K123 Posted June 30, 2014 Report Posted June 30, 2014 So, as some of you might know, I was recently looking for a viola, and bought one on Ebay. Now before I go on, I just want to make it clear that I am in no way trying to "plug"(?) a specific seller, or promote any seller. I thought it might be useful for some who is also looking for a new viola. I'm posting my thoughts on the Viola as an instrument, and not the seller. I bought this viola from Yitamusic on eBay, and I must say.... I am absolutely amazed by the its sound. The auction described the tone as Deep and Open, and that is exactly what it is. Warm, deep, soothing, open. I put new Warchal Karneol strings on right away, and it goes extremely well with this viola. The sound is loud, and the setup is great. The nut is very well shaped, the bridge feet fit to the instrument, and the soundpost is adjusted to fit to the arching of the viola. Overall I'm happy with the setup. I might, maybe, reshape the neck at some point, but might keep it as is. Still deciding. All in all, this was an absolutely excellent buy, and for the price, is a fantastic viola. I would say it is suitable for beginners, intermediate, advanced, and would even go as far as say it would suit a professional player. I'm not sure if I would classify it as a "Solo" instrument though, although someone who plays well could make it work. The varnish is applied well, and is not at all too thick, as you might see on some cheap instruments. The viola is 16.25 inches. Keep in mind, when buying a viola or violin like this, the bridge wont be on the instrument, and the soundpost will be down. Just saying. I will try to get a sound clip on tomorrow. Thank you for reading.
Rue Posted June 30, 2014 Report Posted June 30, 2014 I'm glad it arrived safely and you are pleased with it. I am pleased with the violin, viola and the 3 bows I've purchased from the same company (also trying not to name names)...there are some issues of course - given the price point...but I think you are getting great value. The instruments are very playable. The violin came with Dominants - and sounded very good right off the bat. The viola came with unplayable steel strings...hence my trial with Warchal (very happy with the resultant sound). Both bows that came with the instruments are quite adequate as well. The cases provided enough protection for overseas shipment - so no complaints (they're just not very attractive, but fine for storage purposes). My sound posts did not fall down in transport. Bonus! Looking forward to hearing your soundclip!
K123 Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Posted June 30, 2014 I'm glad it arrived safely and you are pleased with it. I am pleased with the violin, viola and the 3 bows I've purchased from the same company (also trying not to name names)...there are some issues of course - given the price point...but I think you are getting great value. The instruments are very playable. The violin came with Dominants - and sounded very good right off the bat. The viola came with unplayable steel strings...hence my trial with Warchal (very happy with the resultant sound). Both bows that came with the instruments are quite adequate as well. The cases provided enough protection for overseas shipment - so no complaints (they're just not very attractive, but fine for storage purposes). My sound posts did not fall down in transport. Bonus! Looking forward to hearing your soundclip! Very good to hear. I didnt even try to play the viola with the strings it came with. Dont think the quality was good at all, it seems to be the cheap Alice brand strings. So I put the Warchals on straight away. Im very happy with the case the viola came with, and the bow, well its not the best, but it will do until I find a better one. I might also buy a violin from them some day. To test out the quality so I can refer it to people looking to buy a "cheaper" violin.
K123 Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Posted June 30, 2014 I'm glad it arrived safely and you are pleased with it. I am pleased with the violin, viola and the 3 bows I've purchased from the same company (also trying not to name names)...there are some issues of course - given the price point...but I think you are getting great value. The instruments are very playable. The violin came with Dominants - and sounded very good right off the bat. The viola came with unplayable steel strings...hence my trial with Warchal (very happy with the resultant sound). Both bows that came with the instruments are quite adequate as well. The cases provided enough protection for overseas shipment - so no complaints (they're just not very attractive, but fine for storage purposes). My sound posts did not fall down in transport. Bonus! Looking forward to hearing your soundclip! Oh, the viola smells a bit funny... Is this the case with yours aswell? Did the smell go away with time? Im thinking of putting some bicarbonate of soda in the case, as it absorb odors.
Rue Posted June 30, 2014 Report Posted June 30, 2014 Yes...the viola smells funny. I think they might be using a weird varnish ingredient (I've sniffed enough varnish over the years to know). The cases stink. I keep my hands-on instruments out in the open...so the viola has almost aired out...(the violin wasn't as bad). I'm not using the cases, so I don't care if they take longer to gas off while tucked away in the closet...
K123 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Report Posted July 4, 2014 ...*poke*... Sound clip??? Argh... Getting a viola/violin to sound good on a phone recording is hard.... But I will try to take one and PM you the file.
Rue Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 I just had a nice session with my Guad copy viola. It's been roughly a year since I purchased it (via eBay). It is sounding quite nice. I have mix of Zyex and Warchal strings on it. It has been sitting in an open case this entire time...and despite what I had thought last time I posted about it - the varnish still stinks. I don't know what they used...but boy. It sure has staying power. I really hope it gases off soon. Like ....any day now would be nice. Kallie? How is your viola doing?
uguntde Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 So, as some of you might know, I was recently looking for a viola, and bought one on Ebay. Now before I go on, I just want to make it clear that I am in no way trying to "plug"(?) a specific seller, or promote any seller. I thought it might be useful for some who is also looking for a new viola. I'm posting my thoughts on the Viola as an instrument, and not the seller. I bought this viola from Yitamusic on eBay, and I must say.... I am absolutely amazed by the its sound. The auction described the tone as Deep and Open, and that is exactly what it is. Warm, deep, soothing, open. I put new Warchal Karneol strings on right away, and it goes extremely well with this viola. The sound is loud, and the setup is great. The nut is very well shaped, the bridge feet fit to the instrument, and the soundpost is adjusted to fit to the arching of the viola. Overall I'm happy with the setup. I might, maybe, reshape the neck at some point, but might keep it as is. Still deciding. All in all, this was an absolutely excellent buy, and for the price, is a fantastic viola. I would say it is suitable for beginners, intermediate, advanced, and would even go as far as say it would suit a professional player. I'm not sure if I would classify it as a "Solo" instrument though, although someone who plays well could make it work. The varnish is applied well, and is not at all too thick, as you might see on some cheap instruments. The viola is 16.25 inches. Keep in mind, when buying a viola or violin like this, the bridge wont be on the instrument, and the soundpost will be down. Just saying. I will try to get a sound clip on tomorrow. Thank you for reading. I have bought from them as well. They are very good and getting better. I had a violin and lots of bows from them.
K123 Posted April 5, 2015 Author Report Posted April 5, 2015 I just had a nice session with my Guad copy viola. It's been roughly a year since I purchased it (via eBay). It is sounding quite nice. I have mix of Zyex and Warchal strings on it. It has been sitting in an open case this entire time...and despite what I had thought last time I posted about it - the varnish still stinks. I don't know what they used...but boy. It sure has staying power. I really hope it gases off soon. Like ....any day now would be nice. Kallie? How is your viola doing? Im glad it went well. My viola still plays as well as ever, if not better. Fitted some Dominant strings a while back and the sound improved alot because of this. The "smell" the case had has long passed. It is still there, but it smells like "new instrument case", not something which smells bad. When playing for long the size of this viola gets to you a bit. If I find a buyer for this viola I might try something a bit smaller. Something like 15.5 inches. Maybe also a Yita, or a German Trade viola if I can find one for a decent price.
Rue Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 My Guad is 15.75 vs. my Strad copy which is 16. I can play both comfortably, but I have to admit, the Guad is a tad easier.
Rue Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 How much is a decent sounding Yitamusic viola? Get a T20 or an M20...not a lower level. You can go for a higher level though. I think I paid under $400 for mine at auction. Then I had to buy new strings.
DGV Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 I wonder how decent sounding a $400 viola can be. I hope not too decent because the material cost for the viola I am about to make is already a few hundred bucks!
Rue Posted April 5, 2015 Report Posted April 5, 2015 Sure...but buy enough wood for a several hundred violas...and your price will drop... My curiosity is what inspired me to buy the Yita. I also wanted to see how much you can get for how little.
K123 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Posted April 6, 2015 Sure...but buy enough wood for a several hundred violas...and your price will drop... My curiosity is what inspired me to buy the Yita. I also wanted to see how much you can get for how little. I still want to try their violins and cellos.... But unfortunately the shipping cost on a cello isn't something I want to risk.....
Lars Silen Posted April 6, 2015 Report Posted April 6, 2015 Very good to hear. I didnt even try to play the viola with the strings it came with. Dont think the quality was good at all, it seems to be the cheap Alice brand strings. So I put the Warchals on straight away. Im very happy with the case the viola came with, and the bow, well its not the best, but it will do until I find a better one. I might also buy a violin from them some day. To test out the quality so I can refer it to people looking to buy a "cheaper" violin. I bought a viola from the same place a few years ago for my son Sebastian that had to do a few courses on viola (professional violinist). The result was surprisingly good but as mentioned above one should newer expect it to be in final playable condition when it arrives. Check the sound post Replace all strings with decent ones (1/4 of the price of the viola ) Check the bridge and do changes if necessary Check the upper saddle and modify if necessary. The instrument was borrowed by a friend of Sebastian for a fairly long time due to its nice sound. I have heard that Finnish orchestra friends have had the same experience. The instrument is very nice sounding and playable. I am now experimenting with the instrument to see how my adjustment methods work on violas. I would say it is an excellent buy if one knows how to set it up correctly. Obviously it can be improved a lot through light re-graduation but best to go slow.
K123 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Posted April 6, 2015 I bought a viola from the same place a few years ago for my son Sebastian that had to do a few courses on viola (professional violinist). The result was surprisingly good but as mentioned above one should newer expect it to be in final playable condition when it arrives. Check the sound post Replace all strings with decent ones (1/4 of the price of the viola ) Check the bridge and do changes if necessary Check the upper saddle and modify if necessary. The instrument was borrowed by a friend of Sebastian for a fairly long time due to its nice sound. I have heard that Finnish orchestra friends have had the same experience. The instrument is very nice sounding and playable. I am now experimenting with the instrument to see how my adjustment methods work on violas. I would say it is an excellent buy if one knows how to set it up correctly. Obviously it can be improved a lot through light re-graduation but best to go slow. Hi there, Yes, from the first day I checked all the above mentioned. Soundpost, Bridge, Nut, Strings, etc. One thing which I still want to do when I find the time is trim the neck down a bit. It's way too thick. On their eBay page they claim to leave the plates thicker than what it is supposed to be so the sound doesn't deteriorate, but rather "improves". However I personally don't think that theory holds up.
DGV Posted April 6, 2015 Report Posted April 6, 2015 Hi there, Yes, from the first day I checked all the above mentioned. Soundpost, Bridge, Nut, Strings, etc. One thing which I still want to do when I find the time is trim the neck down a bit. It's way too thick. On their eBay page they claim to leave the plates thicker than what it is supposed to be so the sound doesn't deteriorate, but rather "improves". However I personally don't think that theory holds up. The theory holds up because the sound can be "improved" by regraduation.
K123 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Report Posted April 6, 2015 The theory holds up because the sound can be "improved" by regraduation. HAHA Maybe they mentioned that in the very fine print. Will have to read that next time!
uguntde Posted April 7, 2015 Report Posted April 7, 2015 They are getting very good. As a violin maker I would be worried. Their marketing is weird, very Chinese. But they know how to make bows and violins and they are constantly improving.
DGV Posted April 7, 2015 Report Posted April 7, 2015 The ever-improving quality of Chinese instruments for under $1000 means that independent makers in the West will have to do more custom instruments instead of making stock instruments for anyone who comes through the door. The question is whether or not there will be sufficient interest and demand for custom instruments for a price that people are willing to pay.
K123 Posted April 7, 2015 Author Report Posted April 7, 2015 The ever-improving quality of Chinese instruments for under $1000 means that independent makers in the West will have to do more custom instruments instead of making stock instruments for anyone who comes through the door. The question is whether or not there will be sufficient interest and demand for custom instruments for a price that people are willing to pay. As long as people are willing to pay for the "name" or "brand" rather than the instrument, which they usually are, well known makers should have no problem selling instruments. I would be a bit worried about the younger/less known makers.
DGV Posted April 7, 2015 Report Posted April 7, 2015 As long as people are willing to pay for the "name" or "brand" rather than the instrument, which they usually are, well known makers should have no problem selling instruments. I would be a bit worried about the younger/less known makers. Makers like me.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now