The Red Violin

Mounted in high lavish style, from the opening strains to coda, The Red Violin pays homage to the careful uses of color and composition without bothering to support these qualities with any real substance. Oh, it's a class act on the surface all the way, while failing on nearly every other level to convince. The story tells the story, revealing precious little else. The 17th-century Cremonese instrument-maker Niccolo Bussotti finishes his final violin with a curious red varnish, the secret of which spans the film, yet will come as a surprise only to the very sleepy. The odd voyage of this unique violin through history is then explored from one episode to the next, from child prodigy to gypsies to Victorian virtuoso to a clandestine enclave of art lovers in Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution. This is all framed by the violin's rediscovery in present day by instrument appraiser Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson), for whom the perfect instrument strikes a resonant chord. The main scheme of the film, an object connecting a number of seemingly disparate stories, has been used many times, most notably in Max Ophuls's La Ronde. But while this approach is employed elsewhere to cause one scene to reverberate against another, The Red Violin is content to leave each episode thematically unconnected with any of the others. On the decorative level, the film may satisfy many viewers with its sensuous attention to tone and detail, as well as its eclectic and expertly performed score. But as narrative it is very slight. Just pierce the pretty crust of this puff pastry and gaze in wonder at the pocket of air within. --Jim Gay
Customer Review: The Red Violin DVD
I received a new copy of The Red Violin. It arrived in a timely manner and was in, the as discribed condition.
Customer Review: MY REVIEW OF THE RED VIOLIN
I thought the film was great. I play the violin myself, & have come across some Stradavarii, & Guanarius in my time,& know what it is like to have such a find. It is not always possible to trace the history of not only an instrument,but the many other items that have come down to us from times long ago. So it was wonderful being able to see something as important as a violin being traced.Except for the injection of spiritism, the showing of nudity,sexual promiscuity,& the suggestion of one engaging in such conduct,which I did not think had any place in such a film,except for these things, I enjoyed the film itself,very much. The 1st time I watched it I was not really watching it, I was busy on the computer, so it was more like listening to it, & looking up every once in a while.The 2nd time, when I really watched it, I was shocked at the above items, & when I could tell they were coming, I skipped over it by pushing the forward button 'til I was sure I had passed those scenes.

There are many things you can do to prevent problems from the start. You know the old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Having made an investment for such a beautiful guitar youd be mad not to invest in a relatively cheap system for keeping the humidity of your guitar constant, like a guitar humidifier case for example.

He's been involved in playing guitar (mainly classical) for longer than he cares to remember and has also taught the instrument for many years. He is teacher trained, having a Diploma of Education (Majoring in music)

When guitars are built they are usually in an environment where the relative humidity of the room is kept constant, roughly around 50%.

Trevor Maurice is an Australian, living in beautiful seaside Maroubra, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.

I would recommend keeping your house, or wherever you keep your instrument, at a constant temperature and humidity all year round.

An interesting example of anecdotal evidence of problems with humidity I've heard is with Ramirez guitars.

Another thing to invest in is a "hygrometer", which is an instrument that will keep track of humidity, or lack of it in your guitar case. As mentioned above, some guitar cases are made with these things as standard.

Because they're made in Spain where the humidity is often above the 50% mark and are shipped to areas where the humidity is much lower with dry winter conditions, they can easily develop cracks and slits throughout the guitar.

Problems with humidity can lead to heartbreak for the classical (or other) guitarist. Excessive humidity or dryness can ruin an instrument probably quicker than you think.

To be safe you ideally should keep your instrument around this mark though they are generally regarded as safe between 40%-70% as the upper and lower margins. Below or above this can be drastic for your instrument!

Guitar Humidification

If you follow these few simple rules and keep an eye out for changes in temperature and humidity conditions it shouldn't be hard to keep your instrument in good order.

You must always be aware of what conditions you are leaving your instrument, whether inside a guitar case or within a room or in the open. They should NEVER be left in the sun for any length of time.

The damage caused by too much humidity or of drying out your instrument can range from cracks, splits and shrinkage to warping and even snapping of the wood.

Next I would get a humidifier for my guitar case, whether one sold commercially which releases moisture slowly and attaches to the inside of your case, or a home-made one which could consist of a wet cloth (be careful not to let it touch your instrument as it may damage the wood).

Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Custom, Silverburst

With the same vaunted visual vibe of the original, this Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul has all the fixins 5-ply top, back, and headstock binding bound rosewood fretboard split diamond mother-of-pearl headstock inlay and 4-ply pickguard. And its got something special a brilliant silverburst finish set off by chrome hardware. Dual humbuckers on an alder top with mahogany back and set neck....

3. Finger placing is important

Bass playing is usually note-oriented and not chord-oriented. This means that single notes are hit more often in bass playing and this scheme is the essential element of bass playing. One should be familiar with the tunings and the notes in a regular guitar to be able to decently play the bass guitar.

The main thing about bass guitars is that they are tuned like ordinary guitars. The difference is that most regular bass guitars only have four strings which are far thicker than ordinary ones. This kind of strings allows the bass guitar to go very deep in terms of tone.

Playing the bass guitar differs primarily from playing a regular guitar because it entails an emphasis on the beat of the music. One can compare the bass guitar into a drum or percussion set that is made into a guitar. Beats are very important in playing bass guitar because this type of guitar gives depth and timing to any song.

Take a regular guitar (which is tuned from the thickest to the lowest string- E - A - D - G - B - E) and exclude the two thinnest strings at the bottom and what is left is basically a bass guitar with thinner strings.

Another important thing to develop in bass playing is the strength of both hand's fingers. The bass guitar is a sturdy and solid musical instrument, strength is needed to play it.

1. Feel the beat

Playing the guitar, however, is no joke. It requires a lot of patience and practice. For some people, they would rather study playing the bass guitar than the regular guitar. Here are some tips on learning to play the bass guitar.

If one grasps the notes of a regular guitar through his ears, a bass player grabs the notes of a bass guitar through his chest. The bass guitar pounds on the heart and gives it feelings through the depth of the music.

Hitting the bass guitar fret board with the left-hand fingers is very important since it is a major factor that will determine the wholeness of each note. Try to place the fingers such that they are close to the fret on the right. The right hand should also be practiced so as to give bass guitar playing a holistic approach.

4. Strengthen your grip

2. Learn the notes (single chords) on a regular guitar

In playing the bass guitar, one should always take one lesson at a time. Bass playing requires repetition and there's no sense in hurrying the learning process. One should feel the notes through his soul and through his heart and become one with the bass guitar.

Playing the guitar is one popular pastime nowadays. For some people, it is also a way of expressing themselves and elevates the hobby into an art form or sometimes, science.

Farleys Pocket Tones Guitar tuner

You'll always be in perfect tune with this handy, durable and compact device that can be carried in your pocket or purse, used on a key chain, or kept in your instrument case. Accurate tones are crucial to the very best sound and now it can be yours at the touch of a button, plus it can help you train your ear for perfect pitch as well. It is the perfect answer for an immediate tone, that's always on hand. AG13 batteries included. Measures approximately 2.75" H x 1.5" W Product dimensions (imperial): 2.75 inch H x 1.5 inch W Product dimensions (metric): 69.85 mm H x 38.10 mm W

2 - Make sure it's what you want, don't rush the decision. Do as much research as possible before buying it that way you make an informed decision and you won't be angry you wasted your money. Research includes trying it IN PERSON. You have to try the product in person! While reviews and video reviews are great, it doesn't capture the audio the way it'll sound in person.

(c) Look at the size of the frets, do you want jumbo frets (make bending easier) or regular? The height of the frets is also important.

4 - Amps... this is where a lot of your overall tone may come from. You HAVE TO try these out yourself! Never buy an amp you haven't tried out, plain and simple. Since everyone's taste is different I can't really give you any tips than that. Like I prefer tube amps for rock/blues type music but some people are satisfied with solid-state or modeling.

(b) The pickup configuration, do you want two humbuckers? A humbucker and a single coil? Three humbuckers? Three single coils? There's tons of configurations and depends on the style of music you're playing, so you'll have to figure out what you want on your own (sorry!).

We all want new or more guitar gear even if we already have more than enough... we don't know why it happens, we just roll with it. Below I'm just going to list several things you may want to do before buying a specific type of gear.

1 - Check used! For some reason buying used gear gets a bad rep and I don't understand why. It can save you literally hundreds of dollars and you can go see the product for yourself and make sure it's in acceptable condition (if you're dealing locally). Great places to search for used guitar gear locally are Craigslist (of course) and a similar site, Kijiji. Also check local papers and maybe stop at those garage sales on your lunch break.

(d) How does the neck feel? Do you like it thinner like a Wizard II (found on Ibanez RG models) or thick and chunky like a Les Paul?

(e) How does she sound ACOUSTICALLY (not plugged in!)? I find the majority of great guitars sound fantastic both plugged in and out.

3 - When looking for a guitar there's a few things to consider.

Tips When Buying Guitar Gear

And that's just scratching the surface! As you get more experience you'll realize there are certain things you like/dislike and you'll notice them immediately while testing gear, but when you're just starting out it's a shot in the dark. Hopefully this article shed some light in that dark corner and now it's clear as day.

(g) Find a body shape / finish you like that has met all your requirements and rock out!

(a) Do you want a fixed bridge or do you want a floating tremolo (or "whammy bar" as some may call it)?