I have a student violin. Should I get a better one or profesional violin?

[lilangel]

My teacher told me that if i am serious about playing sometime soon I should buy a brand newviolin(not a student violin)

What is the reason for this? What is the difference?

I am serious about playing and it would be great if I could get some tips on what I need to buy

thanks!

[DelDuca]

Did your teacher mean to say "brand new" instrument, or" better quality" instrument? Perhaps a longer conversation with your instructor is in order so that you can truly understand the intent behind the statement. I hope that your teacher is someone you can talk with easily, and is willing to take the time to explain to you the dynamics of your particular situation so that you can fully understand what is going on. My first teacher didn't, and I sold a violin that I wish I had now due to the resulting ignorance and misunderstanding. DelDuca

[Mark_W]

Plenty of serious players started with a student violin and there are many good ones. A well set up student violin will not hold you back.

Whether to buy brand new or used when moving beyond a student violin is an individual choice. Perhaps your teacher prefers new because of bad experiences with table cracks or badly fitting pegs. I wouldn't rule out an older violin. Patronize a good shop and try as many instruments as you can get your hands on.

[lilangel]

Delduca:

to answer your question she wants me to get a better quality violin. But you know it wouldn't be bad if the violin was new

-lilangel

[DelDuca]

Of course you are correct. What exactly is the problem with your present instrument? Have you taken it to a TALENTED violin mechanic to get their opinion? Some individuals can do wonders to improve the sound and performance of inexpensive fiddles....If you do decide on replacement I encourage you to buy the absolute best you can afford within your budget. You'll never regret it, and won't be satisfied otherwise.......The reason lots of serious players prefer older instruments is because they have stabilized in their sound. A new instrument's sound can change a lot, and how would anyone be able to predict if you will be more or less pleased by the change? I vote for an older instrument for this reason. DelDuca

[Michael Darnton]

On the other hand, if you buy a good instrument, that you like, from a reputable maker, it will only get better. That's the whole point of buying a *good* new violin. Who wouldn't like something they already like to get even better? As they say, Stradivari made only new violins. As with anything, it's a question of risk vs payoff. No risk, no possibility of extra gain. Fortunately there were/are enough people who didn't mind risk to get extra reward to keep Stradivari and me in business. :-)

[This message has been edited by Michael Darnton (edited 12-25-2001).]

[Pegasus]

How much are you willing to spend for a better quality instrument? I live in California and I am impressed with the quality of student instruments from Ifshin Violins that cost about 1500-1800 dollars. If you want a handmade violin from a good contemporary maker you probably need to spend about 10,000.

If there is a good violin shop in your area or the nearest big city you should go and tell them your price range and try out many different violins. They will let you take it out on trial for a week. Show the violin to your teacher and take your time to get the one you really love playing. Trying out all the different violins is half the fun and usually makes you practice twice as much! Have fun searching.