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Here are some questions and answers about the fiddle. Question:
I have an old chinese fiddle that I have been learning on. I am now
getting to where I can play a little and would like to get a better(even though used) fiddle for a better sound. i only have about $200-300 to spend. I would like to know some names to look for in that price range and
what to look out for when buying a used fiddle.

Answer:
Short of playing it and finding a master's lable inside, here are some clues for telling if a fiddle might be a good one:
Handmade is usually better than machine made.
Look for real inlaid purfling. Purfling is the black line around the edge of the violin, front and back. Cheap fiddles might have it drawn on with black ink, but real purfling is inlaid ebony and serves a function. It helps the wood breathe.
Look to see if there are corner blocks in the wings of the violin. A man once told me that corner blocks meant a better fiddle. They are inside the violin and can usually be spotted when looking through the F-holes.
My belief is old is better than new. Most old fiddles of unknown origin go for around $200 to $400 around here now, though ocassionally you can still get lucky at an auction and get one for less than a hundred. If you spot an old one at a sale - even if it's in pieces - if you can get it cheap enough, get it. A violin is just a wooden box. A guy told me that once. Any wooden box that has come apart can be put back together.
Also, remember this if you do find an older violin, handmade, with inlaid purfling, and corner blocks, etc. A violin that has not been played needs to wake up. The more it is played and the better it is played, the better it will sound. A violin is made of wood, and wood moves and breathes. The vibrations of playing it help this process along.
Another thing that I learned over the years is that strings matter for sound. For volume and stability the best I've found for tone are a good quaility multi-strand core string, but now I'm partial to the perlon or helicore strings. They allow the violin to still have a nice woody sound, which I'm partial to.


A buzzing sound on a string can come from something loose on the violin. First thing to check is the tuner, that wee silver thing near the tail piece. Check to see if all nuts are tight. Then check to see that the chinrest is not touching the tailpiece. A chinrest can be loosened and moved by putting a pin or a nail (some sort of thing like that) into the holes on the metal bars that hold it to the violin and loosening it. Move it away from the tailpiece, then retighten it. If you suspect it might be the chinrest, take the thing off and try the fiddle. See that before you put it back that there is some sort of padding on the areas that touch the fiddle, piece of felt, cork, etc.
Here is a good site where you can communicate with a Luthier


For strings, really cheap strings can sound rotten but that doesn't generally make a buzzing sound. I prefer a wound e string. Also, I get my strings from a place called Discount Strings (1-800-348-5003) Mailorder from Indiana. Their strings really are discounted by about 50%! so you can get really good ones, cheap. They also have violin people to talk to right there on the phone who will answer questions about strings. Call for a free catalog. They're really good. Other little things for good tone, though I don't know if this will apply to you, make sure your fingernails are short on the left hand. Hedging over nails takes away clarity. Also, check the edges for cracks, and openings in the glued sides.
 		Why is one of my strings "buzzing?"
Got a Question?bevconrad@Yahoo.com E mail me.
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