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When Considering a Shoulder Rest, Balance and Proper Support are Key
Finding a comfortable, balanced setup should make playing a stringed instrument that much more enjoyable and connected.
Instruments, Bows, and Gear
New Products: Tascam’s Portacapture X8 and X6 Recorders are Designed to Make Great Recordings Easy
The company’s Portacapture X8 and X6 models both offer compact frames with dual built-in mics and 32-bit “float” recording technology.
Violinist Boson Mo Found His Ideal Match in a Contemporary Instrument
Mo plays on a violin made in 2010 by the illustrious luthier Joseph Curtin
Luthier David John Morse on the Beauty of the 1740 “Ysaÿe” Guarneri del Gesù Violin
This is a standout even among instruments of starry provenance
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Hans Johannsson Celebrates His Career in Violin Making with “Echoes of the Ages” Event
At least 60 stringed instruments will be played and on display to honor his 40-plus–year career
Jonathan Moerschel’s 1590 Gasparo da Salò Viola Is a Big Instrument With a Big Sound
Moerschel plays on the “ex-Adam” Gasparo da Salò viola (Brescia) made around 1590, on loan from the Stradivari Society.
New Products: Eastman’s 7/8 Busan and 5/8 Pattern Double Basses
These basses are designed to “help you sound your best no matter how you’re built"
Violin Maker Jan Špidlen on the 1715 “Emperor” Stradivari Violin
Strings asked violin maker Jan Špidlen, "Of all the violins that inspire you, which one do you most wish you could keep? What makes it special?"
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Strumenti Offers Opportunities for Investors and Players Alike
The company loans high-end violins to artists at little or no cost while providing patron-investors with a chance to own shares in the instruments
For Composers Seeking String Sounds, There Are a Variety of Libraries to Suit the Music
Sample libraries, including those from Joshua Bell, Tina Guo, and Pēteris Vasks’ now offer more realistic and exciting options than ever before
Students at North Bennet Street School Talk About Making Their First Instruments
In the intensive three-year program, students build a total of seven instruments: six violins and one viola, which they may keep or sell.
Dan Mccarthy Takes a Deep Dive Into Early Music Equipment
McCarthy believes the more musicians know about the equipment that existed during the time a composition was written, the better they can understand the music itself
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Product News: Thomastik-Infeld Releases Dynamo String Set
Billed as ideal for orchestral players, chamber musicians, and soloists, Thomastik-Infeld’s new Dynamo violin strings are clearly meant to appeal to a wide variety of players.
Sara Caswell on What It’s Like to Play Her Norwegian Hardanger D’amore
It has a warmth to it and an age and a wisdom to its sound.
Every Small Part of the Violin Making Process Makes a Big Difference for Luthier Edgar Russ
Russ' popular YouTube channel shines a bright and interesting light on the finer details of violin making
Matt Wehling Makes Bows with Balance, Strength, Weight, and Longevity in Mind
Wehling has been making high-end bows that help players minimize their effort (while maximizing their power) and color their tone for more than 20 years
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Mike Block’s Cello Gear Has to Keep up With His Eclectic, Multi-Style Career
The “multi-style musician" plays in the Silk Road Ensemble, an American/African fusion band, a tabla duo project, an acoustic folk group, and more
Mark Wood’s Viper Electric Violin Has Enough Star Power to Make Guitarists Envious
His energy as electric as his violins, Mark Wood has been on a mission to disrupt the most venerable of musical traditions since his first day at Juilliard.
Desmond Timms Has Been Building Fine Violin Cases for Over a Quarter of a Century
As he approaches retirement, Timms is acutely aware that he is indeed “the trustee” of a long tradition of English case making.
Gear Tips for Beginning Cellists: What a Student Really Needs to Have
When starting cello lessons, it’s important for beginners to have the appropriate instrument quality and gear. So, what does a student really need to have?
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Violin Maker Jacob von der Lippe Focuses on Giving His Instruments a Signature Sound
Musicians create a signature sound. Composers do, too, obviously, and have over the centuries. Why not violin makers?
Mia Pixley’s Ripple Cello, Made with Luthier Andrew Carruthers, Pushes the Boundaries of Conventional Instrument Making
The Ripple cello blurs the lines between an electric and acoustic instrument.
The Tiny Pochette Violin Made Constant Travel a Breeze for Dance Masters of the 18th Century
A pochette, an 18th-century violin about 2/3 the size of a standard adult violin with a proportionately larger fingerboard, has contributed immensely to modern dance music, including hip-hip.
An Insider’s Guide to Violin Labels
It often comes as a surprise to learn how unreliable that paper label pasted inside your instrument can be in identifying an instrument's maker, age, and place of origin.