Violin Owner's Manual: The Complete Guide (Strings Backstage)

Rating:
Summary: Should Come With Every Violin
Review: This book is remarkable in its presentation. Not a shop manual or history book, it even includes a glossary at the back for the benefit of those of us who don't know violin terminology. As you read through each of the articles, you get a feeling that the authors are talking to you directly. It covers every topic necessary to care for your violin. Most, if not all, of my questions about my favorite instrument were answered. This book is truly the manual that should come with every violin.

Rating:
Summary: Misleading Title.
Review: This is NOT an owners manual. It is a book of violin articels. From the stand point of a hands on musican this book is useless. It seems to contain information geared toword the neophyte but it goes off onto tangents and angles representive of a Salvidor Dahli in book form. (Why bother puting information on the purchase of a mid-level instrument while omitting points to look for in a student instrument?)
It has 0 (ZERO!!!) information on setups introduces nothing of use to students and nothing a more experienced musician wouldn't allready know just from hitting web sites.
So to be concrete... This "owners manual" will not provide any DIY tips. Will not provide any information on DIY repairs or quick fixes. It's generally useless unless you happen to be really curious about the violin as an instrument. (In which case it would make a great coaster to put your coffey on while you read a more intelligently assembled book.)