You want to learn to play the violin, and now you need one! Or maybe you have been playing for a while, but don't own your rental instrument.
I will level with you- buying a violin or viola is a huge investment. I am talking around $1000 for everything, case, bow, instrument. Are there less expensive options out their? Sure! You can buy a Violin-Shaped-Object (this is what the Luthiers or violin makers I know called them) online from anywhere from $25-$200.
Clearly the $200 version is better than the $25 one, right? Uh, nope, sorry. They still have such major limitations, that within about two weeks your student, (or yourself) will loose interest because the violin can't stay in tune, the tone can't be improved and always sounds thin and screechy, and the student may think they just don't have talent. Stay away from popular online brands like Cecelio or Mendini. The "real wood" they are made with is often composite board, or covered with thick paint. The paint stops the wood from vibrating, and vibrating is how violins and viola make music! So the bottom is, don't waste money on something that won't hold it's tune or your students interest!
If this is all you have, or was a gift from a loving family member, don't worry! I have tricks to make it work for a while. I have a special resin I put in the peg hole to help it keep it's tune, or graphite to help the pegs turn if they are stuck. You student CAN still learn the basics and get better on a Violin-Shaped-Object. In cases like I mentioned above, I have used a VSO until the student expresses that they can't get the tone they are trying to, or the parent lets me know that they want to buy a better violin. As long as you know the limitations, it is less likely to frustrate the learner.
So, you absolutely have to spend upwards of $700 at a violin shop or a music store right? Again, nope! I have seen ONE good inexpensive violin online! While a violin from a violin shop is ALWAYS going to sound better (because it has a professional set up, which means a violin maker or Luthier spent hours carving the pegs the fit the peg holes, carving the bridge to the curve of the instrument and planing to finger board, adding $300-$400 of value to an instrument), if you want to play, but don't want invest money into an instrument, try a Stentor 1500. They are under $200 and are on the same level as $700 violins made ten years ago. (Violin makers have gotten better in the last decade-but that's a story for another time). These violins are real wood, not pressed wood composite, and the finger board and pegs are real ebony (I checked by doing a scratch test) so the can be fixed if they need to be! These instrument tune well, hold their tune, and are the cheapest way to start learning violin.
A Stentor is great if you just want to play for yourself, but if you want a viola, or might want to join a symphony some day, you probably want a nicer instrument. Stentor does not sell violas, and while a violin can be string with viola strings to get the same pitches as a viola, it won't have the depth of tone of a true viola. For the difference between violins and violas, see a later blog post.
Here is what a good violin or viola in $700-1000 range should have:
* Real wood with a varnish that lets you see the woods grain. In other woods, not red-ish brown paint!
* A bridge that has been carved to fit the violin
* Real Ebony fingerboard and pegs ( so it can be fixed by a Luthier, they won't work on Violin-Shaped-Objects).
* Good string heights ( you should be able the fit one or two pieces of printer paper between the strings and finger board) It you are two close to the finger board, or two far away, you will have a tinny, unpleasant sound.
* A black design going around the edges of the violin or viola. This is called Purfling, and it actually serves a purpose! It adds to the vibrations the wood made, and helps the tone.
* A good lower register G string sound, that can be rough and aggressive, or soft and sweet
* A good higher register, or E string sound, not thin and tinny, but bright, sweet, and clear.
After you have found a few instrument at a shop that you like, try playing open strings, and see which instruments sound best. Then try playing a G major or C Major scale, and listen to see if the tone on all the strings is good. You want an instrument with a good balance on all the strings. Then find someone else to play the instrument so you know what it sounds like to everyone else. They can sound very different when they are under your ear!
If you want, try whatever piece you are working on on your favorite instruments.
But here is the most important part: Take home your favorites and try them out over time. This is a big investment, and most violin shops will let your try out their instruments for a week.
I hope this helped you know what to look for, and what to expect when looking to buy a violin!
Talk to you soon,
Susan
Comments