Fein violins--in market for a new violine
I'm in the market for a new violin. I currently have a beginner student violin that was given to me by a friend. I want to spend somewhere between $1200-1500, and found Fein violins online. I was specifically looking at the D. Albert & A. Fein hand crafted violin on sale for $1389. I found good review of them on violinst.com, but they were all from 8 years or older. Does anyone have new experience or advice on Fein violins?
Replies (9)
@Amanda- Well do you live here near the Minneapolis area? If you do, come check it out for yourself, the Fein store is not too big so I don't think Andy Fein carries Chinese made instruments. Which beg the question, what about Chinese-made violin that give them such a bad taste to people? I have a chinese violin and it sound better than the European made one I tried out so far, and much cheaper as well.
So you're saying Fein hand makes violins in america for 1200$, get real!!!
The ad I found of their website for a violin on sale for $1389 states "This violin is made to Fein Violins' specifications in Markneukirchen, Germany, and finished in our shop by Andrew Fein."
So it is not Chinese, though I have been very pleased with my Chinese violin. I did play it against a dozen other instruments from all over the world ranging in price from well below and well above the price of the violin that out shined them all, my UCWV.
That's if you believe them, if they buy the violin wholesale from Markneukirchen, that would be $600 or less for a German factory violin, good luck finding any violin made in Germany today for that price.....
Made in Germany: Otto Jos. Klier, Roth & Junius, Karl Höfner. Price range E 600 - E 8000. Take your pick.
Okay, my experience with Fein Violins dates back to WAAAY back to when I was a 'kid', back when they were called 'Miller and Fein'. My experience was very positive, they were open and receptive and their inventory was excellent. My decision actually came down to being between one of their instruments and another.
Finishing an instrument 'made to their specifications' might include some graduation, varnish and setup, I don't know. But, if Andy says that they're made in Germany and finished at the shop in Minneapolis, that is the truth.
As far as Chinese instruments getting a bad rap; 20 or 25 years ago...yeah, they were kinda rough. That was my experience anyways; very bright, thin sounding, etc. But that's not the case anymore. I think there are some very beautiful instruments to be had. I think what is happening is that there's a bit of a carry-over of that preconception and I think sometimes (nowadays) student to intermediate Chinese instruments are put up for sale with crap setups. (string height too high, bad bridges, ill fitting sound posts, etc) All of that is 'fixable', and is not necessarily indicative of poor craftsmanship. I know I've had instruments where the maker set it up and I had to take it to my 'personal' luthier to get it 'fixed' so it suited me; the sound I want, my playing, etc. That's just kinda how it goes sometimes.
One supposition with no basis in fact:
The violin gets shipped from China to Germany where they re-do the peg fitting, or varnish it, or something else like that. That allows them to get certification that it was "made in Germany" (seriously, Germany has laws that specify how much or little work is required to determine if a product is "made in Germany"), then it's shipped to Fein, where he adjusts the bridge, etc, etc. and viola! A $1395 violin "made in Germany"
I have no problem whatsoever, if it is indeed a Chinese violin. But as Lyndon said above, your money would be better spent just buying direct from a Chinese vendor. You could likely get a comparable violin for half that price.
I've purchased over a dozen Chinese violins. I love them!
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April 13, 2014 at 12:53 PM · I assume its going to be a Chinese violin, ordered by and/or made to spec for this company, so you are going to be paying a certain premium for the label over the cost of ordering a similar quality Chinese violin direct from the manufacturer in China, I would think, see what other people say.