Things to Consider When Selecting an Instrument
c. 2004 Vermont Violins, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

So….you’re looking for a better violin! Selecting an instrument can be a wonderful experience: it’s an opportunity to try different instruments, hear different sounds and, in general, widen your understanding and awareness of the different types of sound this incredible family of instruments is capable of producing. It should be a fun way to challenge yourself to discern what sounds you like to hear.

Vermont Violins is proud of its record of finding matches between instrument and players. We approach this project holistically…we are interested in the player, in offering choices, and customizing our offerings to meet the individual player’s requirements and interests. We do not simply give out a package…we build each package one at a time, with the specific player in mind.

Sound is a tricky thing: ostensibly, it’s very subjective. Who’s to say what sounds good, after all? One person’s gold is another’s reject. But there are some ways to approach the listening and playing process that can help make the selection seem a bit less intangible and more measurable. Here are some tips, which in offering, we hope will also lend some insight as to how we approach the selection process.

1. First, remember that each instrument is capable of producing a range of different sounds. All of our instruments are set up using our preferred strings, bridges, etc. But when it comes to the player, we believe in making the necessary adjustments to accommodate an individual player’s personal preferences. An instrument, for example might sound good overall, but a bit muddy on one string. An adjustment might clear that up. If you would like a brighter more clear sound, adjustments can be made to shift the sound towards that end of the sound-spectrum.

2. A violin is set up with a chinrest and bridge curve that works for the largest number of people. Your physical build or style of playing might require a different chinrest…or a different curve in the bridge. We will adjust the bridges and chinrests to accommodate.

3. String choice is critical. In the years since WWII and the advent of plastics and other polymers, there have been tremendous developments in string manufacturing. Strings have been introduced to cater to a wide range of very specific player preferences. If we know your preferences, we can make string choices that might work better for you than what our workshop initially puts on each instrument.

4. Bows have a huge impact on how your instrument will sound and typically, when professionals purchase a new instrument they also buy a new bow. The bow that they loved on their former instrument actually sounds bad when played with the new. Bows match the instrument! It is our general belief that it is better to spend less on the instrument and get a sound-matching bow than to buy a violin that can’t realize its true sound due to an inadequate bow. We will help you select the bow once the violin decision is made, although often we do these together.

Vermont Violins believes that the best decisions are made in an environment of excellent communication: communication between the player, the teacher (if involved) and the shop. But talking about sound is tricky: how do you describe sound so that someone else understands what you mean?

There are two basic sound spectrums you might want to think about as you listen to an instrument: the volume spectrum and the color spectrum. Volume is pretty obvious: some instruments are louder than others. A soft-spoken instrument may have a completely lovely sound, but still wouldn’t work with someone who needs to project well: like a concert soloist or session attender who likes to be heard. Remember: volume can be adjusted through set up: some strings are stronger than others; some bridges create larger sounds.

The color spectrum is a little trickier. We hear the words “dark” or “bright” a lot (and of course, some people think the words are positive, others think in the opposite!). Visualize a continuum, running from dark to bright. At the far end on the dark side and instrument would be muffled and scratchy: the sounds running together like someone with a mutter. At the other end, the bright end, the instrument might be shrill or screechy. Hopefully, no instrument is ever built that is at one end or the other: but instruments tend towards darker sounds (which can be warmer and more tonal) or towards bright (which offers clarity, brilliance and projection). So as you play or listen, consider where the instrument is on the spectrum and by extension you will start to get a sense of where on the spectrum you live in terms of what you like. And, not to be repetitive, but adjustments can be made to customize an instrument towards the bright or dark end.

This brings us to the issue of sound color. Overlying these two considerations is the concept of sound color or dimensionality. For a whole heap of reasons too technical to go into, some tones sound more complex than others. There is a warmth, or three dimensionality that some sounds have that others don’t. Simple sounds can be beautiful, but in general, more complex sounds are more interesting to the ear. This can best be described using the metaphor of the painter’s palette. A musician with a simple instrument is like an artist painting a portrait with six colors. A musician with a complex instrument is like an artist painting with a myriad of colors.

When we select instruments for our collection, we want to like all the colors. We expect an inexpensive instrument to have fewer colors than a pricier one, but we don’t want to offer an instrument with colors we don’t like.

And this, of course brings us to the issue of price and budget. What you are able to get out of an instrument is of course linked to what you are willing/able to spend. There is, quite literally, a violin for every budget so, unless you are fabulously wealthy, you have to set your budget limit someplace. Because Vermont Violins offers a very generous trade in policy (you can move your equity 100% from one instrument towards another of equal or greater value) we are happy to limit what we offer you to the price that you tell us. It is a common practice for shops to assume that the customer is not saying what their true budget is and so will show instruments higher than the stated limit, but we try not to do that.

Lastly, there are some other considerations that may help winnow the list of “candidates.” While you probably wouldn’t select an instrument based on it’s physical appearance, you should fundamentally like the visual aesthetic. Some are varnished in a clean varnish, others are highly antiqued to look old.

Likewise, some instruments are narrowly-built or have upper bout regions that slope more easily than others to get around. If you are petite in build, you might like an instrument that is of slender build. Adjustments can be made here too: necks can be sanded to a thinner dimension to accommodate smaller hands. Some chinrest/shoulder rests can also help fit an instrument to a player.

Following is a quick list of things that we can change prior to purchase. It is not comprehensive, but it gives an idea of what changes we can offer to help customize an instrument to a player.

Things We Can Change:

1. Strings
2. Chinrest
3. Tailpiece
4. Soundpost (to adjust tone)
5. Bridge Slope (to adjust playability)
6. Bridge Hardness/cut (to adjust tone)
7. Neck Thickness (to make an instrument more playable)
8. Pegs (surcharge applies generally)
9. Overall loudness/brightness of an instrument

Things We Cannot Change:

1. What an instrument fundamentally sounds like. If you hate an instrument, we probably can’t do anything to make you like it. If you like it 85%, we might be able to get it the rest of the way!

2. What an instrument fundamentally looks like.

In order for us to best service you, we need as much feedback as we can get. We love to hear how much you like instruments, but we also need to hear what you don’t like, and this can be even more instructive to us as you work through the process. Feedback should be as specific as it can be and, if it’s helpful, you can use this guide as a framework to help articulate your thoughts about instruments: Here are some things to tell us:

1. Does the instrument have enough volume? Do you have to work (harder than you want to) to make it project well?
2. Does the instrument sound muddy? Shrill? Cloudy? Fuzzy?
3. Are the four strings well balanced? Sounds great on the G, but weak on the e?
4. Is the instrument even as you shift upwards on the fingerboard?
5. Does the instrument sound colorful or two-dimensional?
6. Is it easy to hold, or does it not seem to “fit” properly?
7. Is the action where you want it? Do you have to press further than you want to when stopping the strings?

So remember…Have Fun! Don’t forget that if you buy an instrument and your tastes change you can trade it in: a month later or ten years later…doesn’t matter. Don’t think you have to pick it right and get the one to last the rest of your life….trade ins are common and everyday occurrences for us!

And we will work with you to get the instrument of your choice customized to your preferences. Be careful not to reject an instrument for a reason that can be addressed by our shop. We are here and willing to give you as much customized service as you need to find the right instrument … we are your partner in the purchasing process!

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