eric

don't go down the slippery slope. these suggestions of advances maneuvers for removing the dampit are silly. you're likely to damage the violin in the process. leave it there until you have occasion to have the violin at a repaair shop, and then the repair person can extract it easily without harming the instrument. .

I need suggestions to help me memorize music. I'm not trying to learn a huge amount of repetoire, but want to memorize some excerpts, for instance a movement from Bach solo violin repetoire. Does anyone have a system they use, or specific techniques to aid in memorization?

I have a long neck, and use the Viva La Musica rest. It works well. It's no taller than the Kun, and not as tall as the Wolf. I don't know how you view this, but I don't expect the rest to do all the work of holding up the fiddle.( I used to, but now I don't worry about it as much.)

John Norwood Lee is a contemporary maker who works in Chicago. His bows are $3500. They are available at Bein and Fushi in Chicago. I like the bows, I have compared them to old French bows and they match up well.

Has anyone tried Obligato strings? How would you compare them to Eudoxa strings? Are they as fantastic as the Pirastro literature says they are?

If you purchase the Galamian edition of the Bach Solo Violin sonatas and partitas there is a facsimilie of the original manuscript in the back. The arpeggios are not written out, they are written as a three or four note chord. The arpeggiation and rhythm thereof is really a matter of discretion, sort of improvised. If you are going to work on this music being able to refer to the original manuscript is very helpful.

Some players have a condescending view of players that use shoulder rests. Some teachers have criticized users pointing out that the greatest players didn't use rests. It is not relevant to compare students of today to great players of the past. What is missed, though is the importance of playing comfortable. I know of one player who stopped using a rest at the insistence of a teacher. This player developed severe problems with the left thumb, probably as a result of changing long term habits in holding the instrument. If using a rest makes you comfortable, by all means do it.

HI everyone. I heard about a recent discovering. some specialists had found what could be the testament of Antonio Stradivari. If anyone got any informations on this subject... (books, notes, articles...)it could be helpfull for me. thanks.

I have tried all three.Iam also a guitar player that also plays the violin.Iwas impressed with the peavey until i played an epiphone.The epiphone acoustic regent 30 had everything I was looking for.It was only $300.They also make a tube version for about $100 more.TRY IT before you buy one of the others. good luck!

: :I could not help but noticing that you said "music shop". These words set off all sorts of alarms in my mind. If by "music shop" you mean "violin shop" then some concerns are eliminated. However, if "music shop" means what it usually means, i.e. a place that sells pianos, trombones, drums, kazoos, clarinets, tubas, guitars, african thumb pianos, bagpipes, and also happens to have some fiddles, then I'd be even more skeptical than usual about taking such a big plunge. In my experience, it is a rare general music store that has personnel with any significant expertise in identifying, repairing, and maintaining instruments of the violin family. For those of us in the trade, it requires all our energies, time, and intellect to stay on top of just the violin business without having to keep up with all these other areas. : Assuming, however, that the instrument is all that it is claimed to be, I can only say that infatuation does not usually make for wise business transactions. I buy based on a personal motto that "there is no deal too good to pass up". There have been times (they seem to occur much less frequently the older I get) when I have been tempted to go after the proverbial pearl of great price. Fortunately, in most instances, something kept me from consumating the deal. In almost every case, after an initial period of disappointment, it became obvious later that a disaster had been avoided. I have regretted some deals I have made, but I can't think of a single deal that I regret not having made once the heat of the moment passed. Good luck. Jake : : :I've just been to my music shop and they had a wonderful violin for sale. I already have quite a good instrument, but this one is old, in great condition, is collectable and has such a beautiful tone. It did everything I asked of it, and now I'm absolutely in love with it. Problem is (there had to be one), it's soooo expensive. It's worth more than twice the cost of my recently new car, or about one third of my house. I know it's really silly to even think about buying it, but I can't imagine not having it and someone else playing it instead. I feel like Donald Duck in some of those cartoons where he's got a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other giving him conflicting advice. Am I mad to think about how I can beg, borrow, or steal the money to buy this lovely instrument? : : Yes. Stop thinking about how in love you are with the sound of this instrument and ask yourself a few more questions. Why is it collectable? Does the person who gave you that information stand to gain from the sale of the violin? What kind of certificate is there that backs the instrument? What kind of condition is it in - are there cracks in the top or back? Has anyone else seen the instrument that can vouch for its authenticity? Instruments that are expensive need to have all the right answers to these kind of questions - sound matters very little in determining value. : : Unfortunately, musicians attempting to buy instruments cannot fully trust dealers selling those instruments, or in some cases, even the certificates behind them. Its buyer beware - and buyers are at a huge disadvantage in getting reliable and accurate information about a very complicated market. There are lots of fakes out there. Never buy an instrument just because you fall in love with it. Do everything you can to check it out first - and don't ever let go of a healthy sense of skepticism. Realize that even with all of these things in place, it is a risky way to invest. Watch out for yourself, no one else is going to. You guys who keep telling that the sound of the violin has very little to do with price, where can I by cheap violins with a sound quality and playability of old italian master instruments? I have not found a single decent sounding violin under 30000 $. It seems to me that the dealers are selling collectables but the customers need sound quality and playability and most of them are looking for the best sound and playability at the lowest possible price. On the long term that has caused the general price structure of violins, not the names of the makers. A good violinist can approximate the price level of a violin just by making sure first that the set up is ok and laying it a little.

: : : other than this great board and ebay, there isn't a site for fiddle collectors as far as I know. It is a good idea though. (hint hint webmasters) : Colorado John, : Although I am no longer a serious collector, I still : check the Ebay auctions and other websites looking for bargains on quality violins that I can use to upgrade my present selection. So I would : enthusiastically endorse your "neat idea." : JohnT Colorado John, I have also been looking for a discussion board for violin and bow collectors. Do it! eric

your drying oil is interesting.would you be willing to share your recipe?

I am attempting to narrow my search for the maker of a violin labeled "Fecit Cremonae anno 1736". Can anybody list all Violin makers in Cremona at the above time?

: I have an old (100 years) Strad copy that has developed a very small but long : crack over the bassbar. I have taken it to a luthier who said the it was most definately : not worth the expense to repair it. It basically has not value, especially like it is now. : The sound deteriored noticeably when this happened. : I have another instrument, but I hate to see this violin sitting in the corner and not : being restored in some way to make it at least a backup. Is there someway or something : that I could do myself to repair it or at least make it playable again? The luthier didn't : give me a monetary figure for the repair--it was sort of like "you don't want to know : how much". : Thanks for any suggestions anyone might have. : Claire hi claire, i must preface this by saying i'm not a violin expert,i'm a guitar luthier.i understand the construction and set-up of the violin.i recently had a violin in my shop with the same problem.it had a 4-5 inch crack over the bass bar.i informed the customer that the repair far out weighed the value of the instrument.he also was unwilling to disassemble the violin.he also had a limited budget.since the customer is always right, i devised a plan with the customer.i took a glue needle with titebond glue,and filled the crack(this will take several applications)let the glue dry completely(a day or two).i then applied a little varnish and polished.the crack was bareley noticeable,and the tone improved.the customer was pleased with the results.i was suprised at how well it turned out.i make no claim that this "repair"will last or that it will even work for you.if you feel your violin is unplayable now it sounds like you have nothing to lose!good luck!

:hey whats up? Can i get the lyrics to kasmir? thanks for your help. : : I have millions of piano sheets, any song you want, just email me asking me for it. I'll send you the music withtin 5 days, and if I dont, then too bad. good luck hehehe lol too bad sucker ahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha

: : : : : Is there anywhere I can get Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" piano sheet music free on the web? I love the song and would like to have the music to play. Please email me as soon as possible!! Thanks! :-) : : Mandy I WAS HOPING YOU COULD TELL ME!!!!

I have a 1947 de Luccia violin, made in Salerno... Does anyone know anything about this maker?

Could someone recommend violin teachers in the Central New Jersey area who enjoy teaching children. I am looking for a demanding, encouraging teacher who is a good communicator and sees the child as a whole person. Please send your recommendations to my e-mail address. Thank you.

I like to hear about sound quality of Jay Haide violin from anyone who used it. How does it compared to other violins like Shar's collectors series?