Bought A Cheap Viola
Neal
As the title says, I bought a cheap viola that looks really nice. It's a 15"
(I assume it's a student viola from the scale), Hermann Beyer "Copy of
Antonius Stradivarius" 1993. Model E210/15. Paid $200 (US) for it. Was it
worth the money? I know zilch about stringed instrument value. I'm a
conductor, and I picked it up to work on my string technique to give me more
know-how in orchestral situations.
Jon
days. Even me...I went down from a 17 1/4 to a 16 1/2 which is still
fairly big. Tonight at my rehearsal, I was seated near the violas in
a small pit orchestra for a show (Fledermaus) and the two ladies were
playing violas which didn't seem a whole heck of a lot larger than my
violin. One of them said hers was a 15 1/4.
The string players in whatever ensemble you conduct will be eternally
grateful that you will understand some of their problems and decision
points. But rely on your concertmaster for the real nitty gritty
unless you are at least as good as your players. I enjoy playing for
conductors who are strings specialists. I'm sure the other groups
within the orchestra have similar feelings if the conductor was
originally one of them. I play in one group which is conducted by a
virtuoso cellist, and he has helped our string ensemble. Another
conductor in another group was a clarinetist by trade and that group
has a wind section to die for among non-pro groups.
BTW, the first viola I ever played was purchased for me by a member of
a quartet who wanted me to fill a vacancy in this amateur quartet. I
was still paying off my violin, just starting a mortgage and had a
wife and two infant kids at the time (30+ years ago). I believe this
viola cost all of $35.00. It left something to be desired.
Jon Teske, violinist
On Tue, 8 Feb 2000 23:08:34 -0500, "Neal" <nea...@javanetspam.com>
wrote:
Mitch Dickson
At $200, any loss you sustain when you sell it ain't gonna kill you. Odds
are that a violin teacher near you has a student just waiting for it. CU
Mitch
--
"I still miss my EX, but my aim is getting better"
mitch@volstate,net
Neal <nea...@javanetspam.com> wrote in message
news:87qp96$85v$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
Claudius Wettstein
if the sound is the way you expect such an instrument to sound like.
Buying instruments is a different matter than stock exchange..
Anyway: I never heard about a string instrument that was playabel but worth
less than $200.
Neal
Claudius Wettstein wrote in message ...
This was bought by its previous owner for $400 for his daughter, who
promptly stopped playing. I've been messing with it - I have a small amount
of string know-how as an electric bassist and a music educator, and have
been consulting books and friend's minds. A violist friend of mine thought
it sounded rather good for a small cheap viola.
Having fun so far. Still getting used to bowing - will take time!
