Questions about EH Roth Viola?

May 24, 2015 at 10:51 PM · When I see a Roth I see a good factory made instrument, but still a factory made instrument.

12K for a factory made viola is a bit expensive, I think.

If you save a bit more you can get a contemporary bench made viola that would be a better choice, I think.

May 24, 2015 at 11:58 PM · That's way overpriced for an EH Roth. Even if it was one of the top grades done by the man himself, I couldn't see it hitting the $10,000 mark, at least not yet. A number of my students have the ~1920-1930 eras Roth violins and I think the most anyone has paid to date is around the $5000 price point.

May 25, 2015 at 02:15 AM · Overpriced.

For that amount of US$ you can get a professional instrument made in Canada by a master luthier.

Send me an e-mail message for details.

May 25, 2015 at 07:56 AM · You guys are way behind the times, a really good EH Roth violin would be $8-9,000 to maybe a bit more, depends how much you like the sound, a viola could easily be $10,000 so the price is not outrageaous, and while Roth is a factory instrument it is THE top of the line German factory brand and can blow away most similarly priced contemporary violins, added to that they have incredible resale and name recognition, not only holding their value but appreciating every year. And its generally said the best Roths were built in the 20s. Also 1718 is one of the higher models, check with the factory, still in business, in Bubenreuth, Germany. They have a website and are willing to validate the serial number and give you a suggested value for a small fee.

May 25, 2015 at 02:04 PM · Lyndon is right, of course!

Back in the late 1970s (or so) one of my adult violin students stopped at a pawn shop in Winnemucca, Nevada (while on a road trip) and bought a mid-1920s E. H. Roth violin for $125 with bow and cheap case. He knew, as I did, that the market price at that time was at least 10 times higher than that. So I've kept an eye on these things since. I had a student in the late 1990s who bought one for somewhere between $8,000 and $9,000.

Andy

May 25, 2015 at 03:12 PM · If Lyndon says a Roth violin is worth $8-9000 today and Andrew's student bought one in the late 90s for the same amount, then Roth violins would seem to have not appreciated much...

Don't reject the Roth viola out of hand if it fits and you like the sound--just drive a hard bargain. Many shops have list prices that are "sucker pricing"...

May 25, 2015 at 06:15 PM · You can see a viola as an asset, as an art object or as a tool for making music.

In most of the cases the viola will be a tool for making music.

Whem I am making a viola I am mostly making a tool for making music.

May 26, 2015 at 01:37 AM · I see the violins from the 20's, the higher grade ones, going well over 10k, the 1718 mdl of Strad being a lower-middle grade.(IVR)

There were about a dozen different grades, and that partly accounts for the price differences, not to mention era.

The stuff from the 20's is much more desirable that anything after the war.

Gene: Do you work in a shop? The higher grade Roth violins from the 20's go for more than 5k at auction. The highest I personally know of is 16k, for a violin from the mid 20's.

If it is in good condition and sounds good, 12k isn't unreasonable.

You guys (and gals!) really ought to be more careful about throwing prices around and declaring a shop's price as too high or unreasonable. You haven't seen the instrument, and if you see a number of these instruments on a regular basis, you might feel differently.

May 26, 2015 at 03:16 AM · I will say it again: overpriced.

May 26, 2015 at 06:07 AM · Some people seem to be unaware of just how well made Roth violins are, impeccable craftsmanship, inset liners into proper corner blocks, one Roth I had in my shop even had the liners inset into the top and bottom blocks, very good scroll carving, in fact I think the quality of Roth craftsmanship sets them above 90% of contemporary violins in a similar price range. While I'll admit you pay a slight premium for the name stamp and label when you buy a Roth, but that name stamp and label contribute to its long term holding value and appreciating whereas contemporary violins in the same price range are almost bound to go down in value over time.

May 26, 2015 at 08:27 AM · Hi Duane, no, I don't work in a shop. I've been a private teacher for twenty years in the Southern California area. The cost of living where I am (Orange County) is rather high, so most shops charge far more than cities where the cost of living is lower.

I really like Roth violins from that time period, which is why a couple my students in the price range of ~$5000 have them. The last time I helped a student find and purchase one was back in 2011. Apparently, they used to be more plentiful and were less expensive, like Hill bows used to be. If they've been properly maintained and have a good setup they easily compete with instruments that cost much more. During college my primary instrument was one of the mid-grade Roth reproduction models (Guarneri) and it was a delight to play on. My teacher William Kennedy, who committed to playing viola for most of his later years and wasn't up to spending a lot on a violin, played a Roth as well and it is a stellar instrument (still has it), and he paid comparatively very little for it.

The only issue is that there are a lot of them out there, and they range in quality from exceptional to not-so-great. Identifying them is not a very simple matter for anyone without experience (i.e., most families and their young player), and they're also approaching a century in age, so if they haven't been maintained properly there will be issues. So when someone sticks one in front of you and says "This is a an EH Roth" with a big price tag, it doesn't hurt to be careful.

I guess the question for Amy is, how does it play?

May 26, 2015 at 10:05 AM · You are right that not all Roths are equally good, some are exceptional, and some just so so, but then that's true for many makers. What sets Roth's apart today is in additional to the label(which is not so hard to fake) they also have the stamp in the wood with a serial number above the label, this is not as easy to fake and by simply contacting the Roth factory in Bubenreuth, one can quickly learn not only if the instrument is genuine, but also what model it is and what year it was made, this is not true or possible for the vast majority of other makers out there, and sort of sets Roth's apart in the investment category.