Your most wretched purchase?

[Trent_Hill]

Here's an interesting question: Have any of you ever made a stringed-instrument-related purchase that, on later consideration, made you go, "What WAS I thinking"? I'm thinking particularly of instrument and bow purchases, and even more particularly of purchases that you made after careful consideration.

The Lark your parents got for you does not count. The Lark you bought after twenty years as a professional soloist might.

Trent

[soccerviolin]

I know this is going to sound reaaallly stupid. But my dumbest purchas was a glaesel chinese entry level instrument. I was little, but the main reason i chose it was because i thought the red was pretty. My mom had me pick out my little 1/2 size instrument,unforunately i bought it then i sold it later on. That was probably one of the worse i have played and purchased.

[Loren Feffer]

Once I needed a bow in a hurry and (not knowing then about the glories of mail-order from Shar and elsewhere) I walked into one of NYC's violin shops and bought the cheapest bow in the store. It was well over $300, and I am sure that money would have been better spent on a CF bow (or on six *really* cheap bows.) The bow isn't terrible, but it was not a good investment.

I bought a case pretty much the same way. Same store, in fact. Again, not a bad case at all (and in contrast to the bow, it was probably a very good deal) but it didn't really suit my needs.

I was not at all a newbie on the violin when I did this (I'd played about 11 years!) But I guess I was kind of a newbie at buying violin stuff!

[Ann]

Funny how bows sometimes seem so much trickier than violins. Highly recommended but not my cup of tea- we'll see what happens when it's re-haired. Oh by the way, not really wretched, just a little disappointing.

[Michael Darnton]

Most of the wretched things I've done have involved selling something I should have kept, not buying something I shouldn't have :-)

[AnneS]

I bought my daughter a cheap Skylark Violin when she very first started violin, back in 1st grade. It was BAD! the violin shop that sold it to us had to take it back and literally rebuild it. But then it was't so bad, but it was still a cheap Skylark.

Our most currant "What the heck were we thinking of here" purchase was her violin that we got her for Christmas. It was bought in the same shop as her first one, we paid a lot for it, and it sounds really bad. she won't play it. Then, my husband bought her a cheap student case, it was a pretty case at first, but boy does it smell! It smells like it has been treated with Kerosene! Or moth balls, or something. we are not sure what the smell is exactly, but it almost knocks us off out feet when we open the case.

Oh, if only I knew then what I know now! LOL!

[Toscha]

I bought a violin from a local maker right before going off to college (saved up enough money to pay the half of its price. My parents paid the other half). It sounded very loud and brilliant under the ear, so I thought it would be a good purchase.

Alas! It turned out to be a piece of junk! When my friend and I decided to make an audition tape for Aspen Music Festival, I used the violin to record a Mozart sonata. At the playback, I was horrified to find out that the violin did NOT respond to vibrato at all! I did not send the tape.

I have tried to sell it, but it is still stuck to me like a curse.

Moral of the story. DO NOT make a rash decision! NEVER buy a violin without hearing somebody else play.

Toscha

[HuangKaiVun]

I bought the Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" featuring Temirkanov and the NY Phil on the recommendation of this old lady in Tower Records who acted as if she knew everything.

So disappointed I was by the fluctuating tempi, sloppy workmanship, and poor musicianship that I went back to that store the next day (didn't return the CD since I opened it) and complained to her face!

[This message has been edited by HuangKaiVun (edited 07-20-2000).]

[Toscha]

If I start counting my disappointing CD purchases, I will probably drive everyone crazy. Usually, when I get a disappointing CDs, I go straight to used record/CD store to trade them in.

Toscha

[HuangKaiVun]

I bought an $800 Hammig bow that I snapped by dropping accidentally.

The great Samuel Kolstein repaired this bow with shellac - and it still plays today (quite nicely, though it's showing signs of deterioration).

I'll likely give this bow to my lone current student: a 38-y.o. woman who has started playing the violin after many years of poor instruction and has no real violin bow to work with.

[illuminatus]

I didn't know whether or not I was going to play violin in the future. The first violin was a cheap violin. I lik playing violin. With a right teacher and a good amount of practice, it didn't take too long for me to outgrow the violin. Actually, my violin teacher didn't even like the violin when I first saw her. Anyway, I have a better instrument now.

[DigiMark]

I fortunately haven't made a stupid purchase yet, but my family members certainly have.

Just because I'm a violinist, they feel obligated to buy me anything having to do with violin no matter how corny.

The worst culprit (but bless her soul, at least she's trying) is my grandmother. Listen to these atrocities:

1. Pink wool sweater (I kid you not) with a violin sewn on the front.

2. A "self playing" violin that supposedly plays by just touching the strings with the bow. It's about 1/64 size and plays at the level of an out of tune bird mixed with a young boy picking up the instrument for the first time.

3. A motion detector thing shaped like a violin that has an insanely annoying fetish for "Turkey in the Straw" and "Bluegrass Waltz"

4. Andre Rieu CD (Arrgh!) because he's the only violinist they know. Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of his.

That last one was my dad's doing, but these things combined have been the greatest pressure on me to quit the instrument for fear of public humiliation.

Hope you all got at least a small laugh from this, because I sure haven't. I look at that sweater in my closet with all the dread of a man on death row looking at the electrical chair.

Traumatized,

DigiMark

P.S. Don't worry for me too much. I outgrew the sweater, lost the "self playing" violin, the motion thing had an unfortunate accident, and my friends and I played frisbee with the Rieu CD till it cracked to pieces.

Now I only pray they don't find new things to buy me.

[andy989]

Toscha,

Ackkk! How much was the violin? Did you ever get another?

Andy

[Toscha]

Well, I was stupid enough to pay $2000 plus sale tax for it. Ouch!

Since then I got much more careful about buying violins and I am now a happy owner of lovely Sergio Peresson violin, as well as another quite descent old (from early 1800s) French violin.

Toscha

[Ludwig]

The Shar SL viola case was the worst instrument-related purchase I've made.

[Catherine]

I won't go so far as to call this purchase "wretched," but it IS embarrassing. About a week ago I was in a music store buying reeds for my son's clarinet when I eyed this adorable little light to place on my music stand -- and I bought it.

Now every time I go into my music area at home I see it mocking me, saying, "Do you think you're going to be performing in a dark enclave or what?" It's completely useless -- for me. It's only redeeming value is that it's cute.

Further, my sons scoffed at it.

[AnneS]

Now every time I go into my music area at home I see it mocking me, saying, "Do you think you're going to be performing in a dark enclave or what?"

LOL! Actually Catherine, my apartment IS like a dark enclave a lot! It is a basement apartment, and we do have windows that let in a lot of sunlight during the day, but once that sun goes down, it is impossible to see my books well. I tried to practice last night at 7:00PM, and had to take the lampshade off my lamp to get enough light to see. How much did you pay for your lamp, maybe I will look around for one for my stand.

[Catherine]

Ann S. -- It sounds as though this may be useful for you. It doesn't put out a LOT of light, but it certainly emits some.

Mine is a Mighty Bright Sight Reader Music Light; it was twelve bucks. Here's a tip if you buy one. It takes four AA batteries, AND you need to take them out when you're not using the light. My four batteries went dead very fast. THEN (of course) I read the instructions, which said "Take out batteries when not in use."

Do you want mine? :-)

[This message has been edited by Catherine (edited 07-22-2000).]

[AnneS]

If you are serious then sure, I'll buy it from you! But it will have to wait about a month. Rick's gram passed away this week, and all my spending money went into food for the family, so it will be next month before I can.

[Catherine]

AnneS -- I'm sorry to hear about your loss. And, sure, I'd sell it to you, but it'd be just as E-Z for you to buy it wherever you are.

Actually, you may want to check other brands. Little Mighty Bright gives out mighty little light.

[GrandMacDuff]

A Menhuin shoulder rest and Zyex violin strings.

[Ann]

...Little Mighty Bright gives out mighty bright light! At night? After a fight? With your first bite? While flying a kite? If shoes are too tight?......sorry, haven't had my coffee yet......

[OpiumDoll]

DigiMark

(PINK? oy!)(i just got the mint green with the satin piano across the chest that said, play me!---->ummmm won't even go there)

quote:

---

Originally posted by DigiMark:

Hope you all got at least a small laugh from this, because I sure haven't. I look at that sweater in my closet with all the dread of a man on death row looking at the electrical chair.

Traumatized,

DigiMark

sorry, sorry. I do empathize. It's just your sense of humor kicked me in the end of what you wrote. (oh c'mon now...you must admit, you had a chuckle or two with cheesy grins on your face whilst writing that)

:::::breathing::::::

Isn't it lovely to know that we are loved.

hehehehhehehe eohhhhh nooooo....here we go again. hehehehehhehehehe

(gads, I hope you know I'm just kidding around)

Heidi

ROFLMAO!PIMP!!!~~~~ *slaps desk*

[AnneS]

Thank you Catherine, it has been a tough weekend. You are probably right about finding one closer to home. I will look around, maybe I can find one with more light to it.

LOL! Ann! You sound like Dr. Suess when you haven't had coffee. I am impressed, I am totally incoherent until I've had mine!

[Mira]

There was a period when I was overly mad over violin acessories and as a result I now have a few sets of ebony and rosewoodpegs, tailpieces and chinrests, and e fine tuners. Not to mention a collection of uncut bridge blanks. Not really sure what to do with all these ascessories as my violin has already a nice carved set installed. Maybe I can save them for future white violins that I intend to buy and try and varnish. Can't seem to find much time nowadays though.