Factory built instruments

[Steve]

I was doing a bit of research on violins & happened across this. If you weren't already feeling inadequate, check out the lady cutting the f-holes in the cello at the 6 minute mark...


youtu.be/

[charangohabsburg]

Thanks for posting this one, Steve.

So these are those cheap, "factory built" violins.
Simply amazing.

[morgan]

That video is a great find and a real eye-opener. Thank you for posting it.

[Kim]

Great vid thanks Steve.

Nothing cheap about those violins, like everything you get what you pay for and these instruments would be the top of the wazza. The manufacturing companies run a two or even three tier system. A short trip away somewhere in China the plywood nasties are being knocked out for next to nothing for the many who will play and give up long before they could justify the purchase price of one of those instruments we have just witnessed being made.

Cheers

Kim

[charangohabsburg]

Nothing cheap about those violins,

...except the price. I followed the links and was a bit shocked seeing that these violins sell for less than 300.- dollars! Workmanship in those instruments indeed is not cheap at all, it's only "not very well" paid. On the other hand I am pretty sure that the factory owner will avoid that his employees will learn more than a few steps of the whole building process...

[Alan Stassforth]

This one is pretty awesome as well...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdIRSrEl ... 36E7FC6242

[sebastiaan56]

Great link!, thx

Stradivarius was reputed to have produced 1000 instruments over his lifetime so its probably not that different to what his workshop must have been like. Still Im not sure I envy the hours it took to perfect that f hole cutting technique

[Puff]

"Stradivarius was reputed to have produced 1000 instruments over his lifetime so its probably not that different to what his workshop must have been like."
You draw a very long bow from assumption.

[Kim]

"Stradivarius was reputed to have produced 1000 instruments over his lifetime so its probably not that different to what his workshop must have been like."
You draw a very long bow from assumption.

Indeed, Antonio was an Italian and I cannot see a single bottle of vino anywhere in that video.

[Kim]

By the way, I love the quick release clamp the guy who is carving the cello top at 3:24 is using...

Cheers

Kim

[DarwinStrings]

I liked the way the woman gluing the linings had all her pegs strung together so you don't have to keep picking the odd one or two up off the floor. I get the feeling the woman cutting the f holes slowed it down a bit for the camera man and it wasn't her speed and accuracy that impressed me so much as the style of coping saw she used, nice long stroke each time. It would be interesting to see the level of finish on them and how they hold up against smaller operations.

Jim

[Allen]

Other things that impressed me was how sharp every blade was.

And while it's a low paying factory job by our standards, it looks to be a healthy and safe environment to go to work in. At least much better than soldering circuit boards, working in a brick factory or coal mine.

[P Bill]

I can't pass a pawn shop without calling in to look at the guitars and fiddles. Over the years I've bought about fifteen fiddles in the $70 -$125 range. I usually on sell them after a setup including good second hand strings (my old ones). I choose the instruments by the figure of the timber, how well the scroll is carved, and how sweet is the E string. I've kept one that compares very favourably with my German "Roth". It compares so favourably, I've been thinking of selling the "Roth". The "Roth" and a superior bow was found in the same pawn shop for $200.

"Cheap Chinese" is a phrase we know because in the West we only want cheap Chinese. As you'd be aware, the Chinese have a very long history of making exquisite things.

A good fiddle is a good fiddle.