Dave Runnion writes:

>You can pay more than a million (US) for a Strad or Amati. My instrument's
>worth about $40 thousand and I need a new one cuz this one isn't good
>enough.

Life imitates art!!! A strong sub-plot in Vikram Seth' novel, "An Equal
Music" is the need for the first violinist of the quartet at the center
of the novel to get a decent violin. He haunts auctions, finally finds
something good, but goes into extremely deep debt to pay for it. The second
violinist is more gortunate, as the benefactor who lends it to him, wills
it to him.  The book is a  bit of a soap opera, but a good read- and with
lots of musical stuff.

Bernard Chasan