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On February
1, 2001, in an article in the New York Times entitled "Endgame in the
Violin Trade?", author David Schoenbaum makes the following remark:
"[New] concert-quality violins currently peak
around $30,000, cellos around $50,000."
I am delighted to report that my prices are substantially below those
amounts. Although all of my instruments can be customized with ornamental
purfling inlays, paintings and requested shape alterations, the following are base prices without these extras:
Four-string Pellegrina viola $11,900
Four-string Mini-Pellegrina viola $11,900
Four-string "Super-Mini" Pellegrina.--the smallest viola I make $11,900
Five-string Pellegrina pomposa $12,300
Riviola $11,500
Six-string Jazz Riviola $12,800
Maximilian violin $11,200
Cases for the Maximilian violin and the Pellegrina models are custom made
and have to be ordered through me. Depending on the model and the quality
of case, they range in price from $200-$475. By contrast, Riviolas fit
in several commercially available cases.
I have a waiting list. Depending on the economy (and sometimes the time
of year) it fluctuates in length. It has been as long as three years and
as short as a month. Feel free to email me
david@rivinus-instruments.com to find out the current wait length.
My procedural policy is as follows: Upon inquiry, I send out a brochure.
Then, if there is enough interest to take the next step, I do my best
to locate an instrument for the potential buyer to try out. This is easiest
with Pellegrinas. They are my biggest seller and are now sprinkled around
the US, mainland Europe, the UK, Japan and Australia. Should a tryout
lead to a request to be put on the waiting list, the interested person's
name is added with no financial obligation to them. When the person's
turn comes up, I ship or deliver an instrument to them. They have two
weeks to try the instrument out. At the end of that time they either
purchase the instrument (Payment in full is due at that time.) or have
the instrument returned to me at their expense. Although the instruments
are insured during delivery, the potential buyer is responsible for insurance
during the tryout period. This normally involves an inexpensive rider
to a home-owner's policy and is usually easy to obtain.
In cases of severe injury I have, on rare occasions, delivered an instrument
before a person's turn came up on the waiting list. But that is the exception
rather than the rule.
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