@@samayling9855 this is very good I am a beginner and I bought one (I am a kid so I had no choice to buy an expensive one) worth 2,300 egp (I am egyptian) and 2,300 egp is around 137 USD Good luck
Angel Singh Tomar Yh I will probably😂 me and my friend were thinking to do some busking as well, but I don’t think I will make much. I’ll probably get paid to shut up😂😂
I'm a beginner flute player (still watch all your videos!) and I wanted to drop by to say how heartening it is when people put love and passion in beginner instruments
I started off on an untunable piece of decoration, then rented a cheap one from an actual violin builder, and now finally bought my first for about 2.5k and I absolutely love it. It sounds so fckin good especially when you switch from a beginner violin.
@@nancymilawski1048 personally I would upgrade the bow and strings before upgrading the instrument if the action feels good ... the difference is way bigger than a new instrument with the same bow and strings usually. Often people also get new bow and strings with a new instrument so they never realize they could have just upgraded those two things.
What makes the most difference is the performer in terms of sound but I think a short clip from the person showing the violin( without showing the tag of course) and playing a G Major scale would work just to have some fun ( also use Ling Ling insurance that it’s not appraisal 😂) similar to the TwoSet reaction videos. You could even invite them over and have some fun with it.
It couldn't be an accurate appraisal but he could comment on the bridge, varnish, finish and maybe other stuff like that. It would also be cool as a guess the price type thing.
I really enjoy watching your videos! It makes me want to make a similar video like this one with my flute if I had several :) Thank you for the inspiration!
Idk why this was my first thought but it feels like buying an instrument is a lot like buying a wand in HP. No two instruments are really the same, each has a different character and when you find the one that matches with your character, it’s like magic
I have a 100 us dollars violin and it sounded like sheet , The soundpost dropped and there is no luthiers in my city but the violin managed to stayed like that for 2 months and am getting an instrument in about 3 months so thank you for the video so i know how to choose the violin :)
Make sure you get to try a couple different instruments before you buy one, once you find an instrument that just gels with you, you will feel it from the first moment you play with it...How it feels when you hold it, how it sounds, how it puts a smile on your face when you open the case and look at it. To fall in love with your instrument is the first step in your "relation", so to speak!
Hi Olaf, I realise that in this video you only wanted to cover violins within a price range that non-doctor-evil people would shop for, so you didn’t talk about violins that are above 10k in value. But we would still be very interested to watch a follow up video where you’d continue with the price range and explain what’s the difference between a 50k, 200k, 1M or 15M violin. Is there a big difference in craftsmanship? Materials? Sound? What makes them so expensive? Love your videos! Thanks :)
Thank you!!! The tip of viola are 10 to 20% more is helpful beginner as adult super helpful as saving to buy first viola/instrument ever although many are trying to discourage me because have CP...not listening to the doubters rented viola in under grad and loved it
What might also be interesting is to compare different violins of one price and additionally from one line. I am testing two violins this week which I am interested in buying, they are exactly the same price and sound totally different. So this might be interesting, too, otherwise viewers might believe that there is only one kind of sound per price range.
Hello Olaf, Would you consider doing a video about Ray Chen's 69$ violin comparison video? I think he changed out the strings but it still sounded terrific (staying well under 200$ total)! As great a player as he is could the cheapo violin really be so bad? Could a beginner overcome its shortcomings to develop into an even better violinist than from starting out on a luxury instrument? Thank you!
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker what if you dropped it? No, I really mean like, if someone drops a 10 mil dollar violin belonging to someone else, and if it's not insured, do they get arrested?? I'm curious
@@angels5449 Well, those kinds of instruments are very well insured. Also I really clean my workspace and make sure there are no risks to the instrument. Accidents do happen to players as well.
All musical instruments, I notice the trend of price exponential increase do not correlate with quality. The higher price you go, you get only minor improvements that aren't worth the price paid. It's more of an investment.
It really does depend on the player. At 69 usd, 10 million dollar violinist really couldn't do much with it. Rather most upgrade in tiers as we advance in our studies: 300 USD - 1,000 USD - beginner 3,000 USD - 5,000 USD - intermediate/advancing 10,000 USD+ - advanced 20-30K - music uni/college/conservatoire When you literally cannot get it to sound when you do the techniques, that's when you upgrade.
Crazy how they got louder the higher the price went. That's what you call projection right? Talking about prices, violins, cellos etc. are so expensive in comparison to guitars when it comes to performance per dollar it seems. Guitars under 600 dollars have gotten really good in the past few years, there are some that even a pro would be happy gigging with. And for 1500 dollars you can get a really nice one, above that it's diminishing returns really. To me it sound like for the violin those tiers are 50 percent or so higher in price. No wonder so many beginners rent violins haha
Hi, I researched Gliga instruments and it can go either way... I don't sell them because I have found other instruments that have a much clearer sound and are better value... But then every now and then a client brings one in that sounds good... They really are a mixed bag.
I'm assuming that the labor far exceeds the cost of materials when making a violin, so if you used all the best materials what would the materials cost? That would let us all know what a luthier is charging for his labor or his name.
You can buy sized soundwood of different quality online. Would say between 500 to 3000 Euros for a very high quality set. Then standard prices for strings, pegs, bridges and so on. Depending on what is used it varies, but probably those are 1000 Euros maximum. Not sure about string prices though, might be more in the 500 Euro ballpark too.
@@niels1497 Thanks for the info, if we had a total dollar amount for the best and most expensive materials available, that would give us a high base price for the material portion of the violin so we could judge the labor expense that goes into a, $10,000 $25,000 $75,000 violin. Then we could ask ourselves if the workmanship or sound quality justifies the price being charged. Does one luthiers violin justify a $25, 000 or $50,000 difference in price, and how could they determine that price, can they justify it by saying listen how beautiful this violin sounds compared to all the rest, is it really that distinguishable, or is it just a label with bragging rights. Inquiring minds want to know.
A lot has to do with the experience, workmanship and sound. Some good makers can only make a few instruments with years waiting time, so people are willing to pay higher prices. Also not all wood is the same. I've seasoned some wood for over 30 years and my father has 70+ year old wood... it's very hard to get a beautiful seasoned old piece of wood like that and it's hard to put a price on it.
@@markkulyas2418 As Olaf said, it's hard to put prices on Instruments, because in the end, it depends on what people are willing to pay. You could just get the wood from your neighbour, who happened to cut trees of the right kind down, and dry it yourself for 10 years, and there would be little cost involved. Instruments are like art. Each piece is somewhat unique in the end. If you go a more scientific way, you could ask questions like "How long does the wood actually have to dry, or lay around, before the physical changes in the wood become insignificant". Realistically there is little cost involved in having 2 small pieces of wood lying around in a drying chamber for a few years. In the end, it comes down to physics if you evaluate the sound. How well does your instrument resonate in the human audible frequency spectrum. You could easily plot a full spectrum for each instrument, to evaluate and compare with other instruments, technology had the means for years. Musicians usually go by ear though, so noone does that :D The time a maker needs for a violin in working hours might be 200 to 300 hours. Thats what you could divide the violin price by, to calculate. Violins are not overly expensive in materials, if you consider wood as wood, and not as some mystic entity, that can not be evaluated. Seasoned tonewood is rarer, and therefore the price tag is bigger, but at the end of it, someone just cut down a tree some 40 years ago and put the wood in a corner, even if that sounds very bland. How much that is worth in money, everyone should decide for himself. It is not hard to do, but few people do it, or do it well. So the wood being expensive is normal. Also violins are not so complex in how they are built. Hence they were built several hundred years ago, with little change in the techniques involved. The only thing necessary is working hours. And an experienced luthier obiously is better at it, than someone who never built one. Like playing instruments, practice makes perfect. And as always, a natural disposition, or as some say, talent, always helps. It would be interesting to see makers experiment with CNC machining to create instruments in a fraction of the usual time. But prices would probably be unaffected by that, if someone even buys such instruments. Traditions are not abandoned easily, usually :)
I would take it to an experienced violin maker and get it valued. You can also check out the violin identification Facebook group... Just remember that anyone can comment on the pictures you post and it depends on their experience.
Can you play violin as well? Here in the Philippines the most famous guitar maker can't play guitar but he can guess wether the guitar is out of tune or not.
For those starters who CAN afford a hefty price but don't want to lose all that money of the hobby doesn't pan out...how hard is it to recoup a large part of their investment selling their instrument on? Can a costly instrument be kept in good condition reasonably well? How is the difference for say a $2000 used instrument to start on vs a $2000 new one, as an example?
@ask Olaf what do you think of the fiddlerman master and solo violin as a price comparison? I am on the fence for the 1200-2000 range and don’t want to throw away money.
have you triede alice 747 violin strings?... i mean... they are maybe not as good as pirastro... and are actually a litlle difficult to get here in my country... but to the moment... best china strings i've ever found
Hello Olaf! Complete newbie here, and I'm hoping somehow this reaches you or someone whom can give me some hopefully helpful advice. By luck, I managed to find a Chinese intermediate-level violin that had been seemingly abandoned to waste away in a thrift shop where I live--- and scraped enough together to buy it. I am familiar with other instruments, but have never formally trained for the violin- it's become a bit of a goal now to learn for myself. I don't think whomever left it there had any idea what it was actually worth, and mishandled it badly as the strings were cut and the chin rest looked to be purposefully broken. (Although, luckily, it came with not one, but TWO concert bows that were undamaged. :D ) Maybe in the future I can afford a better one and have the skills to play a better-quality instrument, but for now I'm in a bit of a pickle with the issue of repairing the violin I immediately own. The only Luthier in my area seems to have closed shop due to the ongoing plague, and I am unable to travel to another due to being A: In a fairly remote area, with the nearest being roughly 600 miles away, and B: In the medical field--and very much on-call 24/7. I understand by all accounts it is imperative that a professional handle the instrument, but is it possible to at least fix it up to a point on my own? I hate having it sit in the corner of my flat neglected. :/ Thank you for your time!
@@Crazypitbull16 sorry... Yes. We don't ship the beginning instruments to the US, because there's just me and I basically just get paid for my setup on the beginner instruments. We send instruments upwards from the Piere Lomont violin internationally.
I bought a violin on eBay for $400 and it sounds better than my violin I spent $4800 on, and the violin is so much richer sound and it’s dated 1791 by the maker johan gottfried liebich
The law of diminishing returns - from $100 to $500 you are getting 5 times the instrument. From $500 to $1500... you are getting maybe three times the instrument. from $1500 to $4000 you get twice the instrument... from there....? eh? This applies (with various adjustments to price) to pretty much any instrument, classical or contemporary.
Actually it is a bit different because musicians upgrade because the instrument is no longer responding the way we need it to. It is a bit weird to quantify it as it must be X times better. It is like working through a progressively more expensive textbook series. You move on to the next volume literally because you mastered all the problem types. Of course you can choose to stay, but in some ways it's like the instrument is fighting you.
@@brattingprincess Have you met musicians? They upgrade because the upgrade is there, and no other reason. Money and the law of diminishing returns are the only limiting factors. You can make music on a $100 violin, or flute, or guitar, or drumset - you just need to be good at the instrument to make that crap work. The law of diminishing returns is just how crap YOU can be as a musician and pay to make up that loss.
@@brattingprincess They are not. They are famous for eating ramen noodles and drinking Natural Ice beer (its cheaper than bottled water) because they have an entire years salary tied up in an instrument they don't strictly need - it isn't qualitatively better than their previous instrument, which they haven't sold to offset the cost (....and a lot of weed.)
String orchestra instruments are generally overpriced and also for the most part there is work put in which doesn't impact the performance but many hours are spent on it and the customer pays for it too. I don't get it ... because they don't even put in a nice carved piece with flowers in there.. the violin stays looking plain as day but the price goes up. Just ... no... Gibson guitars will do the same. Their 4,000 guitars sound like a 500 dollar martin or usually worse. Again lack of 3,000 dollar art piece on there too ...
The hard part of pricing a violin is to separate out the name of the violin to the quality of the sound of the violin. There is a real cost for the good sound quality of a violin and then the extra cost for the name or history of the violin. I can't hear the name or history! LOL
I remember the day where my mother started me on a piece of crap $30 VSO.. it sucked. I saved the money to get upgraded to a "real" violin worth about $350.. Now, I play an actual real hand made E.R Pfretchner violin worth around $700.. looking into the past, the chinese instruments sucked ass. Comparing it to the E.R Pfretchner, the $350 violin sounded like a dying duck while the $700 violin sounds like a Stradivarius. (It's a copy of a strad), My local luthier said that I was lucky that I had a E.R Pfretchner.
I think you can trust a luthier to find you the best instrument you can afford, cause anyone who wants to rip you off would be crazy to get into instrument making/repair
My personal feeling is that it is a sad state of affairs that what should be a perfectly acceptable professional violin at $10,000 with a $2,000 bow can be thought of in certain circles as not enough money spent...That price level should enough. Same for flutes, saxophones, et cetera. At what level do we assume we’re in snake oil territory ?? lol
A lot of antique instruments have the high prices because they are rare... not necessarily better. So the snake oil phenomenon does get used by some in our profession. There is something to be said about owning a 200 year old violin. Think of all the players that would have used it over the years.
Ask Olaf the Violinmaker - hi Olaf love your videos and yeah I agree and and my comment was directed to modern instruments, but yes, when you start getting into antiques it’s a whole different ball game and yeah have to watch out for scamming I personally wouldn’t try to buy an antique violin, even if I had the money without consulting somebody like you to tell me if it was for real and worth it or not.
With modern instruments if purchasing from a master luthier part of what goes into the cost is the expertise of the maker. The quality of wood used is also a factor in the price. Olaf in another video said his instruments sell starting at 20k Australian dollars. If purchased from him you are also buying his years of expertise when he puts in the time to make your instrument. Likewise if a maker wins a medal in craftsmanship their selling rate will go up accordingly. If I had the means I think it would be well worth it to have a master made instrument vs an antique for antique’s sake or even a fledgling maker. Can you get lucky and find an undiscovered gem of a maker who can craft what you are looking for and it can stand up to others higher priced? Sure but its a gamble I feel compared to buying from someone who has tons of experience under their belt. I wish I lived in Australia bc I would love to try out the violins designed by him, buying something like that is as close as I’ll ever get to “master made”
Mina - I’m with you Mina. Beyond a certain point of construction materials and methodology, I feel that the craftsmanship and the setup from a talented, meticulous, and passionate luthier are paramount. If I had the cash to play with, and was more talented on violin, I would have two made, using one as ‘holy grail’ instrument for self-gratification at home, and the other as a daily ‘beater’ for practicing and gigs that I wouldn’t be afraid to leave the house with.. 😁
the price of the violin is completely irelevant.If you play aviolin and you like how it feels and sounds thats the violin foryou.The only reason to buy a more expensive instrument is because you tried everything cheaper and it all sounds and feels like crap.
IF you’re talking about Olaf you’re rude AF. The man makes violins and he plays on the side. He can judge just fine. If you are talking about yourself then you bring in the staff and your teacher to help you pick.
An important thing is that if you avoid the cheapest instruments and buy from a reputable dealer or luthier you will probably get the money back the day you want to sell it or trade it in to buy something better. For absolute beginners it's also important to have a not too bad instrument. When starting playing (we have all been there...) it do sound quite bad and a bad instrument sure doesn't help...
Being someone who started out on a $100 violin, do yourself a favor and spend more on your starter. I almost gave up playing because no matter what I tried and how much I practiced, my playing always sounded awful...until I tried a friend's good violin. Then my jaw dropped. Apparently I was an OK-ish player, the instrument was just horrible!
I had such an experience going from heavily discounted B-brand carbon cross-country skis and then trying on top level ones as used by the professional racers. I became a vastly better skier, technically, more balanced, just switching over. No transition period. Skis you can't usually try before buying sadly, and there are individual differences between pairs, they are all made unequally and matched to a match by testing (at best). They come out they way they come out.
SAME! My first instrument was even less than $100 USD. I was in middle school orchestra, I played my friends violin, and GOD I envied her. Her violin was around $2,000 I believe, and I was blown away by how damn beautiful it sounded even when played by my mediocre-playing ass! I loved it. I upgraded to a $200 violin in my first year of highschool... Sounded so cold, so metallic. Then I upgraded to a $500 Krutz violin and I love the sound. Even so, I wish I could afford an even better quality instrument, even if my current one is the best quality I have. Maybe one day...:)
I use to think my $260 violin was awesome until I was given a violin by my husband’s family that’s from the 1800s. The quality and the sound of that instrument is just beautiful. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another one.
I completely agree with this! Every word! I have 2 violins, 1 a “alot” more money and the other considerably less. I was lucky enough to have a budget between £6000 to £8,000. I ended up choosing at £6,500 violin as the sound just resonated with me and I absolutely loved it compared to the other violins that were at a higher price. It was a J.H Schult Violin, with some previous repairs, but as I said... the sound is exactly what I was looking for! It has recently been valued at £7000, which is great! my other violin (for when I am going into schools etc) is a Jay Haide violin. Absolutely love this this violin!! It was considerably cheaper, but I loved the sound even compared to the “Jay Haide special” violin that was offered to me and that I played, but still preferred the one I bought. It’s all preferable to the player I suppose :) get advice! Thanks, really enjoyed the video :)
Tom Moxon - hi Tom, understood. I find that if an instrument (any I play) is too valuable, I can’t practice to death on it or take it out of the house! due to fear 😮 It just has to have a good setup, feel and sound ok and I’m happy.😉
@@shipsahoy1793 I identify with this! Been thinking about trying my hand at violin for some time now. What instrument did you end up on? Price range? Thx! (I'm hoping well under 1k just to test the waters)
@@Li-yt7zh well things have changed in the last few years. I had an inexpensive Romanian violin that I got used for close to $200, but then I had to put another $200 into it, and then it was pretty good. Unfortunately, it was stolen, and I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to get some thing that good again a few years ago, at least for the same kind of money, but I hooked up with the Kennedy Violins company out west after some looking, and they set me up with an Antonio Giuliani Etude for under $300. Just a beginner violin, but not bad at all on components and setup. Ditched the steel core strings in favor of nylon core though. Also had to upgrade the bow after a spell. Still haven’t needed to upgrade yet. I am learning more intermediate stuff at this point. It’s been a couple years. I also got a very affordable Cecilio CVA-500 viola from Fiddlershop before they went under, and that one is amazing with Thomastik Alphayues. I wouldn’t start out spending a lot of money because there’s a lot to experience and learn, and you could consider the few hundred you spend getting started as the education necessary for a better sense in selecting and choosing the more expensive stuff you may eventually want to go for, once you find that you are willing and want to “stick with” manipulating the strings. (See what I did there ?! 🥳)
@@shipsahoy1793 Lol, Thank you for that detailed account! I,m also hoping to start off on something fully assembled / set up, a used diamond in the rough in the 2-300$ range. Been reading comments and seeing in videos that strings are an important upgrade to consider along with bow, but i was hoping to do what you described - spend 200$ to learn what to look for in a future instrument, while still getting a fair sense of the basics. For context, I would be a total beginner without access to in-person lessons or a luthier, relying on the internet to start. Do you think i could adequately set up an instrument shipped with the bridge and strings unassembled? I'm quite handy and determined. Or, is a lot of experience necessary for setup? (I would mull over local classifieds in that case) Thanks for your replies!! :D
@@Li-yt7zh Well you need to learn how to deal with that stuff on your own anyway, even as a beginning player, so if you can get a violin with a properly carved bridge, and you don’t have to worry about carving it yourself, that’s really the biggest problem solved for the novice, except for sound post issues. I suggest dealing with a place like Fiddlershop, to make your experience as painless as possible.Also, changing strings shouldn’t pose much difficulty if you follow a viable procedure and your violin doesn’t have any peg or pegbox issues. It’s those few important things mentioned here that make it important to deal with a competent reputable shop.
So for cello in the same three "quality classes" as you listed for violins, would you say about a factor of 3 in the price, at least at the low end? Or more like a factor of 2? I sometimes dream of taking up the cello again. I never was more than an advanced amateur, so I'd restart not QUITE as a 100% beginner, but close. If I do I kinda would like to buy an instrument that would last me years, not one I want to upgrade after a year. I wonder where the pretty widely available USD $3-5000 class of celli (usually Chinese-made, set up by a luthier at the point-of-sale) falls compared with the violins you listed.
That would be intermediate... I noticed that for beginner cellos the prices are often tripple compared to a violin, because freight and material costs make up a significant percentage of the overall price. Once you get to intermediate, the price is aproximately twice that of a violin, and at a higher level it ends up being 30% to 50% more. Hope that helps.
Please explain about lefthanded violins. Mirrored bass bar soundpost and pegs. My violin is unfortunately reversed so i cant play first position because of righthanded pegs. And sound is very bad because of soundpost and bassbar place is for righthanded.
I got an antique lion head German violin in Europe for under $400. I took it to my violin shop in the US and he said that would go for $1000 here. He also said it’s perfect for my bluegrass/folk style I play.
My father makes amazing Violins, a notable Irish player offered him thousands for the 2nd one he built 20 years ago and he didn't want to sell it. He convinces himself he's not good enough. So basically know one really knows of his work. He also made a green varnish that has amazing vivid colour whilst still being thin enough not to effect the sound. Only a handfull of people have seen this to. It's a damn shame.
@@cedleonard123 About a month ago now. 2,200 worth of work and it's brand new. It turned out to be 100 years younger than I thought, but still a tremendous instrument. Made by Charles Resuche.
Ixum the Naughty you can get great teachers for a cheaper price. My friend has a teacher for $60 an hour in the United States and I have a $25 an hour teacher and mine seems to be a lot better and she is really nice. My teacher somehow got me to learn all positions on the violin in one day when I were a beginner. I usually don’t like teachers that waste a lot of time and mine doesn’t waste a second. The only reason I think my teacher is a lot cheaper is because she calls a piece a song so I guess that’s where most of the money goes to in expensive violin teachers
@@ILikeBirds I get that, but I like tho think a teacher is more of a choach in the end, after you know much of the basics you are basically being coached through different pieces, and that relationship can last many many years
Hi Olaf. I wish I could buy a 1000 dollor violin from you. But I can't for now, have to save money for college. I'm finally able to play really good after playing for 6 years, on my 200$ violin.
My first violin (bought it 2019) was a used Stagg violin for 30€ (with case and bow). I bought a new carbon bow for under 200€ a few months after (and I still use it, my violin teacher even complimented me for it) and better strings the day after I bought it (I got it from ebay kleinanzeigen, it's lie the german craigslist). This violin is playable, but of course not the best. Because of an annoying injury in my left hand I had to stop playing until last christmas. I picked up the violin again and started to take lessons, but I noticed some minor cracks in the corpus. That was reason enough for me to buy me recent instrument for around 1200€. My luthier said something like that when he tested my old violin: "I am thankful that those Stagg violins exists. So many people started to learn the violins because they could buy a cheap one to "test it out" and they don't always have the possibility to rent an instrument (me included). After some time, the people who really want to stick to the violin always come to me." I am thankful for my old violin (that I will always keep) because without it, I would have never tried to play the violin. There is a huge difference between my two instruments, but at least I was lucky enough to find one that was reaaaaaally cheap but still playable (some students who play way longer than me still play with instruments that are worse).
"The sound needs to be a reflection of you." So true. Regardless of the instrument, price range or even skill level. I'd just add that a setup needs to reflect you too. I'm not sure it works that way for violins, but on guitars it does.
In my experience to get a good/decent new violin one has to pay about a minimum of around US $350. Of course that excludes special sales, used violins, etc.
Perfect timing! I’m actually buying a new violin today
Good luck with your journey
Wonderful!
Have fun. I also have 2 other videos... one on how to try out instruments and one on what to look out for when buying.
Good luck. See you after ten years :D
I’m getting my new violin on Tuesday!!! I am so excited, the most I can afford on one right now was $750 usd I used his guides before getting it :D
@@samayling9855 this is very good
I am a beginner and I bought one (I am a kid so I had no choice to buy an expensive one) worth 2,300 egp (I am egyptian) and 2,300 egp is around 137 USD
Good luck
Things to do when I go to Australia:
-buy a violin from Olaf
-suffer in the heat
-........ that’s it really, just buy a violin😂😂
You can always buy from him online. That's what I did :D :D It's been great!
meet twoset?
Angel Singh Tomar Yh I will probably😂 me and my friend were thinking to do some busking as well, but I don’t think I will make much. I’ll probably get paid to shut up😂😂
@@mulburncheesefits2201 hahahaa loll XD
@@mulburncheesefits2201 that strategy could work too 😀
your getting better at editing the videos olaf!😂😂😂
*look at my $150 violin*
“Olaf’s just jealous of u don’t worry ;-;”
Ugly dogs are good boys as well!!
I'm a beginner flute player (still watch all your videos!) and I wanted to drop by to say how heartening it is when people put love and passion in beginner instruments
Is it also really hard to produce a decent sound on flute? We also take a few years for violin.
Time markers for instrument demonstrations
5:42 Low range
8:38 Mid range
12:20 Upper range
I started off on an untunable piece of decoration, then rented a cheap one from an actual violin builder, and now finally bought my first for about 2.5k and I absolutely love it.
It sounds so fckin good especially when you switch from a beginner violin.
Luthiers are really just the violin versions of wand-makers, imo :p
Can you do one of these but for violin bows?
Yes because that's just as important but people spend a lot of money on the instrument but don't budget for a quality bow.
Nancy Milawski Yep! A bow is a much cheaper, but important upgrade.
@@nancymilawski1048 personally I would upgrade the bow and strings before upgrading the instrument if the action feels good ... the difference is way bigger than a new instrument with the same bow and strings usually. Often people also get new bow and strings with a new instrument so they never realize they could have just upgraded those two things.
Are included bows not adequate on beginner instruments in the 200-500$ range? Thx!
when i have the chance to go to australia i want to visit olaf's shop.
Hey Olaf I have an idea for a dynamic: Olaf guesses your instruments’ prices. The community can submit videos and you guess the prices, should be fun.
It would be nice. But hard to tell without having it in person i would guess. Probably would have to send pics of the different parts.
@@Sorestlor If you're listening to recording to guess the price, then also it'll be hard to judge unless it's recorded on a thousand dollar mic.
What makes the most difference is the performer in terms of sound but I think a short clip from the person showing the violin( without showing the tag of course) and playing a G Major scale would work just to have some fun ( also use Ling Ling insurance that it’s not appraisal 😂) similar to the TwoSet reaction videos. You could even invite them over and have some fun with it.
It couldn't be an accurate appraisal but he could comment on the bridge, varnish, finish and maybe other stuff like that. It would also be cool as a guess the price type thing.
Yes please do this!! I would also love to participate!!
I really enjoy watching your videos! It makes me want to make a similar video like this one with my flute if I had several :) Thank you for the inspiration!
Idk why this was my first thought but it feels like buying an instrument is a lot like buying a wand in HP. No two instruments are really the same, each has a different character and when you find the one that matches with your character, it’s like magic
What are comparable price ranges for double basses? 😅
I have a 100 us dollars violin and it sounded like sheet , The soundpost dropped and there is no luthiers in my city but the violin managed to stayed like that for 2 months and am getting an instrument in about 3 months so thank you for the video so i know how to choose the violin :)
Make sure you get to try a couple different instruments before you buy one, once you find an instrument that just gels with you, you will feel it from the first moment you play with it...How it feels when you hold it, how it sounds, how it puts a smile on your face when you open the case and look at it.
To fall in love with your instrument is the first step in your "relation", so to speak!
How? I have no Olaf here.
Hi Olaf, I realise that in this video you only wanted to cover violins within a price range that non-doctor-evil people would shop for, so you didn’t talk about violins that are above 10k in value. But we would still be very interested to watch a follow up video where you’d continue with the price range and explain what’s the difference between a 50k, 200k, 1M or 15M violin. Is there a big difference in craftsmanship? Materials? Sound? What makes them so expensive?
Love your videos! Thanks :)
Totally agree, that’d be fun
Thank you!!! The tip of viola are 10 to 20% more is helpful beginner as adult super helpful as saving to buy first viola/instrument ever although many are trying to discourage me because have CP...not listening to the doubters rented viola in under grad and loved it
What might also be interesting is to compare different violins of one price and additionally from one line. I am testing two violins this week which I am interested in buying, they are exactly the same price and sound totally different. So this might be interesting, too, otherwise viewers might believe that there is only one kind of sound per price range.
Watching Mr Olaf's video to chill
Love you olaf..... Love from india :)
I wish I lived in Australia
me too IKR
Australia gang 🤘
Same except for the deadly animals appearing on your home (just a joke, I know it's a Meme) , but for violin purposes yeah 😋
Thank you Olaf I am getting my own violin soon!(I rent)
Dear Olaf will you consider making a similar video like this for cello please?? Thanks heaps!!
Gracias Olaf saludos desde México!
Hello Olaf, Would you consider doing a video about Ray Chen's 69$ violin comparison video? I think he changed out the strings but it still sounded terrific (staying well under 200$ total)! As great a player as he is could the cheapo violin really be so bad? Could a beginner overcome its shortcomings to develop into an even better violinist than from starting out on a luxury instrument? Thank you!
What do you think about the Chinese, Eastman instruments ?
What has been the most valuable instrument (in terms of monetary value) that you have had the pleasure of working on?
I believe he would get some like 5 mil dollar instruments
He is a master
Over 10 million dollars.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker oof like Ray Chen's Stradivarius violin
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker what if you dropped it? No, I really mean like, if someone drops a 10 mil dollar violin belonging to someone else, and if it's not insured, do they get arrested?? I'm curious
@@angels5449 Well, those kinds of instruments are very well insured. Also I really clean my workspace and make sure there are no risks to the instrument.
Accidents do happen to players as well.
All musical instruments, I notice the trend of price exponential increase do not correlate with quality. The higher price you go, you get only minor improvements that aren't worth the price paid. It's more of an investment.
It really does depend on the player. At 69 usd, 10 million dollar violinist really couldn't do much with it. Rather most upgrade in tiers as we advance in our studies:
300 USD - 1,000 USD - beginner
3,000 USD - 5,000 USD - intermediate/advancing
10,000 USD+ - advanced
20-30K - music uni/college/conservatoire
When you literally cannot get it to sound when you do the techniques, that's when you upgrade.
Here I am saving for my first violin, a Cremona SV-175 that doesn't even appear in Olaf's low price range 😅😂
Crazy how they got louder the higher the price went. That's what you call projection right? Talking about prices, violins, cellos etc. are so expensive in comparison to guitars when it comes to performance per dollar it seems. Guitars under 600 dollars have gotten really good in the past few years, there are some that even a pro would be happy gigging with. And for 1500 dollars you can get a really nice one, above that it's diminishing returns really. To me it sound like for the violin those tiers are 50 percent or so higher in price. No wonder so many beginners rent violins haha
Love your videos Olaf! Curious about your thoughts on Gliga violins for a beginner?
Hi,
I researched Gliga instruments and it can go either way...
I don't sell them because I have found other instruments that have a much clearer sound and are better value...
But then every now and then a client brings one in that sounds good...
They really are a mixed bag.
what about Cecilio cv600???
I'm assuming that the labor far exceeds the cost of materials when making a violin, so if you used all the best materials what would the materials cost? That would let us all know what a luthier is charging for his labor or his name.
You can buy sized soundwood of different quality online. Would say between 500 to 3000 Euros for a very high quality set. Then standard prices for strings, pegs, bridges and so on. Depending on what is used it varies, but probably those are 1000 Euros maximum. Not sure about string prices though, might be more in the 500 Euro ballpark too.
@@niels1497 Thanks for the info, if we had a total dollar amount for the best and most expensive materials available, that would give us a high base price for the material portion of the violin so we could judge the labor expense that goes into a, $10,000 $25,000 $75,000 violin.
Then we could ask ourselves if the workmanship or sound quality justifies the price being charged. Does one luthiers violin justify a $25, 000 or $50,000 difference in price, and how could they determine that price, can they justify it by saying listen how beautiful this violin sounds compared to all the rest, is it really that distinguishable, or is it just a label with bragging rights. Inquiring minds want to know.
A lot has to do with the experience, workmanship and sound.
Some good makers can only make a few instruments with years waiting time, so people are willing to pay higher prices.
Also not all wood is the same.
I've seasoned some wood for over 30 years and my father has 70+ year old wood... it's very hard to get a beautiful seasoned old piece of wood like that and it's hard to put a price on it.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Good point of view, many factors that come into play. Thanks for sharing.
@@markkulyas2418 As Olaf said, it's hard to put prices on Instruments, because in the end, it depends on what people are willing to pay. You could just get the wood from your neighbour, who happened to cut trees of the right kind down, and dry it yourself for 10 years, and there would be little cost involved. Instruments are like art. Each piece is somewhat unique in the end. If you go a more scientific way, you could ask questions like "How long does the wood actually have to dry, or lay around, before the physical changes in the wood become insignificant". Realistically there is little cost involved in having 2 small pieces of wood lying around in a drying chamber for a few years. In the end, it comes down to physics if you evaluate the sound. How well does your instrument resonate in the human audible frequency spectrum. You could easily plot a full spectrum for each instrument, to evaluate and compare with other instruments, technology had the means for years. Musicians usually go by ear though, so noone does that :D The time a maker needs for a violin in working hours might be 200 to 300 hours. Thats what you could divide the violin price by, to calculate. Violins are not overly expensive in materials, if you consider wood as wood, and not as some mystic entity, that can not be evaluated. Seasoned tonewood is rarer, and therefore the price tag is bigger, but at the end of it, someone just cut down a tree some 40 years ago and put the wood in a corner, even if that sounds very bland. How much that is worth in money, everyone should decide for himself. It is not hard to do, but few people do it, or do it well. So the wood being expensive is normal. Also violins are not so complex in how they are built. Hence they were built several hundred years ago, with little change in the techniques involved. The only thing necessary is working hours. And an experienced luthier obiously is better at it, than someone who never built one. Like playing instruments, practice makes perfect. And as always, a natural disposition, or as some say, talent, always helps. It would be interesting to see makers experiment with CNC machining to create instruments in a fraction of the usual time. But prices would probably be unaffected by that, if someone even buys such instruments. Traditions are not abandoned easily, usually :)
I hope you have good fire insurance for that shop!
I have a 17th century violin beautifully crafted NO label how do I identify please?
I would take it to an experienced violin maker and get it valued.
You can also check out the violin identification Facebook group...
Just remember that anyone can comment on the pictures you post and it depends on their experience.
what about the bows?!
That's going to be another video
Sorry to sound stuffy but shouldn't the inside label on the Piere Lomont read anno domini MMXX? Nice sounding violin for the price.
Can you play violin as well? Here in the Philippines the most famous guitar maker can't play guitar but he can guess wether the guitar is out of tune or not.
For those starters who CAN afford a hefty price but don't want to lose all that money of the hobby doesn't pan out...how hard is it to recoup a large part of their investment selling their instrument on? Can a costly instrument be kept in good condition reasonably well?
How is the difference for say a $2000 used instrument to start on vs a $2000 new one, as an example?
@ask Olaf what do you think of the fiddlerman master and solo violin as a price comparison? I am on the fence for the 1200-2000 range and don’t want to throw away money.
What's your opinion of Paolo Lorenzo violins?
have you triede alice 747 violin strings?... i mean... they are maybe not as good as pirastro... and are actually a litlle difficult to get here in my country... but to the moment... best china strings i've ever found
Hello Olaf! Complete newbie here, and I'm hoping somehow this reaches you or someone whom can give me some hopefully helpful advice. By luck, I managed to find a Chinese intermediate-level violin that had been seemingly abandoned to waste away in a thrift shop where I live--- and scraped enough together to buy it. I am familiar with other instruments, but have never formally trained for the violin- it's become a bit of a goal now to learn for myself. I don't think whomever left it there had any idea what it was actually worth, and mishandled it badly as the strings were cut and the chin rest looked to be purposefully broken. (Although, luckily, it came with not one, but TWO concert bows that were undamaged. :D )
Maybe in the future I can afford a better one and have the skills to play a better-quality instrument, but for now I'm in a bit of a pickle with the issue of repairing the violin I immediately own. The only Luthier in my area seems to have closed shop due to the ongoing plague, and I am unable to travel to another due to being A: In a fairly remote area, with the nearest being roughly 600 miles away, and B: In the medical field--and very much on-call 24/7. I understand by all accounts it is imperative that a professional handle the instrument, but is it possible to at least fix it up to a point on my own? I hate having it sit in the corner of my flat neglected. :/
Thank you for your time!
my heart started aching the moment i saw 500-1000 USD is equal to 28k - 57k PHP money 😢 i guess i can never buy a violin for myself
Its Olaf from League of Legends !!! Olaf the Brolaf!!! :D
I've noticed that the more expensive violins have a much brighter tone and are a lot louder.
Do you still recommend the vivace violin ?
I've renamed them Aluna, because there's a local music shop called vivace and they don't have any professional violin makers.
@AskOlaftheViolinmaker do you ship to California, USA? I was browsing your site and when I click on an instrument it says not available in my country?
@@Crazypitbull16 sorry... Yes.
We don't ship the beginning instruments to the US, because there's just me and I basically just get paid for my setup on the beginner instruments.
We send instruments upwards from the Piere Lomont violin internationally.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker no option to pay for the shipping to get one out here?
Could anyone link to these violin makers? More specifically to buy online?
My website is www.olafgrawertviolinstudio.com
which is one option.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmakerThank you, Olaf! :D
I bought a violin on eBay for $400 and it sounds better than my violin I spent $4800 on, and the violin is so much richer sound and it’s dated 1791 by the maker johan gottfried liebich
Great to hear...
Sometimes you find a bargain
The law of diminishing returns - from $100 to $500 you are getting 5 times the instrument. From $500 to $1500... you are getting maybe three times the instrument. from $1500 to $4000 you get twice the instrument... from there....? eh? This applies (with various adjustments to price) to pretty much any instrument, classical or contemporary.
Actually it is a bit different because musicians upgrade because the instrument is no longer responding the way we need it to. It is a bit weird to quantify it as it must be X times better. It is like working through a progressively more expensive textbook series. You move on to the next volume literally because you mastered all the problem types. Of course you can choose to stay, but in some ways it's like the instrument is fighting you.
@@brattingprincess Have you met musicians? They upgrade because the upgrade is there, and no other reason. Money and the law of diminishing returns are the only limiting factors. You can make music on a $100 violin, or flute, or guitar, or drumset - you just need to be good at the instrument to make that crap work. The law of diminishing returns is just how crap YOU can be as a musician and pay to make up that loss.
Alex Walters Not true lol. Musicians aren't famous for being rich.
@@brattingprincess They are not. They are famous for eating ramen noodles and drinking Natural Ice beer (its cheaper than bottled water) because they have an entire years salary tied up in an instrument they don't strictly need - it isn't qualitatively better than their previous instrument, which they haven't sold to offset the cost (....and a lot of weed.)
String orchestra instruments are generally overpriced and also for the most part there is work put in which doesn't impact the performance but many hours are spent on it and the customer pays for it too. I don't get it ... because they don't even put in a nice carved piece with flowers in there.. the violin stays looking plain as day but the price goes up. Just ... no... Gibson guitars will do the same. Their 4,000 guitars sound like a 500 dollar martin or usually worse. Again lack of 3,000 dollar art piece on there too ...
Hi
I’m a 13 years old with violin dream =)), i’ll try to save money to buy one before i’m 18
Hello olaf
Next Video: How to diffrentiate a Legit Strad from a Fake Mass Producted Strad
11:10
The hard part of pricing a violin is to separate out the name of the violin to the quality of the sound of the violin. There is a real cost for the good sound quality of a violin and then the extra cost for the name or history of the violin. I can't hear the name or history! LOL
As a professional musician, I see no differences between 100 $ and 4 million $ instruments.
It depends on who plays
actually second
I remember the day where my mother started me on a piece of crap $30 VSO.. it sucked. I saved the money to get upgraded to a "real" violin worth about $350.. Now, I play an actual real hand made E.R Pfretchner violin worth around $700.. looking into the past, the chinese instruments sucked ass. Comparing it to the E.R Pfretchner, the $350 violin sounded like a dying duck while the $700 violin sounds like a Stradivarius. (It's a copy of a strad), My local luthier said that I was lucky that I had a E.R Pfretchner.
oh no
Is it just me or did the cheaper ones sound happy while the more expensive ones sounded sad?
10th lol
If you want an instrument buy an instrument, if you want a story, buy a book.
Haha
Gary M - You may need some books if you want to be an informed buyer! Ignorance is a recipe for being scammed!
I think you can trust a luthier to find you the best instrument you can afford, cause anyone who wants to rip you off would be crazy to get into instrument making/repair
That would be nice, but there are all types of people in the world
My personal feeling is that it is a sad state of affairs that what should be a perfectly acceptable professional violin at $10,000 with a $2,000 bow can be thought of in certain circles as not enough money spent...That price level should enough. Same for flutes, saxophones, et cetera. At what level do we assume we’re in snake oil territory ?? lol
A lot of antique instruments have the high prices because they are rare... not necessarily better.
So the snake oil phenomenon does get used by some in our profession.
There is something to be said about owning a 200 year old violin. Think of all the players that would have used it over the years.
Ask Olaf the Violinmaker - hi Olaf love your videos and yeah I agree and and my comment was directed to modern instruments, but yes, when you start getting into antiques it’s a whole different ball game and yeah have to watch out for scamming I personally wouldn’t try to buy an antique violin, even if I had the money without consulting somebody like you to tell me if it was for real and worth it or not.
With modern instruments if purchasing from a master luthier part of what goes into the cost is the expertise of the maker. The quality of wood used is also a factor in the price.
Olaf in another video said his instruments sell starting at 20k Australian dollars. If purchased from him you are also buying his years of expertise when he puts in the time to make your instrument. Likewise if a maker wins a medal in craftsmanship their selling rate will go up accordingly. If I had the means I think it would be well worth it to have a master made instrument vs an antique for antique’s sake or even a fledgling maker. Can you get lucky and find an undiscovered gem of a maker who can craft what you are looking for and it can stand up to others higher priced? Sure but its a gamble I feel compared to buying from someone who has tons of experience under their belt.
I wish I lived in Australia bc I would love to try out the violins designed by him, buying something like that is as close as I’ll ever get to “master made”
Mina - I’m with you Mina. Beyond a certain point of construction materials and methodology, I feel that the craftsmanship and the setup from a talented, meticulous, and passionate luthier are paramount. If I had the cash to play with, and was more talented on violin, I would have two made, using one as ‘holy grail’ instrument for self-gratification at home, and the other as a daily ‘beater’ for practicing and gigs that I wouldn’t be afraid to leave the house with.. 😁
the price of the violin is completely irelevant.If you play aviolin and you like how it feels and sounds thats the violin foryou.The only reason to buy a more expensive instrument is because you tried everything cheaper and it all sounds and feels like crap.
In.teres.ting!!!!!
Violas are 10..20% more expensive? 2SET have left the chat
For little kids, is there anything wrong with a £50 piece of crap?
yes.
I’d suggest getting a new mic
im flooding the comments rn
you can't play the violin so how can you judge?
Omg he is a professional luthier he even knows about the violín more than an average violinist cause he makes that instrument
And...he actually does play!
IF you’re talking about Olaf you’re rude AF. The man makes violins and he plays on the side. He can judge just fine. If you are talking about yourself then you bring in the staff and your teacher to help you pick.
Olaf is like that one dad who can actually vibe with his kids and their friends without feeling left out and I love it.
$100 VSO gang here
Haha at least it's something!
I just realized Olaf kind of looks like Tchaikovsky. That’s rather awesome 😂
An important thing is that if you avoid the cheapest instruments and buy from a reputable dealer or luthier you will probably get the money back the day you want to sell it or trade it in to buy something better. For absolute beginners it's also important to have a not too bad instrument. When starting playing (we have all been there...) it do sound quite bad and a bad instrument sure doesn't help...
Being someone who started out on a $100 violin, do yourself a favor and spend more on your starter. I almost gave up playing because no matter what I tried and how much I practiced, my playing always sounded awful...until I tried a friend's good violin. Then my jaw dropped. Apparently I was an OK-ish player, the instrument was just horrible!
I had such an experience going from heavily discounted B-brand carbon cross-country skis and then trying on top level ones as used by the professional racers. I became a vastly better skier, technically, more balanced, just switching over. No transition period. Skis you can't usually try before buying sadly, and there are individual differences between pairs, they are all made unequally and matched to a match by testing (at best). They come out they way they come out.
Chinese violins are good firewood. However, I had a Japanese made violin from before WW2 and it was excellent.
SAME! My first instrument was even less than $100 USD. I was in middle school orchestra, I played my friends violin, and GOD I envied her. Her violin was around $2,000 I believe, and I was blown away by how damn beautiful it sounded even when played by my mediocre-playing ass! I loved it. I upgraded to a $200 violin in my first year of highschool... Sounded so cold, so metallic. Then I upgraded to a $500 Krutz violin and I love the sound. Even so, I wish I could afford an even better quality instrument, even if my current one is the best quality I have. Maybe one day...:)
I should also mention that the first two violins I got were from Amazon 8) it probably DID NOT help my case.
What about a Cecilio cvn 500 for a first violin
I use to think my $260 violin was awesome until I was given a violin by my husband’s family that’s from the 1800s. The quality and the sound of that instrument is just beautiful. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another one.
I completely agree with this! Every word! I have 2 violins, 1 a “alot” more money and the other considerably less. I was lucky enough to have a budget between £6000 to £8,000. I ended up choosing at £6,500 violin as the sound just resonated with me and I absolutely loved it compared to the other violins that were at a higher price. It was a J.H Schult Violin, with some previous repairs, but as I said... the sound is exactly what I was looking for! It has recently been valued at £7000, which is great! my other violin (for when I am going into schools etc) is a Jay Haide violin. Absolutely love this this violin!! It was considerably cheaper, but I loved the sound even compared to the “Jay Haide special” violin that was offered to me and that I played, but still preferred the one I bought. It’s all preferable to the player I suppose :) get advice! Thanks, really enjoyed the video :)
Tom Moxon - hi Tom, understood. I find that if an instrument (any I play) is too valuable, I can’t practice to death on it or take it out of the house! due to fear 😮 It just has to have a good setup, feel and sound ok and I’m happy.😉
@@shipsahoy1793 I identify with this! Been thinking about trying my hand at violin for some time now. What instrument did you end up on? Price range? Thx! (I'm hoping well under 1k just to test the waters)
@@Li-yt7zh well things have changed in the last few years. I had an inexpensive Romanian violin that I got used for close to $200, but then I had to put another $200 into it, and then it was pretty good. Unfortunately, it was stolen, and I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to get some thing that good again a few years ago, at least for the same kind of money, but I hooked up with the Kennedy Violins company out west after some looking, and they set me up with an Antonio Giuliani Etude for under $300. Just a beginner violin, but not bad at all on components and setup. Ditched the steel core strings in favor of nylon core though. Also had to upgrade the bow after a spell. Still haven’t needed to upgrade yet. I am learning more intermediate stuff at this point. It’s been a couple years. I also got a very affordable Cecilio CVA-500 viola from Fiddlershop before they went under, and that one is amazing with Thomastik Alphayues. I wouldn’t start out spending a lot of money because there’s a lot to experience and learn, and you could consider the few hundred you spend getting started as the education necessary for a better sense in selecting and choosing the more expensive stuff you may eventually want to go for, once you find that you are willing and want to “stick with” manipulating the strings. (See what I did there ?! 🥳)
@@shipsahoy1793 Lol, Thank you for that detailed account! I,m also hoping to start off on something fully assembled / set up, a used diamond in the rough in the 2-300$ range. Been reading comments and seeing in videos that strings are an important upgrade to consider along with bow, but i was hoping to do what you described - spend 200$ to learn what to look for in a future instrument, while still getting a fair sense of the basics. For context, I would be a total beginner without access to in-person lessons or a luthier, relying on the internet to start. Do you think i could adequately set up an instrument shipped with the bridge and strings unassembled? I'm quite handy and determined. Or, is a lot of experience necessary for setup? (I would mull over local classifieds in that case) Thanks for your replies!! :D
@@Li-yt7zh Well you need to learn how to deal with that stuff on your own anyway, even as a beginning player, so if you can get a violin with a properly carved bridge, and you don’t have to worry about carving it yourself, that’s really the biggest problem solved for the novice, except for sound post issues. I suggest dealing with a place like Fiddlershop, to make your experience as painless as possible.Also, changing strings shouldn’t pose much difficulty if you follow a viable procedure and your violin doesn’t have any peg or pegbox issues. It’s those few important things mentioned here that make it important to deal with a competent reputable shop.
Purchased for $8,000. Appraised at $15,000. I made profit buying mine haha
Keep it! :)
Where did you purchase it?
I don't play violin but the passion you have for your art is amazing keep up the great content Olaf
So for cello in the same three "quality classes" as you listed for violins, would you say about a factor of 3 in the price, at least at the low end? Or more like a factor of 2? I sometimes dream of taking up the cello again. I never was more than an advanced amateur, so I'd restart not QUITE as a 100% beginner, but close. If I do I kinda would like to buy an instrument that would last me years, not one I want to upgrade after a year. I wonder where the pretty widely available USD $3-5000 class of celli (usually Chinese-made, set up by a luthier at the point-of-sale) falls compared with the violins you listed.
That would be intermediate...
I noticed that for beginner cellos the prices are often tripple compared to a violin, because freight and material costs make up a significant percentage of the overall price.
Once you get to intermediate, the price is aproximately twice that of a violin, and at a higher level it ends up being 30% to 50% more.
Hope that helps.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Super helpful, danke!!
i now understand
i understand that im broke
I just went to a local violinmaker and upgraded to a new violin from my VSO. It was $1000 and boy did it make a difference!
Great to hear! Makes playing so much more fun!
Please explain about lefthanded violins. Mirrored bass bar soundpost and pegs. My violin is unfortunately reversed so i cant play first position because of righthanded pegs. And sound is very bad because of soundpost and bassbar place is for righthanded.
Someone hasn't been practicing for 40 hours a day 😂😂
I definitely haven't 😂
I got an antique lion head German violin in Europe for under $400. I took it to my violin shop in the US and he said that would go for $1000 here. He also said it’s perfect for my bluegrass/folk style I play.
Yeah apparently my violin is only worth 200 in France. I guess that is true... in Korea it is about a 50% increase in price from USA.
My father makes amazing Violins, a notable Irish player offered him thousands for the 2nd one he built 20 years ago and he didn't want to sell it. He convinces himself he's not good enough. So basically know one really knows of his work. He also made a green varnish that has amazing vivid colour whilst still being thin enough not to effect the sound. Only a handfull of people have seen this to. It's a damn shame.
Your videos are inspirational. I understand and appreciate my violin so much more, and I also take better care of it.
Thank you!
Wonderful to hear.
I have my late granddad's violin. Can't remember the name but it's from the late 1700s and it's pretty much thrashed.
One day I shall get it restored.
And what day will that be?
@@cedleonard123 About a month ago now. 2,200 worth of work and it's brand new. It turned out to be 100 years younger than I thought, but still a tremendous instrument. Made by Charles Resuche.
@@elonmust7470 Good to hear.
The great player I know, who occasionally shows up WITH OUT an instrument, says not to spend much over $12,000-----$15,000.
😢😮😂
I dont see the instrument cost being all that significant... you will spend a lot more on teacher fees most likely
Ixum the Naughty you can get great teachers for a cheaper price. My friend has a teacher for $60 an hour in the United States and I have a $25 an hour teacher and mine seems to be a lot better and she is really nice. My teacher somehow got me to learn all positions on the violin in one day when I were a beginner. I usually don’t like teachers that waste a lot of time and mine doesn’t waste a second. The only reason I think my teacher is a lot cheaper is because she calls a piece a song so I guess that’s where most of the money goes to in expensive violin teachers
@@ILikeBirds I get that, but I like tho think a teacher is more of a choach in the end, after you know much of the basics you are basically being coached through different pieces, and that relationship can last many many years
@@IxumtheNaughty no but I believe every like 6 months you learn new tips and techniques that are very new to you
Even in music uni man
Good point... say you pay $50 per weekly lesson, that's over $2,500 per year... You may as well get a good instrument.
Ask Olaf the Violinmaker LoL
Hi Olaf. I wish I could buy a 1000 dollor violin from you. But I can't for now, have to save money for college. I'm finally able to play really good after playing for 6 years, on my 200$ violin.
My first violin (bought it 2019) was a used Stagg violin for 30€ (with case and bow). I bought a new carbon bow for under 200€ a few months after (and I still use it, my violin teacher even complimented me for it) and better strings the day after I bought it (I got it from ebay kleinanzeigen, it's lie the german craigslist). This violin is playable, but of course not the best. Because of an annoying injury in my left hand I had to stop playing until last christmas. I picked up the violin again and started to take lessons, but I noticed some minor cracks in the corpus. That was reason enough for me to buy me recent instrument for around 1200€.
My luthier said something like that when he tested my old violin: "I am thankful that those Stagg violins exists. So many people started to learn the violins because they could buy a cheap one to "test it out" and they don't always have the possibility to rent an instrument (me included). After some time, the people who really want to stick to the violin always come to me."
I am thankful for my old violin (that I will always keep) because without it, I would have never tried to play the violin. There is a huge difference between my two instruments, but at least I was lucky enough to find one that was reaaaaaally cheap but still playable (some students who play way longer than me still play with instruments that are worse).
Can you please make the same vid for cello?
I'd be VERY thankful
I inherited by Great-Grandfather's Louis Lowendall, 1906 Berlin violin. It's wonderful.
"The sound needs to be a reflection of you."
So true. Regardless of the instrument, price range or even skill level.
I'd just add that a setup needs to reflect you too. I'm not sure it works that way for violins, but on guitars it does.
I would like to have an antique violin. It would be so cool!
In my experience to get a good/decent new violin one has to pay about a minimum of around US $350. Of course that excludes special sales, used violins, etc.