Moses Sedler, Author at Dolce Violins

Brazilwood vs Pernambuco Bows: What’s the Difference?

Brazilwood and pernambuco are two of the most common materials used in wooden violin, viola, and cello bows. While they may look similar, they differ significantly in density, elasticity, and performance. Pernambuco is considered the standard for professional bows, while brazilwood is typically used for more affordable options. Understanding the difference helps players choose a …

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How Bow Materials Affect Performance: Pernambuco, Carbon Fiber, Ipe, and Brazilwood

Blog, Bows / By Moses Sedler

The material used to make a bow has a major influence on how it performs. Weight, stiffness, flexibility, and durability all depend on the wood or composite used to make the bow stick. These characteristics affect articulation, response, and how easily a player can control the bow. (See: https://dolceviolins.net/blog/how-to-buy-a-violin-bow/ & https://dolceviolins.net/blog/how-to-choose-a-cello-bow/) The most common violin-family bow …

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What Determines the Value of a Violin?

Blog, Buying Guide / By Moses Sedler

Core Factors That Influence a Violin’s Value Violins can range from inexpensive student instruments to rare treasures valued in the millions. Understanding what makes one violin more valuable than another can help owners, buyers and sellers make informed decisions. While the maker and history play a central role, other elements—condition, period of construction and sound—are …

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What Size Violin Do I Need?

Blog, Buying Guide / By Moses Sedler

What Size Violin Do I Need? If you are wondering what size violin you need, the correct size depends primarily on arm length, not age. Violins are made in several fractional sizes so that children can comfortably reach the fingerboard and hold the instrument correctly. Most adults use a 4/4 (full-size) violin, while younger students …

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Should I Rent or Buy a Cello? Renting vs Buying Explained

Blog, Buying Guide / By Moses Sedler

Should You Rent or Buy a Cello? Many new cello students and their families wonder whether it is better to rent a cello or purchase one. The right choice depends on the player’s experience level, long-term commitment, and budget. Most beginners start by renting a cello. Renting typically costs about $50–$120 per month and allows …

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Bernard Millant (1920–2011): Bow Maker and Expert

Experts, Library, Master Bow Makers / By Moses Sedler

Bernard Millant was a French bow expert, dealer, and author whose work had a lasting influence on the study, attribution, and preservation of historical violin bows. Based in Paris, he became one of the most respected authorities on French bow making, particularly of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Millant established his shop in Paris …

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Violin Rental vs. Purchase: What Families Should Know

Blog, Buying Guide / By Moses Sedler

For families beginning violin lessons—whether through a school music program or private study—choosing between renting and purchasing a violin can feel uncertain. This guide outlines the practical differences between violin rental and purchase, with a focus on helping families make a sound decision that supports a student’s growth. Families in the San Francisco Bay Area …

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Early 20th-Century Violin Making in Cremona

Blog, Towns and regions / By Moses Sedler

Italian Revival, Workshops, and the Foundations of the Modern Cremonese School At the turn of the 20th century, Cremona stood at a crossroads. Universally recognized as the historic home of Antonio Stradivari, Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, and the Amati family, the city no longer functioned as a major center of violin production. By the late …

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Otello Bignami (1914–1989): Successor to the Pollastri Tradition in Bologna

Library, Master Violin Makers / By Moses Sedler

Otello Bignami was one of the leading figures of the 20th-century Bolognese school of violin making. Born in Bologna in 1914, he developed an early interest in the craft and pursued formal training in the city’s long-established tradition of lutherie. He studied under Gaetano Pollastri (1886–1960), the most influential Bolognese master of the mid-century, inheriting …

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The English Cello Makers: Craft, Identity, and Legacy

Blog, Towns and regions / By Moses Sedler

Although the violin-making traditions of Cremona, Milan, and Mirecourt have long dominated discussions of European lutherie, England fostered a remarkable and distinct school of craftsmanship that flourished from the early eighteenth through the mid-nineteenth century. English cello making, in particular, developed along lines that drew from Italian exemplars yet reflected the social, musical, and material …

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