Hatrack River Forum: buying a children's violin

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Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :

Our son (5 years) is interested in playing the violin, and we are interested in helping him do that.

As I talk to different music stores in the area, most have their cheapest 1/4 size violin at $400, but some have used ones for a little as $200. I have found some online for$150.

Also, if I go to ebay, I find lots of reallyl cheap ones for under $100.

Of course, there's also the option of renting, and I can rent one for about $15 a month.

But if I do that for a year, I could have just bought a $180 violin, and I'd still have it for th e next children that come down the pipe. Or, I could buy a nicer one, weighing the cost of a nicer one against the cost of renting one for 3 or more children.

Now, I know that the cheap instruments cannot be as good as some of the more expensive ones, and they won't sound as good. But does that really matter at this stage? If he kept at it, he would only be on this size of violin for a few years.

Would buying one of the really cheap ones be a bad idea? Is there anything specific I should look out for?

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :

I rented to buy until I was old enough to get a full size. Which means that every month a percentage of the rent you pay goes toward a full sized violin. Of course, it means you have to buy the violin from the place your renting from, and I don't know if you have any good violin stores where you are.

Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :

Hey, Porter...I didn't mean renting, I mean rent to own. You'd have it for later children! [Big Grin]

And I didn't know they were calling them "pipes" these days.

[ August 04, 2004, 11:54 AM: Message edited by: PSI Teleport ]

Posted by Insanity Plea (Member # 2053) on :

I did the same as blacwolve, I rented to own until I had a full size violin, I do suggest going to your local violin dealer to do that. However, you can also go to Woodwind and Brasswind for doing that (Shar is a great place as well, I get my strings from Shar and Woodwind and Brasswind), they also have great student violins, and generally good prices. And I commend your son for choosing the best instrument devised by man...second to only the tromboon, which is used in so many songs written by the beloved PDQ Bach.

edit:
Generally, I've always liked the sound of European instruments. However Asian instruments (which used to be the laughingstock of the community) have suddenly gotten amazingly better, as well as cheaper. And don't be afraid to rent/buy a used violin, the older they are...the better they sound, usually it takes a violin at least seven years to age to it's best sound, thus new ones will be cheaper, though remember rent-to-own is the best way to go, you get to trade up as your son grows.
Satyagraha

[ August 04, 2004, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: Insanity Plea ]