Any fiddle players out there?

[TonyT]

Before I go off-campus, I wondered if anyone knows what I'd have to pay for a decent fiddle to learn on?

 

[killdeer43]

http://elderly.com/vintage/cats/110U.htm

Elderly's always a fun place to shop for something new. Looks like they have a pretty decent selection of new and used.

Joe

 

[GuildFS4612CE]

Carol is our fiddle player around here.

 

[markus]

Carol is our fiddle player around here.

… but I'm afraid she hasn't visited LTG since the begin of the year …
Markus

 

[Frosty]

I wondered if anyone knows what I'd have to pay for a decent fiddle to learn on?

My favorite fiddle (a 19th century German factory instrument) cost me $300. So my answer to you would be "not a lot". But the challenge, if you don't play yet, is to know what is "decent". There are thousands of old, serviceable fiddles/violins out there so there's no need to spend money on a new Asian import "student violin". Best to take along a fiddler friend when you go shopping.

Now... you didn't ask, but my bow cost more than my fiddle. :wink:

Good luck. And be prepared for the musical challenge of your lifetime!

 

[fronobulax]

cost me $300. So my answer to you would be "not a lot".

This is actually one of the things that defines the Geezerhood on LTG. I too would also say that $300 was not a lot and compare it to various expenses I have as a taxpayer, car owner, home owner and parent. However one of my young friends - who is employed and desperately saving so he move out of his parent's house - has to think long and hard about any expenditure over $100. He's the only person I know who uses lay-a-away and he does that to hold guitars until he can raise the cash.

 

[GardMan]

Here's a link from last year... incl some comments/advice from Carol.

 

[devellis]

As someone whose primary musical genre was Irish traditional until fairly recently, I've spent a lot of time with fiddlers and played fiddle very briefly myself. What people have said about bows is absolutely correct. Fortunately, there are now good carbon fiber bows that cost less than a comparable pernambuco bow. As with most instruments, getting a good fiddle has its rewards in ease of playing and quality of tone. Around here, there has been a real shift in the availability of fiddles/violins. People with fiddles worth a grand or two were having a hard time selling them because there was a flood of wealthy kids whose parents thought that they should start on a $10,000 violin. So, above $5,000 was all the local dealers seemed interested in. There are scads of very decent violins laying around in people's attics. But everyone thinks their violin is a Cremonese masterpiece (hey, it says Stradivari on the inside) and many are in godawful condition. Separated tops and backs are an easy fix as long as they're intact, by the way. If the back has popped off but is in one piece, that instrument may be a real bargain and it's not a huge problem to fix if everything is in good shape.

There are also decent quality Chinese violins now on the market. Eastmans get a lot of respect and are affordable. That might be a good option as a first violin because it should be reliable, decent, and affordable. Hunting down a bargain from among the under-the-bed specimens can be fun and rewarding but might better be left for a time after you've developed more of a sense of what you're wanting a violin to be. Also, remember that string choices have a pretty substantial impact.

Hope these ideas help in your search.

 

[TonyT]

Thanks everyone. I'm just kicking tire at the moment, but the fiddle does intrique me.

 

[Brad Little]

Now... you didn't ask, but my bow cost more than my fiddle. :wink:

I agree. I've had a few fiddles of different quality over the years, was actually ready to spring for another one before some major car expenses. The bow is often more important than the fiddle.
Brad