This is me, eating my words.........

July 12, 2011 at 12:18 AM

Several weeks ago, I responded to a discussion about Chinese violins, to which I basically said that the Chinese don't know how to make a really good violin.

Well, .............I take everything I said back!

After an incredible weekend in Philly spent with my instructor's brother, Dr. Wallace DePue Jr., I am now the proud owner of a 2010 Snow PV 900. I did a 100% blind sound test of about 6 different instruments, plus my $300 Gliga and his $118,000 300 year old Italian violin thrown blindly into the mix. He did elimination rounds, where he played 3 instruments at a time, all with the same bow and playing the same passage. All the while I sat in front of him, with my back to him. I would then rate the 3 as I though from best to worst. In the first few rounds, I voted my Gliga as the worst hands down . We then did semi-finals and finally the final round which pitted a 1930's German violin against the Snow PV 800 and PV 900. The PV 900 won hands down, even beating his 300 year old violin. I then played the 3 finalists for him plus his, in a mixed up order, while he sat with his back to me. Even he preferred the PV 900 over his own violin I ended up paying $2,300, he threw in a Brazil wood bow that is nothing special (worth about $200), but when used on my violin, makes it truly sing, and it handles like a dream! He also included a Tonareli half moon case! I am so happy with this violin!!!!!!

From Lisa Van Sickle
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 1:17 AM

Funny how life works, isn't it? Congratulations on the purchase.

I have a Snow PA 1000 viola which I absolutely love. A couple of years ago I was tuning it, and an acquaintance (who is very particular about instruments) remarked on how great it sounded and asked who had made it. He was quite embarrassed to find out it had a price tag in the low 4 figures and smelled like soy sauce as well! I hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine. Go Snow!

From Mariam Hembrook
Posted on July 15, 2011 at 6:59 PM

The name of your instructor's brother sounds familiar... Did he go to UT? And some Chinese violins are indeed, quite worthy. Congratulations!

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This is me, eating my words.........

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