Have you heard that older violins are better? Or modern ones? There is no perfect instrument out there, despite all the known ideas out there.
According to MTMS instructor Nitin Sharma, age is one consideration of a stringed instrument’s sound. Vibrations of the wood cause the grain to loosen and expand over time. “Matured” instruments can sound so full and loud, but this is only true of a well-loved instrument, not one that is simply displayed.
The understanding is that this is all stringed instruments, including guitars and piano. There is a limit to how much this changes the sound, and the limits are more about the craftsmanship of the instrument and the quality of the wood used to create it. Some very cheap instruments have particleboard, MDF, or plywood, which is terrible due to the way those pieces have been constructed without a uniform wood grain.
Nitin’s teacher in college had a real enthusiasm for violins. “t least once a month he would come in with a different violin, different bow, or different strings and ask me how I perceived his playing. It really teaches you a lot about your instrument when you experiment with it like that and I would suggest, if you play any sort of string instrument, to start experimenting with different strings! It can make a world of difference in your sound. So many people just go with the most popular brand, like Ernie Ball for guitars or Dominant for Violins, but there are so many options out there that can really transform your instrument.”
Stringed instrument users – have you changed your strings? Have you looked into a different brand? I might change my guitar strings today, and try a brand I haven’t before.
