Help, I want to buy a violin

[Lyd]

I am interested in buying a violin but am very low on funds. I’ve been reading up on violins and most every article I’ve read says you should not buy a cheap violin online, as they are basically toys. I’ve considered renting, but that is also expensive. Any ideas as to how i could get a violin

[FoxMitchell]

Well, what's your budged first of all?

And unless someone is giving away a properly setup violin with good strings, there will be expenses associated with anything you get.

[matesic]

Yitamusic (who sell on ebay) make some very respectable student violins for £250 or so. Add maybe 50% for setup and strings and you should be fine for years. Although I've owned many others, my Yita violin and viola stand up pretty well against them (the violin I play just as it came from China) and I sometimes wonder if a player with no professional ambitions really needs to upgrade at all?

[baroquecello]

I agree with the Yita recommendation, but be sure to buy the M20 or T20. Much better Sound than the M/T19 ones. The Setup usually is ok, but a really good Setup with best grade Bridge will improve it still, however, you can wait with that if you are a beginner. You will Need a better set of strings, and the bow that Comes with it is also not good. the cheapest ok bow I know of are carbondix Carbon fibre bows. 

[reg]

Where are you located Lyd?

 

[Lyd]

9 hours ago, FoxMitchell said:

Well, what's your budged first of all?

And unless someone is giving away a properly setup violin with good strings, there will be expenses associated with anything you get.

My budget is $300

[deans]

I agree that Yita's are a good value, but the one I got (M20) was poorly set up and would have been frustrating for a beginner.

I would look into the offerings by Shar. They always seemed to know how to set up their instruments well, even the less expensive ones.

But perhaps the best thing to do is ask around to see if anyone has a loaner. Many teachers and other community members have something on hand.

 

 

[Stephen Perry]

It's a tough task at $300.  Really need to trust whomever you're getting it from.  Kind of less than break even for most shops, given the work in setting up.  Brand less important than reliable source.  "OK" would be the most you can expect!  Shar might be OK.  I know small town shops that have used $300 fiddles that are OK.  Asking teachers whether students are moving up in violins works, get the one that's been outgrown.

[Bill Merkel]

I would like to try a Yita myself sometime, to see what all the fuss is about.  But there are some potential pitfalls, like possibly needing a setup to be playable and taking it to someone for that and him going into sales mode.

For < $300 I would buy this, myself.  The guy feels trustworthy and he has a lot of free learning materials and forums and generally seems to be out to do good rather than evil.  Best blind bet.  Set up in their shop. Major brand low end violin strings.   Lots of necessary accessories included.

https://fiddlershop.com/collections/violins/products/fiddlerman-ob1-violin-outfit

 

 

[Rue]

I bought 2 Yita's to see what all the fuss was about...

M20 violin and a T20 viola. Both are great for the price point. ****

M20 came with Dominants - it's my favourite "outdoor " violin. Playable right out of the box. Bridge good.

T20 came with unplayable Chinese no-name strings. Changed strings - all good. Bridge good.

Both came with very good no-name bows.

Cases are no good to actually use - but  fine for shipping/storage.

***I'm always amused at all the negative comments about the instruments needing extensive work to be playable...as if buyers expect to get a $10K instrument for $300...

They're great for the price point. Yes, maybe they need tweaking, but what $300 instrument doesn't?

[ctanzio]

If you know someone who is a decent player, I suggest you ask them to go with you to some local shops and try out violins in your price range. You can then hear what other people will hear when you get some skills, and the experienced player can give you feedback on how playable the violin is. Alternately, if you know a player who bought something online and meets the main checkpoints I have listed below, you should be ok.

For starting out, you should look for three things:

1. A violin that actually sounds somewhat like a violin. Many inexpensive violins have a weak, high pitched buzzing-like tone.

2. Pegs that turn smoothly and are not a huge hassle to turn and tune the violin. Pegs that bind or easily slip are very common with lower priced violins. Very frustrating.

3. Bridge with a proper contour to give adequate separation among the strings. This is a big problem with cheap violins. The string separation tends to be "flat", making bowing of one string at a time difficult.

Finally, remember your budget has to include the purchase of a bow. Carbon fiber bows from about $80US and up should be OK for starting. Cheap, wooden bows tend to be warped or have such soft hairs that bowing becomes a huge challenge.

 

[PhilipKT]

On 3/6/2019 at 3:40 AM, matesic said:

Yitamusic (who sell on ebay) make some very respectable student violins for £250 or so. Add maybe 50% for setup and strings and you should be fine for years. Although I've owned many others, my Yita violin and viola stand up pretty well against them (the violin I play just as it came from China) and I sometimes wonder if a player with no professional ambitions really needs to upgrade at all?

That is actually true, I’ve had three students buy instruments from them, always against my wishes, but all three cellos were acceptable, worth the money, and one of them turned out to be quite outstanding. Worth maybe twice as much as they paid at least.

I think it is often dangerous to buy from eBay, but I do think this is a reputable company.

[PhilipKT]

Another thing about Yita.one of my students’ cellos( the outstanding one, actually) almost immediately developed a saddle crack. It was small, but cracks on brand new instruments are unacceptable. The owner contacted Yita, who unhesitatingly offered to replace the cello or pay for the crack repair. The crack was repaired locally and all is well. I was very impressed.