Frequently Asked Questions About Violins & Fiddles: Tonal Range

Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 09:47:58 EDT
Subject: TONE QUESTION

ENJOY YOUR WEB DISCUSSION'S VERY MUCH. MY QUESTION IS I HAVE NOT FOUND A VIOLIN THAT HAS A SWEET TONE. I HAVE A NEW DOETSCH WHICH IS NOT WHAT I WANT, SEAMS TO BE MORE FLAT LIKE. I HAVE CHANGED STRINGS. MY STYLE WOULD BE COUNTRY AND HYMNS MOSTLY SOLO. I DID PLAY A HOFNER FOR A SHORT TIME RECENTLY AND IT HAD A SWEET SOUND IT WAS ABOUT 15 YEARS OLD. MY VIOLIN HAS PLENTY OF VOLUME BUT NOT WHAT I WANT. IS THIS A DUMB QUESTION?

RALPH SOLBERG

Greetings Ralph,

Glad to assist:

There are a lot of contributing factors to gaining a sweet tone: set-up, type of bow, bow hair, how much rosin is applied, the pressure of the bow as its drawn, the angle of the bow (what portion of the bow hair is drawn on the strings), how taut the bow hair is adjusted, and so on. Some of these factors have nothing to do with the tools at hand and more to do with technique. Nonetheless, I've found that the tools at hand are every bit as important as technique utilized.

Finding just the right bow and violin combination is half the battle, maybe more, of accomplishing a sweet tone. It's rare to find a new violin with a "sweet" tone...most new violins need to be played to "open up and season" over time...this is the one advantage of buying a used violin. The disadvantage of buying a used one, would be the simple fact that they usually always need some set-up work to be put in good playing order. This is a simple remedy, buy from a knowledgeable source such as a repair technician or a builder to ensure that you have a violin, and bow, in good playing condition...check with my associate and friend, Steve Perry, listed below...he may have a used violin available now.

The other option in buying new, is to buy a higher end violin...such as offered by Gianna or Maestro of which we carry ourselves. We've found that on average, some of the higher end violins really do carry forth a nice fullness in tone with sweeter overtones than lower end violins. Mickey

Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 11:04:13 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Violin TONE QUESTION

Ralph,

Steve Perry for Folk of the Wood. Most violins are
set up for a classical sound with lots of overtone
emphasis giving brilliance. There are some darker
toned violins, smooth toned strings, and some setup
tricks that will give a sweeter, darker tone. For
example, the Wind River I put together for Folk of the
Wood can be made and set up for a very sweet and
supple tone on request.
The Hofner you played may very well have had old-style
German arching and shape, which will also give a
sweeter tone if set up correctly.

You are welcome to give me a buzz if you'd like to
talk about tone and what might be done to change the
tone on your Doetsch. The Doetsch is a Stradivari
pattern usually, which is designed to give a
more-brilliant tone.

Steve Perry
Gianna Violins