Yuan Qin violins
Gary Cape
available from SouthWest Strings for about $430 Am. This is not an
expensive instrument by any standards but judging by the catalogue
illustration it may be a lot of fiddle for the price. The wood is very
well figured throughout with a light varnish that accentuates the beauty
of the instrument. I realize that each violin has it's own personality but
I would like to hear from other players who own or have played on this
type of instrument. Also comments regarding how "high quality" instruments
of Chinese origin stack up against the European makers, eg,
Hoph,Roth,Mueller, Kroger etc.
The ideal instrument for me would be mellow rather than brilliant in tone.
I play traditional fiddle tunes and some bluegrass with an amateur band
where I work. I have advanced my technique to pretty smooth positional
technique and can improvise jazz and easy listening. The 1954 Roth that I
usually play, while a fairly good instrument has a rather puerile tone in
my estimation.
--
Gary Cape x
Jon
wrote:
>Has anyone got any experience with Yuan Qin brand violins? They are
>available from SouthWest Strings for about $430 Am. This is not an
>expensive instrument by any standards but judging by the catalogue
>illustration it may be a lot of fiddle for the price. The wood is very
>well figured throughout with a light varnish that accentuates the beauty
>of the instrument. I realize that each violin has it's own personality but
>I would like to hear from other players who own or have played on this
>type of instrument. Also comments regarding how "high quality" instruments
>of Chinese origin stack up against the European makers, eg,
>Hoph,Roth,Mueller, Kroger etc.
My viola is of Chinese origin, made by Ji Yuan and imported by Andreas
Eastman of the Boston area. I paid $2300 for it (with a Bobelick
case). I was shopping in the 5-6K market when I got this one on the
recommendation of a trusted violin maker/dealer. I have played the
instrument several times in public chamber performances and have
received favorable comments on its tone. My dealer has told me that
the higher end Chinese instruments are every bit as good as higher end
European factory instruments. When I got my viola, two years ago, I
was actually comparing it with better known individual makers, not
factory assembled instruments. One comment I have heard is that the
violas are somewhat better than the violins, but this dealer maker has
no problem recommending ca. $1500 chinese violins to advanced
students. I think I have pretty high standards and the violin I play
is now worth well into five figures [I am more of a violinist than
violist, but I wanted a viola that I would not be ashamed to play].
The only downside is that this particular instrument, while well made,
is rather ordinary looking. Some of the fittings, pegs, chinrest, tail
piece could have been of higher quality, and of course could easily be
replaced. I have no idea if Ji Yuan of Bejing is an individual maker
or a factory operation.
Jon Teske
Gary Cape
You raised an excellent point. Southwest offers two Yuan Qin violins and
from the catalogue one would think there's no significant difference
between the two. One is the $430 factory made one , the other is "hand
craated by the master " at $1350 or so. I wonder if "hand crafted"
actually means selection of the most tonally fortunate of these factory
made fiddles and gracing them with a careful set-up. I notice Southwest
has two or three price ranges for their lesser fiddles (Mueller and
Kroeger ) and the fiddlebacks are not illustrated.
--
Gary Cape x
Jon
wrote:
>Jon-
I suppose they are all hand crafted after a fashion, the question is
how many hands? I suppose there would be no way of knowing
to what extent any instrument is the work of one person, short of
going to China. When I bought my instrument, I tried to do some
independant research on just who the maker of my viola was. At the
time I worked in a government facility with an excellent reference
library of open source information on most of the countries of the
world...things like phone books and trade association info. I did not
find anything on the purported maker of my viola, but I was quite
amuse to find out that somewhere near Bejing there is an enterprise
called "Peoples Violin Factory #2."
Those of us who play string instruments, as opposed to collectors
really don't shop for instruments all that often. I think I got lucky
on my two instruments. I have had my violin for 35 years, which is how
old the violin is. So I really don't go shopping for instruments all
that often. I can tell a good instrument from junk, but I would not
claim to know all the nuances of violin buying. Bows are even worse!
Now if someone like me, who has played for almost 48 years has this
problem, imagine what it was like for my parents when they bought my
first instrument [as a surprise Christmas present] when I was 11 or
12.
Jon Teske
>
>
>Gary Cape x
>
Michael Simoff
Fort Bragg California. Bought an starter violin off their website.
Turned out to be unplayable. Worst of it - they refuse to look at the
violin
when I ship it back.
Buying through the mail is "risk on a bun"
P.S. LARK stinks
Gary Cape wrote:
>
> Has anyone got any experience with Yuan Qin brand violins? They are
> available from SouthWest Strings for about $430 Am. This is not an
> expensive instrument by any standards but judging by the catalogue
> illustration it may be a lot of fiddle for the price. The wood is very
> well figured throughout with a light varnish that accentuates the beauty
> of the instrument. I realize that each violin has it's own personality but
> I would like to hear from other players who own or have played on this
> type of instrument. Also comments regarding how "high quality" instruments
> of Chinese origin stack up against the European makers, eg,
> Hoph,Roth,Mueller, Kroger etc.
Kurt D. Zasadil
The subject is Yuan Qin violins and not the mail-order experience in
general nor your sour grapes about a transaction where we have not
heard the other side and where you may very well be in the wrong. Now,
do you have something to contribute for the subject at hand?
Kurt
In article <38FD0FE5...@home.com>, Michael Simoff