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TO OUR READERS | MAKER MYSTERIES | DANGERS OF WEIGHTLIFTING | RECOVERING FROM FINGER INJURY Martin Chapman of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, is seeking help with bass strings. "Anyone know about a Ray Brown signature bass string that was made many years ago by Lycon, a Danish company?" he asks. "I found a couple in a bankrupt music store’s merchandise and tried one. Best sounding D string I ever had. But Lycon isn’t on the Internet. Does anyone know of an equivalent string?" Lycon reportedly went out of business several years ago. But if you have suggestions for similar strings, or know of Brown’s current string choices, write to Q & A. Or if you have any questions of your own, let us know. We’ll call on readers, our staff, and our contributing experts for their advice and ideas. Write to Q & A, Strings Magazine, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979. You can also submit your question on-line. If we print your question or comment in Q & A, we’ll also give you a year’s free subscription, gift subscription, or subscription renewal. Q I recently obtained a violin from an older gentleman. It has been dated by one expert as a German-made violin, circa 1810, but the label reads "Peter Vinerati, Venice, 1670." I have looked for this maker in various references, but have come up dry. Who was Peter Vinerati, and why would some maker in 1810 want to copy someone so obscure? —Jerrold J. Brody A The more relevant question is, "Who cares who Peter Vinerati was?" Now, I am not being rude. I ask the question because even letting Peter in the door creates a red herring worthy of a Scottish breakfast. Why? Because he had nothing to do with your violin. The label is a counterfeit, inserted by someone who wanted an obscure Italian name in the violin. There are several possible reasons for doing this, and not all involve outright fraud. The most obvious, though, is indeed outright fraud: Italian violins, no matter what their actual quality, sell for more. Whoever put the label in was trying, as you might say, to maximize his return. The best way to do this is to find a maker who is so obscure that no one knows his work. You’re right in that no one would want to copy a maker so obscure; but appropriating his label is another matter entirely. But there is another possible reason, which has to do with the realities of dealing violins. Many instruments, particularly of the 18th century and before, left the shop unsigned. But in 25 years of looking at violins, I have seen very, very few without labels. Why? Because it is impossible to sell a violin without a label. Forget about who’s responsible for this, dealers or their customers; after 400 years, the market is what it is, and so violins have labels. If you want to read about them in more detail, see my article on faking labels, "Face Value" (January/February 1998). Peter Vinerati? Hmmmm . . . not a bad name . . . I like it! —James N. McKean A Steve Linerode asked if weight lifting might harm his playing (Q & A, August/September 1999). A recent and, it seems to me (a layman), excellent book, The Athletic Musician: A Guide to Playing Without Pain, by Barbara Paull and Christine Harrison (Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, and London, 1997), warns violinists against it on pp. 74–75, 120, and 133. Paull, a physiotherapist, and Harrison, a violinist and teacher, argue that upper-body exercise, including weight training, can cause harm (including shoulder impingement syndrome) by overdeveloping muscles that are already highly developed through playing. However, they are enthusiastic about leg exercises and general fitness, and they suggest many stretching and exercise routines. —Doug Hay A When I read of Pablo Vasquez’s finger injury (Q & A, November/December 1999), I thought of an article I read recently on violin maker Charlie Kennedy of Arizona. He was profiled mainly for his use of interesting woods and his habit of giving his fiddles away to kids who can’t afford to buy them, but near the end of the article, Charlie related an accident similar to Pablo’s. A few years ago, he lost the tips of all four of his left-hand fingers. After some length of time, though, Charlie either had constructed or constructed for himself synthetic fingertips—and with them, he can play again. He doesn’t have the dexterity he had before, but he plays today for fun and competition, and he says he doesn’t do "too awful bad." —Elizabeth Blinn A I am a violinist and pianist. In early 1999, I put a drill bit through my left index finger at the top joint, nicking the tendon and causing severe nerve damage. The physical pain was indescribable. The emotional distress was worse. Like most musicians, I need music to assure me that I am someone. It gives me a sense of self-worth that nothing else has. Losing the ability to play music after 30 years was harsh. Emotional depression brought on by the accident made everything more difficult during this time. Nine months later, after very painful surgery and physical therapy, I am playing the violin again. After only three or four months I was playing the piano and used that as additional therapy, both physical and emotional. My violin playing is not back to where it was, but I feel that, given another six to nine months, I will not be hindered by my physical scars. The finger has full flexibility at this time but still tires more easily than the others. During my recovery, a strong beacon of hope came to me by way of the CBS news program 60 Minutes. They did a segment on the violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, who cut off the tip of her left little finger in 1994 while preparing a meal. It had to be sewn back on. The interview was done two years after the accident, and she showed that there were no scars and that she had full functionality of the finger. She explained that she had needed to work out new fingerings for the concert pieces that she was going to perform, and she got back on stage after a couple of months. This act of bravery was extremely encouraging. At a concert and autograph-signing in Baltimore, I was tempted to mention how much her courage had helped me during my time of physical and emotional distress—but I didn’t. Maybe this letter could suffice to convey my heartfelt thanks to her for showing that even extreme physical injury can be overcome. To Mr. Vasquez I would say, take heart. Give it a chance to heal and work with your therapist. Be as positive as you can be. Patience will take you a long way. My sincerest wishes for your recovery. —Ed Ebel A I would like to thank you for publishing the question I sent in to you about my finger injury. I have made great progress since I first wrote, and I am happy to be back playing almost full time. I have gathered a great deal of information on the subject, and if it can be useful to others please feel free to contact me. I have some very practical information regarding therapies for similar situations. Write me care of Strings magazine, PO Box 767, San Anselmo, CA 94979, or e-mail me care of editors.st@stringletter.com. —Pablo Vasquez
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