shoes in the long term), if I wanted a watch I just purchased a nice looking one (I am not into watches and rarely wear them), if I wanted to eat I just spend more money on groceries at local shops and cooked at home (making prepared meals and storing chopped vegetables will save you time when cooking) and by following such practices I had enough money to pay my bills, food, and musical instruments:)... also, most importantly, if you can use public transportation and use rideshare/carshare services then you can save money on transporation. Cheers:)
Yes, I would also suggest to save and then buy something decent. In my world, that does not have to begin at $3000. My most expensive violin is 1300 €. The one I wouldn't part with was 800 € (old Saxon violin). I also have one for 400 € and yes, I have to work a bit to make it sound great, but it's not so bad that I would want to part with it. There are people in all kinds of countries who save up two years for a 600 € dSLR or half a year for a 24 € book (two RL examples I know). The one with the camera even said, no birthday or Christmas presents, give me money to save for the camera. She is an adult, it did take her two years but now she is happy with her camera. I would try to do it like that, save for some time, ask friends to give you money for a violin instead of birthday gifts etc. and then go for a 500 € violin or so. The old Saxon violins sometimes seem to sell for only 200 € and if they are intact, some of them sound really great for up to intermediate players.
These are my favourite kind of videos. I also live in a country where expending $3000 on an instrument is impossible for most people. I bought a begginer but nice violin that was not played in years, without strings and bridge for cheap and set it up myself with your videos Olaf, even the soundpost. So thanks!.
Actually its the same the same in the US but its more about Greed then actual cost, with CNC machining viols could be made cheaper for the unwashed masses . Like me 😊
bruh, u bought my violin for about 25 usd
Buy a Carlo Lamberti Sonata Violin from shar. It's less than a grand.
@@d4z_l20svaQ12 I was curious about the name Carlo Lamberti so I did a little researching and came up blank. That also includes lists of European instrument makers. I even emailed Shar and received no answer. In the greater scheme of things it really doesn't matter because Shar's Carlo Lamberti line is awesome, but I can only conclude that Carlo Lamberti is a made up name just because it sounds Italian. Hopefully I'm wrong.
@@d4z_l20svaQ12 Why not purchase a violin from Olaf?
This is basically like what I'm doing for my friends' violins (vso) for free. I just ask them to replace the strings.
I'm not a professional luthier, I'm just a woodworking hobbyist. But there is no choice for us who are far from the luthiers.
I also have a soundpost setter, that tool for making proper holes for pegs, a small chisel, and a nice retractable office cutter to do everything.
I just ask them to replace their strings with the brtter strings available here in our place.
Why am I doing this for free? Because they don't have money to pay (or if they have, it's for the priorities such as food and formal education which is not about music). If they give me $2 or $3, that's fine, just to cover up some of my expenses for the tools I acquired. If they give me a snack, that's fine also.
I just ask them to pay me with good sound of the violin and with good music that they play.
I prefer first for the music to sound better, before filling our pockets.
This is what is practical in our locality.
Love, from a poor province in the Philippines.
You're doing a great job!
Same with me.
Kevin, God bless you brother, you are doing a great job of paying it forward. I love helping other musicians fine tune their instruments. Whether it be a violin or a guitar, I set them up for free because I love music. I'm retired now, and my children are all grown up, so I try to help those who are raising a family. They need every penny for food and household expenses, so I can afford to spend a little bit on helping them out. If you pay it forward, it will come back to you as blessings. I'm a lifelong multi-instrumentalist and I often give free lessons to children and young adults. It pays me back by having someone to play along with :-)
If you can make instruments and they sound as they should, you ARE a luthier, might not be a professional one, but baby steps.
Keep up the good work bro. Instrument making is growing fast in Indonesia and the Philippines so many you can become a professional luthier some day.
I love that one of its few redeeming aspects is: "It's got the shape!" LOL
But for $89 you did get an excellent cloth, albeit in yukky green!
Valuable insights as ever, Olaf.
Don't forget, it wasn't just $89, it was $89 + however much his time and service cost. So you're not saving money by trying to be cheap.
@@brendanr1525 Indeed!
@@brendanr1525 true unless you have worked on instruments (which i have) and dont have a reliable source of income (which i dont)
That cheap violin looks very similar to my first violin 😔. We didn't have money growing up and I always remember my rosin looking worse than everyone else's. Like really plasticky. We could only afford the cheap strings too. The joy I felt when I bought a real violin 🎻 was immense.
every single violin player should have to atleast play a cheap violin.. you can learn basic setup and when you finally get a good quality violin you can actually appreciate it.
Cork sniffers and wine swishers hate these cheap instruments, but I love them. They provide a chance for people on a strict budget [ like right now ] to purchase and try out an instrument to see if they want to pursue learning that instrument, or not. And I have found that with some targeted TLC, these 'cheapos' can play and sound pretty good, especially for beginners.
As a player improves, and their musical experience advances, they can move up in quality.
So there is a real place in music for these inexpensive instruments. However, most of them will require some set-up and adjustments, and maybe some repairs as well. Know that before buying.
The snobbery in this is ridiculous. Who has thousands to throw into a hobby all in one go. And all that bullshit about different countries, pal, open your eyes, the average person in every country doesn't have that money sitting around just for fun.
@@orangew3988 dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy.. i agree with the fact that a cheap violin is a good option for some but olaf is a violin maker seeing a cheap violin as a violin maker is painful. you gotta cut some slack when it comes to that. thats like gordan ramsay seeing someone eat instant noodles, the fact he tells you to not buy the cheap violin is proof he cares about what he does.. that is a rarer and rarer thing nowadays..
I totally agree. My advice is to start with a cheap instrument but don’t buy it on line. Go to a real shop and try the instruments. That way you can buy a decent set of strings too. And if you are on the way for a ‘real’ violin, why not look for a used instrument that you can have rejuvenated by a luthier the moment you can afford that?
@@sirspongadoodle "dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy" - He may very well be a decent guy (I've watched only a few of his videos, but I would agree with that assessment so far), but his comments in this video show that he is out of touch with reality with regard to what most people can afford. As an average middle class guy from the U.S., It is inconceivable to me that anyone would believe the average person can afford to spend 3,000-5,000 USD on a beginner instrument.
@@nomore6167 that’s a fair point and especially in America that would be even more true.. i just don’t think he should be insulted for having a taste in expensive violins..
Cool video. I did this years ago, got a 100 dollar cheapie on ebay, set the string height and changed strings, it was ok. I did it myself and I'm no pro. Sold it later and got a better one, but it was quite playable.
I spent two years (not working constantly on it though) and was able to save a despicable 150$ factory made violin but I am not a luthier which is why it took so long. Took off the varnish completely, made my own shellac based varnish from store bought shellac varnish with added copal powder and several other questionable ingredients and colorants, ebonized the maple fingerboard, and took a lot of the thickness because the wood was way too thick. The violin is made of two violins because I accidentally broke the top and I found an incomplete violin without a top for about 20$ so I wanted to experiment and see how a *fully maple violin* would sound like. I did cheat a bit, asked my luthier to set up the bridge, pegs and soundpost, but everything else I did myself. With D'Addario Helicore Octave strings I actually enjoy playing it, before these modifications I barely touched this violin, I only played my decent violin, but now I play both. My idea was not to deal with it cheaply but to do the best i could without woodworking or violinmaking knowledge (besides watching many violinmaking videos) and without any proper tools (opened the violin with a butter knife and glued it with hide glue, tied it very tight with string instead of clamps) . Love this kind of video! Would love to see more like this.
This VSO is very much like the first violin that I purchased. It cost $100 USD, and I bought it just to make sure I would be able to play a violin, before I purchased a really good violin. I was forty-one years old, and I had already been a performing musician for over twenty years playing the guitar and bass in rock bands. I took to the violin very naturally, the fifths tuning is very easy to play scales with and the fingerings came quite easily to me. I bought a professional modern German violin ($4500 USD), that was just at the entry of a professional quality violin. I took three years of lessons, and I've been sawing away on it for the past twenty years (I'm sixty-one years old now).
I inherited my grandfather's fifty year old Gibson F-5 mandolin about fifteen years ago, and I was immediately surprised by the tuning. Hmmmm...... G, D, A, E, same strings names as a violin, same lowest note, same highest note as a violin. Oh my goodness........it's like a violin with frets, but it played with a pick instead of a bow. I took to the mandolin like a duck on water! I'm now playing my beloved JS Bach violin pieces on the mandolin...... WooHoo! I love my little Gibby mando, and I play it in the church worship band.
EDIT 5/12/22 : When I inherited the Gibson mandolin, I was picking it up from grandma's house (she lived another couple of years), and my uncle told me that "there is a stick in the garbage can over there and we think it might be a violin bow stick". I took a look at it, and sure enough it was a violin bow without the hair and silver wire on the leather piece just above the frog. I gladly accepted it and took it home with me. I took it to my violin maker and had the hair and silver wire wrap installed, and when I picked it up he had some very exciting news to tell me. Apparently the bow was made in Germany in the mid to late 1700's and he made a few calls to his bow makers for a valuation, and he was told that the bow has a value of $6800 USD, which is $2k more than my violin is worth! Score.... Direct Hit!...... I was flabbergasted, but I tucked it away in the case, and I still have grandpa's old fiddle bow to this day. It's too light for me, it's designed for a professional violinist. I get too much chatter when my daft hand uses it. But it's a family heirloom, and if I ever sell it, I would like to be certain that none of my extended family will be able to use it.
👍Interesting ! 🎻😎
Any violinist niece or nephew in laws on the horizon? Lol.
You have such an interesting life!
@@amyx231 I'm retired Army, and I could tell you a lot of interesting things. I finished my Army career at Ft Bragg NC, I was a member of the 18th Airborne Corp, which is direct support for the 82nd Airborne Division. We followed them to all the hot spots. I got to jump out of an airplane forty-three times and march about a million miles! Life is a journey, make every day count. For the past twenty-five years, I've tried to uphold four simple agreements with myself.
#1. Be impeccable with your word.
#2. Don't take anything personally.
#3. Never assume
#4. Always do your best
I don't adhere to these agreements 100 %, but I do my best. Incorporating these agreements into your life is a process, not an event. I've been at it for twenty-five years, and it's only in the past five years that I have become very comfortable with them and realize a great deal of benefits from them. If you can make these four simple agreements with yourself, you will eliminate countless personal suffering and anxiety.
Your story is nearly identical to mine… the violin is incredibly difficult to play for me, I’ve mastered vibrato on many stringed instruments, but I couldn’t even get my hand to budge at all which was highly disappointing. I’m still working at it… I’m sure glad I bought a cheap one though, I did get a decent bow though and better strings.
@@robertw1871 keep practicing, Robert, it will come! You're already a musician, so you are halfway there. The violin is the most difficult musical instrument that I play, it takes twice as long for me to progress on than any other instrument that I have ever played. It can be frustrating at times, but I play through the burn, and do my best. Perhaps you could take some lessons like I did, I would have been lost without them. A good teacher can make all the the world, they will not only show you the correct way to play the violin, they will show you how not to play as well. Good luck with it buddy, I wish you all the best!
I'm 200 usd in saving for one of your violins!! I have one of these cheap ones from Amazon, and it's passing for now. I'm terrible anyway! But I can't wait to get one of yours!
I play marimba and my beginner instrument was 2000 Euros, second hand.
(1800 plus 200 Euro spare parts)
Use a razor blade as a scraper to align the fingerboard with the neck, and then a fine steel wool on the neck for feel and softness. Also, could probably add a little relief in the fingerboard with that razor and some fine sand paper, if you are poor, and can't afford quality tools, and I often rub paraffin in with my hands a little, and sometimes the fingerboard comes out ok. I like Helicore strings on these types of violins, which don't cost too much in USA, but add a bit of power to a top that is a little too thick - Tonicas mellow out a fiddle, but the Helicores bring out a bit of volume, which these usually need. Also, the thicker brides (and also softer maple) mellow the highs a little, which helps parents with kids learning violin, so maybe just thin a little. Once set up properly with decent strings, and played for a few years, they open up, and work fine for old time fiddle type of a sound. For classical, save your money and buy at least 1000 or 1500 if you can, though if you can try a bunch, I've found a few for 800 that sound and play pretty darn good.
You can hear the difference. Just proves what a set up by a professional can do.
Thanks for this video, I had a friend give me one of these $100 violins. I know it is not great but I wanted to get it to be playable without spending more than a new one would cost. This video gave me a GREAT guide to help understand what the minimum I should have done.
Like the first sight of THE GREENBRIER, that first sound!
I have the exact same cloth, got it from amazon or somewhere, a pack of 4 different colours. :)
This was a really awesome video. I am a bit more fortunate financially and when I get to buy I will be able to afford a better one, but it's always useful to understand the different degrees of acceptable based on price points.
Looks like the one I just bought. At least it's in the same price range anyway. I can't afford any higher. Too bad we are worlds apart. And making it better will cost a bomb and I'm clueless to do it myself. I'll just have to accept it and have fun.
I had that first playing up loud. The neighbours cat left in a hurry.
The top plate/soundboard looks like it could possibly be Basswood/Linden/Lime. It's not as commonly seen in instruments because its weaker and less beautiful than other hardwood/tonewood species. Bass usually has that fine grain too; and the sunburst finish (stain) is likely painted for effect. You'll know if it's bass if gets crunchy or brittle as it ages and dries.
Honestly one of the kinda funny parts about the $89 Violin being solid wood with the $100 being plywood, reminds me of my recent kilt purchase. I payed more than what it would have cost on Amazon. I payed the local seller to do the importing and measuring, as well as all the hard work verifying the quality of the makers so that I got the best quality cheap Kilt
What are your thoughts on the old family violins, or, actually, fiddles. My great uncle had a 1910 german violin which is worth nothing. ( Per our local shop) My great uncle used to play it. So, 1960ish it was last played. Many living people in my family remember dances where this fiddle was played. Im retired now, have always wanted to learn. But it wasnt something a girl did. But i now have the fiddle. It needs a soundpost, it has always been stored in its case, in the house, and the strings were gut when it was put away. They were loosened.
My family thinks im nuts to try and learn an instrument at the great age of 60, and even nuttier to try and have a 100 year old instrument repaired. (Except for the few old people who say, yah, that was some fiddling Josef could play). I figure its been waiting, and it must be as good as an 89 dollar violin, and after few hundred dollars why not?
Just curious if youve come across this situation much
Absolutely!
It's never too late... I've had clients start at 70!
Those German instruments can turn out really nice... It may need a bit more than a Soundpost.
I love giving instruments with a story a new lease of life.
I usually plane the fingerboard, clean and polish the violin, replace the bridge and soundpost, tailpiece, chinrest and strings.
Violin can be a little bit hard to learn at the start, but once you get some muscle memory it lots of fun!
All the best with your violin journey!!
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thank you! You have strengthened my resolve. it definitely needs a new tail piece, and the bridge . It has a spare bridge it looks like he started to shape, but will need a new one. He never had a chin rest. He folded a handkerchief under his chin. You can see the worn spot on the finish, and theres a photo of him playing like that. Your kind words mean so much.
Many thanks for your vid, I think that's the same thing what manylutiers did. The import instruments from China for 400$and rework them... new pirastro strings maybe a new finish.... And after that she take 1000 $(i don't know).
Besides the cloth, the case also seems ok-ish with a fair bit of protection.
While we are counting our blessings.
Great video.
I started teaching begging string classes in 1970 in elementary schools in California, USA. I am now retired. At that time we were seeing lots of cheap Chinese violins. They had all the problems you mentioned, but the instrument you showed here looked to be of much better quality. Pegs on those Chinese instruments were often pine painted black. I actually had several pegs break when I tried to tune the instruments. Chin rests were cheap plastic things that easily broke and were of little help in holding the violin properly, As to bows, I found that the fiber-glass bows of the early "70"s were often a better choice for beginners than the bad wood bows. Now days I suspect a carbon-fiber bow might be a good option for a beginner. I know that many professional players have carbon-fiber as a second bow or one to use in less than satisfactory conditions. Great video. Thank you.
Thank you teachers that instruct younger not so rich school kids, are great!
Happy retirement!
Sure, it,s cheap. But if your trying one for the first time, they are good enough. I use a 100$ Antion Brenton and it sound just fine for playing fiddel tunes.
An $89 cleaning cloth! lol This is great! Thanks for this :)
Haha...
I have nicer ones for $10
This isn't just good for cost, but also for kids who will outgrow their 1/4 size real quick. I have only ever gotten these sub 150 dollar violins til high school for that reason. First time I re stringed (well my teacher not me) my quarter size after breaking an E this sounded way better and meant that the next few violins we're kept cheap but I got new strings from the start with the old strings being my backups.
Great video Olaf! It’s interesting to see what improvements can be made to a not so good violin to make it playable on a budget. The important thing is to have a playable violin on which to learn!
6:14 your recording of your performance is in mono panned to the left. You want to either record with stereo microphones or duplicate the first channel.
I haven't played strings in two decades but I really enjoy your videos because it reminds me of what I loved about my time in orchestra and ensemble. Playing and tinkering with my instruments. Heck, at one point my saddle broke and I had to replace it with what I had on hand: a piece of solid copper mains electrical wire, in red insulation, of course.
We love watching your videos. Very educational.
The "original setup" sections seems to be recorded in only mono, would be nice if you could mirror it next time so both my ears can "enjoy" the cheap strings :)
Other affordable string options would be Ascente, Alphayue, Thomastik Vision & Prelude
My left ear loved the last third of the video lol
The minimum improvements you made Olaf have transformed the instrument from bloody awful to not half bad! About a 400% improvement to my old ears listening on headphones. By the way in those test parts of the video only the left channel of the audio was working ..
I don't play the violin, but I love and listen to all kinds of music. In my ears, the violin as it was, sounded horrible, but after you made those few changes and used a good bow, the violin sounded very good actually. I am very impressed, that you could do that.
I hope that many people which can not afford a more expensive violin will see this video and not be discouraged in their passion for playing this lovely instrument.
You have all my respect for doing this!
I buy broken old early 20th Century and late 19 Century violins and improve them. Most of them I have to re-carve the back and bellies. It's common to have to install linings and corner blocks and replace the bass bar. I am retired and do it for fun so I don't care about the labor. I have a cousin who bought a violin, needing the neck glued back on, for $6.50 (USD). It has a nice flamed back and no cracks. I'm jealous.
i bought a medio fino for $60. i used the body, neck, finger board and sound post. got some domination string ans the rest ebay things. tail piece, bridge, begs, went with a berber chinrest and a caron bow. served my daughter well at school.
Yes, and it’s fun too! Have 3 of those and i can’t even play. Also, one can find a cheap sound post setter and even a length of proper sound post material too but, if it is your first student violin you really want the sound post positioned by a proper luthier, it just look easy when Olaf does it.
You made that sound way way better.
Warchal nefrit are good and 1/2 price they also come in fractal size.
I recently bought a bow which started hissing. So I wiped the rosin off it and washed it with shampoo! I let it dry naturally by coming and tested it today and the hissing has gone!
It seems to me that for a violin newbie, there’s no way around spending less
than a good few hundred US$ dollars for a workable violin outfit to get started on, and that will take a good few years to grow out of the violin . These days, probably about $350 to a reputable shop in the USA.
Even after playing a short time, the bow needs to be upgraded and violin string are not cheap either, so not having to change strings the first year helps. Some inexpensive outfits have substandard cases, which can screw you, too! Taking the violin seriously will also require cost of about $100 a year to keep good strings and bowhairs on. Self teaching also requires cash outlay periodically to procure musical material.
A humidification system is also a good idea in winter to avoid problems, as well as thoughtful storage in summer months. The Humistat humidifiers are
a very good inexpensive option (
Hey Olaf, Ray Chen bought and played a cheap violin; he made a video on it. It sounded pretty good; I know he's a professional and can make anything sound good. Still, I think of your videos when I watch it. Maybe a good brand would make decent, inexpensive violins.
I didn’t know how good of a violin player he was
My violin would probably cost more to get set up by a professional than I paid for it! Lol.
The bridge is more lopsided than yours. Also no notches. I’ve only ever plucked. The rosin…doesn’t come off!
grab your alcohol lamp and adjust that bow camber/straightness. The worst that could happen is breaking it, but you may make that bow playable.
You know you're doing it right when people want to throw their money at you. I look forward to throwing money at you when I can :)
@6:17 You know you're a classically-trained professional when you accidentally play a few notes of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre while simply tuning.
Haha, That is actually how my violin sounds, and that bow is so similar to mine😂. Good job sir.
Master... you´re really in for a challenge
just curious... after this video did you donate the violin to a beginner... or toss it in the ol' dumpster? Love your videos!
Can you do the same thing, but then modify it to play the best it possibly ever could?
A lot of the hundred dollar violins are fine for beginners, I’ve got one and it plays and sounds fine for what it is… I play other instruments mostly, and the real price point of a decent instrument today no matter what it is is around $200-$300 so obviously you get what you pay for… I see just about zero people buying a decent guitar either which is my main instrument… but even in that case I can tell a difference between my $6000 guitars and my $200 guitars, but the difference even there is subtle…. Violins are the weird exception, some very expensive ones sound terrible, really have to learn for a few years before you’re even able to choose one… Find and instrument and practice practice practice practice… eventually you’ll appreciate a better instrument and what the differences are….
Something I always tell people who are buying guitars is to put aside ~$AUD300 for a professional set-up after purchasing. Some guitar shops are good enough to do it and include it in the price, but many still don't. You can make a $600 guitar feel and play like a $1500+ instrument. And having an instrument with the right feel and intonation will inspire you to play much more.
*I preferred to sell all those violins to have a beautiful workshop.*
Tonicas are definitely a good call. I would've knocked that bump down with a file or some 80 grit Abranet on a stick, as modern basic tech has 'em scooting up and down in 2 8ve shifts with backswing from almost day one, the days of being confined to 1st pos for months SHOULD be behind us, other than that, this is very sound advice indeed. The cleaning cloth being the best thing in the box says it all! 🤣Never mind, this is v useful for a situation which is all too common. Keep up the good work! 👍
I have to say as a non violin player, I think I could buy this and just assume it was all correct. Sort of like everything just looks like a violin and a bow.
Exactly... The problem is that it can be really frustrating for a new player who wonder why it is so hard and sounds so bad when they try and play.
Don't get me wrong... The first year is hard, but a terrible instrument can make it a nightmare.
I've long said that even a budget instrument can play decent enough if it gets a good setup. Some people can't afford much else, yet there is no reason why they can't also have a playable instrument at the lower price ranges.
I use the Tonicas on a pretty good modern fiddle. Do a similar job to the Dominants (on my fiddle they are slightly warmer), but at half the price. An under-rated string.
These instruments are amazingly good value.
Try building one to make a profit from an $89 price tag, see how you go.
Did you use the provided rosin on the bow?
I would love to have that 😂 just couldn't afford it
Reminds me of twoodfrd "upgrading" a Chinese clone of a Gibson guitar.
❤️ thank you
So we get the bridge and sound post right, dump the crappy tailpiece for a proper one, correct the I'll fitting pegs, and put a set of Pro Artes on it, but no one ever mentions how these violins can open up after playing time. I ordered a Tonerite so I can torture my Mendini with for a couple of weeks just to actually hear its potential.
There's nothing that will open up a crappy plywood violin...
Yes good playing will change the sound of a violin but it's worth at least having a solid wood VSO.
Also why the heck wouldn't you use the $300 buying a 'sound improvement' device to add to the instrument budget 🤣
Better solid wood than a VSO.
Those are called VSO's - Violin Shaped Objects.
I have a cheap violin that sounds a bit like that one did when you first played it.
Thankfully I have a much better one now.
It's not too expensive to plane the fingerboard. Just get some scrap wood, and sandpaper. Sandpaper costs next to nothing in countries where income is sparce. Attach a piece of sandpaper to the wood block. Plane the fingerboard up and down, a section at a time. Then take sandpaper and round off any streaks you created. Use your fingers as micrometers.
Oh you'll want to flatten your wood block by gluing some sandpaper to something flat.
A company called Donner a selling a cheap violin in the uk also a guitar, a mandolin and a flute. No idea how they sound.
did he ever make that video about bad strings on a good violin he mentioned in this video?
i like that sound it reminds me of left4dead.
i'v been watching you for so long and i've been admiring your work but i'v always questioned about the piece played in the intro i've been listening to a lot of repetoires lately but i didn't find it can anybody please tell me the name of the piece
Olaf, your workshop is in Brisbane? I might be interested in bringing my violin in that needs a bit of work.. sadly I don't look after it as much as I should but I have been playing it a lot more recently
How are missing edges repaired ?
I love the video. With that said, the work he did with the strings would make it more like a $300-$350 violin. Better to buy a good used one for $200 and then replace the strings and get a basic setup. You'd spend about the same and end up with a much better instrument. The bow will always need to be replaced on these cheap violins. There are a couple of passable carbon fiber bows for around $75 that would be acceptable for a beginner or if you are just broke.
Olaf here's a controversial queston but I want a professional opinion, Is a VSO acceptable in regards to a young child (maybe between 2-5 years old)? I ask this because recently my brother wanted to get is 3 year old in to music but he feels he shouldn't spend a lot money on something his kid is going to see as a "Toy". I feel the same way and I think it should be okay as long as it is set up correctly.
Hi,
Yes I can understand that...
Little ones don't always know how to look after a violin.
The 3 year old daughter of a client of mine dropped her violin and broke the bridge.
So as long as it's well set up a VSO would be fine for 2 to 5 year Olds...
You can definitely teach small kids to look after instruments well...
I did that just to teach my children what (not) to do with an instrument. They always want to play too when I pla and I'm not letting them come too close to my violin yet. The VSOs aren’t playable (curved fingerborad like in this video is just one of the problems). But if anything breaks, it won’t be a big loss. And for teaching kids to be careful, they work.
6:06 My right ear suddenly went deaf.
So I'm learning the cello right now and I'm renting it from an actual music shop. But I was curious how violin was because I really like the sounds and music of both so I ordered the eastar violin off amazon just because it's so cheap and I'm not sure if I will even pursue violin so I didn't mind getting a cheapo. But I'm about to replace the strings to D'Addario strings for now, like you said about the strings that came with that one thats how mine sound
I can imagine the before being really good in a horror game soundtrack.
Mr Olaf i would lime to ask you about your opinion about Yamaha original strings
Please send it to TwoSetV.
How much labour have you spent on it?
Please compare to a similar budget cost violin ($89+shipping+Your labor)
Next fix the fingerboard, put on a good bridge and see how great you can get it sounding.
It stuns me how many people always want to cheap out on instruments. Yes, instruments are not cheap, if you want something decent then you are going to need to invest - You can't buy a piece of trash and expect to become a musician! That's like the height of entitlement!
It's like buying a $200 car because you think cars are too expensive, and then having to pay an additional $1000 in repairs just to get it to run because you bought a piece of trash!
I think if you're going to end up spending the money in repairs or a better violin later anyway, just buy a decent violin to begin with. Otherwise you will end up paying for a junk violin + decent violin when you were complaining about how you didn't have the money, _but then you ended up spending more anyway!_ - which just isn't very smart.
Why are violin strings so expensive? The sales volume for violin strings must be 100 to 1000 (at least) times greater than for mandolin strings. Yet, you can buy an very good set of mandolin strings for $15 (USD) and an excellent set of ""concert" or orchestra grade set of German-made mandolin strings for less than $200. What's more there are 8 strings in a mandolin set of course not 4 like a violin. In addition, the G and D strings for mandolin are wound (and of course they are all metal -- various alloys like phosphor bronze, or monel etc.). Seems like violin strings are way over priced?
I think they may have to do more work to the outside of strings to make them bowable... And it's what they can charge because there isn't much competition for good string makers
Mate, you've got the sound only coming out of one speaker during the playing segments. Could be whatever gear your using during those segments is mono, so only giving you one channel of audio. Should be easy enough to fix in post
I thought my mobile was broken. I'd rather hear the original sound without any sort of cutoff.
hello, what do you think of the alice a747 strings?
Very odd - I hear no sound when the instrument is being played
Maybe it will be a cold winter. Then it won't be a total loss.
You need a better audio setup.
The shape of bow made me laugh a lot
Hi, I'm wondering if there's any way to add weight to the tip of the violin bow. I'm asking it because my daughter teacher says that the bow it's to light, it's actually 57,6gr. It's an old bow, the local luthier told me that's a good 3/4 bow. Really don't want to buy a new one that maybe will last few months because my daughter soon will need a 4/4 violin. Thanks in advance for your help
It is possible to change the weight distribution of a bow using lead fillings, but it is not as trivial as simply adding weight to the tip and the bow will play fine. 57,6g is certainly not uncommonly light for a 3/4 bow. But I’d trust a decent bow maker more than an average teacher.
Love ur channel Olaf but I cant hear any difference at all.
Why is the sound dissappearing when you play?
The $89 violin ate it
- Dear Olaf, I can't afford a 5k Violin :(
The guy who texts Olaf with an iPhone13, $300 Jordan shoes, and drives a Tesla
While it is true that a U$5k instrument is just not possible for a lot of people, but as a musician you need to know how you spend your money. For example, if I am a musician with cheap instruments but I mostly spend my money on brand new clothes, wallets, bags, phones and buy similar stuff then the issue is not me being able to afford high quality instruments but spending my money on non musical stuff...
I live in NIcaragua and I have been able to afford my cool instruments;) I own 11 Recorders (5 soprano, 5 alto and 1 bass), 1 baroque flute, 2 multichamber ocarinas (those were pricey but worth the investment), 1 melodica, 2 dizi, 1 xiao and 1 xun. When I used to work my monthly earning was U$480...
Then people ask me how I was able to afford so many instruments since they are impossible to afford for most Nicaraguans... the answer is simple: if I want to purchase clothes then I visit a thrift shop, if I want a pair of shoes I just spent on good quality shoes (it happens that cheap and poorly made shoes will make you spend more money on shoes in the long term), if I wanted a watch I just purchased a nice looking one (I am not into watches and rarely wear them), if I wanted to eat I just spend more money on groceries at local shops and cooked at home (making prepared meals and storing chopped vegetables will save you time when cooking) and by following such practices I had enough money to pay my bills, food, and musical instruments:)... also, most importantly, if you can use public transportation and use rideshare/carshare services then you can save money on transporation.
Cheers:)
Yes, I would also suggest to save and then buy something decent. In my world, that does not have to begin at $3000. My most expensive violin is 1300 €. The one I wouldn't part with was 800 € (old Saxon violin). I also have one for 400 € and yes, I have to work a bit to make it sound great, but it's not so bad that I would want to part with it. There are people in all kinds of countries who save up two years for a 600 € dSLR or half a year for a 24 € book (two RL examples I know). The one with the camera even said, no birthday or Christmas presents, give me money to save for the camera. She is an adult, it did take her two years but now she is happy with her camera.
I would try to do it like that, save for some time, ask friends to give you money for a violin instead of birthday gifts etc. and then go for a 500 € violin or so. The old Saxon violins sometimes seem to sell for only 200 € and if they are intact, some of them sound really great for up to intermediate players.
nowI ask myself what thew 10 AUD Difference do for a cheap Violin, Maybe you could do a comparison video :))
friggin cork sniffers bro
omg im suffering every step of the way XD
Just wondering what site you got this from?
I’m after something i can travel with & not feel bad if it gets roughed up while i’m at work.
I live in the netherlands and I can't afford a 3000 dollar instrument. that's not a normal amount of money to spend on ANYTHING.