A symphony violinist/music teacher/violin shop owner sheds light on the delicate issue of purchasing a violin

Originally written/published on August 10, 2006. Last Update November 15, 2020.

Beautiful black woman inspecting a violin

Skip to How and Where Should I Buy My Violin? - Learn the Lingo - Size Matters - Buy or Rent? - New or Used? - Find a Reliable Source - Take it On a Trial - Check it Over - No One Ever Regretted Buying Quality - Commissions and Fishy Deals - I'm Here for You

 

How and Where Should I Buy My Violin?

For many players, the hassle of finding a good instrument is most stressful and difficult than putting up with cat in heat noises coming from said violin. We’re not born with an “instrument-seeking gene.” Most people don’t even know what size to look for and there is so much money at stake that some people find it very stressful.

My first violin was a plain but overpriced Suzuki with nearly rusty strings and a practically bald bow. Sadly, my mother and I didn’t know any better and the local music store made total suckers out of us.

Now as a teacher and music shop owner I frequently encounter players who, like myself, were poorly or not even advised on the purchase of an instrument.

Expert Opinion

It is my expert opinion as a professional musician, seasoned teacher and long-term violin shop owner that it's best to buy from someone who actually plays the instrument at a professional, ideally symphonic, level (not just sliding around on the strings or showing off with some fast but sloppy scales). Better yet is a player who understands the subtleties in tone and feel with each instrument in question at a professional level, as well as how they are crafted from start to finish.

I am told frequently how proficiently and expertly I match players to the right instrument for their budget and needs. My efforts in this realm and beyond have resulted in several awards for business and musicianship as well as countless reviews and testimonials from customers since the late 90s.

Thus it's my pleasure to shed some light on the important task of buying a violin. I hope it helps you to make good decisions and that I gain your trust and patronage.

 

Piles of violin books

Learn the Lingo

Unusual words like "purfling," "ribs," and, believe it or not, "frog,"will spring up in your violin hunt.

First things first, do some research. A couple hours learning about violins in general is time well-spent.

You can start by reading about the various parts and components of an instrument in my super awesome Free Glossary. From there you can browse my Helpful Info links. For a fun break you can read some of my many articles. When that's under your belt, you can educate yourself further on what is most desirable in an instrument from reading helpful customer and player reviews/testimonials.

Customers tell me all the time mine is the most detailed and helpful violin site on the web. I am immensely proud to have developed it for the benefit of countless musicians and their families. So please feel free to use this free resource to buff-up your fiddle brain!

Some random fun facts:

  • An "outfit" is violin talk for when you buy the violin with bow and case together as a package deal.
    • Fiddleheads further discounts the bow and case and includes free rosin and, if requested, fine tuners when purchased together as an outfit.
    • We also throw in free violin swag to thank customers for their patronage.
  • Setup is the meticulous work that goes into preparing a violin to be in playable condition and includes carving and adjusting the bridge, sound post, fingerboard, pegs and other highly-specialized and finicky adjustments
  • Every instrument I sell has been adjusted, tested by me, re-adjusted, then tested and played by me before it is packed and shipped, making mine the best set-up violins in the biz.
  • An ebony (wood) fingerboard is a far superior choice over another hardwood painted or stained to only look like ebony
    • All our fingerboards are made from quality, seasoned ebony
  • Horse hair on a bow beats out any synthetic hair
    • All our bows have genuine horse hair
  • Perlon-core "Dominant" strings are a reliable and popular string brand standard on most violins
    • We put Dominant strings on nearly all our violins but provide string downgrade and upgrade string options for all preferences and budgets. When you add your new violin to your shopping cart you have the option for us to install these or other strings for you during setup.

Violins largest to smallest with a ragdoll siamese cat photobombingSize Matters

Unlike the piano, flute, or trumpet, violins and other bowed string instruments are scaled in various sizes for children ages two (2) and up into adulthood. Parents of young children playing the violin can expect to upgrade sizes every one to three years.

Determining the size isn't just about the age of the player. Because genetics present us with a wide range of body types and heights, a six-year-old could range from playing a 1/8 size to a url1 1/2 size, depending on his/her development. People over the age of twelve typically play a 4/4 (or full) size violin, which is the largest violin size, though I have had many 10-year-old students who managed wonderfully on their full-sized violins. Some adults who are short or have physiological challenges may wish to stick with a smaller violin in 3/4 or 7/8 size (the latter is fairly hard to locate, but I sell this size in a few models).

Some teachers who work with kids will know which size you should purchase for your offspring, with Suzuki teachers leaning toward the small size as part of their teacher training. Other teachers ask parents to consult with the local music shop, which doesn't always work out well. If you don't have a teacher or want a second opinion, my super awesome and popular free violin and viola sizing chart is super accurate and helpful.

Just be sure you have a very clear idea what size instrument you need to purchase to spare yourself an unnecessary delay to swap sizes or struggle on an ill-fitting fiddle. [Visit my violin sizing chart]

What about the Viola?

Learning to play the viola is a great option for individuals who prefer deeper tones/timbre or are very tall in stature/have huge hands. Violas are played under the chin like the violin, but, unlike the violin, are tuned slightly lower (and an octave higher than the cello). They are larger than violins, to accommodate their lower pitches/vibrations, and are measured in inches length of the body and not "fractional" increments like violins.

There can also be more playing opportunities for violists as far less people play viola than the violin, thus violists can be in higher demand in some locations. Violas are also ideal for players who don't seek the limelight of playing the melody in an orchestral setting, but rather enjoy the inner harmonies and being less exposed on stage.

Check out my funny article about violas here - See the instruments for sale here - Discover your viola size here

 

violin and cello in shop window with rent me and buy me signs

Buy or Rent?

Some players are concerned they or their kids may not take to the instrument, or they can't afford to buy and their only choice is to rent. Here are some upsides and downsides to renting:

Upside

  • Financial flexibility: You can quit at any time and don't have to worry about selling the violin to get your cash back.
  • Upgrades: Similar to people who only lease their vehicles in order to have the newest model, you can keep coming back to the shop every so often to upgrade the size or quality.

Downsides

  • Lack of Adherence: The promise of being able to quit at any time is actually deterrent to success.
    • Case in point, I rented violins to my students one lessons semester and found more than half of the renting students (children and adults) dropped out of lessons by the end of the 10 weeks, and the other half had slower progress than those not renting. My drop-out rate up to this point was incredibly low.
    • I questioned these students to discern they simply didn't mentally commit fully to the new hobby, knowing they had an escape route when they encountered their first frustrating hurdle learning. There is a lot to be said to committing to something financially to see yourself all-in.
  • Lost Cash: Renting means money gone forever and you cannot sell the instrument later to recoup your investment.
    • As for most rent-to-own plans, the shops jack up the price considerably to cover the costs of their inventory up-front with renters' small $20 payments trickling in over many months.
  • Higher Costs: Renting is expensive in the long haul! Unless you have a Swiss bank account itching to be depleted, you will fare a lot better to buy the violin and sell it.
    • Even if you only recoup $600 of a $750 violin purchase after using it a year then selling it privately, you can consider it like paying only $12.50 per month to have a far better violin than any rental program offers.
  • Inferior Quality: Like the rental housing market, there are countless instrument violin rental "slumlords" who rent out cheap junk. Few shops are willing to send out good quality instruments knowing that they will likely come back damaged, so their rental outfits are those that would sell for $200-$300 new, tops.
    • Most rental violins I have encountered since the mid-90s are hard to learn to play and have a terrible tone. This frustrates the player when they need the instrument to guide them, not hold them back.
  • Inferior Condition: Most rental places put the bare minimum into their violins in order to maximize profits. Rarely does a typical rental violin have new or good strings and the bows usually desperately need new hair to get a proper grip.
    • Consider that a set of decent strings and a re-hair costs at least $100, and that sets the shop back 5 months of $20/month rental fees to replace for each renter. It's simply not profitable for the shop to provide the ideal setup and condition when the profits are small and delayed, so these important steps are skipped.
  • Responsibility for Someone Else's Instrument: I am always far more anxious using something valuable for more than a couple weeks that belongs to someone else. I am willing to excuse myself for carelessly putting a dent into my own instrument, but am totally mortified if I were to bang up a violin belonging to someone else.
    • Maybe I'm peculiar in this reasoning, but I know most other players feel a lot more comfortable and at ease using their own instrument.
  • Personal Attachment: Likewise, I feel a stronger affinity for my instrument when I know it is wholly mine (and I am hers!). There is an emotional detachment from truly connecting with a violin with which I cannot establish an emotional bond because it's not mine to keep.
    • I have seen this phenomenon with many players, from students to professionals, and it really does transform merely using an inatimate object like a tool to creating music with a "friend."

Some other considerations

  • Consider borrowing a violin from a relative, colleague, school or your private lessons teacher until you have saved up for your own. You'd be surprised how many people have a functional violin in the family and will be elated to know it is being loved and played.
    • Even if you have to pay to put new strings on it, this is a lot cheaper than renting and is a nice way to show your appreciation for the loan.
  • Some communities have a non-profit society or school with an instrument loan bank for players in financial need and all you have to pay for is replacing the strings and bow hair at the end of your use.

 

two scrolls, one looks old and one looks new

New or Used?

With super low-priced student outfits you may save by buying a used instrument instead of the latest new model. A used violin may have a few dings and isn’t “shiny new,” but someone else paid the depreciation and “broke it in.” However, be warned that a used student instrument will probably need work, new strings and a new bow, which can be like buying new cost-wise.

Though it's assumed that a used violin is cheaper than new, in reality most used violins at other shops were overpriced from the start and high price tag follows them with each resale.

Fiddleheads sells new violins for less than used violins at most competing shops, and our setup is always superior with both. There is better value in a new violin from Fiddleheads than a used violin at most other shops. It also sees you not needing to put more money into new strings or unexpected repairs.

Yes, unfortunately in buying used you can't possibly know the history of the instrument, which very well could have been knocked or dropped with serious interior damage not visible from the exterior. It's not an issue if you have a repair person you trust and who does exceptional work for the right price and the used violin was super affordable and worthy of the repair costs.

Do know that far too many people claim to be skilled luthiers, but a careless repair person can wreck a beautiful violin unintentionally. Just because the person has a business card or a website doesn't mean you want them hacking up your fiddle. I have seen far more bad luthier work than good and it is getting harder to recommend good luthiers these days.

Finally, in providing new violins from a select few makers I have gotten to know them over a long amount of time and can attest to their consistency in manufacturing, tonal maturation, and reliable longevity. Knowing these instruments won't disappoint after many years of use, I feel far more confident in my wares and that I will match you to the absolute best instrument for your budget and needs.

Read our customer testimonials: Our Match-Making - Our Expertise - Trustworthy

 

Man and woman considering a violin in a shop

Find a Reliable Source

Now that you've done some exploring, it's time to look for instruments!

Many people rely on someone they know and others go to the local music shop. Below are the usual three sources:

Ask the Local Music Shop

Nearly every town has a general music store, but truly knowledgeable violin specialists are often in short supply. I can't say how many times a customer contacted me after the local shops botched the sizing or had no clue about the instruments they were selling literally from a catalog under the front counter. Your typical general music store is not keenly familiar with their products and many times their underpaid and untrained staff don't even play the violin.

You wouldn't expect a box store employee to know intimately how the products were manufactured, and sadly the same goes for most music stores. If I'm buying a car air freshener, I pick one up as an impulse buy at the gas station. However, if I'm having my Prius' engine rebuilt, I take it to a Toyota specialist. Likewise, as I am not a car person, I wouldn't ever buy one without talking to a mechanic who knows the vehicle inside and out.

It really is the same with violins: don't buy your new baby at a shop that doesn't really know and play violins. Also strive to locate a dealer who has a website with meticulous details and, if you contact them directly, actually invests time into your inquiry right away and doesn't just send a form letter with links. I spend hours every day and night answering emails from customers. This personal attention to each inquiry allows my customers to learn what they seek and to be involved in the process, which results in much personal satisfaction from their experience.

Ask a Friend Who Plays Violin

Some of us are blessed with super talented musician friends in our circles. And some people know their instruments inside and out so they can give fantastic expert advice beyond just how a good violin sounds. These people are unicorns, hang on to them and buy them dinner!

Just be aware that I have yet to encounter another professional violinist in my symphonic career who also has an expert level of knowledge in violin construction and setup. Respected orchestral colleagues are FANTASTIC players but most still pay a luthier to do basic bridge adjustments, like how most of us get Jiffy Lube to do our oil changes rather than get dirty ourselves. Fair enough, they are busy playing and teaching and don't get super involved in the construction realm.

Most players are enthusiastically willing to pass on the same advice their teacher gave them, which was passed on by their teacher, and so-forth. Or others rely on information found in online forums or that provided by the salesperson who sold them their violin. The unfortunate downside is how the efficacy of the information depends on the source, and (thanks Dunning-Kruger effect) some teachers unknowingly yet confidently pass on old or inaccurate info with the kindest intentions of being helpful.

Next is a very delicate scenario and I mean absolutely no disrespect to fellow professional players: Due to tight finances many professional and gigging musicians are still playing the student to intermediate level violin they used in high school or college and haven't upgraded.

I've known lovely orchestra colleagues to still play Tchaikovsky overtures on $500 violins. Yes, they blend in with their orchestra section, but they aren't making the same sound as the players with better violins and their instruments are holding them back from creating a truly professional tone.

Hence there have been times in my shop career that professionals couldn't accurately identify the superior violin in a professional level violin trial because their ears were "sound blind" from the weak or muffled violin they were so used to hearing every day. It's a similar phenomenon to how some pet owners or smokers don't realize their home smells overpowering to guests; the comfort zone may be too familiar to step back and identify something better. This is my gentle way of saying that some advice from fellow players may be unwittingly inaccurate.

Ask Your Violin Teacher

A teacher or specialist may be able to provide suggestions and tips before you start your search. Like the points above, some teachers are very good at giving expert instrument advice and their students are very fortunate to have this help. These are unicorns!

Though in my experience, I observed about 60% of violin teachers don't have a strong match-making skill set but instead rely entirely on the help from a local shop. That's okay, know your strengths.

If your teacher does send you to a shop, as do many of loyal teachers who are loyal to Fiddleheads, you may like to ask if they are receiving a secret kickback (bounty) for the referral. There is an ongoing conversation about the wobbly ethics in teacher commissions and transparency is important.

I think it's best to have total transparency here: I never pay teacher commissions but I do encourage students to compensate teachers for their time if they are taking personal time outside lessons to help you purchase an instrument. Teachers gotta eat too! I will provide discounts to a teacher if they are purchasing an instrument for their own studio or rental pool, but they will never get any financial or other benefits from sending their students to my shop. [More on this here].

Even if you plan to teach yourself, it’s still wise to consult a reliable, trusted professional with a strong reputation and solid reviews on what to look for and avoid in an instrument. Building a trusting relationship with such a person is invaluable as you progress in your playing and invest in higher-level instruments. There are some very good luthiers and violin specialists, like me, who love to talk shop and are happy to educate those who want to learn.

 

woman at her computer writing a review about her violin on the desk

Read the Reviews & Testimonials

Service

I suggest you seek out sellers or shops who are particularly praised for their high levels of expertise and service, and ideally have been operating business at least a couple decades with a reliable record of excellence. Bonus points for smaller businesses that have the personal touch where you're never just a number, and especially look for those run by professional, gigging musicians. This is where you will truly find the best instrument and the service to help you benefit the most from the experience.

Product reviews are also important, but be sure to look for those mentioning the helpfulness of the shop owner. You're not buying a mass-produced product like an iPod, where all units are identical and service with expert advice is a minor or non-existent part of the transaction. A violin has many complex components and the quality and setup can vary from shop to shop.

Products

As I tell my kids, "Don't point. Use your words."Mere stars can't accurately convey the actual benefits of using and enjoying the instrument or product. Buying your violin from my shop is too important and complex a purchase to rate overall by a simple, arbitrary number.

Fiddleheads made the deliberate choice to not employ "star ratings" for all Fiddleheads' products on our ecommerce site. Written reviews take more time to explore, but by sharing text-based content my customers benefit from meaningful details, leading to better buying decisions. This makes it also make it straightforward for reviewers to identify key benefits of the product and our service.

Additionally, our customer reviews are also provided with a range of optional qualifiers such as the:

Customers praise Fiddleheads' detailed feedback system as being far more helpful and useful than a basic 1-5 scale. Plus there's the benefit of my weeding out the duds and only selling instruments that I think are the best in their respective price points.

Besides, we've all seen totally useless reviews elsewhere that have nothing to do with the product itself but instead complain about unrelated and petty factors, like shipping delays. So if Joe Schmo in Suburbia, Canmerica is peeved the purple winding on the violin's E-string doesn't precisely match the colour of his Snoopy socks, you can choose to consider his advice with a dollop of common sense and a hefty scoop of scepticism.

 

man in black T-shirt playing violin

Take It on a Trial

Feeling shy? You don't have to feel pressured to buy in a shop with a pesky salesperson breathing down your neck like it's a high-pressure audition. If you need more time to get to know the instrument, I suggest you take it for a test drive on your terms and schedule.

Many players benefit from our in-home trial where we send the violin/s to try out on your own schedule for 14 days or longer. With us you can take the violin to your lesson or rehearsals and try it in various venues like church or a local hall.

Our trials program has received consistent praise since we introduced it in 2003.

That said, more than 9 of 10 Fiddleheads customers purchase their violins outright from me (without a trial) based on reviews and recommendations alone. My shop is an exception in this regard, however, since my instruments are crafted and setup to my high standards and I have been doing this for a long time. I may be biased, but I wouldn't feel comfortable endorsing a straight purchase without a trial from another shop. To be fair, there is a reason I started my own shop and I know Fiddleheads would be my go-to source if I were in someone else's shoes!

 

Middle-aged black main looking at a violin closely

Check It Over

Take your instrument search a step further and ask a teacher or specialist to assess a prospective instrument you're considering, especially if your anxious spidey senses are twitching. You may discover, with expert help, that the old Stradivarius copy at the flea market is not worth a real Strad price tag.

You may not be so interested in that “great deal” when your teacher or luthier tells you the needed repairs will cost more than the instrument is worth. For instance, if you have to replace the strings, bridge and bow hair or bow, about a $160 investment, and deal with other repairs you will soon learn you're no any further ahead on a $200 package from a box-store or non-expert violin shop.

Of course, there are rare exceptions. A $100 unstrung old violin with a hairless bow at the secondhand store may look shabby, but an Strad-labeled older violins sellers are asking too much, assuming the thing is a priceless antique Strad and hoping they can turn an obscene profit. Believe me, I have received hundreds of emails over the years from people selling cheap violins in rough shape and thinking they are worth millions.

The absolute safest route for new players on the scene is to invest in a new instrument that doesn't need repairs, is setup to play right, and sounds great from the start knowing the tone will improve even more over time.

 

dark haired, bespectacled woman playing violin and smiling

No One Ever Regretted Buying Quality

Having a quality instrument is tremendously important and often overlooked by beginners. I see players develop more rapidly and enjoy playing far more when they play a superior instrument. Really, if you are to spend hundreds of dollars each year for music lessons (as well as secondary costs, like travel/gas, childcare, etc) it is worth working with the best tool for the job to get the most out of the education.

A good violin actually improves your playing! No joke, better violins resonate more when they are played in tune! It's an incredible phenomenon. In addition to making playing in tune easier, this makes learning more successful and rewarding. Players frequently underestimate the tremendous difference a good violin makes to their playing. The violin itself will also retain a better resale value, lasts your playing career longer without need to upgrade, and literally sounds better the more and more you play it.

Value for the Price

You get what you pay for. Good violins don't come cheap. But there are ways to get what you want in an instrument without putting a second mortgage on your house (though I actually did just that a few years ago for myself).

I am happy to say you will always get even more bang for your buck at my shop. A $400 violin at my shop runs $750 or more in any other shop, and I am confident my setup and service are worlds better. I commission nearly all my instruments directly from the makers and workshops (no large-scale factories), skipping the Russian-doll-like middle-men distributors and importers that inflate the price with each step. I also see that the setup is done locally so I know my customers get the best possible sound from their instrument.

I also don't maintain a costly storefront or hire pushy sales staff or put anyone under pressure to make monthly quotas. At Fiddleheads you are dealing directly with me, working from my gorgeous home studio. I sell my instruments for less and earn many more customers who refer their friends, rather than jacking up the prices to making a quick buck no matter the consequences.

(For what it's worth, I also don't require myself to sell X number of units to feel I am successful: I am financially established with no desire to get mindlessly rich off my efforts. I am here to make a difference in people's lives with a shop selling on the best products I can source, and do my part to make the world a happier place, one fiddle at a time.)

Fiddleheads is in this for the long-haul and my countless customer testimonials and (as of December 2020) and all five-star reviews on Google and Facebook all echo this sentiment loud and clear!

 

woman screaming in rage while holding a violin and looking at its fake label inside

Commissions and Fishy Deals

Now for some words of caution in your search for a violin.

Commissions

As I mentioned above, some shops pay teachers a finder's fee or commission, typically ten to twenty per cent of the selling price, for sending their students in to buy an instrument. This practice is viewed as highly unethical by myself as well as most other teachers and shops, but unfortunately it continues to occur.

Make sure you're not buying the most expensive violin in the shop just so you can line your teacher's pockets. It is very prudent to ask your teacher or local shop if they pay or accept commissions if you do not want to participate in a corrupt payola structure.

[Read the Strings Magazine article, "An Elegy for Ethics," archived here]

Pushy Sales Tactics

Never let any shop or seller pressure you into a purchase. I cringe to think how many times a friend, colleague or customer felt bullied or guilted into closing a purchase they weren't fully comfortable to make.

For instance, in my former town a travelling sales guy gave a another violin teacher a cut whenever she sold one of his violins from him. The teacher typically pushed students to buy when she was short on cash. She then sent costly instruments home with her young students without asking the parents' permission.

Naturally, the kids became attached to these instruments after their trusted and encouraging teacher insisted they commit to buy the instrument, and the parents were put a financial hard place. This was a blatant abuse of power on the part of the teacher but she got away with it time and again. I was gobsmacked when some of her students came to study with me and told me how they were pressured to buy their instruments. Yikes!

Yes, I have a small business and rely on your purchases to stay open, but I am quite comfortable and won't fall into financial oblivion if a sale falls through. I never cross a line or abandon my principles to make a sale happen. Through my years of teaching I was always mindful of the delicate position of trust I was in. My role as a paid educator, not shop owner, always came first.

I work exceptionally hard to maintain all relationships with total ethics and integrity and I think it shows. :)

A good teacher or shop owner will respect your budget and won't dupe you into a purchase.

Question the Origin and Authenticity of the Instrument

Further, if you are suspicious of the violin's origin ask about where the dealer got it. You'd hate to buy a stolen fiddle, knowing someone was fiddle-less and heartbroken without it.

It's also terrible to pay far too much for a junky piece (or even a nice looking instrument) falsely relabeled as a rare antique! I have heard countless buying horror stories from customers and colleagues who were badly burned by such tactics [read my article on the subject].

Follow Your Gut

Lastly, walk away from a deal if it feels fishy or pushy. Your gut will speak up if something isn't right. Listen to it.

 

Rhiannon playing violin and smiling at the camera

I'm here for you!

Heavy topics aside, enjoy the anticipation and thrill of this exciting first step towards making music. Consider this the first of many wonderful steps you will make in your life as a musician.

It would totally make my day if you choose to purchase your new baby from me and my dear shop. I'm happy to assist you in purchasing an instrument or accessory and answer any questions you may have. Cheers!