Buying a Violin - advice needed!?

As you will be shopping for someone who has progressed in his/ her violin playing skills, you need to take that person along to a few of the local violin shops in you area.

Ask to try out at least 2 violins from each price point in the intermediate level. This is important as selecting the violin should be based on the sound/ tone of the instrument, rather than look of the violin. As the violin dealer the history of the violin, whether it is new or old.

Find out for sure the age of the maple wood that is used to make the violin, which part of the trunk of the maple wood the violin is made from, whether it is made from the core or from the periphery. In general, the harder the wood it is the better sounding the violin will be.

If you are looking to buy an internediate level violin from a known violin maker, whether the violin maker is alive or deceased, do some research before putting your money down. There is an official dictionary of violin and violin bow makers that any decent violin shop should have. Read through the bio of the violin maker and make an assessment as to the quality of the violin the violin make makes. If you can do some research on line that will be even better.

Good luck!

If you're buying for someone who already plays, you need to take that person shopping and have them try out several instruments. Personal taste is a huge factor once you get past the beginner stage and you would no more choose a violin for an established violinist than you would choose friends for someone else.

Go to a reputable string store (or two or three) and ask to see what they have in your price range. The student should play all the violins to see if s/he likes the feel and the sound. Most places will let you take a violin home on approval, so take the favorite one to the student's next lesson and have the teacher look at it.

Don't be tempted to buy an unknown violin off the internet unless you're prepared to throw that money away. The one exception to that rule would be if you went through an established string dealer like Shar, Southwest Strings or Johnson Strings. If there is no string dealer within a hundred miles of where you live that would be your best bet. All have liberal return policies and none of them sell complete junk.