Below are the slides from our “Instrument Care” demonstration.
Articles
Click on a title to go to a specific article, or scroll down for the latest posts.
- Building a violin from start to finish
- Starting a new viola – pt 1
- New Viola – part 2 (rough arching, purfling)
- New Viola – Part 3 (rough thicknessing, f-holes)
- New Viola – part 4 (the scroll)
- New Viola – part 5 (closing the box, fitting the neck)
- New Viola – part 6 (varnish, set-up)
- Designing a new Small Viola
- Instagram Posts
- Making a Baroque Violin (part 1/2)
- Making a Baroque Violin (part 2/2) – The Setup
- Article Index
- Location
- Repair Price Estimates
- Violin and Viola Buying Guide: Finding the Perfect Instrument for Your Level
- Instrument Care
This buying guide will provide you with valuable information about different levels of instruments, including beginner, intermediate/advanced, and professional. The price ranges below are approximate and also vary by region.
Beginner Level:
– Price Range: $500 – $1,000 (Violin), $600 – $1,200 (Viola)
– Quality and Materials: Beginner-level instruments are designed for new players. They are often crafted with laminate wood or lower-grade solid wood, along with basic fittings and accessories. These instruments offer a good starting point for beginners to learn the fundamentals of playing.
Warning: You may encounter instruments that are priced well under $500, often from large online retailers and auction websites. These instruments are junk, don’t waste your money! In order to make these instruments playable, you will need to spend hundreds of dollars having them repaired and set up by a luthier – and even once you have done that, they will still sound awful. Save yourself the headache and buy a well set up instrument from a luthier or violin shop.
If you can’t yet afford $500 for a beginner-level instrument, start by renting an instrument! Often, you will be able to apply some or all of the money you spent on renting to the eventual purchase of an instrument.
Intermediate/Advanced Level:
– Price Range: $1,000 – $6,000 (Violin), $1,200 – $6,500 (Viola)
– Quality and Materials: Intermediate/advanced-level instruments are made with higher-quality materials and craftsmanship. They often feature solid tonewoods, such as spruce for the top and maple for the back and sides. The fittings and accessories are of better quality, these instruments have enhanced tone, projection, and responsiveness.
Professional Level:
– Price Range: Varies significantly based on instrument quality and location. Often, modern instruments for professionals will cost between $10,000-$30,000, and antique instruments will start around $30,000.
– Quality and Materials: Professional-level instruments represent the pinnacle of craftsmanship and tonal excellence. They are meticulously handcrafted using select, aged tonewoods that have matured over time. The fittings and accessories are of the highest quality, resulting in exceptional tonal complexity, projection, and responsiveness.
When to Upgrade to an Intermediate/Advanced Instrument:
It’s appropriate to consider upgrading to an intermediate/advanced instrument when you have developed a strong foundation in technique, demonstrated significant progress in your playing, and feel limited by the capabilities of your current instrument. Your teacher’s expertise and guidance will be invaluable in assessing your skills and determining if an upgrade is warranted.
When to Upgrade to a Professional Instrument:
The decision to upgrade to a professional instrument is usually made by experienced musicians who are pursuing a career in music or aiming for the highest level of artistic expression. This upgrade is suitable when you have reached an advanced level of technical proficiency, regularly perform in professional ensembles or orchestras, and seek an instrument that can provide superior tonal richness, depth, and responsiveness.
How Your Teacher Can Help:
Your teacher plays a vital role in guiding you through the process of instrument upgrades and budgeting. They have a deep understanding of your playing abilities, musical goals, and the characteristics of various instruments. Your teacher can help you assess when it’s appropriate to upgrade and provide advice on finding an instrument that suits your specific needs and aspirations. They can also assist you in setting a budget by considering factors such as your commitment to playing, long-term goals, and financial resources.
Why Buy from a Local Luthier or Violin Shop:
Purchasing from a local luthier or violin shop offers several advantages. These establishments have expert staff with extensive knowledge and experience in string instruments. They provide personalized guidance, allowing you to try out multiple instruments to find the perfect fit for your playing style and preferences. Local luthiers and violin shops offer ongoing support, including maintenance, adjustments, and repairs. Instruments that are purchased from a luthier or violin shop will come with a better setup than instruments even from a general music store. Buying from a local luthier or violin shop ensures a high-quality instrument and a lifelong partnership for your musical journey.
Ready to buy your next instrument? Contact Gig Violins!
Listed below are a set of price estimates for common repairs from Gig Violins LLC in Madison, Wisconsin (note: prices for repairs vary by region, mostly due to cost of living considerations).
These are merely guidelines because the needs of every instrument are slightly different. We have listed these here to make the process more transparent and less intimidating for our customers. Please contact Gig Violins to talk about your instrument’s specific needs.
Repair | Cost (Violin/Viola) | Cost (Cello) |
Seasonal Instrument Check-up 1 | $30 | $30 |
New Bridge (Professional) 2 | $250+ | $350+ |
New Bridge (Standard) 3 | $125 | $175 |
New Bridge (Student) 4 | $75 | $105 |
New Soundpost | $70 | $90 |
New Pegs (traditional) 5 | $120 + cost of pegs | $200 + cost of pegs |
New Pegs (mechanical) 6 | $160 | $280 |
Replace Tailpiece | $30 | $50 |
Change Strings | $10 (Free if purchased from Gig Violins) | |
Glue Seams 7 | $15 | $15 |
Set Fallen Soundpost | $15 | $15 |
Soundpost/Tonal Adjustment | $15-60 | $15-60 |
Clean/Polish | $30-$90 | $60-$130 |
Fingerboard Dressing | $70-$120 | $110-$150 |
Crack Repair (small, not requiring top removal) | $50-200 | Variable |
Crack Repair (large, requiring top to be removed) | $500+ | Variable |
Bow Rehair | $70 | Cello $75, Bass $80 |
Bow Tip Replacement (Tip Armour) 8 | $100 | Cello $120, Bass $130 |
Thumb Grip Replacement | $40 | $40 |
Luthier Nathan Giglierano runs Gig Violins LLC out of his home-workshop on North Gammon Rd. To protect his privacy, the exact address is not listed on this page but will be shared when making an appointment to visit. The map below gives a general indication of the location. Nathan’s workshop is a very short walk from a bus stop.
In part one of the article, I discussed the differences in construction between a baroque and modern violin. In part two I will discuss the setup of the instrument, including the tailpiece, tailgut, bridge, and strings.
The shape and design of the baroque tailpiece varied from maker to maker, sometimes simple and sometimes very intricately inlaid. The main difference between the baroque and modern tailpiece is the way that the tailgut is attached. On the modern tailpiece, the holes are hidden, running lengthwise through the material. On a baroque tailpiece, the holes are visible, running through the top.
For my instrument’s tailpiece, I chose to recycle an old fingerboard from a 150-year-old violin that was too worn down to be used anymore.
The tailgut on baroque instruments was made from gut, as opposed to nylon which is now standard on modern instruments. In order to secure the tailgut to the tailpiece, I used a fisherman’s knot. The Stradivari Stitch was another common method for attaching the tailpiece.
If you are interested in purchasing a baroque style tailpiece, I now make them for violin and viola from flamed maple:
Baroque Tailpiece – Flamed Maple
Custom-made baroque style tailpiece. Made from solid flamed maple.
Comes with a synthetic gut (Kevlar) tailgut.
If you would like a specific one from the picture, please add a note to your order when checking out.
Length: Violin 108 mm, Viola 120 mm.
If you need different dimensions, feel free to contact us.
The baroque bridge also came in a variety of shapes and sizes. I chose a model similar to the one used on the “Tuscan” Stradivari viola. In the picture below are a number of Antonio Stradivari’s templates housed in the Museo del Violino in Cremona.
Finally, I chose to string the instrument with Gamut gut strings. Learn more about them here.
Here’s the final setup of the violin.
This violin is no longer for sale, but to see this violin’s twin, click here.
Shop our baroque selection
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Product on saleGig Violins Workshop Baroque Violin BowOriginal price was: $600.00.$450.00Current price is: $450.00.
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Product on saleGig Violins Workshop Baroque Viola BowOriginal price was: $650.00.$500.00Current price is: $500.00.
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Product on saleGig Violins Workshop Baroque Cello BowOriginal price was: $700.00.$550.00Current price is: $550.00.
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Giglierano Short Baroque Bow – Violin – Katalox$1,400.00
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J. Albert Violin (Circa 1880) – Baroque Setup$1,600.00
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Giglierano Baroque Bow – Violin (or Viola) Sonata Model – Snakewood (Medium Figure) and Ebony$1,600.00
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Giglierano Baroque Bow – Violin Sonata Model – Highly Figured Snakewood and Ebony$1,800.00
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Giglierano Baroque Bow – Cello – Octagonal – Snakewood and Ebony$1,850.00
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Giglierano Baroque Bow – Cello – Round – Snakewood and Ebony$1,850.00
For my next project, I will be making a baroque violin. What exactly does that mean?
As instruments evolved through the centuries, various modifications became standard practice. As concert halls grew, so did the need for instruments that could play louder and be heard over large ensembles. The culmination of these changes is what we consider the “modern” violin. When we talk about baroque violins or violins with baroque or period setup, what we really mean is instruments with their original setup, before these modifications. By our standards, every instrument made by the Stradivari, Amati, and Guarneri families was “baroque” when it left the shop.
Why would we want to abandon these modifications? In time I will write a full post about this topic since this is beyond the scope of this article, but for now I will just say this: the modifications that made instruments louder also made them less natural to play in the rhetorical style of the Baroque, removing a layer of subtlety from the music in favor of projection. Much of this subtlety can be regained by using gut strings and a period bow (check out ours here!), but many musicians feel that having an instrument that is fully in period setup gives the optimal experience.
As I am building this instrument, the first difference I come across is the way that the neck is attached to the body. While later necks are morticed into the body, instruments made in the 17th century were attached to the neck with a nail (or later a screw). The neck attaches directly to the outside of the rib garland.
The next change is the bass bar. There is some debate as to the “typical” dimensions of bass bars on baroque instruments. Conventional wisdom says that baroque bass bars were significantly smaller than modern ones, though there are exceptions and historical examples of bass bars that are larger or the same as their modern counterparts. I decided to go a little shorter, and with a little less mass than I would typically for a modern instrument, though the change is subtle.
The final change to the body of the instrument is the fingerboard. Because the neck is set at a shallower angle to the body, the fingerboard must be elevated by a wedge. This means that there is a large change in the thickness of the neck as the player shifts to higher positions. For the top surface of the wedge, I’m recycling an old fingerboard that was too worn down to be used on a modern instrument. Maple was sometimes used as a top surface for fingerboards (often with intricate inlay patterns) but ebony is more durable and won’t wear as quickly. Maple is used for the sides of the wedge and spruce fills the inside to reduce the overall weight.
In the second part of this article, I discuss the aspects of the setup including the bridge, tailpiece, and strings. For a discussion of the baroque bow and why to use one, check out this article from a colleague https://adbowsllc.com/2020/08/02/a-case-for-the-baroque-bow-a-specialists-perspective/
The first two violas I made were on the larger side, large enough that it was a bit challenging finding a case that would safely fit them (though I have now found a few good options, luckily!). They both sound fantastic, but are certainly designed for taller players. I’ve decided that my next challenge will be making a smaller viola for players looking for an instrument of a more manageable size.
For this instrument, I decided to design my own pattern using Kevin Kelly’s ”four circles” method, a tool for drawing outlines using geometric principles. The design I came up with is similar to the Conte Vitale Andrea Guarneri viola, though my design is recognizably different enough that I feel comfortable calling it my own.
The final varnishing and set-up of the viola is now complete! Check the pictures below for some snapshots along the way.