Frequently Asked Questions
Instruments
Why should I buy a violin, viola, cello or bass from the Metzler Violin Shop?
At the Metzler Violin Shop, an instrument must pass the scrutiny of our highly trained staff of violinmakers before we put it into your hands. When you buy a violin from us, you have a guarantee of excellent follow-up service and a generous trade-up policy. We are also experienced in helping you choose the right combination of chinrest and shoulder rest, bow and case to go with your instrument.
Why don't you sell really cheap instruments?
To a beginner, all violins look pretty much alike, but there are some critical areas that can make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the instrument and your progress as a player. We make certain that each instrument we sell is set up correctly. This includes high quality strings. The bridge, which is so critical for comfort and sound production, should be cut to the specific dimensions of each instrument, with the correct string heights, curvature, and thicknesses. The nut should be adjusted for the correct string spacing and shape. The sound post should be the proper height and be fit in the correct position, fitting the curves of the top and back perfectly. The pegs should be made of strong wood such as ebony, boxwood or rosewood and should be fitted correctly to move without slipping or sticking. The fingerboard should be smooth and have the proper scoop and radius. Does all this matter to a beginner? Absolutely! It is challenging enough to learn how to play an instrument without dealing with the bad noises and discomfort that go along with a poor quality, badly set-up instrument. A super-cheap instrument is not a bargain at all when you must retrofit it to perform correctly.
How do you choose a violin (viola or cello)?
The choice of a shop is as important as the choice of an instrument.
When you visit the Metzler Violin Shop, we begin with a conversation about the price range that is comfortable for you. We set out a selection of instruments in your price range for you to play in one of our tryout rooms. We offer to play and compare the instruments for you, and tell you about the history and workmanship of each instrument. In choosing among several instruments we recommend a process of elimination: Play instrument A against instrument B. Be sure to play on all four strings. A G major scale in first position works well for this. If you clearly have a preference between A or B, compare it to violin C and move on through the group until one instrument stands out. We recommend that sound be your main consideration, but if there is a tie between instruments, then appearance can be the tiebreaker.
What determines the price of a violin/viola/cello?
The simple answer to this is: When it was made, where it was made, how well it was made and who made it.
The price of an instrument is not determined by the quality of sound. This is because the assessment of sound quality, like the taste of food, or preferences in color and smell, is entirely personal. Market value is determined by how much it costs to produce an instrument, or--if the instrument is imported--the value of the dollar compared to the currency of the country of origin. If a violinmaker has achieved some fame, his/her instruments will command a higher price. Some regions of the world, such as Italy, France and Germany have a long tradition of violinmaking, and this is reflected in the prices of instruments from these countries.
What does the term "set up" mean?
Set-up refers to the adjustment of the bridge, nut, sound post, pegs, tailpiece, strings and fingerboard
"Factory made" vs. "hand-made": What is the difference?
All violins, violas, cellos and basses are hand made. "Factory made" refers to instruments mass produced quickly with a division of labor among many people. "Handmade" refers to an instrument made from beginning to end by one person. Is hand made always better than factory made? Not always. It is quite possible for one person to produce instruments of a lower level than a workshop with high standards.
How do you decide if you should buy a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level violin? What is a professional level instrument? How do I decide what level of violin is correct for me?
Anyone who undertakes the effort to learn an instrument deserves the best instrument they can afford. Let your budget be your guide, not your skill level. If you can afford a better-than-beginner violin for your child, then go ahead and enjoy the pleasure of providing your child with the best. (This usually goes along with providing the best private teacher you can find.) A professional is someone who plays for a living. Professionals are often good enough to pull a great sound out of an inexpensive instrument. We know many amateurs who started playing as adults and treated themselves to gorgeous instruments as a reward for all their years of hard work at their non-musical careers. Do these amateurs deserve "professional level" violins. Yes, indeed.
Bows
What should I look for in choosing a bow?
A bow is an extension of your hand so it is a very personal choice. The first thing to check is the straightness of the bow. Hold the button up to your nose and site down the stick to make sure it does not curve to the left or right. The stick should have good camber, which means that when you release most of the tension from the hair, the center of the bow should dip down, almost touching the hair. If you are inexperienced in choosing bows, try to select a bow that is within a normal weight. Later on you can determine if you really prefer a bow heavier or lighter than the norm.
Violin 59-61 gr
Viola 69-71 gr
Cello 79-81 gr
Bows can vary a great deal in terms of their flexibility and balance. When comparing bows, choose a piece of music that is challenging with lots of fast string crossings. If you an intermediate to advanced player, try the bow with spiccato (bounce), martele (bite), big crunchy down-bow chords and long, slow legato bowing near the bridge. We are happy to help you compare bows from our excellent selection.
Why is horsehair used for bows?
Bow hair is really just the medium to hold the sticky rosin that actually creates the sound as it pulls and releases the string dozens of times per second. Many types of synthetic hair, and even stainless-steel filaments have been tried, but nothing surpasses the naturally irregular bow hair surface for holding just the right amount of rosin.
How often should I get my bow rehaired?
Bow hair is incredibly durable, and many musicians are actually throwing their money away by having their bows rehaired every six months whether needed, or not. We have known fine musicians who have not required a rehair for more than three years, even with daily use. However there are at least three circumstances when the bow definitely should be rehaired.
1. When the hair becomes stretched out (too long) there is a real danger of bow-stick breakage when the bow is tightened and the eyelet in the frog is forced hard against the back of the mortise in the stick.
2. When more than 10% (about 20) of the bow hairs have broken. This could be due to insect damage, or simply hard playing
3. Sometimes the hair in a bow will become irregular, with some hairs hanging much lower than others. This is a sign of a bad rehair, and means that some of the hairs are slipping out of the knots of thread at one end or the other of the bow. We guaranty that this will not be an issue with our rehairs.
Dirty hair can be carefully cleaned using alcohol, but this is best left to a professional, as it is easy to accidentally damage the bow-stick finish.
What are different woods that bows are made of and what is the best?
The least expensive wood bows are often made from cherry wood, beech wood, or any of a large number of hardwoods from Southeast Asia. Slightly better bows are often made from Brazil wood, a catchall term for a number of related species of dense, flexible Brazilian woods. The best wood for bows is Pernambuco, a strong supple wood from the heart of the Pernambuco tree, which grows in the Brazilian rainforest. This wood also yields a red dye, which was once used for French military uniforms. Because Pernambuco is endangered, its use throughout the world is now regulated, and Pernambuco bow prices are rising. The International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative, led by a worldwide group of bow makers is working to replant tens of thousands of Pernambuco trees to insure that there will be Pernambuco for future generations.
What is the difference between a wood and carbon fiber bow, and which should I choose?
Carbon fiber bows are much less prone to break than wood bows. There are several companies that make excellent carbon fiber bows such as Coda and Jon Paul among others. The choice between wood and carbon fiber is a matter of personal preference.
How do you decide what size instrument a child should use?
At the Metzler Shop we put a violin under the child’s chin and then have him/her wrap his/her left hand around the scroll. If the hand just fits around the scroll then that is the proper size violin. Sometimes a child is between two sizes. To determine which is the better size, we fit the child with a shoulder rest and make sure he/she can hold the instrument under the chin comfortably without supporting the violin with the hands. If the chinrest hardware causes discomfort, which is often the case with smaller children, we add a soft pad to the chinrest. We don’t believe that a child should “get used to” discomfort.
To find the right size cello we make certain that the child has the proper reach between the first and fourth fingers. There is also a visual element to this choice. We make sure the cello is the right size in relation to the body.
What is a shoulder rest? Do I need one? How do you choose one?
Most violinists use a shoulder rest to hold up the violin. Without a shoulder rest, a beginning student would likely hold the instrument with his/her hands. This usually results in a terrible position. The hands must be completely free to shift and vibrate. The fitting of a shoulder rest is like fitting shoes. The shoulder rest also has to work in conjunction with the chinrest. This is why it makes sense to work with a violin shop to get a good start.
Strings
What are string gauges?
Gauge has to do with the thickness or thinness of a string. Many strings come in medium, light, and heavy gauges. Different string companies have different names for their gauges. Here’s a chart to simplify the confusion:
medium = mittel
light = dolce = weich
heavy = forte = orchestra = stark
You will often see numbers associated with a string gauge. Pirastro uses “Pirastro Einheits” which is a unit equal to 1/20 of a millimeter. A violin D string with a gauge of 17 1/4 Pirastro Einheits has a thickness of .8625 mm. Other manufacturers have picked up this system as well.
What are strings made of?
Depending on the brand of string, they can be made of steel, silver, gold, copper, titanium, gut wound with aluminum, steel wound with aluminum, plain gut (for Baroque style music).
How do I decide which strings are best for my violin?
This is a matter of experimentation. Start with a good-quality string in a medium gauge. If you like the sound, then you are set. If one string seems to be louder or softer than the other strings, then you can try a different gauge. If you want your instrument to sound brighter or darker, then you can try certain strings that are known for these different qualities. When you patronize a violin shop for your string purchases, then you can benefit from expert advice. We set up the majority of our violins with Thomastik Dominant strings, as these have proven to be America’s favorite violin strings over a number of decades.
What is the best rosin?
If you ask ten different players, you may get ten different answers. Rosin is basically hardened tree sap. You apply it to the horsehair on your bow in order to pull a sound. Without rosin, a bow would slip silently across the string. There are many different types of rosin from many companies. Different rosins vary in color and stickiness, and are offered in many types of packaging. The price of rosin can vary radically from one company to the next. Don’t stress too much over the choice of rosin and don’t believe outrageous claims that certain companies make about the magical qualities of their rosin. They all work. By the way, if a cake of rosin has been around for a few too many years, it will become too hard and difficult to apply.
What do you look for in choosing an instrument case?
Choosing an instrument case is like choosing luggage. You don’t have to be an experienced musician to have an eye for quality. Look for a case that is well made with sturdy zippers and hardware. A Styrofoam case may be light and inexpensive but it won’t last. If you plan to carry the instrument on a regular basis, then you may want to choose a carbon fiber case for its lightness. The French case company, Bam and the German company, Gewa are known for light cases that travel well. If you prefer a super luxury case with gorgeous materials, then you might consider a case by Musafia. For the budget-minded, there are excellent cases by Bobelok and Angel, which are not super light, but nicely made and very affordable. In selecting a cello case, you should consider how you would carry the case. If you prefer to roll the case, then choose one with wheels. Wheels do add weight, so if you prefer to carry the case on your back, be sure the back straps fit well and consider a super light carbon fiber case. These are usually on the expensive side, but if you figure in the cost of a chiropractor and back massages, a light case may be a consideration.
How do I choose a mute?
There a basically two types of mutes: orchestra mutes and practice mutes. The orchestra mute changes the tone quality of an instrument and is sometimes called for in a musical composition. You should always have an orchestra mute on hand if you belong to an ensemble. A practice mute is heavier than an orchestra mute. Its purpose is to dampen the sound of an instrument so that you can practice without being too loud.
Metronomes
The purpose of a metronome is to keep a steady beat. There are two types of metronomes, battery-operated and the old-fashioned wind-up kind. Metronomes come in a variety of sizes. They can be quite simple or they can come with all sorts of features, including a tuner. You should choose a metronome with a pleasant sound that is still loud enough to be heard over your playing. If the electronic ping sound is irritating (and we admit to a certain bias), then choose a metronome with a solid click.
Tuners
A tuner is an electronic device to help you tune by eye if your ear is not yet developed. The tuner will identify the note you are playing and you can use this as a guide to find the pitch you are seeking. They come in a variety of prices and styles. Some generate a tone and some don’t.
Music stands
There are two types of music stands: lightweight portable stands and heavy solid-desk stands. Active musicians should have both. The portable stand is for convenience in travel. The solid desk stand can hold heavy music.
