Care & Maintenance

Approval Program

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Beginning Outfits

Beginning players require an instrument that possesses pleasing tone, balanced response, contrasts in dynamic range (volume) and forgiveness of general response to help instill confidence in an inexperienced player.

Beginning instruments are typically manufactured in a production setting, where a good deal of the carving is done by machine to keep the costs to a minimum and for consistency and predictability of tone. The instrument set-up is the single most important stage of production, where a skilled worker's careful attention to detail brings out the best possible tone and playability.

Intermediate Outfits

Intermediate players require all of the attributes that beginning players require, plus a broader range of tone colors and dynamics for learning musical expression, faster response for the introduction of off-string bowing techniques, and additional volume for ensemble playing.

Instruments in this category, even of the same model, begin to exhibit individual characteristics and can be adjusted to the player's preferences. Shar's comprehensive set-up process is essential to the best possible tone and playability of these instruments. The Shar Instrument Specialist program has been designed to assist you in choosing the best model for your needs, and in selecting an example of this model that most closely reflects your own personal requirements.

Advancing Outfits

As a student concentrates on the development of agility, accuracy, and breadth of expression, they will require an instrument that combines full tone, even balance, and good projection. A certain amount of "forgiveness" and ease of playing will provide confidence in controlling a wider range of tone color and volume than they have experienced in the past.

Instruments in this class are made in workshop settings, overseen by master luthiers. Select tonewoods are used in these instruments, and makers perform specific adjustments to enhance and optimize the tonal qualities of each individual instrument as it is being made. Final set-up is completed in the Shar workshop by skilled string specialists, whose work enhances the individual character and complexities of each specific instrument.

Fine & Rare Instruments

Advanced and professional players have a well developed sense of expression that is characterized by highly evolved technical and artistic abilities. These include a mature range of tone colors and bow strokes, and an individual style that can be tailored according to style of music, ensemble type and audience characteristics.

This classification of instruments is wide-ranging in value, but all these players require an instrument that possess a full "palate" of complex tone colors, even balance, and powerful projection. Let us help you select an instrument from our extensive collection which combines the sound and playing characteristics best suited to your personal tastes.

For assistance in making a selection tailored to fit your particular musical needs, please call Shar Fine Instruments at (800) 438.4538 or (734) 665.4626.

Electric Instruments

In the late 16^th century, European luthiers developed a revolutionary new instrument family centered around the violin.  The 20^th century catapulted the violin family into the electric age.  As soon as fiddle players began playing in jazz and blues bands in the early 1900s, the need for amplification was born.  At first, microphones recorded string players who would have otherwise been overpowered by the shear acoustic horsepower of drums, winds, and horns.  By the middle of the century, specialized pickups and electric instruments were created to be played in jazz, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and avant garde performance settings.

Today, Shar offers a comprehensive selection of pickups, pre-amps, and electric instruments.  Browse our collection.

Beginning Bows

Players of all ages who are working to master the basics of stringed instrument playing have a wonderful array of technical and musical concepts to consider every time they pick up their instruments and bows. These include fingering, bowing, rhythm, dynamics, note reading, and tone production to name but a few. With so many variables at hand, it is extremely important that players who are learning these skills feel confident in the capability of their instruments and bows to produce sounds which are both desirable and pleasing.

For students, we offer a selection of bows consistent in their ability to "pull" a full, rich tone from the instrument while being forgiving enough to help players establish a sensation of control in the early development of their bow arm techniques. Enthusiasm for music, enjoyment of string playing, and the growing self-confidence enjoyed by successful students go hand-in-hand with trust in the consistent performance ability of their instruments and bows.

Intermediate Bows

Players at the intermediate level are generally proficient at reading music, and are concentrating on the development of tone and technique. Selected for their consistent quality and versatility, this selection of bows will help to "pull" tone out of the instrument, allowing the exploration of various techniques such as martelé and spiccato. At this level, players can notice differences in weight and flexibility of various bows, and will begin to develop their own personal bow preferences.

The tone color and dynamic ranges of the following bows of pernambuco and top-quality brazilwood are noticeably broader than those experienced with less-expensive brazilwood bows. Flexible bows are best suited for the player with a lighter, delicate touch, and offer a sweet tone and gentle bounce. For the stronger, more aggressive player, a medium-stiff bow offers brighter tone and quick bounce. Our experience shows that stick shape (round vs. octagonal) has little significant impact on response or playability, and therefore is not indicated in the descriptions below.

Advancing Bows

The tone color and dynamic capabilities of the following pernambuco bows are greater than those of either brazilwood or less-expensive pernambuco bows intended for beginning and intermediate players. Similarly, off-the-string strokes enjoy a greater degree of clarity. Ideal for the player who is not heavy-handed, but rather pulls the sound out of the instrument, a medium-flexible bow often produces a sweet, singing tone and moderately quick bounce. Best suited for the stronger, more aggressive player, a strong bow often produces a brighter tone color and quick bounce.

Fine & Rare Bows

Advanced players typically possess a mature range of tone colors and bow strokes, and are focusing on their musical expression and the development of a standard repertoire. Characterized by exceptional materials and craftsmanship, bows in this category generally range in strength from moderately-firm to firm, with a quick bounce and clean, articulate response. Tone color will vary according to predictable tendencies exhibited by each workshop or individual maker.

Shar offers a comprehensive selection of rare, old, and contemporary violin, viola, and cello bows for discriminating players and collectors. In addition to the well-respected makers mentioned elsewhere, there is a partial representation of bows by notable French, English, German, Swiss, and American makers which are currently, or have recently been, available from our collection.

Carbon Fiber Bows

Bows made from synthetic materials were first introduced as a more durable alternative to wooden bows and were ideal for school orchestra programs where accidents sometimes happened.  Today, synthetic bows range from fiberglass bows, still the #1 choice for schools, to very sophisticated carbon-fiber bows which are often times used by professionals.