The violin maker with a 300 year tradition from Germany Der Geigenbauer mit einer 300 jährigen Tradition aus Deutschland

Buying an old or new violin?

Buying an antique or a new violin?

How do you recognize a well built instrument?

Are old violins always better than new ones?

What is special about an antique violin?

Don't old violins eventually break?

Many players who want to buy an instrument or parents who are looking for an instrument for their child ask themselves these questions

It is very difficult to set up a general rule that generally makes it easier for the buyer to choose between an old and a new instrument. but
an antique instrument is very often characterized by a special, mature sound, this special “old tone” that many musicians and music lovers rave about and that the course of a long instrument life is based on active playing.
It might also have a special charm that an antique instrument tells a story ?! Some love the appeal of the antique patina and signs of wear in the paintwork.
Who has played music on it? Where was the instrument built? And children often enthusiastically say: "My violin is older than my grandmother!"

But valuable antique instruments are not only bought because of their sound, they are also an investment. For many violinists it is also a matter of prestige to play a violin on which famous violinists have given concerts before them.

When it comes to looks, choosing between an antique violin and a new one is a matter of taste.
A new violin offers, as long as it has not been antiqued, the flawless appearance of a freshly varnished instrument, freedom from cracks and damage and also the possibility of playing in the instrument yourself. If you have an instrument built by a violin maker, he can also take into account some of the customer's design requirements, such as the paint color, the type of wood for the pegs and tailpiece.

For new as well as old instruments, the quality of the wood that was selected during the construction of the instrument is a good starting point for assessing an instrument. A beautifully flamed maple for the back, sides and scroll is also easy to recognize for the layman. The grain or annual rings of the ceiling are less noticeable. A fine to medium-grained spruce wood for the top is another quality feature. High-quality tonewood, whether maple or spruce, should be grained as regularly as possible.
Another point at which the quality of an instrument can be read is the varnish.
The paint finish and type of paint on an instrument also play a crucial role in determining the origin of an instrument.
Oil varnish was used particularly often in Italy. Due to the higher UV content of the light, it hardens better there than in Germany, for example. Many Italian instruments have a wonderful, very transparent, thick oil finish. The individual layers must be applied very carefully. There are masters who applied over 30 layers. The drying time between the individual jobs is lengthy and weather-dependent.
The alcohol-based shellac can be significantly
process faster. This also requires experience and a skilled hand. Spirit varnishes are often more difficult to apply than oil varnishes because they dry very quickly. Definitely
both types of paint are a sign of good quality.
Nitro or synthetic resin varnishes are often used for factory violins. These "stiff" paints adversely affect the vibration behavior of the instrument.

Furthermore, even a layman can easily recognize whether the windings of a snail and the F - holes were carved well or the purfling was worked carefully and by hand. There is eg. painted or scratched purfling, which significantly reduced the time required to manufacture the instrument

For tonally relevant features such as the thickness of the top and back, you need special tools and a lot of experience.
A big advantage, however, is that the old instruments are usually very well played.

Of course, the condition of an instrument is also important. Cracks are not only caused by accidents with the instrument but also by dryness. An overvoltage is then formed, to which the wood then reacts with cracks. The storage of a violin should therefore be chosen with care and the humidity should be observed. Humidity meters are often integrated into expensive cases for checking purposes.
We recommend a relative humidity of between 50 and 60%, below 40% it unfortunately becomes dangerous for stringed instruments. However, too high, humid air is also not desirable.

There are so-called value-reducing cracks in stringed instruments. These are cracks in the bridge and bass bar areas. A cracked voice, for example, is expensive to repair and will always lead to problems if repaired improperly. If properly secured with a tuning lining, there is a loss of sound, at least for a while.
Even badly done old repairs, no matter where on the instrument, are difficult to repair and expensive.
Valuable old Italian instruments have had so-called "Condition Reports" for many years, which provide information about the condition, since in this price range cracks can mean a loss in value of up to 70%.
It is therefore better to purchase an instrument without cracks, which is often very difficult with very antique instruments, often centuries old. In terms of crack-free, the newly built violin usually has an advantage, because not every old instrument has a crack.
Of course, all of this applies not only to the violin, but also to other stringed instruments such as the viola, cello, viola da gamba or double bass

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Buying an old or new violin?

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