The Realist Violin: Electric/Acoustic playing at Its Finest!

Written by: Amy Tobin of Fein Violins

I am a violinist who is always looking for new and different things to do, both musically and technically. As a result, I have found myself in many situations where I needed to play amplified. I have used fully electric violins, acoustic-electric violins, and various pickups on my own violin, all for different reasons and to different effects. One of the reasons I have used so many different kinds of instruments is that I never really found one that satisfied my yearning for a rich, warm, full sound while playing plugged in. That is, until now.

Meet...............

THE REALIST!

The David Gage Realist RV4 Violin

Canterbury Music Racks - Solving Your Music Storage Mess

Written by Stefan Aune of Fein Violins

My mother is a piano teacher, and for as long as I can remember, our dining room, where the piano is located, has been strewn about with stacks of sheet music. The situation becomes particularly bad around the holidays, when piles and piles of music for students to "test drive" end up blotting out our dining room table, and you have to maneuver with care to avoid knocking down 20 copies of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." I could attribute this problem to a lack of organization unique to my mother, but I've known quiet a few musicians in my life, and most of them are disorganized when it comes to sheet music. They cram it into tote bags, pack it into folders that are barely holding together, or jam it into the compartments of their instrument case. Under these conditions, trying to track down a single xeroxed sheet of paper can be a nightmare. 


We previously wrote a blog about music stands that highlighted the differences between poor quality wire stands and sturdier, better looking wood music stands. Many musicians put up with infuriating wire stands simply because they are unaware of alternatives. The same is true for sheet music storage - you don't necessarily need to keep stacking your music on the floor or cramming it into tote bags or folders. A piece of furniture called a "Canterbury," popularized in England during the 1700's, provides an elegant and practical solution to sheet music and music book storage. 

Canterbury

Finding that Dream Violin After Years of Searching...

Written by Stefan Aune of Fein Violins

Here at Fein Violins we often get feedback from our customers regarding the instruments they purchase. Nothing makes us happier than being able to help someone achieve that perfect sound, or track down an instrument with just the right look or feel. Every so often we get feedback from a customer that is particularly personal or moving, and it is just such a story I want to share with you today. About a year ago, Jim Y. purchased a violin from us that connected back to his early life growing up in China during the cultural revolution, and his longing for a particular violin in a department store window that was, sadly, financially out of reach. What follows is Jim's story, reproduced verbatim, so that he can tell you in his own words how special a new instrument can be.

Thank you for your email. It has been a very pleasant experience when talking with you over the phone, and reading your emails. It's not like dealing with a sales person or business owner, but like talking with good friends.

I don't want to waste your time reading my emails, knowing you must be busy with the business. Still, I just can't help telling you my gratitude on getting the wonderful violin from you. From the following story, you may get a sense of how elated and gratified I am to have stumbled upon the people and the violin from Fein Violins.

I had genuine interests in music as a kid. As teenager, I was among the millions of mid-schoolers to be sent to the countryside to do farmwork (so called by the then president Chairman Mao, to "receive re-education from the poor and middle class peasants"). In the countryside, we toiled with all sorts of farmwork every day and saw no future. 

The Cheapest Violins - Maybe Not Such A Good Deal

Written by Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins
 and Angie Newgren

As time passes and technology improves, the number of people worldwide who shop online continues to rise. It's easier for customers to shop and see what's available, and our shop's online store has given us customers and friends from all over the world! But how do you know when you cross a deal for violins, violas or cellos that is too good to be true? This blog explains why the cheapest violin (viola or cello) you find online (or in a store) is the wrong violin to purchase. Visit our other blog  Finding Your Violin Online to read about purchasing the right one for you!

If you're just starting out, it's hard to fathom why you should spend any more than the cheapest price you can find. Unfortunately, stringed instruments are pretty hard to learn and if everything (& I mean EVERYTHING!)  is not set up pretty close to perfect it makes it almost impossible to learn to play. In fact, the set up on a beginner instrument is just as important as on a fine soloist instrument.

Violin Values range from under 100 dollars to over 100,000 dollars.

The Value of Violins, Violas, and Cellos

Written By: Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins

A question I'm often asked is "Why is that violin $400 and that other one $40,000? They look the same to me."

While many violins can look very similar, to a player there can be tremendous differences in sound. To my way of thinking, that should be a reflection of the price difference - the $40,000 violin sounds and feels far better to a player than the $400 violin. And if it doesn't, it's not really worth $40,000!

With violins, violas and cellos, how the instrument plays and sounds to you, the player, should be the paramount consideration in valuing an instrument. If a $2,000 instrument sounds

Finding Your Violin Online

Written by: Amy Tobin, Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins, and Mikaela Marget

These days, shopping has become a completely different experience than it was even a few years ago. With a few keyboard clicks, you can be directed to nearly any product or service that you are interested in, with options to purchase from nearly anywhere! This is no different in the world of musical instruments. In fact, we have adapted to this new environment and most of our sales these days come from the internet.

Admittedly, it can be a little more difficult to handle such a subjective and personal thing via the internet, but I am going to give you a few tips to help you find your perfect violin, viola, or cello if you are looking online! 

Bows - How Much Difference Can There Be?

Written by: Amy Tobin of Fein Violins

When I have musicians come in to look at instruments, after finding their perfect match, I then say "now let's look at bows." In many cases the next question is then "how much of a difference can that make?" The short answer to this is a lot!

When it comes to bows,

Finding the Right Violin Teacher, Viola Teacher, or Cello Teacher

Written by Amy Tobin of Fein Violins

When you, or your child, have decided to start playing the violin, viola, or cello, one of the most important things you can do, other than get a good quality instrument (see our violin tone post), is to find a good teacher.

A good teacher can be the difference between creating a lifelong love of music or making the learning process a chore, so it is definitely worthwhile to do a little research before making a decision.

There are a lot of ways to learn the violin (or viola, or cello).

Electric Violins Part II - Solid!

 Written by Amy Tobin of Fein Violins

Electric violins are cool! Sometimes you just need to plug in and make a sound that people can hear, which is when you might want to use a pickup. Sometimes, however, you want to plug in and make a really rockin' sound that EVERYONE can hear!!! Yes, that is when you will probably want to use a full on, solid body electric violin!

Now, the difference between a pickup (or an acoustic/electric) and a solid body electric violin is

Music Stands- The Wood, The Bad or The Ugly

Written by: Stefan Aune

In the music world there are few things as irritating as those cheap, collapsible wire and metal music stands. They are difficult to put together, they don't hold enough music, and once assembled they tip over at the slightest touch. Practicing or performing with your music on one often amounts to

Electric Violins Part I - The Pickup Artist

 Written by Amy Tobin, violinist and manager of Fein Violins:

It's really hard to stand in front of a microphone and play. You have to be close enough, but not so close that the mic hits your violin, you have to stand pretty still when you play,  you have to sometimes maneuver your bow around in different ways, and sometimes you want to sing at the same time. Well, lucky for you (and me!) there are options.

There are two basic ways to go about plugging in so you and your beautiful sound can be heard; pickups and solid body electric violins. This post will cover some of the basic information for pickups.

What Size Violin Does My Child Need?

Written by Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins
& Angela Newgren

Sizing an instrument to its player is important. A correctly sized violin will allow for correct posture and ability to play. There are a few ways to tell what size instrument is best for the player.

A person only needs to size a violin for young players. All adults and children over about 5 feet tall use full-sized violins.

Here are some tips for choosing the correctly sized violin for young players:

Strings for Violins, Violas & Cellos

Written by Andy Fein, owner and luthier, Fein Violins:

Gut, Perlon, and Metal. These are the three basic materials used for making strings for violins, violas, and cellos. Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. The best string is the one that works the best for you.

Natural gut, often referred to as "catgut", was the material of choice for strings for several centuries. Made from sheep intestines, not from a cat, these strings had the advantage of being from a material that was readily available.

Bows

Written by Andy Fein, owner and luthier, Fein Violins:

Pernambuco. Per- nam- boo- koh.
Pernambuco wood has been the standard wood for violin, viola and cello bows since about 1780 when Francois Xavier Tourte began to use Pernambuco and developed the modern violin bow. Pernambuco is the best possible material for bows. It possesses the right qualities that can be transformed into a good bow stick - rigidity, strength, responsiveness, elasticity, acoustic quality and beauty. Anything else is a substitute.

Amazingly, your bow is half of your sound.

Violin Tone

 Written by Andy Fein, owner and luthier, Fein Violins:

"No one hears with your ears but yourself."
I say that to students, teachers, and players at least once a day. It's my way of emphasizing that whatever sound you hear and whatever sound you like is right for you.

Violins (violas & cellos, too) can range in tone color from very bright and tinny (like a piccolo) to very mellow and dark (like a string bass). As long as you stay away from the extremes, any sound that you like is a good sound.