# Beginning violins - please help!



## GinnyHendrix

Hey!
I want to start some violin lessons, just to see where it goes, and i want to buy an inexpensive violin, but i dont want a terrible violin that sounds like a caterwaul. I was told that the Stentor II is a very good violin for begginers, it costs around £125, i'm still thinking if it's worth the investiment, because i was really looking for something even cheaper.
Meanwhile, i've been looking for violins on a portuguese classifieds website, and i am leaning towards this one: http://moscavide.olx.pt/violino-4-4-para-iniciante-c-almofada-iid-448812039
It is already assembled with good strings and a pad, beside the bow, the case and the rosin. Here's a clip of it's sound, sent by the seller: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8892504/Sound Sample.mp3

The sound doesn't seem too bad, at least it's not as squeaky as some violins i've heard... what do you think?

Any responses will be very appreciated


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## Ingélou

I am not going to listen to your link because I couldn't urge you to buy a fiddle online. The risks are too great, and even if you weren't sold a pup but just didn't like it, I'd feel responsible. 

I think you need to talk to someone in a good music shop, and see and try the violin. Believe me, £125 is still cheap. 

When I took up the violin a couple of years ago I bought a 'basic' Chinese violin with case, bow etc all thrown in, BUT the luthier in the shop suggested that I pay £30 more for it to be strung with 'dominants' which are a better class of string, and he 'set up' the basic fiddle so it could take the strings. It sounded much, much better, and though I have since bought a more expensive violin which is my main instrument, I still play the starter fiddle every week. 

I'd suggest something like that. But even better would be if you found a teacher, explained your dilemma, and paid for a small number of lessons asking to try a violin out, if your teacher would let you; then you'd know if it was for you. Be warned, though - you have to really want to play the violin, because you're almost bound to give up if you don't, or if you are short of willpower!

If you do want to play the violin, it will probably take over your life, just as it has mine.


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## senza sordino

I initially rented a good violin for about $30 per month before laying out $1500 on a decent violin. I have played the cheap $100 violins and they sound terrible, even Heifetz would have trouble getting a good sound from one of those. I simply can't recommend cheap. As a beginner you'll have difficulty creating a nice tone, you don't want the instrument preventing this from happening.


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## Jaws

GinnyHendrix said:


> Hey!
> I want to start some violin lessons, just to see where it goes, and i want to buy an inexpensive violin, but i dont want a terrible violin that sounds like a caterwaul. I was told that the Stentor II is a very good violin for begginers, it costs around £125, i'm still thinking if it's worth the investiment, because i was really looking for something even cheaper.
> Meanwhile, i've been looking for violins on a portuguese classifieds website, and i am leaning towards this one: http://moscavide.olx.pt/violino-4-4-para-iniciante-c-almofada-iid-448812039
> It is already assembled with good strings and a pad, beside the bow, the case and the rosin. Here's a clip of it's sound, sent by the seller: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8892504/Sound Sample.mp3
> 
> The sound doesn't seem too bad, at least it's not as squeaky as some violins i've heard... what do you think?
> 
> Any responses will be very appreciated


I think the Stentors are great for beginners especially children who are likely to drop them on the floor. For a careful adult you could go for something second hand and slightly better. The big problem with really cheap violins is that the pegs don't fit and this can make them difficult to tune.


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