The Soundpost

Written by: Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins

The soundpost is the dowel of wood that you see inside the treble (E or A) side of your violin, viola or cello. For a small piece of Spruce that's about 6mm thick (about 7mm on a viola, about 10mm on a cello) it makes a tremendous difference on how your instrument plays and sounds. In French, the soundpost is called "l'âme", the "soul" of the instrument. I completely agree.

Rosin - clearing the dust!

Written by: Amy Tobin of Fein Violins

Rosin is an absolute necessity to a string player. Without it, we wouldn't make any sound at all, so learning how to use it, and which kind to use, is essential!

When it comes to rosin, for any string instrument, there are two basic kinds: light and dark. Light rosin is usually lighter in color (this is not always the case, especially with cello rosin), and it is a bit harder than dark rosin. Light rosin can be a better choice in the summer, or in warmer climates, because it takes a little more heat and humidity to soften it. Dark rosin is a great choice in the winter because the softer rosin will provide a little more grip on those cold, dry days.

As I mentioned before, the world of rosin can be extremely overwhelming! There are so many different kinds, so many different prices, how do you know which kind to use?!

Bonnaroo 2011. A Great Year for String Players.

Written by: Andy Fein, Luthier at Fein Violins
and Angie Newgren


Bonnaroo is an annual music and arts festival held in Manchester, Tennessee. This was it's tenth year. Hope everyone stayed cool and had fun!

Just in case you're a violin, viola or cello player, and need some inspiration to play outside the classical music box, here is a list of some of the musicians performing this year who include stringed instruments of the violin family in their performance. The genres vary to the extreme:

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,

Violin Bow Hair: Having a Good Hair Day

Written by: Angie Newgren of Fein Violins


Since I first started working at Fein Violins, my knowledge of stringed instruments and bows has grown quite a bit. One thing I was particularly interested in was bow hair, and what goes on before it is in the shop. I knew that most comes from horse hair, but I didn't know specifics, so I did some research.


There are only a few types of bow hair that makers select to use on their bows.