gizmag.com — Ted Brewer violin leaves one in no doubt whether he is a maker of traditional musical instruments. He freely acknowledges that with a world of changing possibilities, it is his duty to explore applying new materials, technology, design and his passion for crafting beautiful instruments to explore the future of the violin.
Jul 24, 2006 View in Crawl 4
cphuntington97Jul 25, 2006
Also, diggers note: the "old" wooden violin you know today is actually a very modern version of the instrument.As concert halls grew in size, the instrument had to become louder to fill the hall. Percussion instruments also became involved which may have provided some competition. So the strings were upgraded from the old cat gut strings (yes, gut strings), to modern steel strings which are strung very tightly.Old instruments which have been upgraded to withstand the tight steel strings have significant structural reinforcement. A traditional instrument strung in the modern style would self-destruct.If you are ambitious, find two recordings of a period piece - one with period instruments, and one with modern instruments. If you are anything like me, you will love the traditional instruments with the traditional music - they just seem to go together. Everything seems to fit and make sense. Modern instruments seem to produce old music too harshly to me. However, most of my fellow music students strongly preferred the sound of the modern instruments.
mkpeachesJul 25, 2006
i love vanessa mae! :Dive seen that video before too
compuguy1088Jul 25, 2006
"I remember reading from a fellow digger that the cheap $100 Chinese violins are some of the best sounding...even better than a $400 year old antique."I can vouch for that, I have a viola that was made in China in 2001, and it has a very good tone (16 inches), and it cost $600, and it has the tone of an instrument of the price of $1000+.
compuguy1088Jul 25, 2006
I looked at the carbon fiber viola, looks really nice, but...the price tage of $5,000 makes me cringe...
cphuntington97Jul 25, 2006
@MikeCermAlthough catgut is still used in some stringed instruments, metal strings have largely replaced them over the past 100 years or so and chemistry has played a significant role in their evolution. Iron-based alloy guitar strings first appeared around 1890 with synthetic polymers such as nylon debuting in the 1930’s. In the 1990’s polymer coated metallic strings arrived and the most recent development is titanium alloy strings.All these strings have the advantage of better tuning stability than gut strings and they are louder as a result of their higher mass and tension. *The issue of increased tension led to structural reinforcement being necessary in many instruments to combat warping.*from <a class="user" href="http://www.cefic.be/templates/shwNewsFull.asp?NSID=527&HID=2&P=2&NID=469">http://www.cefic.be/templates/shwNewsFull.asp?NSID=527&HID=2&P=2&NID=469</a>
Closed AccountJul 26, 2006
Coming from a concert cellist, I can tell you... most professionals will never relinquish their handmade wood instruments for an injection molded assembly line instrument... Nothing beats a meticulously handcrafted wood instrument. The violins this luthier is peddling are nice but just another gimmick in the world of "Electric" instruments for people who lack the necessary tone and skill to produce a beautiful tone(just like the carbon fiber ones).... AND remember, NO $100 plywood chinese instrument is ever going to sound as great as a 3.2 million dollar Strad or Guarneri.