The days are getting shorter, and that means the start of another school year. If you have spent the summer playing your current instrument (or perhaps avoiding playing it), you may be thinking about upgrading for better sound, better appearance, or both. We have some new instrument choices, and there are some improvements to our traditional selections.

We have decided to upgrade our "Chan Lee" entry-level violin and viola to a higher level. That means better appearance and a more consistant neck size. The prices were going up anyway, so this is a good time to make the change. There is a much improved violin from the shop of Tian Li, a maker who has been well represented in this shop for the last 8 years. The "Paolo Lorenzo" instruments from the shop of Deng Yan Shan have reached a level of consistant workmanship that is unrivaled for instruments in the $1000 range, and the same shop produces a violin with slightly plainer wood that we can sell for $650. We have some excellent violins from Xueping Hu (Snow) in the $1750 range, and similar violas are available as well.

On the other end of the spectrum we have been toying with idea of selling an inexpensive violin outfit that we don't set up ourselves. These types of instruments are usually referred to as "Violin Shaped Objects." The reality is that some of them aren't all that bad, and we have the ability to choose instruments that won't be a problem. If your primary goal is to get the cheapest violin you can find, call us first. Of course, it won't be the cheapest violin out there, but it will function, it will have quality strings, functional pegs, a Glasser bow (not some warped, junky wooden bow), and an inexpensive case. How much? That depends of what kind of a deal we can make with the distributor. Call us.

If you have been renting, perhaps this is the time to buy your first instrument. Before you take advantage of any incentives from your rental company, be sure to explore the large selection of instruments at Hosmer Violins. Our entry level instruments are the best available, and we keep the prices on our more advanced instruments very reasonable. Of course, our price includes our own meticulous setup and adjustment. With our variable climate, even the best setup needs tweaking (seam openings, neck angle changes, sound post adjustment, etc.), and we cover these adjustments free of charge for the first three years of ownership, after which time most new instruments have become more stable. With this in mind, a free tubular humidifier is included with all instruments.

The bows from Brazil are still my favorites. The shops of Horst John, Marco Raposo and Arcos Brasil are well represented with violin, viola, and cello bows priced from $275. Pernambuco (the wood of choice for fine bows) has climbed up a couple of rungs on the endangered species list, and the only way it leaves Brazil is in finished products. There is a replanting program, but that won’t reach fruition for at least thirty years. Horst John has started to produce bows from Massaranduba, one of the woods commonly known as "Brazilwood." We'll see how that goes. To replace Pernambuco in student bows, carbon fiber has become the material of choice, and the most reliable products are from Glasser, where the prices begin at $85 for their X-Series bows, and $275 for the Braided Carbon Fiber line.