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. For us this set-up is not a side step but the core of our work.
Set-up of this instrument
The 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. Tailpiece and pegs: ebony with Parisian eye (a small round inlay). Fine tuner: Meister fine tuner with gold screw. Chin rest: Götz, Stradivari model, with gold-plated screws.
- Build variant HERITAGE: traditional design, sturdy construction.
Technical data
- Instrument: Violin
- Line: METROPOL
- Quality grade: 125F MET
- Build variant: HERITAGE
- Size: 4/4
- Serial number: G9
- Top: Spruce
- Back and neck: Maple
Model in brief
The Metropol is the classic line of our house: a German violin built the way we have built them for decades, varnished by hand with spirit varnish and, in our experience, balanced. Handmade in Markneukirchen, since 1884 and in the fourth generation, set up ready to play and made of wood with documented origin, it stands for the standard of our workshop. The 125F MET is the Metropol with a whole back: the F in the grade designation stands for the one-piece back made from a single piece of wood. It is aimed at anyone who listens for fine differences in tone and likes to keep listening to their violin. What the designations 125F and MET mean and how our quality grades are structured is explained in detail 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 moves 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.
Which 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 gripping well; up to 60 per cent is unproblematic.
How do I care for the varnish?
After playing, wipe off the rosin dust with a microfibre cloth, without pressure; that is all it needs. 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.
