The Sound Of Music Comes From China

Country Is World's Largest Producer And Exporter Of Handmade Violins And Other Popular Instruments

(CBS)  Brooklyn sixth-grader Haley Gillia is learning to make music. That's making a job for Li Xuemei, the daughter of a Chinese peasant farmer.

"I'm happy that my violins go around the world," Xuemei says.

She works in Xiqiao, China, a city that is to violin-making what Detroit is to cars, reports CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen.

From its 40-some factories, a violin rolls off human assembly lines on average of one a minute, every day, every week — more than 600,000 a year. Most violins once came from Europe; now, China is the world's biggest producer and biggest exporter.

It's not just violins. China also makes the most guitars, cellos and even pianos.

But handmade violins are the focus, selling for less than $200 in America. They are so cheap because the hands that make them belong to workers earning about 70 cents an hour.

"We work hard," says Li Shu, who owns the town's largest factory, "to make the best medium-priced violins in the world."

Knocking off the competition to become the world's No. 1 violin maker is not enough for China. From being the biggest, it has set its sights on being the best.

To do that, the government sent Professor Zheng Quan to study violin making at its 16th-century source in Italy.

Now he teaches students who will spend 10 years learning their craft. Here, it's not about production; it is about perfection.

"For Chinese people, I think we can make a really good work. We have very good hand," he said.

China is now winning the gold medals at world violin making competitions and praise from violin craftsman like American David Segal.

"For the manufacture of Chinese violins, they are fantastic," he says.

Music, it is said, takes up where words leave off. Chinese master craftsmen today are making violins that, like a Stradivarius, may sing to us for centuries to come.

[sgillia]

Why did I buy a Chinese violin for my daughter? My 11-year-old daughter needed a full-size violin, and I wanted the best violin I could afford. My research brought me to China, specifically to Beijing, where Shan Jiang makes violins with one assistant (a common practice among leading makers in the U.S., including famed maker Sam Zygmuntowicz). So we weren't talking a factory-made violin, or for that matter, anything near a $200 price tag. Shan Jiang's fiddles -- which have won awards in international competitions -- sell for about $6.5k right now. An equivalent violin in the U.S. (admittedly subjective, but simply looking at U.S. makers who've won similar international awards) would run double that price, if not more -- effectively pricing me out of that level of instrument. For me, that was the bottom line.

[missyx21]

You can complain all you want about things made in China. Most of the things in American homes are from china. I just checked around my desk and the only thing made in the US is Puff plus. lol.....

China made products may be cheap and can break down easily but it hasn't stopped american consumers from buying them.

[redhen18]

I don't play any musical instrument currently but I have to agree with hober_mallow.....If I wanted a violin, I would never buy one that was made in China. Does the phrase "Chinese junk" sound familiar? I could see the thing lasting a week and then falling apart.

It would be great if Americans could just completely boycott anything made in China, but good God, what would be left to buy?

[hober_mallow]

I'm an amateur guitar player and won't make anyone forget about Eric Clapton, but I'm OK.

There is no way on God's green earth that I'll ever buy any musical instrument made in bum fu99in' CHINA.

A Chinese guitar may cost $200, but, if you look around, you can buy a nice made in the U.S.A. guitar for $500-$600-- a Martin or a Taylor at that.

If you can't afford that, you can find a nice Canadian-built guitar in the $350 range.

If you can't afford that, a Mexican-built Strat is preferable to a Chinese Strat.

Just my $00.02.

[agnim]

"If these violins are as good as they say they are, That's atrocious!
Posted by erasmus6 at 08:18 PM : Jul 31, 2007"
Of course the pay is 'atrocious'; but that is how too many business people are, filled with selfishness, self-centeredness and GREED! Sharing the wealth more reasonably is unthinkable to them.

[nothappyatall]

The pay could be WORSE than 70 cents an hour, it could be ZERO, or no job at all.

[erasmus6]

If these violins are as good as they say they are, the people making them should be getting paid a hell of a lot more than 70 cents an hour! That's atrocious!

[erasmus6]

Is making good violins supposed to make up for the tainted food?

Is there any lead in those violins?