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Children’s musical instruments, how to buy

The question is, how much to spend for a children’s musical instruments?

50,00 euro, 100,00 euro, 200,00 euro, 500,00 euro, 1.500,00 euro, 2.500,00 euro, 10.000,00 euro, 20.000 euro?

An example of studio violin 3/4 size on pic.

violino da studio — studio violin 3/4 size

Parts of the instrument that need to be standard and well-regulated are not few. As a result, an bowed instrument, beyond its cost, must comply at least with some rules for being used in the study.

Do not value the instrument, it means not giving importance to the study. This can be considered as a general rule, which can surely lie in many other areas of study.

But how is it possible to understand what is the musical instrument that can be a good quality compromise? Surely the times change, the prices accordingly. A Chinese industrial violin 10 years ago cost 300 euros and was a trash , while an industrial violin today costs 200 euros and it’s done better.

Industrial production requires us to spend less, but we react accordingly, we want to spend less and less.

violoncello da studio

I look at some families that want to get a good timbre, a decent playability, a good reliability and a low price, from an entry level instrument set. These are things that unfortunately do not go well together.

My advice is to buy the second studio band, where we will begin to find a better quality instrument, better woods, more than sufficient playability, better strings, a true ebony keyboard and parts and a usable headband.
The Stentor II violin is for you, it is not the only one, but it is one of the most reliable along with Soundsation. Then a tune-up is always easy on those two. In the size 4/4.

In the size 3/4:

In the smaller sizes all the violins 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, look alike, you can spend less. Soundsation offers a low cost for “small sizes”.

Let’s have a look here to which are the characteristics that should have a entry level musical instument.

Ebony pickup frame for a Fender guitar (Fender fail)

A simple realization of Cesarini Custom Shop, an ebony pickup frame for single coil mod. Telecaster, on Fender guitar (DOBRO style).The end of the intervention is to raise the maximum possible pickup height, given the constructive lack of Fender on this model we will remedy.

This is a constructive fail on Fender’s building, that is quite serious

The use of resonant winding cords (bronze or phosphor bronze) actually requires a smaller distance between the rope and the magnet. In this guitar this distance is too much (over 20mm), preventing the output signal from having attack and volume.

Gibson comparing, guitar care is a must!

Even between two Gibson LP models of the same year (1992) the differences are well noted. The guitar care is important, let’s see why.

les paul Gibson — les paul guitars Gibson ’90 Studio

Setting up regularly is perhaps the most important variable, to have a performance guitar or bass that does not lose value over time

These two Gibsons have been changed the frets (the same dimensions for both) we reviewed the setups pretty much the same, but the playability of the instruments is still very different. The non-care of an instrument leads to make it less efficient at the fingerboard, neck and timbre.

A neck left untouched over time, can become very tenacious, but in the wrong position (upbow, backbow, or worst). Wood, by its nature, can bend in various points and can twist itself. The pickups can be demagnetized or broken. The metal parts (bridge and tuners) can oxidize to the point where they can no longer be used. And we could go on like this, listing other degenerative possibilities.

Cesarini Custom Shop, Expo – Pioracoustic 2017 – Guitars for sale!

Expo of Liuteria Cesarini – Guitars for sale, we are in the Center for Biblical Studies, Montefano (Marche). We thank Danilo Vecchi and the Center for Studies for the organization. In the video Exhibition of three-day “Pioracoustic 2017” (earthquake edition) at the Center for Biblical Studies, our stage.

Continue reading Cesarini Custom Shop, Expo – Pioracoustic 2017 – Guitars for sale!

Why are luthiers still influenced by antique violin makers?

Building a violin, a cello or a viola with personal shapes and dimensions is always the right choice for Atelier Cesarini. But there are exceptions, some works are certainly inspired by the well-known stradivarian shapes and by dimensions of antique violin makers (Amati, Guarneri, Gasparo da Salò). Perhaps the most used, in general in violin making, is the “Cremonese” violin template (faciebat Stradivari, year 1715).

violin holes

The experimentation, of the various and possible forms of stringed instruments, has been widely done in the past years. Today it is difficult to reinvent something new in this sector.

The dimensions and volumes of classical lutherie have kept them unaltered, since the timbre of the instrument as it was conceived in the past, has been achieved following many empirical tests, which have fixed the sound canons in the ears of musicians and authors, who are past or modern.

It comes naturally to a classical orchestra musician, wanting to replicate the “sound” of a certain repertoire of the period, through an arched instrument that does not go too far from the known.

Conceiving sounds in an abstract and inventive way is a luxury that unfortunately does not belong to the classical repertoire (it is called “classic” also for this reason). The canons are there, getting out from those, can lead to the non-compatibility of the musician with this world.

here you can see a restoration of an old violin. we’ll give you also some advice to understand antique instruments value

Crime scene on the bench, an antique violin

Discovering a true antique violin from the 1800s or 1900s can be very interesting.

We need to consider that almost all the old musical instruments have now been undercovered, due to the strong interest of a multitude of people that want to take possession of them. So we need to be realistic when we find something, that maybe can have value. A real antique violin of 1800, for example, it can come real damaged, rarely in good condition, expecially the top spruce and varnish.

Be aware of flea markets, or not very transparent luthiers, who try to delude you of having a rediscovered a “pearl in the desert”, dated two hundred years. More plausible it is instead a violin that an old owner wants to undo it and then sells it, perhaps through an intermediary.

In the downer photo, the instrument in restoration, has just been rediscovered in an attic. This is a bit the clichet of classical lutherie: “Nonna told me that there is a Stradivari above!”.

It is not “Stradivari“, but a copy of an old German violin with a label bearing “Stradivarius Cremonensis, etc.”, is a copy, but it retains its interest. The woods of this instrument will certainly be very seasoned, even if a bit “bruised”. Finding it partly destroyed is the least that can be expected, we consider that almost a hundred years have passed, they are not few.

Violino rotto — Violino antico, ritrovato. Restauro presso Atelier Cesarini

Atelier Cesarini buy old violins and other antique instruments (also bows) during the year and we restore them. We call those “Cesarini Collection“.

Alfredo Golino and Lusi, the bass recording equipment is minimal

A Jam Session to watch without taking a breath!

One More Dub recording, studio in Orvieto and record label (the cave studio, look at that!) , organizes this musical jam between the two musicians, Alfredo Golino e Lusi.

Lusi is playing with the C-Gold Bronze, Cesarini Vintage Series ’70. That is a bass that can allow every bass technic, Lusi sometimes lay down the hand on the bridge and “pinch” the strings, the stopped sound could be really like a double bass.

He use a Proamp amplification that goes directly to mixer. The recording equipment is minimal, important on this jam is the dynamic, is not simple to follow a master, like Alfredo.

We recall some prestigious collaborations by Alfredo Golino. “Mina, Laura Pausini, Gianni Morandi, Vasco Rossi, Raf, Pino Daniele, Renato Zero, Eros Ramazzotti, RAG, Battiato, Fiorella Mannoia, Riccardo Cocciante, Anna Oxa, Ornella Vanoni, Marco Masini, Michele Zarrillo, Alice, Anna Oxa, Zuccero Fornaciari, Bocelli, Joe Coker, Tina Turner, Enrico Ruggeri, Platters, Enrico Rava and many others “

We thank Alfredo Golino and Lusi who give us about 10 minutes of linear jam session, the two musicians have practically known each other playing, that is fantastic.

SNAP Production has thought about shooting the event.

Chinrest, how to choose it?

The chinrest is a wooden part (ebony, boxwood, tamarindo, rosewood), which is mounted on violins and viola, through metal clamps that tighten by threading. It was invented in the early 1900s, so by many past interpreters it was not used. With the request for a repertoire, increasingly difficult to play, the chinrest has become an integral part of the instrument, only a few do without it, thinking of ruining the vibration of the instrument with its presence.

In our opinion, the chinrest for violin and viola does not ruin the sound, being cantilevered (which can therefore ideally oscillate on vibration) and being placed on a low resonance area. The two clamps in fact tighten on the ribs, near the bottom block, non -“pulmonary” area of the picea soundboard.

The structure of the chinrest and the wood used, must respect the principles of vibration, certainly will not have to rest on “pulmonary areas” or on the tailpiece

THE DIMENSIONS (THE CONCAVITY AND THE HEIGHT) ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUONABILITY.

Mentoniera Guarneri ebano — Chinrest Guarneri ebony

Continue reading Chinrest, how to choose it?

BONUS VIVALDI, purchase musical instruments online, with good prices for young people

Atelier Cesarini offers a strong discount, dedicated to young european musicians , on all the products related to the string quartet, which are semi-professional Cesarini Pro Studio, bows Cesarini Selected and Atelier Cesarini and on semi professional musical instruments.

Artigianato — Atelier Cesarini, a violin crafting.

The following promotion is valid only during certain periods of the year and can not be combined with other offers in progress. It may be requested by all european students under the age of 25, attending a course of music that could be private or public (Conservatories, Music High Schools, all schools of music that have no association, regular private teachers).

Discount in percentage, calculated on the final cost of the product:

Violins professional, 25% discount
Semi-professional violins, 30% discount
Professional violas, on commission 25% discount
Semi-professional violas, 30% discount
Professional cellos, 20% discount on commission
Semi-professional cellos, 30% discount
Classical guitars, mod. “Inguaggiato”, 25% discount
Bows Cesarini Selected, 30% discount
Bows Atelier Cesarini, 25% discount

To make a request send an email to info@liuteriacesarini.com, specify your personal data (full name, address, social security number, telephone number) to request a quote.

Request your order!

Cesarini Jam Session 4.1 – Valter Vincenti 4tet and cool handmade guitars

Cesarini Jam Session Season 4.1 in the company of:

Valter Vincenti, guitar (Cesarini “C-Reptilia” – C-Shapely Cesarini Pickups)
Lusi, bass (Cesarini “C-Gold Bronze“, Cesarini Vintage Series)
Saverio Federici, drum
Special Guest: Luca Ravagni, sax (Giorgio Gaber)

“Ussa and al bene così” extract from Valter Vincenti “Colors” , filming takes place at “One More Dub studio” the cave studio in Orvieto (Umbria).

The recording takes place through collective direct shooting, with metronome (given the use of a base composed of atmospheric sounds). Valter uses Orange amplifier and Costa Lab pedals, Lusi Proamp amplification and no effect. Great special guest is the fourth man, Luca Ravagni, saxophone by Giorgio Gaber.

Cesarini Jam Session is a project of Liuteria Cesarini, jam are done with our endorser and our musical instruments.

Footage by SNAP production.