January 2002 Newsletter
01.08.2002
Dear Friends:
We hope that you had peaceful and happy holidays, and we wish you a wonderful
and prosperous 2002!
Here is our January 2002 Newsletter. Make sure to participate in the
quiz immediately, you might be the prizewinner!
Please help us to serve you better by purchasing your books and CD's
from Amazon.com THROUGH OUR WEBSITE! Please go to www.gviolins.cc and
click on the Amazon.com icon on our "Links" page. You could
actually SEARCH right from there. Many thanks.
Also, you may prefer to view the newsletter at www.gviolins.cc as it
is much easier to read there.
Regards
- Jan and Anna van Rooyen
Fax: (352) 374-4160 Website: www.gviolins.cc E-mail: customercare@gviolins.cc
Business phone: Mon-Fri 1-6 pm (352) 372-8264
Mailing address: 3631 NW 41 Lane, Gainesville FL 32605
CONTENTS
(use the back button on your browser to get back here)
1. Upcoming Events
2. Specials Offers
3. Website
4. We Ship Everywhere
5. CodaBows Special
6. Instrument Descriptions
7. A Few New References
8. How to Order from Us
9. How to Contact Us About Your
Needs
10. Quiz
_________________________________________________
1. UPCOMING EVENTS
- Allstate takes place in the downtown Tampa Convention Center January
10-13, with the annual Federation of Music Educators Association's convention.
We'll have a booth in the exhibition hall. Please visit us!
- The Greater Gator Suzuki Institute takes place in Gainesville January
19-20, under direction of Kim Chalmers. Many famous instructors will be
available. Contact Kim now at (352) 338-8485, e-mail kimikosita@aol.com.
Gainesville Violins will have a booth there.
_________________________________________________
2. SPECIAL OFFERS (Jan-Feb 2002)
- Liuteria Panis Angelicus replicas of famous Stradivarius violins: Reduced
25%, from $4,000/outfit to $3,000/outfit! (See description below.)
- Liuteria Panis Angelicus replica of decorated "Hellier" Stradivarius:
Reduced 20%, from $5,000/outfit to $4,000/outfit! (See picture on website.)
- All CodaBows 25% (UPDATE: The discount is now 10%) off official
CodaBow list price - see www.gviolins.cc and www.codabow.com. Order now!
See testimonials/references (separate page).
- BREAKING NEWS: CodaBow Aspire is now available also for viola and cello!
List: $295 and $325. Our special discount applies here too.
_________________________________________________
3. WEBSITE
Please visit our website at www.gviolins.cc. See in particular:
- Rental program, the best in the world!
- Only quality instruments, expertly set-up and tweaked.
- Satisfaction 100% guaranteed.
- Hassle-free switches to larger sizes.
- Free maintenance-service, repairs.
- 100% application of rental money towards purchase.
- Leaves teachers free to teach; we take care of supply, care, service,
switches, administration, finances re instruments.
- Because of the fine quality, we have a limited number of rental instruments
per year. Order now for next year to avoid disappointment.
- Our hassle-free printable order form (and "How to use your credit
card" under FAQ).
- What our customers say: See "References" and also the testimonials
in the "Newsletters".
- Our unique Guarantees and Ethics ... no other shop has these!
_________________________________________________
4. WE SHIP EVERYWHERE
Shipping via UPS is so easy and secure.
We have clusters of customers in Southern California, Denver CO, Illinois,
Dallas TX, on Long Island, in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, the entire
Florida, and individual customers all over the USA and on five islands.
In fact, we have customers on every continent of the planet, except Antarctica!
We do rentals in the entire USA. Once again, shipping (even for rental
up-scaling to a larger size instrument) presents no problems to us or
to our customers. Our website contains copious hints on how to ship. Usually
our customers simply re-use our shipping/packing materials to ship to
us. The whole rental program is painless!
Teachers and students, please let us do what we do best so that you can
do what you do best! YOU play and or/teach, and WE supply you with the
instruments that you need. Purchase or rent. It is as simple as that.
You are completely safeguarded and covered by our amazing guarantees.
See our website www.gviolins.cc.
_________________________________________________
5. CODABOWS SPECIAL
You can order your CodaBow from us at a 25% special discount off the
official CodaBow List Price. Visit our website www.gviolins.cc under "CodaBow"
and also see www.codabow.com. Order now, using our handy printable website
order form and your credit card (Visa / MasterCard / Discover) (see under
FAQ on our website for information needed) and faxing the filled-out and
signed form to us at fax number (352) 374-4160. This offer closes 2/28/2002.
If in FL, add 7% sales tax. All please add $5 for shipping in the 48 contiguous
US states. We ship via UPS.
BREAKING NEWS: The CodaBow Aspire is now available also for viola and
cello! List: $295 and $325. Our special discount applies here too.
Here are some references about the lifetime-guaranteed carbon-graphite
CodaBows (with real unbleached white Mongolian horsehair) written by objective
people with open minds, who know what they talk about:
- Ed Klein (professional cello teacher and performer, Gainesville FL)
says:
"I own one of the first cello CodaBows ever made. I now own three,
two of them bought from Gainesville Violins. They are in my opinion equal
to the $7,000 - $12,000 French cello bow that I used to play."
- Professor Aaron Krosnick says: "I have had many students from
families with moderate incomes. The problem was always one of providing
them with an adequate instrument and bow. A fine playing stick at a moderate
price was all but unobtainable before the advent of CodaBow with its unbeatable
warranty and low price. I heartily recommend it, not only for its price,
but also for its predictably good playing qualities. Best wishes, Aaron
Krosnick" (Distinguished Performer in Residence, Jacksonville University,
FL, and Artist in Residence with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra).
- Letter written to the CodaBow Company by a customer and forwarded by
CodaBow to Gainesville Violins: "I purchased the CodaBow 'Colours'
on the advice of my wonderful instrument dealers in Gainesville, Gainesville
Violins - Jan and Anna van Rooyen. I compared the bow I had (which I will
never pick up again) and the CodaBow. What a difference! I actually play
better. It is so light and balances so well. It is actually like holding
nothing! Weightless, compared to my old bulky, heavy bow. It just feels
GOOD! You also asked to post my letter. Please feel free. I hope it helps.
Everyone should own at least one of your bows! Regards, KN" (adult
customer from Alabama).
- A young CodaBow customer, MK in Tallahassee FL wrote: " Hi Mr
Van Rooyen, I have registered my bow online. If the next month you come
you can bring some nice fancy-looking black pegs for my violin it would
be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks again. PS: I LOVE my new bow. I went
home with a friend to practice and we both played with it and we both
agreed that it was the best bow we had ever used, it is very easy to use
and I can really get some good strong sound out with it!!!!!"
- Nicolette Solomon, String Specialist for Violin, Viola and Chamber
Music
at the Suzuki Institute of Dallas and internationally renowned Suzuki
teacher, wrote: "Having used my Hill & Sons classic violin bow
for the past 10 years, I was rather skeptical of playing with a CodaBow.
However, my CodaBow 'Classic' has surpassed my expectations! I can truly
say I ENJOY the CodaBow 'Classic'. Great value for money too. I have spoken
to several professionals who have said the same. The CodaBow "Colours'
has become a hot favorite with my students. Apart from the fact that my
students really do produce a better sound when using my 'Colours', I also
use it as a 'prize' or 'treat'. When they have a birthday or have prepared
a good section of work, they may play on my 'Colours' for the rest of
their lesson! (Way more exciting than candy.)"
_________________________________________________
6. INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTIONS
NOTES:
Most instruments are made by workshops associated and collaborating with
Gainesville Violins. Jan and Anna have traveled thousand of miles to seek
out such workshops and negotiate with them. The culmination of the excellence
always takes place in the Gainesville Violins workshop.
For most lines, "Signature" instruments are available, that
is, instruments specially signed by Jan because of their outstanding excellence.
These instruments bear a premium price.
All instruments are covered by our lifetime guarantees. See website www.gviolins.cc.
See also FAQ.
An asterisk (*) indicates that fractional sizes are available (at a lesser
price). The prices stated here are for full-size instruments/outfits.
A. Student model violins and violas
Student model violins:
- Antonio Vivaldi*
- Antonio Vivaldi "Bravo!"*
- Fritz Kreisler*
- Andreas Ostermann
- Marco Bartolini
- Liuteria Panis Angelicus Stradivarius replicas
- Rudoulf Doetsch*
Student model violas:
- Antonio Vivaldi "Bravo!"*
- William Primrose*
- Liuteria Panis Angelicus
- Rudoulf Doetsch*
General Features
We not only meet, but actually exceed MENC standards for string instruments.
The following applies to all our student model violins:
Front: Carved spruce. Back and ribs: Carved maple (called sycamore).
No laminated (plywood) instruments. Ebony fingerboard and nut. Ebony,
rosewood or boxwood pegs, treated for easy tuning, with matching wooden
chin-rest. Custom-cut and fitted aged spotted maple bridge. Black Wittner-type
tailpiece with four built-in fine-tuners (larger violas may have add-on
finetuners with a wooden tail-piece). Custom-cut and adjusted aged spruce
sound-post. Kun-type "Muco" shoulder-rest. Bow with real white,
unbleached, Mongolian horsehair and shaft of Brazilwood or composite material
(copy of CodaBow). Top quality synthetic core strings, such as Thomastik
Dominant. Rosin. Shaped case (outfit under $1,000.00), oblong case (outfit
above $1,000.00).
Specific Features
* Antonio Vivaldi violins. Most popular entry-level instrument and the
backbone of our rental program. Light orange-brown glossy varnish on fairly
plain wood. $550.00.
* Antonio Vivaldi "Bravo!" violins and violas. Step-up from
the above. Better quality wood, flamed maple backs. Varnish similar to
the above, but softer. $750.00.
* Fritz Kreisler violins $950.00 and William Primrose violas $1,250.00.
For advancing students. Our top model rental instrument, very popular
also for purchase. Amazingly rich and warm tone. German-quality workmanship,
entirely hand-made from excellent quality wood, beautifully shaded many
layers of Italianate oil varnish, plum-brown on a golden ground.
Marco Bartolini violins. Hand-made in Romania, hand-rubbed many-layered
Italianate oil varnish, antique shaded brown color on a golden ground.
Satin (matt) finish, looks old. Front of superior quality Alpine spruce,
back of naturally aged Carpathian maple from Bosnia. Powerful tone. $1,200.00.
Andreas Ostermann violins, our "Schwarzwald" (Black Forest)
model. Excellent spruce front and wonderfully-flamed maple back. Hand-applied
brown satin varnish. Looks brand-new. Remarkable, powerful tone. $1,200.00.
Liuteria Panis Angelicus Stradivarius replicas. These violins are new-looking,
glossy-varnished replicas of specific existing Stradivarius violins, each
one looking like the original instrument after which it is named and of
which a picture is supplied. The violas are antique-shaded, smoky-brown
on a golden ground. All models are made from excellent tonewoods, having
powerful projection and being suitable for advanced student orchestral
and solo work. $1,500.00.
* Rudoulf Doetsch violins are famous, $1,700.00. Our Doetsch violins
are the product of our collaboration with the Violin House of Weaver,
which is a third-generation business existing for a hundred years. The
basic instrument is made in Europe, then re-worked in the USA. They look
old, being slightly distressed and antique-varnished with Bill Weaver's
own unique soft Italianate varnish. Each instrument is finally carefully
completed in our workshop, to the extent that we can call it "our
own" Rudoulf Doetsch. Being made in the German tradition of the collaborative
method of building instruments, each step of the way our Rudoulf Doetsch
instruments are in the hands of specialists. The violins are very popular
with advanced student players. For instance, top Florida student violinist
Suliman Tekalli used a Gainesville Violins Rudoulf Doetsch for all the
prizes he won until the end of 2001, when at age 15 he traded it in for
one of our professional Liuteria Panis Angelicus violins (see below).
Similarly, former Florida student violist Adam Schoeni (now in South Carolina)
used a Doetsch viola until he traded it in for a professional 17"
replica of a Mateo Goffriller from Gainesville Violins and associated
workshops.
_________________________________________________
B. Top Level Violins and Violas
General Features:
Front: Aged spruce. Back and ribs: Aged maple (called sycamore). Ebony
fingerboard and nut. Fancy or plain ebony, rosewood or boxwood pegs, treated
for easy tuning, with matching wooden chin-rest and tail-piece which has
a single fine-tuner for the E-string). Custom-cut and fitted top-quality
aged French spotted maple bridge. Custom-cut and adjusted aged spruce
sound-post. Kun-type "Muco" shoulder-rest. Top quality synthetic
core strings, such as Dominant, Eva Pirazzi, Infeld Red, or Obligato.
Salchow or similar quality rosin. Luxury oblong case.
Specific Features:
Violins:
- Liuteria Panis Angelicus in association with Gainesville Violins: Antiqued
replicas of existing famous Stradivarius violins, $4,000.00. These are
gorgeous, finely hand-crafted instruments entirely in the classical Italian
tradition, completed in our workshop. Fronts of very old naturally aged
Romanian spruce (the so-called "Dracula" spruce) and the backs
of incredibly beautiful curly maple. The varnish is stunning. Each violin
is accompanied by a picture of the original Stradivarius after which it
is named. Totally professional tone and power. Great for concerto work.
Used by Suliman Tekalli after his Doetsch. Included in this series is
our celebrated replica of the "Hellier" decorated Stradivarius,
of which the original can be seen in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
DC, $5,000.
- Special-order custom-made replicas of various famous instruments, such
as the 1742 "Heifetz" Guarneri del Gesu: Apply for further information.
$10,000.00.
Violas
- Wilhelm Klier viola, $2,500.00. There is also Gainesville Violins's
special edition of the viola ("Signature" Edition), as used
for instance by Chris van der Zee, $4,000.00. This series includes special-order
custom-made replicas of various famous other instruments, such as Adam
Schoeni's 17" copy of a Goffriller, $7,000.00.
_________________________________________________
C. Student and Professional Cellos
General Features
We not only meet, but actually exceed MENC standards for string instruments.
The following applies to all our cello models:
Front: Carved spruce. Back and ribs: Carved maple (also called sycamore).
No laminated (plywood) instruments. Ebony fingerboard and nut. Ebony,
rosewood or boxwood pegs, treated for easy tuning. Custom-cut and fitted
aged spotted maple bridge. Black Wittner-type tailpiece with four built-in
fine-tuners OR add-on finetuners with a wooden tail-piece. Custom-cut
and adjusted aged spruce sound-post. Bow with real white, unbleached,
Mongolian horsehair and shaft of Brazilwood.
Specific Features
* Emanuel Feuermann cello. Most popular entry-level instrument and the
backbone of our rental program. Orange-brown to red-brown glossy varnish
on fairly plain wood. Top quality synthetic core strings, such as Thomastik
Dominant. Rosin. Padded carry bag. $1,200.00.
Marco Bartolini cello. Step-up, advancing student model. Hand-made in
Romania, hand-rubbed many-layered Italianate oil varnish, antique shaded
brown color on a golden ground. Satin (matt) finish, looks old. Front
of superior quality Alpine spruce, back of naturally aged Carpathian maple
from Bosnia. Powerful tone. Hard case. $2,500.00.
Liuteria Panis Angelicus cello. Step-up, advancing student model. These
cellos are new-looking, glossy-varnished Stradivarius copies. The color
of the varnish is amber to red-brown on a golden ground. Beautifully flamed
backs. All models are made from excellent tone-woods, having powerful
projection and being suitable for advanced student orchestral and solo
work. $2,500.00
Others: Gainesville Violins's special professional editions of cellos,
in association with the Violin House of Weaver. This series includes our
Wilhelm Klier models ($4,000.00), as well as specially-ordered custom-made
replicas of various famous instruments, such as the "Sleeping Beauty".
_________________________________________________
D. Double-bass
The Bottesini Model III: Our 3/4-size laminated double-bass is available
on special order and comes with a padded carry-bag. The front is of laminated
spruce and the back of lightly but beautifully flamed laminated maple.
Solid ebony finger-board. Spotted maple bridge with adjustable feet. Standard
strings: Perlon-core "Dominant" quality or covered steel. Remarkable
value for money, yet used professionally in the Miami recording studios.
$1,600.00
_________________________________________________
7. A FEW NEW REFERENCES
Space precludes us from publishing all the letters that we receive. Here
are some that came recently:
"Jan: Hope you had a great holiday season. Thank you so much for
the use of such a
beautiful cello. It has a gorgeous sound and feels much like my own, I
couldn't have asked for anything better. The concert went great. It was
so much fun to put on a concert with the whole family. We had somewhere
between 100 -150 people show up, and we raised approx $1200-1500 for Habitat
for Humanity... a great success. Thanks again, and I will be sure to pass
on your web address to my string friends and students. All the best to
you and your family - Greg Snedeker" (Cello Professional from Massachusetts
who borrowed our replica of the Yo-Yo Ma Montagnana).
* * * * * * *
"My wife, daughter and I were in your shop Friday and we purchased
a new Marco Bartolini violin for my daughter MB. I just wanted to let
you know that she is thrilled with her new instrument and has hardly put
it down since we got back home. The sound is so far superior to the 'student'
instrument that she was playing that none of us can get over it. Thank
you so much for spending the time to help us get her such a superior instrument.
I have a couple of questions please. When we were in the shop you told
us all about the Marco Bartolini violins, but I guess I am getting old
and can't remember it. Could you tell me about this company/individual?
I know that it was made in Romania in 2000 from the paper label inside.
Who is the craftsman? I think that you said that you knew him personally.
The new instrument is getting handled a lot more than the old one did
and it has the Italian varnish. Do we need to do anything to the body
(such as wiping it with a soft cloth, polish etc)? Please let us know
how to care for the instrument. We will be back in Gainesville in the
summer and I'm sure that my daughter will want to come and see you. We
will bring our new 'baby' by at that time for you give it a check up.
Thanks again for all your attention and kindness. Sincerely, B, L, and
MB B."
* * * * * * * *
"Last night, CS played a Seitz concerto at a very large home concert
on her new Vivaldi 'Bravo!' viola. She was stunning. She has blossomed
since her new viola. Unbelievable progress. - Love, N" (Suzuki teacher
in Dallas, TX).
* * * * * * *
"I was quite flattered to find my thank-you letter added to your
website - front page coverage of all things! I hope it convinces people
to deal with you. If they're not dealing with you, then the poor souls
just don't know what they're missing - do they?! - TG" (Dallas, TX).
* * * * * * *
"CD called me from North Carolina and she has received your violin.
They compared it to the others they were considering and she said, 'Hands
down, this is the one we want. It sounds better, looks better and feels
better. - MW (teacher, Tallahassee FL).
_________________________________________________
8. HOW TO ORDER FROM US
Use our website order form (see also FAQ) at www.gviolins.cc, or just
e-mail us customercare@gviolins.cc. Easy! Painless! Lifetime-guaranteed!
Please subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter, which we use to keep
you updated about our business, schedule, etc. Just go to www.gviolins.cc,
under Newsletter. Please help us by requesting your students/ teacher/
orchestra director/ fellow players (etc) to sign up too.
_________________________________________________
9. HOW TO CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR NEEDS
Please fill in this form and hand it to us or mail/fax it to us at
Jan and Anna van Rooyen
Gainesville Violins
3631 NW 41 Lane
Gainesville FL 32605
Fax (352) 374-4160
Or: E-mail us at customercare@gviolins.cc.
* * * * *
My name and last name:
My age (optional):
My address(complete, with ZIP):
My phone number: ( ) -
My e-mail address:
I am interested in (no obligation):
My teacher is:
Her/his phone number is:
_________________________________________________
10. QUIZ
The last quiz question was: "Name the cellist who died prematurely
during a small medical operation. He performed and recorded chamber works
with Heifetz and we named one of our cello lines in honor of him. What
year was he born and what year did
he die?"
The winner (first correct answer) wrote: "The cellist you are referring
to is, of course, Emanuel Feuermann. He was born in Galicia, Poland in
1902 and died May 25, 1942. Perhaps I can actually win something this
time! Hope all is well. - AWJ" (Parlin, New Jersey).
Another reader wrote: "The cellist in your quiz is Emanuel Feuermann
who died at the age of 40 following, I believe, a [botched] hemorrhoid
operation, causing uremic poisoning .... A terrible way for a great musician
to die. - EK, Gainesville.
We sent the winner two CD's. He responded: "Jan: You are a true
gentleman. I just opened my mail and sure enough - both CD's were in there.
Thanks in advance for the wonderful Christmas gift. We will be eating
dinner soon which should provide the ideal opportunity to audition at
least one of the CD's. Thank you again very much. I will give you my opinion
in a future e-mail - however, I am sure I will be very impressed simply
because I know for a fact that you are a man of fine taste. I would trust
your recommendations on anything! - AWJ".
For more information about Feuermann, see http://www.cello.org/cnc/feuerman.htm
and http://www.cello.org/theses/smith/thesis.htm.
Now for this letter's quiz. The winner will be the sender of the first
correct answer we receive by e-mail. Please send your answer to customercare@gviolins.cc.
The winner will receive a CD from Gainesville Violins.
Question: Which great conductor (now dead) said, "Our response to
violence will be to make music more intensely, more beautifully, and more
devotedly than before"? (Hint: Violinist Joshua Bell recently issued
a CD with themes from our mystery person's musical.)
Good luck and best wishes!
- Jan and Anna
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