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Violin Sound
Beginner and (not so good) sound quality, is it just the player or the violin itself
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AnnyJ
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July 11, 2015 - 9:04 pm
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Hello,

So, I noticed in most of the video's people post of themselves playing the violin, the violin sounds rich and woody.

I come to find mine kind of sounds, well, tinny for the lack of a better description, sometimes it reminds me of a harmonica.

Is it me being a beginner that's causing this, or did I end up with a violin shaped object (came from crystalcello for $150) a while backembarassed?

Thank you all in advance for your input.

It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. Johann S.Bach

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Fidelestre
Texas
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July 12, 2015 - 8:25 am
Member Since: June 21, 2015
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AnnyJ, I'm not familiar with the Crystalcello violins, but I looked them up and noticed that they seem to carry the same model numbers as the Mendini violins, so perhaps they are really the same violin (sold under a different label)? My current violin is a Mendini MV200.

Anyway, it looks as though at a $150 price point, you probably got some features not present on the lower end models, including ebony pegs and fingerboard. Do your pegs seem to stay in tune fairly well without slipping? If you just started recently, your $150 violin may very well be able to keep you learning for a while longer. Upgrading the strings from the cheap ones that probably came with the instrument could also help improve the sound quality.

Of course, violins such as my Mendini and your Crystalcello cannot be expected to sound as nice as the better-made and more expensive instruments. But, my teacher can make the Mendini sound a lot better than I do! If you are getting to the point where you think the poorer sound quality is holding you back, it is probably time to investigate getting an upgraded instrument.

Do you have any kind of violin shop or even a general music store that sells violins within reasonable travel distance? Even if you have to travel 2-3 hours to get there, it may be well worth it to go to a shop where you can try out several instruments and get a sense of whether it sounds better than on your own Crystalcello. Even if you are not ready to purchase now, it would be helpful to try out several different violins.

If you are not ready to purchase an instrument at this time, many violin shops will rent a decent-quality student instrument (typically one with a purchase price around $400-600, at least in the violin shops around here) for a reasonable monthly fee, with a portion of the rental going towards purchase if you decide to buy it later. If you are nowhere near a violin shop, there are stores online that also provide rentals, though I'm not familiar with their terms.

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AnnyJ
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July 12, 2015 - 2:26 pm
Member Since: June 18, 2015
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Thank you very much Fidelestre! That's a lot of information. I did change the strings to D'Addario Zyex, didn't seem to do much.

The pegs are actually on the tight side. Surprisingly enough I can go without tuning for weeks.

The local music store is 90 % guitars and drums.

I'll have to browse see what I can find in other towns or online when the money is right, in the mean time I guess I"ll just practicte violin-student

Thanks again.smile

It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. Johann S.Bach

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Fidelestre
Texas
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July 13, 2015 - 8:06 am
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AnnyJ,

You may be interested in a post I just made under the Violin Sound Challenge heading:

https://fiddlerman.com/forum/b.....challenge/

I played the same test pieces on my Mendini MV200 and on another violin. My Mendini is probably somewhat similar to your Crystalcello, although I think the Mendini MV200 is more of an "entry level" violin than yours.

I will leave it up to you to conclude whether the quality of a violin makes much difference for a beginner. Do both sound equally "squeaky" in the hands of a beginner, or does the higher quality violin sound significantly better?

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
July 13, 2015 - 10:48 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

AnnyJ,
Some violins just sound tinny like you said. They sound metallic, bright, irritating, cheap... You name it.
Other instruments are warm, pleasant, rich, powerful.... Lot's of great stuff.
Sometimes you need to get lucky.
You may be able to better the sound and you may not. If you were located close to Fort Lauderdale, Florida I would encourage you to visit our shop and have a look at your instrument. Don't despair though, probably not your fault. :)

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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AnnyJ
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July 25, 2015 - 3:35 pm
Member Since: June 18, 2015
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That would be a 12 hour trip each way for me, biker (good excuse for a vacation, if I had the money)   

Thank you very much for the offer though!!

It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself. Johann S.Bach

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