Blogs

Dry winter air pulls moisture from your instrument’s wood, causing loose pegs, tone changes, open seams, and even cracks. Protect it in three steps: monitor humidity with a hygrometer or Bluetooth sensor, humidify with an in-case or instrument humidifier like the Stretto or Dampit, and insulate against temperature swings with a quality case and cover.

The violin as we know it was born in mid-1500s Cremona, Italy, in the workshop of Andrea Amati, and perfected by Stradivari, Guarneri, and Bergonzi during violin making’s Golden Age. This post traces Cremona’s decline, the rise of other centers, and its modern renaissance, where today’s master makers continue the handcraft traditions of the old masters.

The Finissima Mute lives on your violin between the bridge and tailpiece, so it’s always there when the music says con sordino. It slides on and off in less than a measure, colors your tone without killing projection, and doesn’t rattle. Isaac Stern loved it so much he never took it off his own violin.

Is your bow holding you back? This quick self-assessment from our Bow Guide series poses seven questions, covering tone, dynamic range, projection, off-the-string control, and rehair costs, to help you decide whether a new bow would benefit your technical and musical development. The more “yes” answers, the more likely an upgrade will help.

Originally published in August 2018, this post looks back at the launch of Shar Music's redesigned website and first interactive eCatalog. Highlights included improved search filters with price sliders, the Learn tab housing the Shar Music Library and blog, the SHAR Collection of professional instruments with tonal profiles you could filter by sound preference, and a 170-page eCatalog with clickable products and embedded videos.

Is the authentic Tourte mute really better than the imitation? Yes, and the differences matter: molded, flexible rubber that grips the bridge better, greater elasticity for fast mute changes, and a wider opening that helps prevent buzzing. Along the way, we explore why learning to notice subtle differences is at the heart of becoming a better musician.

Counterfeit violin strings are real, and their packaging is nearly perfect. Shar Music's investigation traced counterfeit and grey-market strings across three continents, finding inferior strings of unknown origin sold at suspiciously low prices. Learn how fakes reach the US market and how the Shar Music hologram program, with unique serial numbers, guarantees every string we sell is authentic.

Shar Music CEO Charles Avsharian responds to Mark O'Connor's public criticism of the Suzuki Method and Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. Recalling Suzuki's transformative arrival in America and praising the O'Connor Method's American approach, Avsharian argues that both methods open doors for new players, and that the community benefits most when those doors stay open.

Richard Young, former violist of the Vermeer Quartet, profiles two brilliant, little-known French bowmakers: Pascal Lauxerrois and Lionel Tasquier. Both studied at the Mirecourt schools in the 1970s, both died young, and both left behind bows their peers consider among the finest of their generation. A fascinating window into the renaissance of French bowmaking.