Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(0 votes) 
Member
Offline
Am a beginner in violin and exploring different brands. Currently eyeing a violin from karl hofner, it is karl hofner 7 (as attached) and i wonder if anyone can let me know whether this will make a good violin? How much is a reasonable price to pay for one? Thanks a lot!
Offline
Do you have more pictures? Looks like an inexpensive top from what I can see.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Regulars
Offline
First thing I noticed was how wide the grain is. Afaik, that's not likely to be good.
The bridge looks very chunky, but that could be the lens's short focal length exaggerating.
I Googled it. There's a thread on Hofner in the violinst.com archives. Nothing to get excited about. But the OP doesn't mention their budget.
Andrew
Regulars
Offline
prettyfrownx
Welcome to the forum, and good luck on finding a violin.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
Member
Offline
Fiddlerman said
Do you have more pictures? Looks like an inexpensive top from what I can see.
Managed to ask for a proper photo. This is how it looks like. How much should I pay for it? Thank you so much for your input.
Member
Offline
Gordon Shumway said
First thing I noticed was how wide the grain is. Afaik, that's not likely to be good.The bridge looks very chunky, but that could be the lens's short focal length exaggerating.
I Googled it. There's a thread on Hofner in the violinst.com archives. Nothing to get excited about. But the OP doesn't mention their budget.
I couldnt find much info on KH violins too. Just heard it's pretty fine for a beginner but still i am very new to violins i dont know anything, not even the price range urghhh.
Member
Offline
Regulars
Offline
You haven't said if it's new or second hand. It's clearly untouched, but the Hofner website only lists models 5 and 8, not 7, so it may not have been in production since 1997.
The violinist.com people suggest 50 euros or 50 USD (what's your location?), although that's often just cynicism. But to judge from the bridge and the grain width, that price won't be far wrong. In a shop they are more likely to ask 100 Euros, I'd guess.
The nut looks high. If it is, you will have intonation problems, and it won't be worth 100 Euros to a musician. If your budget can stretch further, I'd say buy better.
Get a teacher and get their advice.
Andrew
Regulars
Offline
I've played someone's Hofner violin, which I believe was made in the 1950s. Nice tone, but couldn't get much volume out of it at all.
Hofner violins seem to have been very popular in Asia in the 1950s, before the first Chinese factories opened; I played in a casual community orchestra where several elderly Asian violinists still used them. But I understand that quality went downhill starting in the 1960s, so I wouldn't expect much from one made in 1997. (As for the model not being available right now: note that between 1997 and now the company was sold at least once and moved much of its production from Germany to China.)
Regulars
Offline
AndrewH said
(As for the model not being available right now: note that between 1997 and now the company was sold at least once and moved much of its production from Germany to China.)
And if cheap ukuleles are anything to go by, once that happens, the spec seems to be at the whim of the factory, and quality control is in the lap of the gods.
Andrew
Offline
I agree that if you get it for approximately $50, you'll definitely not be getting ripped off. The only concern I have is whether the set up and fittings will be useable.
Can't tell from the image how well the pegs work but the bridge looks horrible. Just a new professionally fitted bridge could cost you more than the instrument.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Offline
A long while ago, I bought a used (but in perfect shape) KH No.7, also year 1997 - see the quick pic I attach here. That violin and its set-up were better because it had been done by a luthier store call Brobst Violin (in VA). The wood grains were tight, and bridge was properly thin-cut. It looked very beautiful. The outfit had a hard case and a good wood bow. I was very happy, thinking I got a good violin for a good deal.
Boy, I was wrong! That violin sounded choked and muffled as if someone had put a rolled-up rag inside its belly. My kid was learning her first bow strokes on that violin, and she was struggling. No matter what she did, it would not sound right. I thought it was beginner's fault. The teacher was tactful and offered no comments! We went through two years of misery with that violin!
Afterwards, I got an Eastman VL80 for my kid; she could not let go the KH No.7 fast enough!
The only redemption for that KH No.7 outfit was the KH vintage wood bow. It could be pernambucco (or good brazilwood)? After we had it restrung with new hair, it's a very wonderful bow. *I* got that KH No.7 bow passed *up* to me from my kid, and I still used that bow up to now! 
That was our experience! But maybe there could be good KH No.7 out there. Good luck to your decision!
Regulars
Offline
@V T and others. Your provided photo did not view for me. I am particularly interested in seeing the spacing of the sound post to the bridge (I am even wondering if you have a sound post from your description of the issue), and where the bridge is located on the top plate. I do not know if we can make the instrument sound good. It should be easy to make it sound better.
Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.
Offline
@Ivr, I don't know how to make pictures show up in this forum, sorry
Anyway, for that KH No 7 violin we had, we spent money for re-set-up twice, but no good results. One luthier told us quite frankly, "It is what it is." Honestly, if I had known better, I'd have not bought it at all. After we retired it, I had a hard time to decide whether I'd sell it or donate it. We needed to recoup the cost, but I didn't want another kid to feel bad starting on that violin. We ended up selling it quite cheap in a neighborhood yard sale to an older man, who for some reason I did not understand, liked it ! I guess, in this case, "beauty sounds in the "ears" of the beholder."
Offline
V T said
@Ivr, I don't know how to make pictures show up in this forum, sorry
........
Press "Add Reply"
Look under the text box for a button called "Attachments" and select that.
Either choose "+ Add Files" or Drag the files in the "Drag files here." space.
Then choose "Start Upload"
Good luck!!!
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
1 Guest(s)
Mouse
tonyluo
ELCBK
