learn where to get a violin

learn where to get a violin

learn where to get a violin

Learn Where to Get a Violin

Important Tips for Getting Started!

Introduction
Many students ask the question “Where do I get a Violin?” This comes up often especially for beginners who have never played the instrument, and are looking where to get a violin to purchase. There are many options and points that you should know about, so keep reading!

What makes a violin sound good?
The quality of the wood is the biggest variable in the sound quality of a violin, which is what makes the violin sound good. A hand crafted violin will sound much better than a cheap manufactured plastic violin, and will cost a lot more too! If you look inside a violin you will usually find a label that says the year the violin was made, who made it, and where it was made. If a violin has signs of age and the label inside reads an old date of make, this is actually a good thing! Violins get more valuable and better sounding with time, so an old violin will actually play better when in good condition.

Renting
If you are a beginner, and not sure about investing in a violin because you aren’t sure if you will continue with it, you are not alone! One option you have is renting a violin at a local music store. Typically you can rent a violin for somewhere between $20-$35/month, and this usually includes the case, bow and instrument. This option works really well for students that are not in a full size yet, and normally rental programs will trade instruments for you once you reach a bigger size. There are some programs that will allow you to “rent-to-own,” which is set up for you to own the instrument after a certain amount of payments.

I highly recommend renting a violin from a store that specializes in stringed instruments. These stores normally have better quality instruments, and when you are ready to trade-up to a nicer violin, they will have a good selection of instruments to choose from. Stay away from shops that specialize in guitars, or don’t seem to have many violins hanging on the walls!

Purchasing a violin
If you want to avoid the monthly fee of renting, or there are no good shops nearby, you can purchase an instrument on the Internet. As a beginner, you can usually get a quality instrument for anywhere between $200-$500. This price range is pretty typical for a new violin at the beginner level. The Cremona Violin Outfit works really well for beginner students, and is a good affordable quality instrument. It comes with a nice bow and case.

Should I buy a violin at a garage sale or on Craigslist?
You can find some pretty good violins at garage sales or on Craigslist, but you can also find some junk! I would highly recommend taking any violin you are interested in purchasing to a local violin shop, as they can give you a good idea if the instrument is worth buying or not. Sometimes there are a lot of cracks, or crooked fingerboards when you purchase certain violins through unauthorized dealers, so it is smart to be cautious. I wouldn’t spend any more than $200 for an instrument on Craigslist or a garage sale unless you really know what you are buying.

On the other hand, I have seen students find some pretty good violins through garage sales or on Craigslist that retail in the $1000-$2000 range, for paying just $50-$100! Just make sure you do your homework, and doing so could result a great bargain.