The orchestral string instrument family is made up of violin, viola, cello and double bass. In this article we will discuss the components and manufacturing of strings and give our recommendations in order to assist schools, parents and players to choose the most appropriate instrument for their needs.

The Components of a Violin We will start by looking at the violin, how it is made and its various component parts, all of which are important to the quality of the finished instrument. Whilst concentrating on the violin these comments are equally pertinent for the other instruments of the string family.

Bridge The bridge is an important part of the violin in terms of sound and playability and its correct fitting is vital. The more expensive the bridge, the higher quality of the wood (maple) used.

Pegs and End Pins Pegs are generally made of ebony, rosewood or boxwood although some cheaper instruments use stained hardwood (usually pearwood). Correct fitting is important as tight pegs may cause damage to the instrument and loose pegs may slip and cause tuning problems.

Tailpieces Tailpieces are traditionally of the same wood as the pegs however over recent years the use of alloy and composition tailpieces with integral adjusters for use with metal and pearlon cored strings has greatly increased.

Tailguts
Traditional gut is now rarely used and the nylon adjustable tailguts are almost universal.

Adjusters
Integral adjusters are now the norm on student instruments although a single adjuster on the E is more appropriate for instruments fitted with pure gut strings.

Chinrests Chinrests are traditionally ebony, rosewood, boxwood or stained hardwood although plastic chinrests are generally accepted by teachers for student instruments.

Fingerboards
As a fingerboard will wear with use, the best material is ebony which can be re-shaped or scraped smooth. Stained rosewood is perfectly acceptable for student use; stained whitewood is only used for the very cheapest instruments.

Bass Bar
The bass bar is made from pine or spruce and is glued to the front adding support and tension. Any part of the bar that is unglued will cause vibration. The bass bar is an integral part of the soundboard for the transmission and quality of the lower notes.

Soundpost
The soundpost combines with the bass bar and bridge to create the "nervous system" of the instrument, these pieces playing a vital part in the quality of the final tone and sound. A well-fitted soundpost will release the full potential of the instrument; one poorly fitted will do the exact opposite. Located just behind (tailpiece side) the treble foot of the bridge, it conveys the treble vibrations directly to the back of the instrument, whilst acting as a fulcrum to allow the bass bar to vibrate fully.

Purfling
Purfling (originally whalebone) is made from dyed wood, such as poplar and pear, or fibre. It is inserted into a channel cut into the front and back, usually after the body of the instrument has been assembled. Its presence is more than just decorative, as it also acts as a guard against cracks spreading from the edge of the instrument. Some low quality violins have painted purfling which performs no useful purpose.

F Holes
F Holes are cut with a fret saw and then carefully finished with a knife. In addition to allowing the sound from the instrument, their size and shape give flexibility to the front.

Bows The bow acts as an extension to the arm, and should be able to transfer any minute nuances that the player intends. Because of this, the weight, (around 60g for a 4/4 violin bow) balance, spring and "feel" of a bow must be right.

The best bows are made from a dense, slow growing wood known as Pernambuco. Its dense fibres are ideal for the fine shaping necessary to form a bow, and the wood takes to being "sprung" extremely well. It is characteristically a deep red-brown colour, with a perceivable grain. It can be distinguished from its cheaper, faster growing cousin, Brazilwood, which has a grayer appearance, and a wider grain and is used for student bows. Other materials are also used for the bow stick; there are some good student fibreglass bows fitted with natural hair (such as the P&H brand), and carbon fibre is increasingly being used for better quality bows.

Strings Steel mono core strings (such as Dogal Green and Astrea) are the norm for student instruments. Steel flexible core strings (such as Helicore) are very flexible and particularly popular for cello and bass. Synthetic gut (Dominant, Tonica etc) are favored by many student and professional players whilst genuine gut core strings (usually Pirastro Olive or Eudoxa) are found on the finest instruments. With genuine gut core strings an adjuster can only be used on the violin E string, (which is usually metal).

Set Up
Before every stringed instrument is dispatched from Normans it is set up to a high standard and rigorously tested to ensure the instrument is set to play to its full potential when you receive it. Component parts of this procedure include:

Soundpost set up
Bridge and nut profiled
Pegs tested for correct fitting
Feet of bridge adjusted for optimum contact with front
String height set to Stentor standard recommendations
Strings and adjusters checked
Bow tested for tension and straightness
All key components tested

Please note, all instruments are delivered with their bridge down to reduce the risk of damage in transit. This can easily be re-erected by your teacher.

What size violin for a child?
The importance of a child using the correct size of instrument cannot be over stressed. To size up the child, the instrument should firstly be held by the student in the playing position. An instrument of the correct size will allow the player to extend their left arm and comfortably cover the scroll with their hand, without stressing the elbow. The gap between the arm and violin back should be wide enough for a fist

In calculating the size of an instrument, a measurement is taken along the back excluding the heel button. The table below gives APPROXIMATE average sizes of violins & bows. There are variances from these:

SIZE AGE BACK LENGTH BOW LENGTH 4/4 Violin 9-ADULT 355 mm Bow 723 mm 3/4 Violin 8-11 330 mm Bow 698 mm 1/2 Violin 6-10 315 mm Bow 610 mm 1/4 Violin 4-7 280 mm Bow 540 mm 1/8 Violin 3-5 260 mm Bow 512 mm 1/10 Violin 3-5 240 mm Bow 495 mm 1/16 Violin 3-5 215 mm Bow 432 mm

Recommendations

Student Violins
There are a large number of competing brands available within the UK market place most of which (such as Primavera and Antoni) come from Chinese trading companies and offer adequate performance. However, we generally recommend Stentor products.

Stentor, (a British company, established in 1895) are world market leaders in the manufacture of student stringed instruments and are the only independent company with a wholly owned violin factory in China. Consequently the instruments are typically of a good tone and consistent quality.

Stentor I v Stentor II
Stentor student instruments fall into two categories, namely the I and II series. Stentor II instruments offer enhanced specifications and build quality over and above the standard Stentor I models.

Both ranges feature solid carved table and back, inlaid purfling, metal tailpiece with integral adjusters, quality lightweight case and are available in all sizes from 1/16 to full sizes (4/4). The Stentor I features rosewood pegs and blackened fingerboard whereas the Stentor II has ebony pegs, nut, saddle and fingerboard.

For the most flamboyant of young players! there is a range of coloured Harlequin violin outfits. These are based on the specifications of the Stentor I instrument.

We generally recommend the Stentor I for very young players (who might quickly outgrow their instrument) whereas more advanced players using 3/4 or 4/4 violins generally opt for the higher specification Stentor II.

Intermediate Violins The Stentor Conservatoire is designed for the intermediate student and offers a high standard at a reasonable cost. The violin is hand carved from attractive tonewoods and comes complete with a professional style oblong case. Whilst available in a number of sizes we typically sell full size outfits to more experienced students.

Advanced Student Outfits For advanced students we generally recommend the Stentor Messina which are superb handcrafted instruments carved from selected and figured tonewoods. These instruments are made in specialist workshops within the Stentor factory, where the most skilled individual workers work under the close supervision of a master maker. This process produces fine instruments with their own unique characteristics. The outfit comes complete with oblong case and pernambuco bow.

Violas Our recommendations on violas mirror those of the violin with Stentor making equivalent violas for all the models previously listed. Violas are described by the length of their backs and not by fractional sizes. There is no absolute standard but currently instruments used by adults are mostly 15” to 16”. Stentor student models come in a variety of sizes from 12” to 16”. Sometimes younger students are taught viola on violins strung with viola strings. This is not recommended, as the true viola sound cannot be achieved.

Cellos Again, student instrument recommendations mirror our violin selections, however, generally all but the very young player tend to opt for the Stentor II model due to its enhanced quality of workmanship, ebony pegs and fingerboard and better quality padded cover. As with the violins both models feature solid carved table and back, inlaid purfling and metal tailpiece with integral adjusters.

Double Basses Stentor offer a student double bass featuring a laminated back and sides for customers on a low budget. However, most players prefer to opt for the Stentor Conservatoire model (available in 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 sizes) which features a fully carved back and front, ebony fingerboard, quality machine heads, flexible core strings, good student quality wood bow and padded cover. Double Bass sizes are particularly confusing to the uninitiated as the 3/4 size is considered to be the “norm” for a full size instrument. In rare instances when we have supplied 4/4 instruments (contrary to our advice) as customers have insisted this is what they want, they have asked later to return the bass as they have found the size to be inappropriate. Common sizes are 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4. An additional choice is the Andreas Zeller which are made in Romania to Stentor specifications and offer outstanding value. For the younger student the “Yorke mini bass kit” has been designed to enable children as young as six to learn to play. The kit includes a Zeller bass (1/4 or 1/8 size), padded cover, lightweight bow, wooden stool, endpin location board, carrying strap and rosin.

Silent Strings
For players who need to practice in confined areas (such as music students, or for long suffering parents!) the silent string range from Yamaha is a great innovation. The player simply connects headphones into the silent instrument, which is practically inaudible to anyone other than the musician when played.