Waxing Musician
This page I hope will have some useful thoughts for anyone wanting to buy musical instrument. You may be someone wanting to begin learning fiddle or mandolin and need help getting started, or you've played a while, but want a better instrument that can deliver the sound like your friend's or teacher's instrument. Here are different points of view on the matter that I hope will be helpful, though by now I hope you have already called or emailed and ordered your new fiddle or mandolin or guitar.
Q: Why should one buy an expensive new instrument when there are so many used and Inexpensive ones available for sale?
A: There are some good used instruments for sale out there, and there are also good moderately priced new ones. Often however, used instruments have been poorly stored and cared for, and could likely need repairs that can get expensive. I work on violins like this, and the owners usually have a familial attachment to the instrument and thus are willing so spend several hundred dollars for the repairs which generally result in a pretty good fiddle. The cheap, less than $100.00 instruments are usually less than inspiring, and could likely cause a lot of frustration. And think about this; the differences between cheap and expensive instruments can be apparent in every detail, from wood figure and finish to tone and volume and playability. Everything will probably be more satisfying when you purchase quality work. That goes for appliances, cars, homes, golf clubs, clothing, you name it.
Q: Should a beginner get a really good instrument, only then to discover that he does not want to play it after all?
Short A: Yes!
Long A: I hear this line of... um..., reasoning often. Here in the South, a prized musical instrument is as coveted as a good rifle, and so as art or an heirloom, in this respect it is not considered frivolous or wasteful. Also, if one is stuck with something that is uninspiring, difficult to play, and possibly made fun of or disdained by an influential peer or authority, one may stop playing out of shame. Without getting autobiographical, it happens in many pursuits that participants quit because they are embarrassed by their equipment. Parents especially can build up their child's confidence by continual encouragement and involvement in the learning process, and by demon-strating a tangible desire towards success by providing a fine instrument. And for the adult student, it can be a source of self-assurance to show up with an instrument that has the respect of one's fellow students, jam buddies, and instructors.
But in the end it comes to this; whether bargain basement or big bucks, buying a musical instrument is the easy part. Learning to play any musical instrument takes time, discipline, determination, dedication to practicing, self-motivation, enthusiasm, love of the instrument, a love of music, and a love of learning. Without these qualities, the student is likely to fail. As a wise, middle-aged (now we're getting autobiographical) fiddle instructor always says: "Everyone wants to play a musical instrument. But one must want to learn to play a musical instrument."
I hope these comments have helped, and please contact me if you have further questions.
This page I hope will have some useful thoughts for anyone wanting to buy musical instrument. You may be someone wanting to begin learning fiddle or mandolin and need help getting started, or you've played a while, but want a better instrument that can deliver the sound like your friend's or teacher's instrument. Here are different points of view on the matter that I hope will be helpful, though by now I hope you have already called or emailed and ordered your new fiddle or mandolin or guitar.
Q: Why should one buy an expensive new instrument when there are so many used and Inexpensive ones available for sale?
A: There are some good used instruments for sale out there, and there are also good moderately priced new ones. Often however, used instruments have been poorly stored and cared for, and could likely need repairs that can get expensive. I work on violins like this, and the owners usually have a familial attachment to the instrument and thus are willing so spend several hundred dollars for the repairs which generally result in a pretty good fiddle. The cheap, less than $100.00 instruments are usually less than inspiring, and could likely cause a lot of frustration. And think about this; the differences between cheap and expensive instruments can be apparent in every detail, from wood figure and finish to tone and volume and playability. Everything will probably be more satisfying when you purchase quality work. That goes for appliances, cars, homes, golf clubs, clothing, you name it.
Q: Should a beginner get a really good instrument, only then to discover that he does not want to play it after all?
Short A: Yes!
Long A: I hear this line of... um..., reasoning often. Here in the South, a prized musical instrument is as coveted as a good rifle, and so as art or an heirloom, in this respect it is not considered frivolous or wasteful. Also, if one is stuck with something that is uninspiring, difficult to play, and possibly made fun of or disdained by an influential peer or authority, one may stop playing out of shame. Without getting autobiographical, it happens in many pursuits that participants quit because they are embarrassed by their equipment. Parents especially can build up their child's confidence by continual encouragement and involvement in the learning process, and by demon-strating a tangible desire towards success by providing a fine instrument. And for the adult student, it can be a source of self-assurance to show up with an instrument that has the respect of one's fellow students, jam buddies, and instructors.
But in the end it comes to this; whether bargain basement or big bucks, buying a musical instrument is the easy part. Learning to play any musical instrument takes time, discipline, determination, dedication to practicing, self-motivation, enthusiasm, love of the instrument, a love of music, and a love of learning. Without these qualities, the student is likely to fail. As a wise, middle-aged (now we're getting autobiographical) fiddle instructor always says: "Everyone wants to play a musical instrument. But one must want to learn to play a musical instrument."
I hope these comments have helped, and please contact me if you have further questions.
Content copyright 2014. John Dancer Violins. All rights Reserved.