Coloured violin or not?

June 21, 2013 at 03:36 PM · If this is an extra violin to fool around with...making your videos and just having fun with...why not?

However if this is to be your only instrument...no.

June 21, 2013 at 03:48 PM · It is my opinion that if someone is the type to pull off rocking a bright blue violin, they should be the type who doesn't need to ask other's opinions about "is it OK to rock a bright blue violin".

;^)

June 21, 2013 at 05:31 PM · Personally, I think that is one of the most hideous things I have ever seen but if you like it then go for it. It is your violin and your money.

But there are few things in this world as beautiful as timber, whether it is used to make a violin or or a piece of fine furniture.

June 21, 2013 at 06:21 PM · I once owned an inexpensive gold violin. It sat for a few years until I set it up. With a proper bridge, post and strings, it sounded excellent. It looked cool, and surprised anyone that saw and heard it. Dare to be different! Thumbs up.

June 21, 2013 at 07:25 PM ·

June 21, 2013 at 07:31 PM ·

Here's a better picture of the violin.

June 21, 2013 at 07:57 PM · It's an electric right? I don't think they are as fussy about correct varnish, etc as an acoustic, are they?

I mean, many of them are made out of solid blocks of wood, right?

June 21, 2013 at 08:10 PM · They're acoustic-electric violins. In other words, they have a built in pickup.

June 21, 2013 at 09:26 PM · Your question seems to be a little contradictory. On the one hand, you don't want a discussion about sound or quality. On the other, you want to know what people think about blue violins, or whether you can join an orchestra. So whether or not this answers your original question, my answer is that colored violin are generally bad--actually the worst--violins. That blue (or red or purple) is a polyurethane coating that sounds terrible, and can make the top too slippery for a bridge to seat properly on. I have seen many a bridge sling-shotted off the top, especially if the strings and tailpiece are improperly aligned. And since alignment is often bad on cheap violins, this can happen often. the pegs are likely to be cheap and nasty as well. Good luck trying to tune it.

I would not waste a penny on something like this.

June 21, 2013 at 10:15 PM ·

June 21, 2013 at 10:24 PM ·

June 21, 2013 at 11:34 PM · very intrigued with the idea of a "weather coloured" violin, however ... an "air fiddle," perhaps?

someday, maybe i'll show you all the mistakes i make writing in italian ...

June 22, 2013 at 12:53 AM · Ultimately, it depends on who you are and what you want to do with violin. You say you aren't playing "only" classical music; you probably wouldn't be accepted in any decent school or community orchestra with an instrument that needs a pick-up, whatever its colour. But if you plan to gig with a speaker, then you need the Barkus Berry setup.

If you want to stand out visually, get the blue violin. If you want to be remembered for your playing, for your quality...maybe go a different route.

there was a thread on here, oh, maybe 1-2 years ago, about a little girl who had a colored fiddle and wasn't allowed to play in her school orch. that raised hackles on the site; it's a different issue when the player is 8-10, not 16.

In my (limited) experience there's not as much potential for subtlety in playing a violin with pickup, so you may eventually limit your development as a violinist if your only instrument is electric.

June 22, 2013 at 01:05 AM · Why not? Jean-Luc Ponty has played a blue violin (among others) for some time now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKkMvBvyqvE

Here he talks about his blue and others. A point of the blue, he says, was that the heavy paint reduced feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmeH4PvGHKw

June 22, 2013 at 08:25 AM · i wouldn't, matey. but if you do - avoid having your picture taken with it your hands ... things like these return to haunt us.

June 22, 2013 at 11:46 AM · @J Ray

Thank you so much for this answer.

June 22, 2013 at 01:55 PM · There appear to be some deleted posts - and I don't have an eidetic memory...so hopefully this reply isn't totally out to lunch. But I'm essentially agreeing with all the other opinions that have been posted.

If you are only going to have one violin...get one that will do most, if not all, of what you want/need it to do.

A 'regular' stained (vs. painted/coloured) acoustic violin will do for orchestra, quartet, chamber, fiddle, bluegrass, etc. You can always mike it if you need amplification. So basically...you can take it anywhere.

A coloured electric violin isn't nearly as versatile. But if that's the only music you play...go for it.

I think that all the more 'versatile' violinists I know...have a regular acoustic violin and an electric one...

It's okay to have two...:D

June 23, 2013 at 06:24 PM · What Jean-Luc Ponty can get away with is not a good standard for the rest of us. Put it this way: If you get the blue violin, make sure you get the silver Spandex pants to wear while playing it.

June 23, 2013 at 10:07 PM · What's really needed is a "mood violin" that changes color to the music-- blue for blues, red for hot Jazz or romantic classical, green for pastoral imagery/nature.

June 24, 2013 at 12:23 AM · How about a violin studded with LEDs that blink.

June 24, 2013 at 01:28 AM · The blue will work fine.

Just be sure to light it on fire after your gig ala Jimi Hendrix, or smash it to pieces ala Pete Townsend.

Or, since those ideas have already been taken, and you want to blaze new trails. Perhaps try launching "Old Blue" out of a catapult or shooting it out of cannon to end the show. The cannon idea is ideal if you are performing the 1812 overture.

See if you can get a deal buying them in bulk. At least a dozen at a time. You are going to be going through quite a few.

June 24, 2013 at 07:37 AM · such wags, we are ... poor guy - just wants his blue fiddle ...

June 26, 2013 at 10:51 PM · Hi! I'm hoping this hasn't been said already because I cant see all posts for some reason, but I think the question about quality and sound comes down to the maker/distributor. I personally don't think that a colored instrument changes the sound tremendously (yes the varnish application changes the sound a bit, but not that much). The situation seems to be that instruments offered with colored exteriors are "painted" and these colors seem to be only available on cheap or low sound quality instruments. I think if you could find a maker/luthier who might "tint" the varnish with some color, that the result would be a lightly colored instrument with the same sound as a master level instrument. (this being my opinion as a violinist and instrument sales person not a luthier ;-) Please correct if you disagree.

Laura

YMS