Details

Artisanal. Small-batch. Boutique. Usually such adjectives are associated with premium prices in the American market. However, these traits can still be found in competitively priced instruments from the Core Select Series.

Over the last 100 years, in every area where there has been a mass production of stringed instruments, a few master makers have broken away from the "factory group" and established themselves in small private workshops. Think of Germans suck as Roman Teller, Rudolf Buchner, Bruno Paulus, and a few others.

Now this has happened in China. While the factories make some very nice "step-up" instruments, a few makers who have nothing to do with the large manufacturers have established small workshops where these highly trained masters make very small quantities of artist-level instruments.

The Core Select mast makers have often trained in Europe or America, and many have earned awards and medals in various global competitions. Their skill and talent is world-class. Their assistants learn the finer aspects of the craft by working alongside the master over years and years. Like anything made by hand, it's not a quick process, and to do it well takes long-term commitment and patience.

The Core Select CS1350 is a beautifully finished violin, crafted from Chinese maple and European spruce and tastefully antiqued with a light gold-brown hand-applied spirit varnish. Its medium-dark tone color speaks with a strong, clear voice and offers very good projection. It has been fitted with ebony Parisian eye pegs and end button, ebony tailpiece, Despiau "C" level French bridge, and Guarneri model ebony chinrest. This instrument has also been equipped with Larsen Virtuoso strings. This would make an excellent intermediate instrument for the advancing student and a wonderful gigging fiddle for the professional!

Case and bow sold separately.