That makes me feel better, knowing I'm not alone in experiencing this.

I've read all sorts of warnings about Chinese violins, but so far other than some tuning issues this violin has itself been nice, and sounds good too. I do want to upgrade strings though, but that's more for preference as opposed to performance.

in regards to the tuning issues I have to retune it every time I pick it up, but I'm noticing the amount of tuning required is getting less and less and I've only had it a week. By less I mean the strings now stay in the general vicinity of the pure tone, but usually to the left or right of center requiring just a minor adjustment. I figure this is due to being new strings.

Haha, I'm well aware of the VSO issue. Luckily the shop I frequent here is pretty reputable and the salesman has been upfront and honest with me in areas we're able to communicate. He warned me about the rosin being low-quality. And while the bow isn't a Strad, it's sufficient to my immediate needs. The pegs definitely hold the string in place and are not wiggly at all.

Since Korea is a hotspot for orchestral instruments I figured I'd spend my last remaining months here taking advantage of that. They seem to take pride in their instruments and accessories. I have a harmonica made locally which has tones better than the Hohner (spelling?) ones I've been exposed to in the past.

I think I will take my instrument to a luthier once I get home and see what they suggest for mods, if such are even necessary at the time. If nothing else when I upgrade, this will be a nice piece to add to my remembrance collection on my wall of the places and things I've experienced while being in the Army.

Well as far as pics go...noooot likely from me. I'm a photojournalist and am honestly sick of cameras at this point, but that's another topic for another discussion lol.

I have a humidifier as this place is notorious for widely varying conditions. It's just a basic in-case oasis brand one. I got it a few days ago and need to get some distilled water to actually put it to use, but that's more complicated than you'd think. but I have my sources and some should be here shortly.

The instruments here are decent pieces, asian made in most cases but I notice they steer clear of Chinese made ones unless it's Korean-owned. There's a lot of Yamaha and some names I don't recognize, but they have entire stores dedicated to certain piano brands inside their malls. They also love electronic violins which is what I think I may pick up next. One brand of piano, can't recall the name off hand, also makes modular bicycles, as in they fold sideways for transport and storage.

Beauty is also in the eye of the beholder here. Thanks to American influence a lot of the traditional designs and colors are rapidly becoming relics. There are still places where you can find cultural aspects, but they're getting rarer. The predominant color/texture here is gray concrete. The people are very nice comparatively, and are respectful even if you know they don't like you. I go out of my way to be nice and respectful to everyone I meet as I'm the visitor in their country, but sadly not many military personnel act that way. I've had to verbally jump many of my fellow Soldiers when I see or hear them getting out of line with a Korean. Just disgraceful behavior.

EJKiszenia said

That's a shame that some people still treat others that way while in a foreign country.  The worst part about it is that those are the memories that last the longest and are the hardest to forget.  

It seems to be becoming more prevalent with my generation and the younger ones coming after. Its gotten to the point where I am very discerning who I will be seen with in public as people have unpleasantly surprised me with their actions without warning.

I like keeping my violin in it's case as I'm a clumsy person apparently intent on destroying my nice things. I've had this violin barely over a week and managed to make a tiny nick in the front by accidentally dropping the butt of the bow on it while fumbling for the tuner. Luckily it didn't penetrate the varnish, and I figure it was bound to get marks on it eventually.

I don't get a lot of time to practice though. I feel accomplished if I get about 30 min in a night (with a break on Sundays to handle other issues) but about 15-20 mins is average for me. So far I'm working the open strings well and have even picked up a bit on reading sheet music, so there's that.

Hi Fiddlerman! Yep, Eric is definitely giving useful info! At my current entry-level stage I'm trying to soak up as much info as I can.

I attached a pic of my bridge. Pardon the low quality, as I don't have a specific macro lens setup so I had to make due with less than optimal setup. I mostly take pics of outdoor things so this up-close-and-personal look isn't familiar to me.

What does my bridge tell you by it's angle? Should I purchase a new, better one? If so that will be at least 6 months out due to me returning home then. It's difficult to get things customized here due to the language barrier.

Thanks for the welcome reception, Mad Wed. Interestingly enough I've been fascinated by American Civil War era music and that's part of how I ended up getting a violin and a harmonica as well.

That's pretty sweet. However from personal experience I can say modern combat dwelling isn't near as fun lol.

I'm not a big fan of playing with groups with my instruments, at least not as of yet. I don't even particularly see me playing for other people either as I'm a fairly reserved individual at home.