Can I change the colour on my acoustic violin??

Question:When I first bought my violin, I told the maker to make it red since it was a custom build violin. Is it possible to go back to the maker and ask to change the colour to like blue or green?

Thx in advance

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: When I first bought my violin, I told the maker to make it red since it was a custom build violin. Is it possible to go back to the maker and ask to change the colour to like blue or green?

Thx in advance

If the violin is still under construction and hasn't been varnished yet, you can tell the builder to make it the different color.

If the violin has been completed, your options are a lot more limited. If the color comes from a stain that was applied to the bare wood before a clear varnish was put on, then I'm afraid you're stuck with a red fiddle -- the red stain has soaked into the bare wood and can't be removed. If the red color was mixed with the varnish and applied to unstained bare wood, the builder ***might*** be able to completely remove the red varnish and re-varnish it in a different color. Maybe.

But keep in mind that the varnish actually makes a difference in how the violin sounds -- if you really like the way your fiddle sounds now, removing the existing varnish and re-finishing it will change the sound, possibly dramatically. Are you sure you want to take that risk, on what was probably an expensive custom-made instrument? And I imagine it will be an expensive job. Is it really worth the expense and risk just for the cosmetic appearance of a blue violin instead of a red one??

I wouldn't do it. If you really hate the red color -- sell the violin and use the money to commission a new one in the color you prefer. Otherwise, learn to love your new red fiddle :-)