I buy and improve an $89 violin on a budget

Master Violin Maker and Restorer Olaf Grawert buys an $89! Watch what he can to do to improve the violin on a budget!
Not everyone can afford beautiful violins like Olaf's Salvatore Lombardi, Hoffmeister or the Piere Lomont Master violin, so Olaf takes the challenge to make the most out of a cheap violin.
Be fully informed when you buy your next instrument. Get Olaf's free 7 essentials when buying an instrument report here: olafgrawertviolinstudio.com/7...
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Budget violin, what do you do?
01:28 Unwrapping and the reveal....
02:35 What can I do to get this working?
04:48 Over to the workshop.....taking the strings off...
06:06 Having a quick play as it was originally set-up....
07:10 Adjust pegs,
08:27 Working on the bridge
09:47 Lowering the nut
10:34 Putting on the strings
11:13 Refitting the soundpost
12:11 Quick overview
12:42 Trying the violin Before and After
13:29 What else could be done to improve the violin?
13:55 Do the bare minimum if you can only afford a budget violin.
14:40 What about the bow?
16:11 One great thing about the violin outfit!
16:44 What to get right.
17:58 Conclusion
#myviolinmaker, #olafgrawertviolin #violin
Website: www.olafgrawertviolinstudio.com
Social: / olafgrawertviolinstudio
/ olafgrawertviolinstudi...

[@rodrigoterrasanta5966]

These are my favourite kind of videos. I also live in a country where expending $3000 on an instrument is impossible for most people. I bought a begginer but nice violin that was not played in years, without strings and bridge for cheap and set it up myself with your videos Olaf, even the soundpost. So thanks!.

[@michaelblaney4461]

Actually its the same the same in the US but its more about Greed then actual cost, with CNC machining viols could be made cheaper for the unwashed masses . Like me 😊

[@ZephyroGame]

bruh, u bought my violin for about 25 usd

[@velvetypotato711]

Buy a Carlo Lamberti Sonata Violin from shar. It's less than a grand.

[@johnjriggsarchery2457]

@@velvetypotato711 I was curious about the name Carlo Lamberti so I did a little researching and came up blank. That also includes lists of European instrument makers. I even emailed Shar and received no answer. In the greater scheme of things it really doesn't matter because Shar's Carlo Lamberti line is awesome, but I can only conclude that Carlo Lamberti is a made up name just because it sounds Italian. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[@TNungesser]

@@velvetypotato711 Why not purchase a violin from Olaf?

[@kevinv.m.94]

This is basically like what I'm doing for my friends' violins (vso) for free. I just ask them to replace the strings. I'm not a professional luthier, I'm just a woodworking hobbyist. But there is no choice for us who are far from the luthiers. I also have a soundpost setter, that tool for making proper holes for pegs, a small chisel, and a nice retractable office cutter to do everything. I just ask them to replace their strings with the brtter strings available here in our place. Why am I doing this for free? Because they don't have money to pay (or if they have, it's for the priorities such as food and formal education which is not about music). If they give me $2 or $3, that's fine, just to cover up some of my expenses for the tools I acquired. If they give me a snack, that's fine also. I just ask them to pay me with good sound of the violin and with good music that they play. I prefer first for the music to sound better, before filling our pockets. This is what is practical in our locality. Love, from a poor province in the Philippines.

[@mayukhbera]

You're doing a great job!

[@BigCarmine]

Same with me.

[@wadehampton1534]

Kevin, God bless you brother, you are doing a great job of paying it forward. I love helping other musicians fine tune their instruments. Whether it be a violin or a guitar, I set them up for free because I love music. I'm retired now, and my children are all grown up, so I try to help those who are raising a family. They need every penny for food and household expenses, so I can afford to spend a little bit on helping them out. If you pay it forward, it will come back to you as blessings. I'm a lifelong multi-instrumentalist and I often give free lessons to children and young adults. It pays me back by having someone to play along with :-)

[@CeToxihuitl]

If you can make instruments and they sound as they should, you ARE a luthier, might not be a professional one, but baby steps.

[@aniquinstark4347]

Keep up the good work bro. Instrument making is growing fast in Indonesia and the Philippines so many you can become a professional luthier some day.

[@chang7444]

I live in rural India whr th missionaries teach us music...i hv completed ATCL...but im gvng up now,becoz i gotta work fr a living once i leave college... I cnt afford any kind of violin,i just dnt hav th money,so im gng to work as a labourer on a coffee plantation,whr i cn earn 2 meals a day,and i wl just stop playing music,violin is beyond my means....but...no ody cn tk this away frm me...i hv played and heard th violin,and tht memory wl go wth me to my grave... god bless you olaf fr yr videos...mk many more and inspire more people like me...

[@wakingtheworld]

I love that one of its few redeeming aspects is: "It's got the shape!" LOL But for $89 you did get an excellent cloth, albeit in yukky green! Valuable insights as ever, Olaf.

[@brendanr1525]

Don't forget, it wasn't just $89, it was $89 + however much his time and service cost. So you're not saving money by trying to be cheap.

[@wakingtheworld]

@@brendanr1525 Indeed!

[@sirspongadoodle]

@@brendanr1525 true unless you have worked on instruments (which i have) and dont have a reliable source of income (which i dont)

[@wadehampton1534]

This VSO is very much like the first violin that I purchased. It cost $100 USD, and I bought it just to make sure I would be able to play a violin, before I purchased a really good violin. I was forty-one years old, and I had already been a performing musician for over twenty years playing the guitar and bass in rock bands. I took to the violin very naturally, the fifths tuning is very easy to play scales with and the fingerings came quite easily to me. I bought a professional modern German violin ($4500 USD), that was just at the entry of a professional quality violin. I took three years of lessons, and I've been sawing away on it for the past twenty years (I'm sixty-one years old now). I inherited my grandfather's fifty year old Gibson F-5 mandolin about fifteen years ago, and I was immediately surprised by the tuning. Hmmmm...... G, D, A, E, same strings names as a violin, same lowest note, same highest note as a violin. Oh my goodness........it's like a violin with frets, but it played with a pick instead of a bow. I took to the mandolin like a duck on water! I'm now playing my beloved JS Bach violin pieces on the mandolin...... WooHoo! I love my little Gibby mando, and I play it in the church worship band. EDIT 5/12/22 : When I inherited the Gibson mandolin, I was picking it up from grandma's house (she lived another couple of years), and my uncle told me that "there is a stick in the garbage can over there and we think it might be a violin bow stick". I took a look at it, and sure enough it was a violin bow without the hair and silver wire on the leather piece just above the frog. I gladly accepted it and took it home with me. I took it to my violin maker and had the hair and silver wire wrap installed, and when I picked it up he had some very exciting news to tell me. Apparently the bow was made in Germany in the mid to late 1700's and he made a few calls to his bow makers for a valuation, and he was told that the bow has a value of $6800 USD, which is $2k more than my violin is worth! Score.... Direct Hit!...... I was flabbergasted, but I tucked it away in the case, and I still have grandpa's old fiddle bow to this day. It's too light for me, it's designed for a professional violinist. I get too much chatter when my daft hand uses it. But it's a family heirloom, and if I ever sell it, I would like to be certain that none of my extended family will be able to use it.

[@shipsahoy1793]

👍Interesting ! 🎻😎

[@amyx231]

Any violinist niece or nephew in laws on the horizon? Lol. You have such an interesting life!

[@wadehampton1534]

@@amyx231 I'm retired Army, and I could tell you a lot of interesting things. I finished my Army career at Ft Bragg NC, I was a member of the 18th Airborne Corp, which is direct support for the 82nd Airborne Division. We followed them to all the hot spots. I got to jump out of an airplane forty-three times and march about a million miles! Life is a journey, make every day count. For the past twenty-five years, I've tried to uphold four simple agreements with myself. #1. Be impeccable with your word. #2. Don't take anything personally. #3. Never assume #4. Always do your best I don't adhere to these agreements 100 %, but I do my best. Incorporating these agreements into your life is a process, not an event. I've been at it for twenty-five years, and it's only in the past five years that I have become very comfortable with them and realize a great deal of benefits from them. If you can make these four simple agreements with yourself, you will eliminate countless personal suffering and anxiety.

[@robertw1871]

Your story is nearly identical to mine… the violin is incredibly difficult to play for me, I’ve mastered vibrato on many stringed instruments, but I couldn’t even get my hand to budge at all which was highly disappointing. I’m still working at it… I’m sure glad I bought a cheap one though, I did get a decent bow though and better strings.

[@wadehampton1534]

@@robertw1871 keep practicing, Robert, it will come! You're already a musician, so you are halfway there. The violin is the most difficult musical instrument that I play, it takes twice as long for me to progress on than any other instrument that I have ever played. It can be frustrating at times, but I play through the burn, and do my best. Perhaps you could take some lessons like I did, I would have been lost without them. A good teacher can make all the the world, they will not only show you the correct way to play the violin, they will show you how not to play as well. Good luck with it buddy, I wish you all the best!

[@xxPenjoxx]

That cheap violin looks very similar to my first violin 😔. We didn't have money growing up and I always remember my rosin looking worse than everyone else's. Like really plasticky. We could only afford the cheap strings too. The joy I felt when I bought a real violin 🎻 was immense.

[@sirspongadoodle]

every single violin player should have to atleast play a cheap violin.. you can learn basic setup and when you finally get a good quality violin you can actually appreciate it.

[@medicinemadisonofficial]

I spent two years (not working constantly on it though) and was able to save a despicable 150$ factory made violin but I am not a luthier which is why it took so long. Took off the varnish completely, made my own shellac based varnish from store bought shellac varnish with added copal powder and several other questionable ingredients and colorants, ebonized the maple fingerboard, and took a lot of the thickness because the wood was way too thick. The violin is made of two violins because I accidentally broke the top and I found an incomplete violin without a top for about 20$ so I wanted to experiment and see how a *fully maple violin* would sound like. I did cheat a bit, asked my luthier to set up the bridge, pegs and soundpost, but everything else I did myself. With D'Addario Helicore Octave strings I actually enjoy playing it, before these modifications I barely touched this violin, I only played my decent violin, but now I play both. My idea was not to deal with it cheaply but to do the best i could without woodworking or violinmaking knowledge (besides watching many violinmaking videos) and without any proper tools (opened the violin with a butter knife and glued it with hide glue, tied it very tight with string instead of clamps) . Love this kind of video! Would love to see more like this.

[@jack002tuber]

Cool video. I did this years ago, got a 100 dollar cheapie on ebay, set the string height and changed strings, it was ok. I did it myself and I'm no pro. Sold it later and got a better one, but it was quite playable.

[@fredygump5578]

"It definitely has the violine shape." Yes, always keep things positive!

[@stevev5510]

I had that first playing up loud. The neighbours cat left in a hurry.

[@faithite]

Thank you for this video and for the encouragement. I personally can't afford expenisve instruments. I have 2 teachers. The first was arrogant and he laughed when I tried to fix and improve my cheap-scam-pcs-of-junk. The latter was understanding and fascinated by the works that I did. She understood what my intentions were and encouraged me to work on her instrument. After I fixed my cheap junk, she took and and played, I then realised, it wasn't always the poor instrument's fault, but my poor technique. In my country, it's hard to afford luthier services and we don't have courses or even luthier entry level careers too.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

I’m glad you’re playing, regardless of the challenges.

[@perihelion7798]

Cork sniffers and wine swishers hate these cheap instruments, but I love them. They provide a chance for people on a strict budget [ like right now ] to purchase and try out an instrument to see if they want to pursue learning that instrument, or not. And I have found that with some targeted TLC, these 'cheapos' can play and sound pretty good, especially for beginners. As a player improves, and their musical experience advances, they can move up in quality. So there is a real place in music for these inexpensive instruments. However, most of them will require some set-up and adjustments, and maybe some repairs as well. Know that before buying.

[@orangew3988]

The snobbery in this is ridiculous. Who has thousands to throw into a hobby all in one go. And all that bullshit about different countries, pal, open your eyes, the average person in every country doesn't have that money sitting around just for fun.

[@sirspongadoodle]

@@orangew3988 dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy.. i agree with the fact that a cheap violin is a good option for some but olaf is a violin maker seeing a cheap violin as a violin maker is painful. you gotta cut some slack when it comes to that. thats like gordan ramsay seeing someone eat instant noodles, the fact he tells you to not buy the cheap violin is proof he cares about what he does.. that is a rarer and rarer thing nowadays..

[@techslfink9722]

I totally agree. My advice is to start with a cheap instrument but don’t buy it on line. Go to a real shop and try the instruments. That way you can buy a decent set of strings too. And if you are on the way for a ‘real’ violin, why not look for a used instrument that you can have rejuvenated by a luthier the moment you can afford that?

[@nomore6167]

@@sirspongadoodle "dont get mad at olaf he is a fairly decent guy" - He may very well be a decent guy (I've watched only a few of his videos, but I would agree with that assessment so far), but his comments in this video show that he is out of touch with reality with regard to what most people can afford. As an average middle class guy from the U.S., It is inconceivable to me that anyone would believe the average person can afford to spend 3,000-5,000 USD on a beginner instrument.

[@sirspongadoodle]

@@nomore6167 that’s a fair point and especially in America that would be even more true.. i just don’t think he should be insulted for having a taste in expensive violins..

[@SmallUkeBigWorld]

In China, most beginners with humble background play a budget violin brand called Kapok (old name is Skylark), cost range around 80-200 usd. The brand also exports to South Asia. Curious about overseas review of those.

[@juliemichellerobinson1841]

I genuinely started out on a Lark, but that was 30 years ago. I mostly remember it for having crappy tuning pegs, which could have been easily fixable if we had a local luthier. By now? They're likely improved. We mostly recommend Stentor and Primavera instruments for beginners over here, because both brands are fairly consistent and you know what you're getting. There are enough used ones floating around that you can buy second-hand for under £100. They're also both British companies, which is probably why we have that preference, but Stentor definitely have a Chinese factory. A Stentor II will take you up to mid grades. I also took my grade 8 cello on a Hidersine Vivente, but I really, really don't recommend that particular model past about grade 5 at the latest!

[@zackleonard8559]

the improvement in sound is incredible!

[@kathryncarlson4101]

I am so glad to have stumbled across your channel. My daughter started asking for a purple violin when she was 4. I had already purchased a number of other instruments she wanted to try, so I wasn’t keen on spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on an instrument she may play with for 3 days and never pick up again. I purchased a $70 purple violin for Christmas when she was 6. I knew I would need to purchase a good quality instrument IF she stuck with it. Surely enough, the excitement wore off after a week. 2 years later, violin lessons in our area are now available and her interest has spiked again. I have dusted off her little purple 1/2 violin and am so very grateful for this video. We don’t have a local violin maker, so I wasn’t able to get everything accomplished, but I ordered new strings and a new bridge to help. We are setting up a “violin jar,” and hopefully she will enjoy playing the violin and we can get her a good quality instrument when she needs to size up. Thank you for creating enjoyable and educational videos!

[@johncook1080]

Thank you for supporting your daughter's experimentation. With decent strings the purple violin may do very nicely indeed. Having the violin jar is also a wonderful idea!

[@sirspongadoodle]

hah my dad wouldnt have bought me the cheap violin.. coffee and fancy computers are more worthwhile am i right? good on you though.

[@bencze465]

I have the exact same cloth, got it from amazon or somewhere, a pack of 4 different colours. :) This was a really awesome video. I am a bit more fortunate financially and when I get to buy I will be able to afford a better one, but it's always useful to understand the different degrees of acceptable based on price points.

[@ALAPINO]

I haven't played strings in two decades but I really enjoy your videos because it reminds me of what I loved about my time in orchestra and ensemble. Playing and tinkering with my instruments. Heck, at one point my saddle broke and I had to replace it with what I had on hand: a piece of solid copper mains electrical wire, in red insulation, of course.

[@Lo_likes_snow]

The color of the varnish and the color of the neck really remind me of a bretzel 🥨😂 Thank you Olaf for your awesome content !

[@rogeta1776]

I'm 200 usd in saving for one of your violins!! I have one of these cheap ones from Amazon, and it's passing for now. I'm terrible anyway! But I can't wait to get one of yours!

[@karenrobert7200]

Great video Olaf! It’s interesting to see what improvements can be made to a not so good violin to make it playable on a budget. The important thing is to have a playable violin on which to learn!

[@bunnybird12]

There's actually a 3D printed violin called the Modular Fiddle that you can build for less than $100 (not counting a bow or the 3D printer itself, but those are free to use at makerspaces or libraries, or you can buy the printed parts from the designer for $100). Having made one myself, it's definitely far, far better to play than any VSO you could buy at that price. It's also one of the better 3D printed violin designs out there since it innovates upon the design of the violin to perform optimally under the current size and material constraints of consumer 3D printing.

[@amyx231]

The nearest 3D printer place charges $25 a hour iirc. Library a few towns over. I’m guessing printing this would take over 4 hours though.

[@bunnybird12]

@@amyx231 Yeah for me the body alone took over 20 hours to print so at that rate you’d be better off just buying straight from the maker.

[@aniquinstark4347]

@@amyx231 Good lord. At $25 an hour you could literally just buy your own Ender 3. It would pay for itself after making one violin.

[@TrainTracker911]

We love watching your videos. Very educational.

[@MrDeeb8]

Found your channel from twoset :) i love the episodes where you were featured. Also, this is such a good video because violins are so expensive, and people typically do buy the 60-100$ amazon violins

[@ghlscitel6714]

I paid 45 Euros recently for a set of Tonica strings. This would double the value of the violin.

[@smithmusicstudies]

An $89 cleaning cloth! lol This is great! Thanks for this :)

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Haha... I have nicer ones for $10

[@alexander-maxwell]

Thanks for this video, I had a friend give me one of these $100 violins. I know it is not great but I wanted to get it to be playable without spending more than a new one would cost. This video gave me a GREAT guide to help understand what the minimum I should have done.

[@Cancun771]

Besides the cloth, the case also seems ok-ish with a fair bit of protection. While we are counting our blessings. Great video.

[@crysajb-iq1hd]

Like the first sight of THE GREENBRIER, that first sound!

[@SkylerLinux]

Honestly one of the kinda funny parts about the $89 Violin being solid wood with the $100 being plywood, reminds me of my recent kilt purchase. I payed more than what it would have cost on Amazon. I payed the local seller to do the importing and measuring, as well as all the hard work verifying the quality of the makers so that I got the best quality cheap Kilt

[@myotiswii]

I play marimba and my beginner instrument was 2000 Euros, second hand. (1800 plus 200 Euro spare parts)

[@stefang1087]

I don't play the violin, but I love and listen to all kinds of music. In my ears, the violin as it was, sounded horrible, but after you made those few changes and used a good bow, the violin sounded very good actually. I am very impressed, that you could do that. I hope that many people which can not afford a more expensive violin will see this video and not be discouraged in their passion for playing this lovely instrument. You have all my respect for doing this!

[@dedeedo9355]

I was watching this in order to know what to ask a local luthier when I go visit them, pretty informative! I'd also like to ask for anyone knowledgeable about it if Prelude strings are good enough to buy instead of using the pirastro tonica, because even though Australia is on the same planet as Argentina the price for them over here is an otherworldly 250 USD when converted, and minimum wage is currently at 330 (converted).

[@davidbandler]

The top plate/soundboard looks like it could possibly be Basswood/Linden/Lime. It's not as commonly seen in instruments because its weaker and less beautiful than other hardwood/tonewood species. Bass usually has that fine grain too; and the sunburst finish (stain) is likely painted for effect. You'll know if it's bass if gets crunchy or brittle as it ages and dries.

[@LC-th1hy]

The sound was improved as the sound post now can sing. Little adjustments goes a long way! Great that you did what can be improved even though some of the parts just couldn't be helped.

[@kinciscorner]

Looks like the one I just bought. At least it's in the same price range anyway. I can't afford any higher. Too bad we are worlds apart. And making it better will cost a bomb and I'm clueless to do it myself. I'll just have to accept it and have fun.

[@JohnWick-rn6uv]

This is my favorite sort of Olaf vid

[@shawntw1556]

My first violin was $120 on Walmart. If you thought amazon was the worst you've yet to see walmart violins. The best thing in that was the tuner. That tuner alone has made up the $120 that the whole outfit cost than then some in the years since I've started playing. Videos like this also makes me wonder, we know the low end amazon violin market is quite awful but I've been curious about the higher end market? What are the violins at the recommended starting price worth compared to what you'd get at a reputable shop? What are the several thousand dollar violins on amazon worth compared to a similarly priced violin from a reputable shop?

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

I would never buy an instrument from Amazon. But Walmart is awful too. I’ve boycotted Walmart for a decade. Absolutely awful company.

[@alikalantari633]

Haha, That is actually how my violin sounds, and that bow is so similar to mine😂. Good job sir.

[@randolphfriend8260]

❤️ thank you

[@KNEKKOKING]

You made that sound way way better.

[@teresar6348]

This isn't just good for cost, but also for kids who will outgrow their 1/4 size real quick. I have only ever gotten these sub 150 dollar violins til high school for that reason. First time I re stringed (well my teacher not me) my quarter size after breaking an E this sounded way better and meant that the next few violins we're kept cheap but I got new strings from the start with the old strings being my backups.

[@bennyblanko3]

Use a razor blade as a scraper to align the fingerboard with the neck, and then a fine steel wool on the neck for feel and softness. Also, could probably add a little relief in the fingerboard with that razor and some fine sand paper, if you are poor, and can't afford quality tools, and I often rub paraffin in with my hands a little, and sometimes the fingerboard comes out ok. I like Helicore strings on these types of violins, which don't cost too much in USA, but add a bit of power to a top that is a little too thick - Tonicas mellow out a fiddle, but the Helicores bring out a bit of volume, which these usually need. Also, the thicker brides (and also softer maple) mellow the highs a little, which helps parents with kids learning violin, so maybe just thin a little. Once set up properly with decent strings, and played for a few years, they open up, and work fine for old time fiddle type of a sound. For classical, save your money and buy at least 1000 or 1500 if you can, though if you can try a bunch, I've found a few for 800 that sound and play pretty darn good.

[@aoiahiru670]

Ahhh, ye olde Violin Shaped Object. Loved this!

[@BigCarmine]

I pick up 4/4 violins & 14" violas and work them over to improve them. Had the best overall luck with Mendini instruments being workable. Mostly I pick up used ones that schools have used for students for 30 to 50 dollars. I enjoy the challenge of working on the instrument and I like being able to creat a fairly decent sounding and good playing instrument to pass along to beginners on a budget to learn on.

[@MelodyFaus]

Aa

[@kylesmith9048]

My left ear loved the last third of the video lol

[@garygreen7552]

I started teaching begging string classes in 1970 in elementary schools in California, USA. I am now retired. At that time we were seeing lots of cheap Chinese violins. They had all the problems you mentioned, but the instrument you showed here looked to be of much better quality. Pegs on those Chinese instruments were often pine painted black. I actually had several pegs break when I tried to tune the instruments. Chin rests were cheap plastic things that easily broke and were of little help in holding the violin properly, As to bows, I found that the fiber-glass bows of the early "70"s were often a better choice for beginners than the bad wood bows. Now days I suspect a carbon-fiber bow might be a good option for a beginner. I know that many professional players have carbon-fiber as a second bow or one to use in less than satisfactory conditions. Great video. Thank you.

[@lukas3687]

Thank you teachers that instruct younger not so rich school kids, are great! Happy retirement!

[@stevekelley1179]

You can hear the difference. Just proves what a set up by a professional can do.

[@yadaroni]

I love the video. With that said, the work he did with the strings would make it more like a $300-$350 violin. Better to buy a good used one for $200 and then replace the strings and get a basic setup. You'd spend about the same and end up with a much better instrument. The bow will always need to be replaced on these cheap violins. There are a couple of passable carbon fiber bows for around $75 that would be acceptable for a beginner or if you are just broke.

[@sparcsau]

i bought a medio fino for $60. i used the body, neck, finger board and sound post. got some domination string ans the rest ebay things. tail piece, bridge, begs, went with a berber chinrest and a caron bow. served my daughter well at school.

[@williamrobinson7435]

Tonicas are definitely a good call. I would've knocked that bump down with a file or some 80 grit Abranet on a stick, as modern basic tech has 'em scooting up and down in 2 8ve shifts with backswing from almost day one, the days of being confined to 1st pos for months SHOULD be behind us, other than that, this is very sound advice indeed. The cleaning cloth being the best thing in the box says it all! 🤣Never mind, this is v useful for a situation which is all too common. Keep up the good work! 👍

[@A4amad3us]

Olaf: you need a good instrument to play the violin. But not everyone can afford a $3-5k violin Me and my $240 violin: SHE IS VERY GORGEOUS TO ME

[@samrodian919]

The minimum improvements you made Olaf have transformed the instrument from bloody awful to not half bad! About a 400% improvement to my old ears listening on headphones. By the way in those test parts of the video only the left channel of the audio was working ..

[@Krzaku7312]

I need to say that my first violin was about 100$ and it was actualy pretty good instrument I think that a key to getting good cheap violin is to go to shop instead of buying it online

[@lukas3687]

You lucky guy. If you want a student instrument from a violin maker in my country before the covid 19 lock downs 600€ and now better 900€ (mostly older overhauled) after all my money is small after(hopefully) this C19 thing.

[@LKonstantina915]

@@lukas3687 a lot of people got instruments during covid because of quarantine and lockdowns. On one side its nice that people found something to do but on the other the prices went high for some time but they should return back to normal i guess

[@Delphini_Zucchini]

My first and current violin was second hand for $150 sold when it was 3 years old, a Chamber Student violin from China. I saw the same model on a violin shop’s website for $500. I’m not sure if it’s a VSO or not, but I absolutely love it.

[@sueacord1678]

I love going to violin shop and look through their used bows. I can get a fairly decent bow for about 30 USD. Most are rental returns so the hair was is good. My last "used bow had not been fully rosined so I got real lucky.

[@shipsahoy1793]

I got an “antique” pernambuco bow for viola from our local violin shop that looked a lot like it had seen better days, but for the $75 I paid for, it works as well as a new bow that would cost a few times that.. It’ll be interesting to see how I feel about it when I get it re-haired, but it hasn’t come to that yet. It was selected for me by someone that knew better than me what I needed 🤣 .

[@lukas3687]

Many thanks for your vid, I think that's the same thing what manylutiers did. The import instruments from China for 400$and rework them... new pirastro strings maybe a new finish.... And after that she take 1000 $(i don't know).

[@lauralake7430]

What are your thoughts on the old family violins, or, actually, fiddles. My great uncle had a 1910 german violin which is worth nothing. ( Per our local shop) My great uncle used to play it. So, 1960ish it was last played. Many living people in my family remember dances where this fiddle was played. Im retired now, have always wanted to learn. But it wasnt something a girl did. But i now have the fiddle. It needs a soundpost, it has always been stored in its case, in the house, and the strings were gut when it was put away. They were loosened. My family thinks im nuts to try and learn an instrument at the great age of 60, and even nuttier to try and have a 100 year old instrument repaired. (Except for the few old people who say, yah, that was some fiddling Josef could play). I figure its been waiting, and it must be as good as an 89 dollar violin, and after few hundred dollars why not? Just curious if youve come across this situation much

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Absolutely! It's never too late... I've had clients start at 70! Those German instruments can turn out really nice... It may need a bit more than a Soundpost. I love giving instruments with a story a new lease of life. I usually plane the fingerboard, clean and polish the violin, replace the bridge and soundpost, tailpiece, chinrest and strings. Violin can be a little bit hard to learn at the start, but once you get some muscle memory it lots of fun! All the best with your violin journey!!

[@lauralake7430]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thank you! You have strengthened my resolve. it definitely needs a new tail piece, and the bridge . It has a spare bridge it looks like he started to shape, but will need a new one. He never had a chin rest. He folded a handkerchief under his chin. You can see the worn spot on the finish, and theres a photo of him playing like that. Your kind words mean so much.

[@winterhorse290]

But I do really enjoy your videos!!

[@tullochgorum6323]

I use the Tonicas on a pretty good modern fiddle. Do a similar job to the Dominants (on my fiddle they are slightly warmer), but at half the price. An under-rated string.

[@scratchcrafter]

Other affordable string options would be Ascente, Alphayue, Thomastik Vision & Prelude

[@ninar.173]

Warchal nefrit are good and 1/2 price they also come in fractal size.

[@winterhorse290]

Sure, it,s cheap. But if your trying one for the first time, they are good enough. I use a 100$ Antion Brenton and it sound just fine for playing fiddel tunes.

[@Wiwcac]

Hey, Olaf! I love all this wonderful content on violins in lower cost brackets. Have you ever reviewed one of the mass produced Made in Western Germany violins? I’ve read that millions were produced and shipped out, and I’ve been told they’re a dime a dozen, but I can’t find anything out about the workshops where my violin might have been made. Nor have I ever seen someone else with one.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Hi, Yes, the last 20 years haven't been good for those violin manufacturing areas in Germany and a lot of German companies have moved their workshops to China... There are 2 main areas that violins were made... Bubenreuth in Bavaria and Markneukirchen in Saxony. The Bubenreuth guys for kicked out of Bohemia right near Markneukirchen after the second world war. They ended up making the better student instruments in the 50s till the late 90s.

[@Wiwcac]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thank you! Now I can do some research on those places and maybe find out where mine came from. The western Germany label only tells me the violin made some time from 1950 to ‘89, making it at least as old as I am, but probably older. I’ve been intrigued to learn more about it once I started playing again last year. Thanks again very much for those manufacturer names. Love your channel and content. Have a wonderful day :)

[@waltersun9436]

I didn’t know how good of a violin player he was

[@cindy5298]

Omgg how do u make violins??? ❤ IM GOING TO SUB RIGHT NOW

[@kevinfelton4886]

grab your alcohol lamp and adjust that bow camber/straightness. The worst that could happen is breaking it, but you may make that bow playable.

[@ros8737]

Yes, and it’s fun too! Have 3 of those and i can’t even play. Also, one can find a cheap sound post setter and even a length of proper sound post material too but, if it is your first student violin you really want the sound post positioned by a proper luthier, it just look easy when Olaf does it.

[@Louise-zs9rl]

I recently bought a bow which started hissing. So I wiped the rosin off it and washed it with shampoo! I let it dry naturally by coming and tested it today and the hissing has gone!

[@twilightshadow1795]

Hey Olaf, Ray Chen bought and played a cheap violin; he made a video on it. It sounded pretty good; I know he's a professional and can make anything sound good. Still, I think of your videos when I watch it. Maybe a good brand would make decent, inexpensive violins.

[@cpt_nordbart]

Reminds me of twoodfrd "upgrading" a Chinese clone of a Gibson guitar.

[@William2805]

I would love to have that 😂 just couldn't afford it

[@srinitaaigaura]

Now we need a video on improving a cheap violin and bow, but on a large budget - change all the cheap parts, everything that can be changed, except the original plates and ribs, reset and polish the neck, and bow stick and see how it sounds. Or maybe we can also see how it sounds with a good bow. 😂

[@shipsahoy1793]

It seems to me that for a violin newbie, there’s no way around spending less than a good few hundred US$ dollars for a workable violin outfit to get started on, and that will take a good few years to grow out of the violin . These days, probably about $350 to a reputable shop in the USA. Even after playing a short time, the bow needs to be upgraded and violin string are not cheap either, so not having to change strings the first year helps. Some inexpensive outfits have substandard cases, which can screw you, too! Taking the violin seriously will also require cost of about $100 a year to keep good strings and bowhairs on. Self teaching also requires cash outlay periodically to procure musical material. A humidification system is also a good idea in winter to avoid problems, as well as thoughtful storage in summer months. The Humistat humidifiers are a very good inexpensive option (

[@michaelwhisman]

I buy broken old early 20th Century and late 19 Century violins and improve them. Most of them I have to re-carve the back and bellies. It's common to have to install linings and corner blocks and replace the bass bar. I am retired and do it for fun so I don't care about the labor. I have a cousin who bought a violin, needing the neck glued back on, for $6.50 (USD). It has a nice flamed back and no cracks. I'm jealous.

[@francisfernandbelen4427]

Can you also make a video about rosins?

[@sonicspecter]

6:14 your recording of your performance is in mono panned to the left. You want to either record with stereo microphones or duplicate the first channel.

[@fbshiloh777]

just curious... after this video did you donate the violin to a beginner... or toss it in the ol' dumpster? Love your videos!

[@TehMagilla]

Something I always tell people who are buying guitars is to put aside ~$AUD300 for a professional set-up after purchasing. Some guitar shops are good enough to do it and include it in the price, but many still don't. You can make a $600 guitar feel and play like a $1500+ instrument. And having an instrument with the right feel and intonation will inspire you to play much more.

[@4crafters597]

The "original setup" sections seems to be recorded in only mono, would be nice if you could mirror it next time so both my ears can "enjoy" the cheap strings :)

[@yakuviolin]

Master... you´re really in for a challenge

[@BigCarmine]

Olaf, I would be curious as to your opinion of The Karl Meisel copies that are floating around Ebay and other places. I have never seen or worked on one, but I just acquired a 14' Viola (just the Viola, no bridge, tail, tuning pegs, chin rest, etc) for $20 that I am going to do a work over on. It looks like better wood and workmanship than the cheap Chinese fiddles with Italian names, and were the Meisel copies actually made in West Germany? Love your videos!

[@jamesmmusic5806]

Olaf, your workshop is in Brisbane? I might be interested in bringing my violin in that needs a bit of work.. sadly I don't look after it as much as I should but I have been playing it a lot more recently

[@BrittanyMarie27]

So I'm learning the cello right now and I'm renting it from an actual music shop. But I was curious how violin was because I really like the sounds and music of both so I ordered the eastar violin off amazon just because it's so cheap and I'm not sure if I will even pursue violin so I didn't mind getting a cheapo. But I'm about to replace the strings to D'Addario strings for now, like you said about the strings that came with that one thats how mine sound

[@amyx231]

My violin would probably cost more to get set up by a professional than I paid for it! Lol. The bridge is more lopsided than yours. Also no notches. I’ve only ever plucked. The rosin…doesn’t come off!

[@Dragonblaster1]

Did you use the provided rosin on the bow?

[@hunterblakely87]

You know you're doing it right when people want to throw their money at you. I look forward to throwing money at you when I can :)

[@bloemundude]

@6:17 You know you're a classically-trained professional when you accidentally play a few notes of Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre while simply tuning.

[@neonsamurai1348]

Going to guess new good strings (suggest synthetic core), new rosin (seriously spend 20$ to buy good rosin and throw away the rosin it comes with. Try Melos, Magic, or Vision rosin), new bridge (that bridge is super chonk and looks like softwood), maybe rehair the bow with real horsehair (if it is synthetic), and hopefully a better chinrest (yikes!).

[@pheart2381]

those awful little cubes of rosin make my skin crawl to be honest!

[@neonsamurai1348]

​@@pheart2381 The screeching they produce is nigh unbearable!

[@androidkenobi]

@@neonsamurai1348 i guess that's why the YT teachers' advice is to immediately throw those out. On another note, I can't tell the difference between Olaf's new strings vs the old ones

[@ros8737]

Yes, I agree on synth core strings on a VSO for practice, also make sure the chin rest and eventual shoulder rest doesn’t cause any unwanted tension.

[@neonsamurai1348]

​@@androidkenobi Ya, that (horrible) rosin is one of the bigger causes of novice violin screeching, especially as you often have to take a knife to it to get any "rosin" on the bow, which results in a very gritty unpleasant sound (especially in combination with bad strings). I did notice an immediate change, but it was not super obvious. Part of it I think is that the VSO was holding the strings back, plus the strings did not get played in much (it can take a week for the strings to largely finish stretching out and gain their full capabilities). The first difference is the the sound was much richer and more complex new strings, while the old strings were more harsh sounding (and didn't ring well), worse still the old strings were changing pitch depending on bow pressure applied and caused his playing to be noticeably out of tune, which is not acceptable for anyone trying to learn violin as it will be nigh impossible to develop proper intonation.

[@RagnarXII]

Olaf, can you rescue a vintage instrument next? I see instruments on Ebay all the time and I wonder if they'd be saveable?

[@stevev5510]

I see quite cheap vintage instruments from time to time.. are they as good as modern Chinese instruments??

[@richardweinberger2756]

Most cheap vintage violins have issues- cracks, neck angle, missing parts. They are all savable, it becomes a question of how much you have to invest. I like to buy these and use my limited skills to get them to play music, I lose money but I like to give them to kids.

[@Propotus]

Can you do the same thing, but then modify it to play the best it possibly ever could?

[@coldspring22]

Olaf the violinmaker - $100 violin is crap! But but but I have $40 Glarry violin and I love it!

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Great to hear! Sometimes there can be exceptions.

[@orenburg6318]

Just wondering what site you got this from? I’m after something i can travel with & not feel bad if it gets roughed up while i’m at work.

[@johncook1080]

Olaf, is there something wrong with rosin that is light in color? I have natural light rosin by D'addario on my desk. Should I use it? Do you recommend amber rosin? Black? You also mentioned that the bow was "rounded" towards the frog but didn't actually tell us what that meant, and provided context of why that was bad. Can you tell us what to look for that is "rounded" on an inferior bow?

[@Fidi987]

1:19 I really got a jumpscare right now, sitting alone at home at night and wondered where that noise came from right now!

[@KathrinHausermann]

nowI ask myself what thew 10 AUD Difference do for a cheap Violin, Maybe you could do a comparison video :))

[@ruben_LOP]

hello, what do you think of the alice a747 strings?

[@tjsogmc]

I've long said that even a budget instrument can play decent enough if it gets a good setup. Some people can't afford much else, yet there is no reason why they can't also have a playable instrument at the lower price ranges.

[@petermohsen5476]

Mr Olaf i would lime to ask you about your opinion about Yamaha original strings

[@catwhispurrer137]

Looks like a Yinfente violin. I have 2 acoustic/electric violins; one 4 string and one 5 string. Yes, they were cheap, but in this economy, who can afford to throw away 3 grand on a musical instrument? I'd like to improve them, repaint them, but I'll make due for now as I can't afford to get them fully worked on to improve them. I'll be satisfied just to find someone to teach me how to play them.

[@Mieun1011]

The shape of bow made me laugh a lot

[@JaaaaaaaC]

i like that sound it reminds me of left4dead.