I`ve chanced upon many Chinese violins whose looks are superb, they look like they are some ten over thousand dollars kind of violin, with all the grains, and flaming, but they do not sound 1/10 as good as they look. On the contrary some very good European violins that i`ve tried looks cheap.

Don`t some of them, though, tend to look like Ruritanian Hussars? All gaudy colour and embellishments rather than the understated elegance of the Guards.

I agree with you Jeff, I shy away from anything with fancy carving or inlays. I can accept a Parisian eye on the bow frog or tailpiece, but curling ivy scrolls along the ribs, mother of pearl inlay on the fingerboard, go-faster stripes in the table or fancy carving on the back, just look gaudy and tacky to me. Turns the violin into a Pearly King.

I`ve seen a lot of violins that looked distressed, but I think it`s genuine wear and tear. A while ago I was asking about the difference between antique and antiqued, and the distressed look is what I think of as antiqued - trying to look older than it is.

You would NOT like the look of my `new` violin then...lots of inlay...LOL...

I wonder went it`ll be ready to come home...<i>waits anxiously for the phone to ring...

This forum, I`ve just noticed, has NO edit feature.

Not good for someone who makes many typos.

You would NOT like the look of my `new` violin then...lots of inlay...LOL...

Why not? I don`t know too much about violins but, I can take a line through guitars, hi-fi and golf clubs. You say you like the tone of your violin so, it would seem, the decoration does not detract from the sound.

It`s the "all fur coat and no knickers" approach that I don`t like. Spectacular flaming, flashing lights (on hi-fi) or complicated shapes (golf clubs). All eye candy and no quality.

By the way, if you want your violin to arrive quickly, then use my never fail system. Just wait a few days and then phone to ask when it`ll be sent. They ALWAYS tell you that it`s just been sent or is due to go off in the next post.

Hi all, I am new here. I hope you all can share your experience. For me, looks is important. I don`t like all strange looks of modern violin nowadays. Like the electric violin used by Vanessa Mae (If i am not mistaken the brand is Zetta/Zeta) or electric violins used by Bond, that has stranges shape, not like acoustic violin. ButI do like the ones that are produced by Yamaha and the colour must be like "fire". Wish that I could afford to buy it.

I think it`s hard not to be at least somewhat influenced by the look of a muscial instrument - especially one that is just intrinsically attractive, like the violin. Maybe it`s harder in some other instruments, like tubas and the really ugly organ we have at our church?

Jeff? I said that because it has lots of mother of pearl inlay re: pearly king!

I should phone the shop and check on it. Hope it`s okay!

They can look strange, and be made of "strange" materials.

My electric is made from a mix of carbon fibre, glass fibre, and kevlar... so in principle, it`s bulletproof

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