Are there any Violin or Cello players out there?

$5000 for a fine instrument seems pretty cheap. Would these be good for young people who can't afford $50,000?

I worked on photographing some beautiful older Italian made cellos over the course of ten years. The images are very technical and shot in large format. I think over that time we must have shot over 60 instruments, most valued in excess of what you mention. Eventually it will become a book. During that time I came to know Dr. Ray Carlsen, who established The Carlsen Cello Foundation specifically to get good instruments into the hands of gifted children who may otherwise not afford such instruments. Check the link and feel free to pass it on to anyone you think may be interested. I do not know the current status of the non-profit, nor the parameters for qualification. I have no doubt there may be other similar programs as well. My in-laws (mother and sister) are first viola and cello in the a local orchestra. I will ask them about these carbon fiber instruments and see if they have any strong opinions. From the site and comments there, they sound like a good value, as you suggest. I would also doubt they'd have the same kind of qualities a classical wooden instrument could impart, but then I'm not a musician. The difference in price certainly could mean the difference for many of having an instrument and not having one. Aren't there also programs that lease fine instruments?

It is worth considering that the majority of traditional wooden instruments past and present, like cellos, violins,etc. . . just sound very bad. However, as they have been made for so long, and there have been so many luthiers in history, there are a lot of excellent extant instruments in the morasse. The application of carbon fiber to the manufacturing of string instruments is fairly new and not yet wide spread. . . as the carbon instrument inventory grows, and related manufacturing techniques evolve, we will see more and more new technology instruments that pass high muster. Besides, new instruments need to broken in. . . sometimes for a couple of years before they sound their best. In the meantime, the question to ask is: given a certain semi-fixed budget, how does one get the sound sought after? a good carbon instrument, or perhaps a Goronok or something else? It will be a matter of personal taste. . . besides, like in audio there are means to optimize the sound of a cello. . . Some Perastro and larsen string are excellent for sweetening the sound. . . then there are different bows, bridges, tail pieces, end pins. . . and sound posts. . . they all make a significant difference. . . and it is no New Age mumbo-jumbo either. Sounds eerily and audiophilically familiar? G.

Vibrational patterns within a wooden instrument can be realigned with the proper singular substitution of a component part of an endpin. The aperture/void to receive the end pin makes for an almost complete disconnect between the front,back, top, bottom and sides of the instrument.Unless this void is filled properly all facets of the instrument will not fire in a single coherent breath. Endpins in general are meant to be adjustable stands of convenience just like a microphone stand is misunderstood. When in fact the endpin and a microphone stand should be considered a tuned extension of the actual device or instrument..such as a tonearm being driven by a phono cartridge. When proper material, geometry and mechanical coupling are applied vibrational patterns can be re aligned and re-fired from previous and present themselves as a more focused, coherent, tuneful and dynamic sound that is easily heard, recordable and measureable. Carbon fiber is not a part of this musical alignment. Tom

Tom, this endpin you are talking about, can we see it, where is information available.

Guido - I know more about guitars than violins but certain things are common. Everybody knows about presence, projection, sustain, separation and tone but the tone is mentioned most often (simplification). There were attempts to build synthetic guitar to no avail - perhaps because of complexity of sound.

Another issue is price of the instrument and our American set of values. There is a luthier in the small German town who makes absolutely perfect guitars (Matthew Daman). David Russell plays on one of them. They cost about $20k - typical for guitar of this class but wait period to get one is 9 years. From the business point of view it doesn't make any sense (why not charge more?) but for him 9 years of waiting is a better prize than money.