plastic violin

Subject: plastic violin
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 01:09 AM

I see that Elderly has a Maccaferri plastic violin for $135. I'm looking for a travel instrument that won't cause me to cry if it breaks. Has anyone tried one of these? How does it sound? Al

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 01:12 AM

At that price BUY it...the sound will be awful...but who cares...it won't get broken....and no one will steal it...It will be a nice toy for the children....when you tire of it.

Invest in a GOOD case at three times the price of the plastic toy and you will not need to worry about the real getting broken.

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:00 AM

I should have thought that as there are always loads of adequate old fiddles available at reasonable prices, you might do just as well by buying a sacrificial wooden one for $135. Unless you have a positive desire to try plastic? I'm in the UK,so I'm unacquainted with American second hand fiddle prices, but judging by what was lying about in my local market yesterday you could get plenty of fine fiddles at that price in England. I can't believe it's that different in America: if it is, maybe I'll start an England-USA fiddle export business!

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:18 AM

"....plenty of fine fiddles at that price", Greg?

Murray

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:31 AM

Many a fine tune, Murray. It's the way you play 'em.

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:44 AM

I live with a much respected professional fiddler. The three fiddles that she regularly uses cost (as far as I can remember) £10, £15 and £35. Stradivarius they ain't, but the audiences never seem to walk out in disgust. Joe Venuti always played cheap fiddles out of junk shops: he didn't get a lot of complaints either.As the previous poster said: it's the way you play'em.

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: BanjoRay
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 06:16 AM

Greg, you could possibly be on to a good thing with a fiddle export business. A friend goes to the Appalachians every year to music festivals. He takes fiddles, squeezeboxes and English banjos, and comes back with american banjos. It mostly seems to pay for his trips.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: English Jon
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 10:01 AM

My fiddle cost £13. Sounds bloody good though.

EJ

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 10:06 AM

Try talking to Tom Paley (yes the ex- New Lost City Ramblers one) - he's got plenty of good, cheap, secondhand fiddles.

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: NicoleC
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 11:36 PM

I've been looking for ages to replace my Chinese junk, and I haven't found a fiddle anywhere near that $135 mark that didn't require massive restoration to even play the thing. Heck, my Chinese junk cost over twice that.

Start that export business, Greg, and I'll be your first customer! Better yet... need a stateside partner? :)

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 11:45 PM

I have seen a wooden fiddle and a case in the "Musician's Friend" catalog at that price. The fiddle is Chinese, I believe. They have them for as little as $70 in their discount catalog. I assume they are playable, the workmanship is at least neat, and they include a bow and a case.

You can find used fiddles cheap if you look long enough. Junkers in the US seem to go for $75 and up. The differences between the cheap import and the old clunker cut two ways. On the plus side, the old fiddle probably was made with better wood. It may have originally been a quality instrument. Then again, it just might be the 1932 equivalent of that $139 special.

The down side is that whenever you buy an old instrument, you will either need to be a skilled instrument repairer or spend $80, $120, or more to get the thing set up by a violin repair specialist. And it is unlikely to come with a useable bow or a good case.

The cheap import comes with a sturdy case, that probably fits your good fiddle and a fiberglass bow ($39.95 value) So I think it is a buy purely as a source of spare parts.

I lucked onto my fiddle for a small amount at an estate sale, but had to spend $150 or so having it "set up" by the guy who does work for the local symphony. By fiddle standards it is a very good instrument, I am told. But then, fiddles, like pizza, are very much a subjective thing.

What would I do? I would go to your local music store and check out the Chinese fiddle.

ef

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 19 Jul 02 - 02:16 AM

Guest Al

You say you're looking for a travel instrument? Is the ability to take a few bumps is an issue? If so....

I once played in a band with a cello player who had an aluminum cello. It sounded great! It originally had a simulated wood paintjob, but he stripped it down to bare aluminum. It looked mega funky. I also procrastinated on responding to a classified ad and missed an opportunity to buy an aluminum bass. I regret that one to this day.

Aluminum violin family instruments were manufactured mainly for school use where durability is an issue. They apparently concentrated on basses and cellos, but did make some violins and violas. Check out this page .

The odds of finding one are probably pretty slim, but wouldn't an aluminum fiddle be way cooler than a plastic one? Strip that sucker done to bare metal and you're guaranteed an audience any time you pull it out. *G*

Bruce

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jul 02 - 07:44 PM

Prices in the States for this kind of thing do sound high, as Greg commented. And the most important part of any fiddle is the hand holding the bow. I've heard great music coming out of fiddles that look like total wrecks, only fit to be thrown in the rubbish bin, - and the other way round too.

Subject: RE: plastic violin
From: X
Date: 19 Jul 02 - 08:17 PM

Every fiddle I every played sounded like a $100.00 plastic fiddle. Hmmm, could it be me?