Unusual way to buy a new violin I know!
After a good 4 years playing a very nice 7/8 violin by Christopher Rowe I sadly had to face the fact that a 7/8 was too small for my hands...I had known for a good year but could not 'part' with the violin (partly due to not wanting to let go, partly because I had not found a violin in my budget I liked more than the one I had).
I now found myself with a little budget and in the position that I could now upgrade to a full size violin I liked.
I started looking at violins, I went to a shop (same one where I bought the Christopher Rowe) and tried some, I took home 2 on trial: a John Wilkinson and another Christopher Rowe.
Whilst I had these 2 on trial I wished I could find a violin by Laura Vigato, having heard a couple of her violins and having seen some (they are beautifully made) I knew one of her violins would probably be a good match for me.
Alas, the only violins by Laura Vigato I could find were either in the States or in Japan (I am in UK).
So I decided to email Laura and ask her 'do you have any violins for sale or can I join your waiting list for you to make me one'.
she replied the same day saying she had a violin she made just 2 months ago and it was currently being shown at a violin exhibition in Italy but I could buy it and she would ship it to me as soon as the exhibition was over.
I just said 'ok, I will buy it'. Not having seen it nor heard it, I made this decision on this basis:
- if the violin was being shown surely she would rate it to be a very good example of her work (hence a nice violin)
- True, I do not know if the sounds suits me but she offered a one week's trial, I could return it if it was not 'for me'
- the other violins of hers I heard I liked
I also thought that it was such a lucky chance that I asked her and she had one she could sell, it felt like 'this was meant to be'.
She kept in email contact with me and shipped the violin via Fedex to me 6 days after we exchanged emails.
The violin arrived yesterday, at first I was not sure if I liked it more than the Christopher Rower I had on approval from the shop a week earlier BUT that one had been played into, this one was NEW/NEVER PLAYED. It sounded good so I played it for most of the afternoon yesterday and changed strings (it came with dominants, changed to Warchal Brilliant Vintage and it sounded heaps better).
By the end of yesterday after an afternoon playing it the violin changed majorly for the better and today it is changing still (for the better).
I am now in love with it and very happy to have bought it.
I took it to my violin lesson today and my teacher loved it so much he could not stop saying 'nice, I don't believe it, NICE...' he looked like he was not going to give it back :D
I have to say I am the first not to recommend to buy a violin you never saw/heard/played BUT she did say I could send it back if I did not like it which of course is the major thing, I would not have parted with all that money if she was not willing to take it back if it was not suited to me.
Laura has been extremely efficient and nice, I called her to thank her for the violin and had a good 'violin chat' with her, she loves talking violin, you can hear her passion about it in the conversation.
I am going to meet her in December when I am down in Italy, the violin varnish suffered a little imprint on the back as a result of the journey to me and she will fix that for me of course.
So it was 'unusual' but this resulted in me now having a violin I love playing and is so good I no longer miss my beautiful 7/8 I had :)
Replies (12)
Hi Jo - I tried a Vigato when I was last looking and it was definitely a high contender. Very responsive and open. Congrats - I hope you two are very happy for a long time!
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Brave move. Glad to read that it panned out OK !
I met Laura Vigato in 2011 - but didn't buy the one violin she had on offer. I'd say that her violin was a lot better than a good many offered at much higher prices that I tested at a London exhibition of Cremona work. I had another new Italian on trial, and bought that one.
Doesn't Smiley Hsu play a Vigato ?
I bought an unseen and untried viola once, sent by 'plane from Cremona. Made by Guido Trotta. No regrets. Still own it. A nice one !
David, yes Smiley owns a Vigato, he was 'teasing' ;) :D
Congrats on finding a new violin! I'm glad it panned out for you!
Post a picture!
I've bought a few instruments now...without trying them first...and haven't been disappointed. I think sometimes having too many choices at hand just muddies the water...
"..having too many choices at hand just muddies the water"
Yup. I heard that the London firm of Hills would offer a client just 3 violins in the quoted price-range - although they would have had LOADS of others stashed away.
Folk desperate to buy a Strad will seldom have a choice of several !!
Congratulations on your new violin!
I tried Vigato's violin once and it was a good one. Enjoy!
as requested here is a photo :) (well, three :D )
It's very beautiful...than you for posting those...
Let us know how it goes as you play it in!
She is a beauty, congrats !!
Congratulations. It's a definite beauty. Let us know how the break in goes. :)
The timber on your new violin looks to be better than that on the "Hobson's choice" Vigato I tried in 2011. Lucky you !
BTW you might have seen threads on which folk maintain you need to change the sound-post on a new violin several times in the first year. Don't panic !! I think that applies to the extreme "continental" climate of the USA. The UK is more temperate - some of my fiddles still have the same post in as when new - indeed, the same ones fitted back in Italy.
It's still worth getting the set-up periodically checked by a good fiddle-shop, however.
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July 13, 2014 at 05:53 AM · Congrats Jo,
I've heard that Laura Vigato makes some pretty nice instruments. ;-)