Playability
What we are especially proud of is the playability. Fingerboard, bridge, string height, the curvature of the fingerboard, the top nut and the neck are matched to one another by hand as one connected system, so that the instrument plays easily, precisely and without fatigue. This set-up is not a side step for us; it is at the heart of our work.
Set-up of this instrument
The fittings and set-up of this instrument at a glance:
- String height: set to its optimum, matched to a normal indoor climate (around 50 % humidity at roughly 20 °C).
- Strings: Thomastik Dominant 135 (G 133, D 132, A 131, E 129SN).
- Bridge: Götz, German shape, hardened. Tailpiece: boxwood, Hill model, with gold fine tuner.
- Pegs: boxwood, fully worked heart shape. Chin rest: Guarneri model, boxwood, with titanium screws.
- HERITAGE build variant: the traditional and sturdier version of the same line.
Technical data
- Instrument: Violin
- Line: CANTONATE
- Quality grade: 125F CA
- Build variant: HERITAGE
- Size: 4/4
- Serial number: C25
- Top: Spruce
- Back and neck: Maple
The model in brief
The Cantonate is the line of our house with boxwood fittings throughout, heart-shaped pegs and a Guarneri chin rest with titanium screws. The F in the 125F grade stands for the one-piece back; added to that are longer work on the graduation and more carefully selected wood than in the lower grades. Our family business near Markneukirchen has existed since 1884 and is run in its fourth generation; we set up every Cantonate ready to play, and its wood has a certified origin. What the designations 125F and CA mean, and how our quality grades are structured, you can read in full in the main listing of this model.
Care and the first weeks
What happens in the first weeks?
The strings stretch, and as you tune, the bridge creeps slightly towards the fingerboard. A quick look once a week is enough: is the bridge standing straight? After a few weeks everything has settled; a short readjustment is part of playing in.
What humidity does the violin like?
40 to 50 per cent at around 20 °C keeps the wood and glue joints in shape and the pegs responsive; up to 60 per cent is unproblematic.
How do I care for the varnish?
After playing, take off the rosin dust with a microfibre cloth and no pressure; that is enough. Keep polish, tincture and alcohol away from the varnish. After cold or heat, open the case only after 15 to 30 minutes.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
