Opinions on Shar music's Hoffman Amadeus viola for an early advanced violinist who just wants to expand

August 18, 2013 at 09:56 AM · A few quick hints for a violinist trying a viola:

- The strings are longer, but your fourth finger is not! The other fingers must make way: the index may feel as it does when playing a flat on a violin;

- the strings are thicker, a little more tense, and a little higher off the fingerboard: firmer finger attack and pressure, (especially in legato and pianissimo), and a wider, slightly slower vibrato to avoid the dry, bleating effect tha give violists a bad name;...

- the extra mass of string and wood makes for a big change in bowing: even a pianissimo will require a kind of minute "martelé" attack in détaché bowings; the bow must "cling" much more to the string, but without crushing the wider vibrations.

A viola is rather like a violin with, say, 10% 'cello built in, but with its own very special character. It's physically harder, but worth the trouble!

Look up "viola jokes" on Google and you will see all the things to avoid!

August 18, 2013 at 11:53 AM · i'd say thumbs down. the two sites i checked list it at well under $200.00. i doubt you'll be getting solid wood at that price and i'd guess the wood would be steamed and pressed into shape. a VSO for sure. for not much more you can find perfectly lovely violas on ebay, etc.. have you considered buying a used viola and - if necessary - paying a luthier to set it up properly (sound post position, making sure the pegs are in order, etc.)?

having said that, in the little time i've been playing mine and comparing it to others, i've yet to hear a bad sounding viola - music just seems to sound better in the lower register, imho.

August 18, 2013 at 01:22 PM · One important thing to keep in mind is that you simply have to be as comfortable as possible in order to enjoy playing and avoid getting hurt. On the other hand, viola have to sound good enough to motivate you to leave your violin, open the case and practice.

If you just need a longer fingerboard and want to learn the clef, silent or electric violas could be the option.

See my post about the ratio of body length and string size; there are no standards in viola design and you will find small violas with long strings, long violas with short strings and everything in between. The challenge is to find a comfortable and well sounding instrument. It is often also about the body design, neck width and shape and string clearance. All those things may or may not be present in student level violas.

Lastly, student violas "outfits" do not come with good bows, so investing in a solid bow is also important. Many bad habits can be developed when one compensates for bow deficiencies. As other posters wrote, sound production (right hand) is probably more challenging than left hand technique on viola. You simply do not want to waste your time with a bad bow here.

August 18, 2013 at 06:15 PM · Thank you for your comments.

The information regarding bowing response is helpful, thanks.

The Hoffman instruments are made with "quality maple, spruce, and ebony", the bridge is fitted, the purfling is real, and the soundpost is fitted, also. I'm not concerned about the instrument's integrity, I'm just curious about its sound.

As for the bow quality, I can buy a new bow at some point in time anyway, but I'm satisfied with a beginner bow since I'm not going to be playing it for "real", just as another option when playing in casual ensembles or at church or something, you know. I feel that a top-dollar, excellent bow isn't crucial for the sort of on-the-side, just-for-fun purposes I want it for.

August 18, 2013 at 06:36 PM · You should be able to have someone play it over the phone for you. Not ideal, but better than nothing...

August 18, 2013 at 07:52 PM · You might do well to go to your luthier and try some violas just to get a sense of what they sound like. Make sure to have someone play them for you so you can hear what they sound like to others. Then, at least, you will have some idea of what you are looking for. Also, try to figure out your price range. Good luck!

August 19, 2013 at 09:01 PM · For the same player, the viola bow is noramlly about 10 gr heavier than the violn bow, so that we don't tense the right hand when extracting the tone from this rathe intractable instrument..

Violas vary a lot in tone; they can be boomy, honky. wooly, snarly or harsh, on the one hand.

Or rich and velvety, chocolaty and gruff on the other.

If I like violin tone to be like sky-blue silk, I want deep red velvet from my viola: richness with a sheen. Even on the A-string...

August 20, 2013 at 02:36 AM · "boomy, honky, wooly, snarly or harsh ... rich and velvety, chocolaty and gruff" are all keepers.

August 20, 2013 at 02:56 PM · Thank you all for your input. Adrian, your description made me smile - it was so perfect!

Perhaps I posted this thread under the wrong category (intruments vs. viola), because I was hoping to hear from teachers or even performers with experience with Hoffman instruments. I know Mr. Avsharian is on here, too, and perhaps he could put in a good word.

I literally don't have more than two hundred to spend on an instrument that I won't be dedicating myself to excel at, I just want to be able to play it, so if it's not the best instrument, that's okay. I understand that going to a luthier, etc. is the best way to get into playing viola, but I just want to hear from someone who is familiar with the Hoffman series if it really would be a serious waste of my time and money to get one of their student instruments. Anybody?

August 20, 2013 at 05:22 PM · I believe they have a very good return policy, so you may as well give it a try for yourself.

August 20, 2013 at 09:16 PM · haven't tried their violas, but I have never had a bad instrument from SHAR even at the beginner level. they do not make vso's. If it were me II would go for it, esp. as i believe they have an excellent trade-up policy if you wanted to go to the next level someday.

August 20, 2013 at 11:43 PM · I have played some very nice violins that had been made by steaming and pressing into shape instead of the initial rough carving. Of course the maker then graduated the plates by hand carving. I believe he started to make instruments this way after he had made 30 or more by carving them.

Andy

August 21, 2013 at 01:54 PM · Polly, the web feedback on Shar's violins seems quite positive, but I can't find anything on their violas.

One Amazon customer was less enthusiastic about the bow, but you could always use your violin bow..

Beware of zipped lightweight cases, usually made of white styrofoam: they resist cold and shocks, but are definiteley not crush-proof. The rigid ABS case in Shar's photo may be better.

In Paris I can find VSO's for 100 euros; for 200, it's the same violin with better fittings (proper pegs, figerboard etc.), but with the same appalling wire strings: a tone remeniscent of a dentist's drill!!

The bow can be whippy or chunky, with hair that won't take the rosin.

But if Shar's Hoffman is as good as they say, those who charge around 1000 dollars for a similar Chinese fiddle must be making an enormous markup..

Edit: I see Gliga violins, like Hoffmans, come from Romania, where the woods are better to our ears than in the Chinese fiddles. Same lowest price and most comments suggest a "pleasant" tone...