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Hey there, Mr Fiddlerman told me the other day a few useful advices on how one can tell whether a violin is machine or hand made. Anyone else has any ideas on how i could possibly tell the difference?
Thank you
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if you send a sound recording of it being played I could tell you how it compares to both Chinese production (cheap) or hand crafted by a knowledgable luthier.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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I would say... the price! Also a handmade violin often have a personalize style from the luthier, along with quality finish (varnish not too thick or thin). Check under the fingerboard, often if it's not black it's not even ebony it's painted! Painted purfling, peg hole roughtly finished and of course the sound. Known luthier label. Not all cheap violin are machine made, some are handmade but on a production chain...
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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Mmm... i haven't yet rented a violin so i can upload the sound but hey, should i do so be sure i will right away cbennyb :).
NoirVelours, not all chinese luthiers are dushbags 
Anyway, thanks, keep posting advice :).
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If you cant afford a 10,000 dollar Violin you may end up buying and trying several Violins before you find what you like -- what ever that is.
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Argy, a chain production is not a luthier!
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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This is my violin http://www.kkmusicstore.com/ce.....d-p-1.html. And according to cdennyb the analysis he did was I quote "i can't believe my eyes... your trace looks really, really good... wow, you're gonna love this review" I said "I got my moneys worth" he said "damn right you did". 
I can't read music, but I understand it perfectly.
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I read an article about cheap price violin that sound nice when new but lost they sound in a few years because the wood is not aged long enough etc.. Will try to find it, it was on violinist.com
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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Don't ruin this for me, NV!
I can't read music, but I understand it perfectly.
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Not saying yours will react like that! Or if it does in some years, you'll be so good by then you'll be ready to upgrade anyway 
Hey mine is cheap priced also (a bit over 200$) and USA made, same thing might happen.
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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I to have a cecilio that cost under 200 dollars but I figured I would upgrade in a couple of years. Not that I expected it to fall apart.
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I've heard that many times. The theory behind that is that some makers will make thin violins that sound great because of their thinness but that will cause the would to change shape and tire as well.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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in my opinion not all hand made violins are made equal to were a machine would make each part perfect . Any Violin you play will sound different depending on wood and what kind or strings you have on your violin . I am positive you can tell the sound quality from a hand made violin to a machine made violin just something you will have to experience. i personally love machine made violins because of there perfect detail work but i wouldnt get perfect performance from a handmade violin because of how it was hand made and material probably would not last as long on it as a machine made would ! - Violin Concert mistress Cindy !
Concert Mistress Cindy
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@ Dash
you know, even though your violin has a realativly smooth trace, it was low in projection but far better than any Chinese student model I've done to date that had steel core strings. It would be very interesting to see how far we can go on improving it, you know, like bridge mods, and strings, position of bridge and post etc. You never know.
I'd also like to retest it after you've played it awhile, like a year maybe? or even a few months of constant practice to see if it has changed at all.
Then we could see if the seasoned wood is really seasoned or just painted pretty. Good idea huh?
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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Well I have to chime in here too cause I agree with so many of you. On guitars I prefer very heavy guitars. Gibson's and such better for me anyways. I was asked to play lead guitar for a band and used his Fender guitar and broke the neck right off of it. He got mad at me but i met up with him the next day and gave a him a Gibson Les Paul. Fender guitars have a bolt on neck and are not built very well. And FM between my Cecilio 500 and my Mendini 650 that Mendini is now sounding so much better. ya can always make an instrument sound good. But if you really want to get into it and jam, you really need a little more wood to make sure it can keep sounding good over time. But it also depends on what kind of sound you are going after too.
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I appreciate your help, thanks !
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Interesting ideas everyone. Lets keep in mind that hand made can mean so many things. It's often a question of how much and what was made by hand and how much by machine. It's the details that should really be done by hand including the selection of the wood.
I think the question is more weather they were made in mass production on an assembly line verses by a luthier or a group of luthiers who take pride in the final product and can put his name on the instrument.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
One of my old violins had the writting "No. 275" on the label. Guess I knew what that meant
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Are you sure thats not the model number Oliver?
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Interesting account everyone. Lets accumulate in apperception that duke fabricated can beggarly so abounding things. It's generally a catechism of how abundant and what was fabricated by duke and how abundant by machine. It's the capacity that should absolutely be done by duke including the alternative of the wood.
I anticipate the catechism is added acclimate they were fabricated in accumulation accumulation on an accumulation band verses by a luthier or a accumulation of luthiers who booty pride in the final artefact and can put his name on the instrument.
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