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In hopes of replacing my Mendini MV-200 starter instrument, I have been renting a violin for about the past month and have borrowed another violin "on approval" to try out. This week I must make a decision about whether to purchase one of these, and I'd like some advice on which sounds better.
I'm still playing at beginner level so I can't really do these violins justice! But anyway, I've played two songs on each violin, Lightly Row (on G and D strings) and Fuchs Du Hast Die Gans Gestohlen ("Song of the Wind") on the A and E strings. I'll call the violins A and B; their description is hidden under the spoiler section in case you want to listen without knowing which is which.
The files below are in the order:
Lightly Row - A
Lightly Row - B
Fuchs - A
Fuchs - B
Which sounds better? - A or B?
Thanks for your help!
The identity of the violins:
Violin A is a Romanian-made instrument imported by a local violin shop. It is apparently made in the Gliga workshop. I think the strings are D'Addario ProArte for G-A and D'Addario Prelude for E. It is in 7/8 size.
Violin B is a Johannes Kohr K500. I think the strings are Pirastro Obligato. It is also in 7/8 size.
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My two cents is for A, brighter with more of a voice.
With violins there is no fretting over the music.
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I'd go for A too, I'm by far not a professional though, just going by what sounded better too my ears A seems to be richer and much clearer in tone than B .
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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Thanks for the feedback, @OldOgre and @AnnyJ
@Jacques , thanks for the comment - these are both 7/8 violins. My teacher recommended this size based on my arm length and finger length. My Mendini is a full-size, and I do notice a difference. It doesn't really show up in tunes like Twinkle and Lightly Row, but it does make a difference for more advanced pieces. I'm just learning 4th finger in 1st position. On a full-size, I cannot reach 4th finger while holding down 1st finger, but on the 7/8 I can. That makes it much easier for me to play pieces that use 4th finger.
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I'm not sure this is you but we recently sold and shipped a K500 7/8 size violin. Was that you by any chance Fidelestre?
If so, please know that the strings that come with that violin are among the cheapest sounding strings you can find. Very bright and metallic but suit beginners well because the ease of tuning at the tailpiece with 4 fine tuners. They are good by comparison to cheap Chinese strings but still do not produce a good sound and will not do the instrument justice. The strings on the violin we sold are called D'Addario Prelude. If you make your comparison based on one violin with Preludes and another with Pro-Arte, the Preludes will seem metallic and harsh compared to the round softer warmer synthetic core Pro-Artes.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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@Fiddlerman - No, both of these are fromlocal shops in my city. When my teacher first recommended 7/8, I knew I would want to try one out for a while to see how the new size fit me. I called 5 of the local violin shops, and only one had a 7/8 rental in stock, and one more said they would order a 7/8 for rental or purchase evaluation. The second 7/8 just came in, so that is how I came to be evaluating both of these now, before the rental term and the evaluation period are up.
I forgot to ask them about Strings, so my guesses are bases on looking up the thread wrapping colors. Of course someone might be making other strings that mimic the colors used by D''Addario or Pirastro.
I will note that in "real life", one of the violins has much more complex overtones that don' t come through this recording made with the basic Windows sound recorder on my computer.
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Good deal. Chances are that you would have been happier with a K500 from us because our full time luthier spends time with all of our instruments. I play and test and approve them as well. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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