Why Violins Aren't Viol

by Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins,

 and Joe Peterson

At a glance, violin family and viol family instruments are very similar. They are both made of wood, both are played by bowing the strings, and both names share the same first four letters. But do not let that fool you! There are plenty of factors that separate violins from viols.

The head of a tenor viol, made circa 1693 by G. Karpp

Choosing Strings to Improve Your Sound

by Diane Houser, professional violinist/violist and private teacher, 
& Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins  

There are so many strings on the market and each type of string has its own characteristics, which can dramatically alter your instrument's responsiveness, volume, playability and overall tone quality.  Since every instrument is unique and will respond differently to different strings, experimentation is key, but how do you choose? Where do you start?

 Your playing style can make a difference, as strings that are suitable for a bluegrass fiddler may not be suitable for a classical violinist.

There is a lot of confusion about strings, since there are no universal gauge or tension standards for manufacturers to follow, so let's clear up some of the mystery and take the fear out of experimenting with strings by explaining some basic terms. Hopefully this will allow you to make confident and informed string choices which will improve the sound of your instrument.

A 'Dominant' Violin D String under the microscope.

The Wolf Gang - 40 years to life

by Joe Peterson of Fein Violins

Why couldn't Mozart find his teacher? Because he was Hayd-n. Acclaimed for their seamless ensemble playing and their sensitive interpretations, the Amadeus Quartet is one of the most highly regarded and well-known string quartets in recorded history. They received many honors, including the Order of the British Empire, honorary doctorates from the universities of Caracas, London, and York, and, the highest of all German awards, the Grand Cross of Merit. They also recorded a lot of Mozart and Haydn.

The Amadeus String Quartet

Three out of four members of the Amadeus Quartet, Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel, and Peter Schidlof (all violinists) met in a

Super Siblings: The other Vuillaume

by Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins
 and Joe Peterson

Nicolas Francois Vuillaume

With all of the news about Olympic super-siblings lately (there's 15 competing in Sochi 2014), we thought it would be interesting to take a look at Nicolas Francois Vuillaume, the younger brother of luthier, bow maker and dealer extraordinaire Jean Baptiste Vuillaume.

While searching for an instrument of the highest quality for the lowest amount of money, we rarely think to check out the siblings of the great makers. For instance, we all know about the maker who worked with Paganini and Sarasate, Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, "the French Stradivarius," but how many of us have heard about his brother Nicholas Francois?

The Lipinski Stradivarius Violin- A Devil of an Instrument

By Andy Fein, luthier at Fein Violins
and Violinist Joe Peterson

Let's say you're a great violinist in the early 1700s. The repertoire is getting old and is really holding you back (typical). So what do you do to make a huge leap in musicality? You could jot some notes down as you're noodling around on your fiddle or.... you could go to sleep and wait for the Devil to come visit you.