Interesting Comparison (NMC)

[MikeEdgerton]

Well, actually there is a mandolin on the shelf behind him. Compares a $62.00 Amazon violin to much more expensive violins.

[trabb]

I'll be honest. I don't think the $280,000 one sounded 4516.13 times better than the $62 one.

[George R. Lane]

The second one had the best tone to my ears. The $62.00 was very sharp sounding to me, it had no soul.

[James Miller]

That last one sounded so sweet. Agree, the $62 felt blank/empty ... like a Rogue.

And for a mere $700 you can get a Hurdy Gurdy kit!

[Jim Garber]

Well, that proves something, for sure. Maybe.

Personally, I did not like that guy's playing anyway—I hope he wasn't a friend of yours, Mike.

I am not sure what the point of the video was, or at least the point of the $62 violin. It would have been better for someone looking for a student violin to compare the $62 with ones maybe in the $500-1000 range.

Anyway, carry on.

[MikeEdgerton]

Jim, I thought you knew him. He said he was your friend. It's interesting to read the comments on the video itself. I too don't understand why he wasn't stepping up the comparison in smaller increments. How does it sound next to a $400.00 fiddle would be a more interesting comparison at least to me.

[CarlM]

After the recent bit of silliness where the poster tried making a backhand insinuation that there was no real difference between his Kentucky mandolin and a Loar or Gilchrist, that it is all placebo effect it was a good comparison, though it would have been nice to have something another step up as well.

[James Miller]

<snipped>I too don't understand why he wasn't stepping up the comparison in smaller increments. How does it sound next to a $400.00 fiddle would be a more interesting comparison at least to me.

Was wondering too about the serious gap from $62 when he asked the other fella about the next higher up version that was affordable. I would not say $130K is not in the "affordable" range (1:29). And the fella said was more than most people's cars.

Would hardly say that "Thunderstruck" like the 2Cellos was the best theme of musical prowess. 2 Cellos did an outstanding job at it though!

Those guys sure can cut strings on them bows!!!

[James Miller]

Tried to find a comparison video of the more cheap to advanced levels and guess there are none. But, there was this lovely young woman comparing bows that was more entertaining.

[Jim Garber]

Tried to find a comparison video of the more cheap to advanced levels and guess there are none. But, there was this lovely young woman comparing bows that was more entertaining.

Unclear whether she knew which bow was which. The main difference I heard was that she played a lot louder in the fast passage with the highest priced bow than the others. Once again, I don't see what it proves. Maybe nothing.

My wife is also a fiddler but for many years she played with an old funky bow so for her birthday a few years ago I did a bow trial with Shar Music and I picked out 4 carbon fiber bows from about $300-600 and I didn't tell her what the prices were and I played them for her and she played them. She ended up with one that she liked. I actually liked the most expensive one but I am used to better bows (relatively). I do know though that there is a limit to what actually makes a difference in my playing. I have a feeling that playing a $5000 bow would not help my playing and a $40,000 one certainly would not either. I probably might feel some difference but a seasoned classical performer playing some upper-level piece might find one better for his or her playing.

[Ivan Kelsall]

As i don't play Violin,the comparisons above are of academic interest only - are there any similar mandolin comparison videos ie. a Collings (for instance), against a Gibson MM / Gilchrist F style & a Lloyd Loar ??. It could be another eye (ear ?) opener !,
Ivan

[FLATROCK HILL]

This is not a comparison sound clip, just a demonstration posted by Chanmandolin a little over a year ago of his $199.00 MK:

https://soundcloud.com/user-467361538/big-sciota Pretty impressive.

If necessary for comparison purposes, I'm sure I could provide a clip of a much more expensive mandolin sounding worse.

[LadysSolo]

The bow can make a HUGE difference. I am teaching myself violin, and when I wanted to start, my SO bought me a $100 starter violin package. So about a year later I was at an estate auction and there was a violin for auction. A family member played it (demonstration) and it sounded phenomenal! I paid $150 for the violin and bow, and brought it home. I played my starter violin with the auction bow, and it sounded about 20 times better! The bow made the difference, the violin did not change.

[James Miller]

I'd me almost tempted to try a violin, except the neighbors would no doubt riot.

One neighbor was telling the landlord today: "He's getting better. I can sit and listen to him from the front porch almost anytime, but not at 1AM."

[MikeZito]

I FULLY REALIZE that the inexpensive violin in the first video was most likely made of cheap laminated wood that will most likely never 'open up' with age - but to me the difference in tone sounded very similar to a good 'new' mandolin, when compared with one of similar quality that has 'opened up' over the course of years . . . which makes some sense in the violin video, because some of those instruments were over 300 years old!

Also - like James in the post above . . . the video almost tempted me to try taking up the violin again; but in my first attempt to learn, I never got past the stage where it sounded like I was torturing a cat.