I buy a violin from the supermarket!
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- Опубликовано: 1 мар 2023
- Master Violin maker Olaf Grawert buys a violin from an Aldi supermarket for $99.99 and reviews it. Olaf shares what often needs to be done when someone buys a AU$100 (US$65) violin and comes into his shop.
Also check out the difference between a $100 and $700 violin with a good set up.
It can cost people over $400 to get a cheap violin working well!!
Be fully informed when you buy your next instrument. Get Olaf's free 7 essentials when buying an instrument report here: olafgrawertviolinstudio.com/7...
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![Professional Violinist Rates Musicians in Movies [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k2lUfKeV9hA/mqdefault.jpg)
Love these "violin" review videos and the ones you do for real violins. I know they are painful to make, but we love them!
Pfffft. Everyone knows that the finest wooden violins come from Piggly Wiggly; the Cremona of grocery stores.
I think you should buy it if you want to. I bought a cheap violin from Amazon and took up teaching myself from you tube, and then I found I liked it and so started in-person lessons. The cheap VSO allowed me to start a hobby with a small investment, that way if violin playing wasn't for me then I hadn't wasted a lot of money. It wasn't precious so I didn't mind when I broke a string or banged it. I let others have a try without panicking. I decided that if I kept regular practise and achieved a set grade level then my reward would be a proper violin. I would never have had the courage to invest in a proper violin at the start, when I knew nothing, so without the cheap VSO I would never have learnt to love violin playing. I am forever grateful for the existence of a cheap VSO, as a gateway to a lifetime of enjoyable violin music making.
I get your point, but buying a bad instrument can be a very bad idea. Because the instrument can simply be unplayable, or very uncomfortable.
I remember trying to play my first guitar, it was awful, although I'm a patient and persistent (aka stubborn 😂) person. When I bought a new - good quality - guitar I realised how different a good instrument actually is.
But yh, I'm glad it worked out for you tho
Great mindset!
Renting a decent beginner violin for a few months is better gateway, and won't cost much more !
I’m an ukulele instructor. I’ve seen quite a few USOs that just made me wanna cry. It hurts to tell a beginner that they’ve been sold a gig bag full of kindling. At the same time, I’ve been given ukuleles by people that were worth over $1000.00. They had no idea what they had. I to,d them, and they didn’t care, or maybe they didn’t believe me.
I don't suppose Vivaldi would have used an Aldi violin. Even if Aldi is in his name.
Superb!
I have a really cheap violin, much worse than that one even, and the one thing I like about it is that I don't care if anything happens to it. I can throw it in a bag when I am going camping, take it to the beach, hell even play it in the rain. I have a better violin, but that one has to be taken care of. There is something to be said for having a violin that you don't need to worry about.
I agree 100%. I do the same, and I can afford three cheap violins. I keep one at my daughters house and two with me. The second one is for cross tuning. By the way, know the difference between a violin and a fiddle? You don’t spill beer on a violin. 😅
yeah
it'd be cooler if it stayed together during that stuff though
I think cheap instruments are probably okay to learn things like posture and bow hold, and scales on, but when it gets to playing beautifully, it’s nice to have a good instrument. 🙂
how can it be worse? that is not possible surely
@@kanatsizkanatli On my one the ribs and blocks are actually plastic.
this violin sounds like my skill level
I wonder if Twoset has a "Professional Soloists Play Grocery Store Violins" video 🤔
I got a violin of eBay for $12.50 USD. The problems with it missing a peg only had two strings and the bridge was inside the instrument and knocked the sound poste out. Got new parts including D'Addario HELICORE Violin string set and professionally reinstalled sound post. Good enough for me.
Your Vivace violin looks like an instrument I wish I had when I started out. My first violin was a $175 "Palatino" my dad bought for me, and for the first 2 years of my playing I was constantly wishing I had something better.
of course it being 100 bucks will show its flaws BUT for ppl on a really tight budget it might still be better than nothing at all. i would have spent my money on it back in the 90s / early 2000s when i was a kid / teen and not allowed to take lessons or play at home. just to get started somewhere…
I agree. For some, a $100 is a fortune, as is the cost of a rental, an obvious alternative for having a solid instrument. And so the question is - can a minimal setup (especially fixing the strings hight, which Olaf said can be done), make it more usable? Ok, it will not sound great at all, but most beginners will not sound great on a Strad… So what I like in this review is the list of issues, some are fixable so not, but it appears that one might at least have access to play, and hopefully afford an upgrade later.
@@ezraschwartz5201 Yes, my experience on cheap string instruments (I have owned 3 violins, a viola, a cello and a contrabass, though I currently only have 2 violins, one electric and one acoustic) is that the biggest problem is usually the set up as it takes time so the cheap manufacturers just slap the instrument together and ship it without setting it up. Another problem is that the factory strings are just terrible as good violin strings cost about half of the price of these instruments. Cutting the nut and bridge for correct string height and fitting decent strings makes a huge difference in both playability and sound and is really not hard for anyone who has done some woodworking before.
Aldi music special buys!!! lol ... I stayed clear of the violin but I did get the piano stool, drum stool and a the music stand. They aren't the best but better than nothing and money is tight. Just with an instrument it's got to be a reasonable standard. Especially if you are still trying to master the instrument.
Thank you for making this video and talking about what the problems are!
My first violin some 15 years ago was much like this one. The biggest problems were the setup and the factory strings, by cutting the nut and bridge to reasonable height and installing better strings I got it to play well enough for me to learn for a couple of years. A friend of mine wanted to buy it after trying it so I sold it and got myself another rather cheap violin, this one cost about 250€ and it was acceptably setup from the beginning so I only changed the strings. I still have that one and it's still fine, holds tune very well and sounds good enough for my skills as I don't play violin that much nowadays.
The good thing about cheap instruments is you can learn to work on them yourself without being afraid of ruining an expensive one. I wouldn't dare take a knife or a file to something costing hundreds or thousands but a 100-200 violin? No problem and they can be significantly improved by a competent DIY-person.
It’s absolutely worth saving up to buy a good instrument. Couldn’t be happier with the one I got from Olaf it’s awesome.
Sooo... will we see another video in which you try to fix a cheap violin?
Also: this is exactly the kind of object I would buy if I had to outfit a stage show with cheap props or if I just wanted something decoratively musical for my living room without the ambition to ever play it.
He already made one: ruclips.net/video/j4FwtJjxpTA/видео.html
Might make a nice music box. Or a wall clock.
I love that you point out what is wrong so we can fix up a cheap one and learn to play. I got one for forty bucks off ebay. The nut was so high you couldn't press the first note on the fingerboard. I filed it down but it could go more. I'm slightly above a mm on each side with the g being higher but at least it's playable. I rounded my bridge correctly and sanded off a 1/4 inch and it could go down further as well.
As a beginner my viola is the forenza prima 2 which at the time was around £110 but I had asked a luthier to buy and set it up for me, so I never got to hear it straight as the box, which ended up being almost £400 altogether. I've talked to someone who has the same instrument but bought it directly from the shop and said it was definitely worth the money, it sounds and plays well, good enough for a beginner. Ive checked again and now it is £160 and the bow is now hardwood not Brazilwood but the rest looks like it is the same. It can be bought from: Amazon and Ebay but best I think would be from Normans Instruments.
Hope this is of some use.
Also thanks very much olaf for making these videos they are very informative and useful. Much appreciated!
A valuable VSO review, thank you!
I'm no Violin expert, but I do have some expertise in the Guitar world. My opinion is this, I believe the biggest thing holding this piece back (aside from it's poor quality construction) is the thick, artificial "varnish". It's most likely tinted polyurethane paint. That's bound to dampen some of the tonal qualities of the Instrument. I wonder if you stripped all of the artificial varnish off, used real varnish on it, and set it up properly would it have a decent sound? That's just my 2 cents for what it's worth.
Fascinating... I could say that for someone on a budget, wanting to give it a go, it might be worth it but having to press down hard on the strings would prove painful for starters! Shall make a note of the measurements and angles you gave, Olaf. Most useful though my (rented) violin was set up by a luthier so should be bang on!
Olaf...
Loving your channel from S. Wales 🏴UK
OMG, an ALDI violin! I love it! 🤪😂
My wife is a middle school strings teacher, she spends hours trying to make these thing playable because the parents won't even spend the money to have the bridges set up or pegs fit professionally. The kids struggle to play and can never get a good sound, its terribly frustrating for them.
Hi Olaf! It's Dave in Raleigh, North Carolina USA. What a bargain! Where else can you find a brand new fiddle for ninety nine dollars? Aldi is a German grocery chain. Do they sell a German violin? The sound isn't great, but it plays. Why don't you fit a good quality bridge and set a real sound post. Perhaps you have nice ebony chin rest with Hill clamps and a good tailpiece and a Hill and Sons E string tuner. A set of Perastro Wondertone strings and you're in business. The strings would probably cost nearly as much as the fiddle. Might sound okay enough, though. I still don't know what possessed you to buy a violin in a grocery store. It'd almost be like walking into a violin shop and finding that they're having a sale on milk! Do those things to it and invite Brett and Eddie over to do a video on it so we can hear all three of you laugh and grumble about it.
Olaf, you're awesome and I love your style. I was a luthier for years and I'm retired now. My vision is so poor that I can no longer work, but since finding you on You Tube I can hang out in your shop and vicariously play around with fiddles any time I please and I want to thank you for that. Your channel is certainly one of my favorites and is extremely entertaining! Keep up the good work!
Those cheap violins are awful! But... I think they are good for children (or even adults) who are starting out. The whole "music store rental" situation is such a scam and they charge way too much for cheap violins that having a $100 violin available to purchase outright is a really wonderful option for parents. (At least this is a thing in the US, not sure about other countries). Also, you really don't want to give a nice violin to a child, even the most careful child will break it. I do think these cheap options have a place in this world and are a good thing for starters. Great video Olaf!!!!!!
you guys got better aldis than we have here.
Violin-shaped object 🤣🤣🤣
Hey Olaf, good to meet you in West End today, great video
Thanks...
Great to meet you today...
Let's keep in touch.
It's fairly easy to find my socials...
Are you likely to see what it does after fitting a new bridge, strings and sound post?
I do have to wonder how much it would be improved just by fixing the bridge and post. Still a VSO, obviously, but for $100, enough for a beginner on a budget until they can get a better one?
I have personally always enjoyed Aldous Huxley's "Brave New Violin".
lot of fun. thank you. just curious - what do you do with that thing? expensive firewood ? set it up best you can and give idt to an orphanage or something? start your own termite farm?...
Back in 2005, the One Laptop per Child initiative asked: can we create a good laptop for a $100 and make global computer literacy possible? I have one, and also donated one for someone in need. They were real. And since then, low cost laptops are a reality that did not hurt Apple, for those who want their products. Dear Olaf, thank you for this video: In looking at many of the defects you pointed out, do think that in fact, with good design and manufacturing at scale, is it possible to create a good violin? Hand crafted violins will preserve their value, but millions of people world-wide will be able to access such instruments. From all your VSO reviews so far (great term) , it is clear that no one has yet been inspired to create a good instrument, but perhaps the opportunity is there?! Thank you, love your work!
I have my first violin sitting here while watching this and went over the measurements as you listed them and I'm honestly surprised. I'm starting to wonder what I got for $50 at that pawn shop many years ago, because these measurements are on point. Granted, I did reshape the bridge recently because something just didn't seem right to me. My only real issue is that it's a 3/4. Didn't know anything when I got it, so it's too small. But I have a Stainer copy shipping in from overseas. Hopefully it's not in too poor of condition, but I'm sure the fingerboard definitely needs plaining. I can tell from the images that it's definitely been played a lot.
Would love to see you do the same with common student violins like an Eastman.
My Cello was pretty cheap, tho luckily playable, and doesn’t sound… too bad. But I want an expensive one so bad, I feel like playing a cheaper instrument doesn’t give music justice, lol.
(And the crappy finetuners is what I have trouble with on my cello.)
Sadly, where I live, there is no luthier… anywhere. The closest one is probably 2 or 3 hours from me. 😭
Can you adjust it and play again?
It will be interesting to see how long it takes before he gets a letter from Aldi's attorneys. I do agree a bad instrument can ruin a new students experience and put them off learning.
Do you have a list of “good” started violins?
This is all about technology and labor prices. The rudimentary setup can be done by anyone with some patience. This shouldn't be a problem if you are going to learn to play it in the first place.
The 75 $ telescope how ever, the Bresser, was okay for that price, Good enough for the Moon :)
Did you return the VSO after filming?
where did u get that violin from
We need a flat bridge society shirt.
buzzing in the left audio channel
Cheap sometimes means overbuilt which sometimes is a good thing for purely practicing and writing
Huh!? You some groceries plus a violin!? I don't remember seeing that in the local store!
In a analytical note: I see why the sound is very different from the fake violin from a beginner violin. Ouch for the fake to have many misalignments. I mean if you have something for a spare and wouldn't mind for damage then this spare can work!
Aldi in Australia is selling that violin for AUD$41.99 right now, I don't think there's an argument not to buy it.
I wonder what the market is for this instrument. There are a couple of comments mentioning parents who need to get their child an instrument for a strings class but wouldn’t they need a factional violin? Someone else mentioned that a VSO is great if you want to do some DIY work but that’s probably rare. Selling this by a supermarket is probably counting on impulse buying and then hoping these buyers won’t become unhappy customers. Perhaps people don’t even know that there exists places that just sell instruments from the violin family and maybe the supermarket would let you post an ad in the store rather than have unhappy customers.
There are people out there with childten who need to pay off a lot of karma. Is there a dtum set to go with these fine instruments. ?
My first guitar was from Aldi and in hinsight it was horrible as well
The neck on the VSO looks wierd, it may even cause a repetitive strain injury.
"Wooden"... I've heard of violins made out of sheet metal or faience, so it's good that they specifed that it's made out of wood.
We bought our daughter on of these as a beginner as her school wanted $250 just to hire a violin, the bridge isn't as flat as your one so shows the lack of quality control. I found the pegs only just fit and are easily knocked loose while tuning.
Your first step to Carnegie Hall for 100$. Congrats!
Interesting VSO
The best solution for this violin - if you still have it - might be to make a video showing when you open it.
- Close-ups of this violin vs a similarly sized one made by you!
- Are the lid and base hollowed out from the inside as well?
- What is all right and wrong about it?
You can always reassemble it and let customers compare and decide why they want a more expensive violin for their child. But I don't recommend you start selling junk.
I completely understand a bad violin can lead to a bad experience playing but sometimes that’s all some people can afford. Maybe try to find an old used violin off eBay but unfortunately money can be a hurdle
I wonder if the $69 violin Ray Chen bought off Amazon has the right dimensions
I think even if it didn't, at his playing level he can make it sound amazing 😍
Unfortunately that same principle usually doesn't work for beginners and learners.
It becomes a hindrance.
I'm willing to bet the soundpost is really tight choking the sound.
I saw a man playing a brass violin on you tube. What do you think of that? It was very loud. Peace
Gotta have a fiddle in the band!
But only if you play in Texas
haha "it's shocking!"
That thing reminds me of the Kapok guitar that used to be sold in the Coles and Woolies variety stores for about $20 at the time (probably $100 in today's money) They were atrocious. They came fitted with steel strings. You tune one string and the unstabilized neck would move as you tried to tune the next string. They also had pathetic sound quality. They really weren't any better if you fitted them with nylon strings
Aldi had a ukulele a few years ago, I think less than 20 Euros and definitely unplayable. Instead of proper tuners it had simple plastic pegs stuck through holes in the neck and held on with a screw. If the screws were loose it wouldn't hold tuning for even a second, if they were tight the pegs wouldn't turn. My dad got it from someone who was about to throw it away and took it without looking too closely. Now it's at my work place waiting if someone wants to salvage it for the materials, it's mostly plywood.
@@Ragnar8504 Well at least it wasn't plastic
Of course its a horrible violin but what would you expect for $100 . Many people with interest cannot buy too much more then that , your not guaranteed a decent instrument for even $500. In my opinion the instruments sold should be in a playable ( setup ) condition . I'm a middle aged person with an interest in cello and /or viola but it is difficult to justify the cost when a high level intermediate cello is around 6k ( thats about the cost of 3 of my professional bass guitars ).
You should make it into a clock or something.
Looks like it was dipped in epoxy 😂
I made the mistake of buying this kind of quality from Amazon. I really didn't enjoy the sound it made. I found one for $800, & really don't mind sounding like a beginner on it. There is a difference.
The harsh tones of the Aldi are amazing (-ly bad)
Handy for the people fake playing to audio tracks outside in the parking area though!
i have a really dumb question😂
what is the music from the biginning
it is wonderful (❁´◡`❁)
Antique 1800s Violin With Old MINECUT RUBY Pair Of Gemstone Eyes Oddity?
That look like my violin
i bought my old 3/4 violin for $100 and it sounded better than that. but that's probs bc it wasn't from aldi. then we found out it was actually worth $50
Oof. Instrument tat. :( (Seeing you get this from Aldi made me think of Dr. Ashen.)
Maybe the difference is more obvious in person but if we blind tested the sound on this youtube video I doubt people would consistently choose one over the other.
I'm collecting all the ALDI instruments lol -previous experience with cheap violins is that they are an utter waste, similar with guitars made cheapy.
Gad Zukes! 😲
Well, it could have been a canoe... :)
Cut it open! We want to see the horror that lies within!!😂
Cheap violins usually require some work to make them playable. So beginners should not buy them unless they know someone that can do the adjustments for cheap, else it's not really worth the low starting price.
Yup having same problems. Now I have 3. So maybe cannibalize and make a decent one out of 3. Bridges are the worst but now I know what else to look for. Thank you so much.
Did you take it back for a refund? Or give it to a charity for a tax write off?
I'm torn on whether this is enabling someone to start a hobby, or is it ending the hobby in an instant, when the playing will be dreadful. The thing is, we do need decent, cheap alternatives to the 700 dollar violins. In the world of increasing inequality 700 dollars is simply out of reach for many aspiring beginners.
I agree. I teach a variety of ages and skill levels. ESPECIALLY beginners need something that they can knock about, bang up, and generally squeak on at the start. The skills to produce a tolerable sound come with time and practice. There is no shortcut...
But you make crap sound beautiful either way!!!!!!
dear gods, you made a comment about buying a violin at aldi during a vid with 2set last year(maybe?)... I thought it was a joke.
That's probably one of the worst VSO ever caught on camera!
Aldi is my favorite grocery. But shame on them for selling this!
Buy cheap; get Cheap.
User manual,lol!
wow the strings in the picture on the box aren't even in the right position, just started watching the video. hopes for this one are low
I just bought one.
Brought it home.
Started setting it up, the bridge had NO slots at all. Like, NONE. There was pencil markings over the bottom of it too.
I noticed the G string was a little, frayed?
"oh well f*ck it" I thought.
Not even a quarter turn on the head and "TOING"
yep. Trash.
Gonna take it back for a refund. That's what you get from a cheap violin though I suppose.
EDIT: I'm not foreign to these instruments by any means, but these really are cheap garbage that'll ruin your experience around violins if you have high expectations for them.
I’d suggest you return it and get your money back
hahaha "wooden". Maybe you can use some bits of it for shims or something!
Wow this Aldi violin is actually good. Your analysis is way off. Saying its a terrible violin because it has cheap strings (then change them!), and because the height of the strings (adjust the bridge height & shape, this is not part of the violin.. if you have a Strad and you put a new bridge which is not yet adjusted (and cheap strings), then that Strad is a terrible violin? What kind of logic is that?
It's shh...ocking. I appreciate your civility. 💩
Never buy any musical instruments from a grocery store.
Yes! The milk was definitely much better than the violin 🤣
I find it so sad that people buy instruments like this because they are so hard to play and they sound awful. The players will get discouraged and quit. If you can't afford to buy a decent beginner instrument, look into renting one. You can also look for used instruments--though you should have a teacher or other skilled musician help you "vet" the instrument. String or wind, cheap instruments are NEVER worth it.
They all sound the same with your playing the others are not 4/4 YOU DID NOT MENTION THAT!
They were all 4/4 violins...
😒😑hate stuff when they make is cheep and poorly made even if it's on the lower end.