Fiddlerman said
@ Bunkei - I would have easily and happily played Bach Air but I did not see either of your messages before doing the sample. We were so extremely swamped with orders, emails, messages.... that we prioritized shipping products yesterday.
I'm so sorry about that. It would simplify my job if customers would make note of what they would like to hear. I wouldn't have to try to come up with new ideas all the time. LOL
Hope this was OK. Also, as a side note, I was impressed with this MJZ Could have played on it for hours if it were not for all the orders we needed to process. Hope you love it as much as I did.

Oh it's quite alright.  I didn't think of the Bach piece until after I ordered the violin, so that's on me. lol  A friend of mine is going to record the piano accompaniment today, so I'll have my very first duet on my MJZ.  I couldn't think of a better piece to show off the wonderful tone.

Thank you for making somewhat of an extended video for me as I really do appreciate it.  There's some debate about how much you can evaluate a violin when it's not heard in person but I can tell that this violin definitely has a dark, powerful timbre as one would expect from a Del Gesu pattern.  I can't stress enough how wonderful it is to get a benchmade violin of such tone and workmanship at an award winning workshop that's actually affordable.  I know from experience that just 15 years ago, this was simply not the case.

I'm glad business is booming, and it's not hard to see why.  I also do podcasts on the side and will definitely recommend Fiddlershop exclusively going forward.

Thank you .. Thank you .. Thank you

~Ben

@mischa91 Thanks!!

I got the violin today.  I'll write more detailed impressions in the near future, but I can say that I absolutely love the fit and finish.  Workmanship is impressive and couldn't find anything really to complain about.

Now on to the big question .. HOW DOES IT SOUND?

One word: powerful.  I thought my current German fiddle had a big bottom end, but the MJZ tops it.  Where it really struts its stuff is that the A string on the MJZ is much sweeter than my german violin.  The E really sings!!  It doesn't lose anything as you go up the register...

The response and sustain is leagues above anything I've played.  I don't need to dig into it to get volume nor does it require much effort to sustain the volume.

More to come (hand is hurting again .. lol)

Update #2: I got the strings in the mail today (Thanks again Fiddlershop for the fast shipping!!).  Today, I finally conquered my fear of changing strings because I broke one (that struck me in the face) when I attempted to change the 'A' string on my first viola when I was 13 and vowed never to change strings ever again.  This time, I simply went to Youtube and followed the directions and BAM!! All done .. and on BOTH of my violins.  

So just in case you didn't catch what I posted in the other thread.  I decided to switch out the Dominants on my MJZ for the Zyex strings that Fiddlerman recommends.  I'll get to that in a bit ..  I also ordered a set of D'Addario Pro Arte for my german fiddle based on the positive reviews I've read on the net.  

Let's start with the German fiddle .. WOWOW!!  I never knew strings could make such a huge difference in the sound of a violin.  My german fiddle is very loud, and combine that with the bright sound you get from the dominants, it was just too much.  Not to mention that I've been neglectful and haven't changed the strings in at least 2 years (also Dominants).  Now the violin has a more resonant, mellow sound.  Playing on the 'A' string doesn't make me grit my teeth.  Shame on me not changing the strings on it sooner, as half of them were in very very poor condition.  This was definitely a better fit for the violin, and I couldn't be happier.  Still, it doesn't hold a candle to the MJZ.  The MJZ is more powerful and the tone is more open (even though it's hardly close to being 'played in').  I suspect the gap to widen further as the MJZ opens up.

Now for the Zyex on the MJZ .. Very nice, and I love the response on the strings.  Also the tone of the violin is more complex and it seems easier to change dynamics (soft to loud or vice versa).  I definitely hear the difference, but I expect it to be very noticeable is in the weeks to come as the strings get played in.

All in all, I couldn't be happier with my purchase, and I definitely plan on posting updates as the MJZ's sound matures.  I can't wait!!