Tips for Purchasing Instruments
Searching for a new string instrument can be the adventure of a lifetime, or it can be daunting. What makes the difference? Knowledge. Knowing what you want is half the battle. If you have asked yourself several key questions, you will be less easily influenced by some of the less scrupulous sales people in the string instrument industry. The violin world is highly competitive, and educating yourself is critical to making the search and purchase of your new instrument fun and, ultimately, rewarding. Some questions you should address are as follows: How much should I spend? How do I know this is a good instrument? What happens when my child needs a better sounding instrument in a few years?
These questions are typical. In fact, everyone should ask them when selecting an instrument. As our shop is established, owned and run by reputable violin makers, you are able to gain a sense how it is that we have obtained our extraordinary degree of customer satisfaction. We employ only experienced violin and bow makers in our shop, thus demonstrating the complete commitment to your string instrument satisfaction that you may have difficulty finding in music stores that employ few (if any) makers and have no particular specialty. How does this make a difference? We endeavor to make the best instrument perfect for you by adjusting and modifying it to meet with your particular body type and acoustic needs. If you find that you like one of our instruments, but find it lacking in some way, we will be happy to make reasonable changes to the instrument to accommodate you.
Here are 12 things to consider when searching for your ideal instrument:
Searching for a new string instrument can be the adventure of a lifetime, or it can be daunting. What makes the difference? Knowledge. Knowing what you want is half the battle. If you have asked yourself several key questions, you will be less easily influenced by some of the less scrupulous sales people in the string instrument industry. The violin world is highly competitive, and educating yourself is critical to making the search and purchase of your new instrument fun and, ultimately, rewarding. Some questions you should address are as follows: How much should I spend? How do I know this is a good instrument? What happens when my child needs a better sounding instrument in a few years?
These questions are typical. In fact, everyone should ask them when selecting an instrument. As our shop is established, owned and run by reputable violin makers, you are able to gain a sense how it is that we have obtained our extraordinary degree of customer satisfaction. We employ only experienced violin and bow makers in our shop, thus demonstrating the complete commitment to your string instrument satisfaction that you may have difficulty finding in music stores that employ few (if any) makers and have no particular specialty. How does this make a difference? We endeavor to make the best instrument perfect for you by adjusting and modifying it to meet with your particular body type and acoustic needs. If you find that you like one of our instruments, but find it lacking in some way, we will be happy to make reasonable changes to the instrument to accommodate you.
Here are 12 things to consider when searching for your ideal instrument:
- STRINGS: Strings are critical to helping an instrument reach its peak potential. While we do much of our set up with dominant strings, we would be happy to offer other strings, or combinations of different strings in order to maximize your playing experience. Some of the strings that we offer are: Dominant, Spirocore, Larsen, Pirastro (Gold label, oliv, etc.), Evah Pirazzi, Correlli, Helicore, and Jargar. If we do not have the string you're looking for, we can quickly obtain them to accommodate you.
- CHIN REST: There are many body-types and variations of build among musicians. Neck length is a primary factor in finding the right chin rest. The choice of a chin rest is one of the simple modifications we can do to make you a better player. Some of the chin rests available are: Guarneri (Large and Small), Strad, Vermeer, Flesch and Dresden. If you need another model or shape we can order them in at no additional cost.
- SOUND POST ADJUSTMENT: Do you want better balance or more power out of the violin? Do you want the sound to be brighter or darker? Most often, we can get more of what you want out of the instrument by adjusting the sound post. The sound post is the heart of the violin. With the correct attention, the sound post can make the right violin the key to your musical achievement. Find the right violin, and let us help to make it have the voice you need it to have.
- BRIDGE: All properly made string instruments should have a bridge that has been individually fit to the instrument. Pre-fit bridges are a sign of shoddy workmanship and, sometimes, a lack of care for inferior instruments. Some people prefer the bridge a little taller while other people like it a little lower. If you have questions concerning the bridge on a particular instrument, please consult one of our violin makers and we will adjust it to your specifications.
- THICKNESS OF NECK: Some musicians prefer a petite neck on an instrument. If you like the sound of an instrument from our shop, but are not necessarily pleased with the thickness or shape of the neck, we can modify the size and shape to your liking after the purchase, and at no additional cost. If you would like a thicker neck you will have to purchase a neck graft.
- TOUCH-UP: If you discover any damage to the instrument, please ask for us to do some touch-up for you. Small dings are very common and considered normal on string instruments. We have a staff capable of repairing anything from minor chips to major restoration.
- FITTINGS (Extra charge applies): We try to match all of our instruments with fittings that will best fit the style and quality of the instrument. If you would like different fittings (pegs, tailpiece, etc.) after you have purchased the instrument, we will be able to give them to you at a discounted price.
- TRADE-UP: One attractive aspect of purchasing a violin from us is our exceptional trade-up program. Many students excel, and sometimes they find that the instrument that served them well for early learning begins to hold them back at the higher levels of study and performance. We will honor the purchase price of the instrument and subtract a (small) pre-determined amount from that price when it is time to trade up. This pre-determined amount (subtracted from the purchase price) is as follows: $49.00 for violins and violas, $79.00 for cellos, and $150.00 for basses. It is a hassle free program to take the worry away from the purchase. This program also applies to the principle on our rentals. (The trade in instrument must be in acceptable condition.)
- WARRANTY: All of our instruments are guaranteed for a period of 5 years against all defects in materials and workmanship. This does not include strings and is not applicable for instruments or bows that we did not make.
- PACKAGES: All of our instruments up to (about) $5000 come with a comparable value case and bow. This immediately saves you hundreds of dollars as compared to our competition. Most professional players wish to choose a separate bow, so inclusion as a package is difficult in these scenarios, but we still offer a case with the instrument. How do we do this? We buy in large quantities directly from the manufacturer rather than from the wholesalers whenever possible.
- RELATIVE VALUE: If you intend to buy (as an example) a $1000 violin, do not play a $10,000 violin; it will only confuse you. It is not uncommon that instruments at lower prices will have excellent sound and many fine playing qualities. Be that as it may, the instrument is what it is. There are many factors that contribute to the value of an instrument. A violin that has low production quality, but sounds good, still has low production quality.
- COMPETITION: When a potential buyer desires an outside opinion on an instrument he/she wishes to purchase, it is critical that the opinion be unbiased. Showing the instrument to a competitor is a poor choice as the competitor's goal is to sell you a different instrument. Salt Lake City has one of the highest concentrations of violin makers in the world. For the buyer, this means relatively low prices are available, but it also means confusion when you inadvertently play competitors against each other. The most dishonest shop has the advantage over the buyer when the buyer seeks the opinions of other shops on the instrument. Your best chance of an unbiased opinion is to take the instrument to a skilled player or teacher. As one of the newest shops in the area, we only survive by offering superior instruments at lower prices. We guarantee the value by beating any competitor's price on an instrument of equal quality by 5%. In addition, we offer our 5 year warranty which is a guarantee of our confidence in the value of our instruments.
Virtually everything on an instrument can be adjusted to meet the desires of the player. Remember the condition and configuration of the instrument is not set in stone. We pride ourselves in having a shop capable of customizing most string instruments to virtually any player. Remember, our goal is to Make True Acoustic Expression Affordable. Let us work with you to make your musical dreams come true.