# Advice on buying a relatively cheap violin



## Dedalus

So I've played guitar since I was very young, but in the last year or so I've become very interested in classical music. Guitar is sorely underrepresented in classical music. Mainly there's just obscure pieces and transcriptions for guitar. In the past, I've been able to pick up violins that friends have had and play some simple guitar licks on it. I know where the frets are suppose to be, basically where to put my fingers from my guitar experience, and I understand that it's tuned in fifths, so I was able to figure out how to basically play it pretty easily... Kind of. The bowing part being definitely the hardest part, since that was totally new.

Anyway, recently I've been thinking it would be cool to have a violin so I can learn and play some classical pieces eventually. I really can't shell out $800+ on a violin of any real quality, though. That's just not possible for me. This is just for my own fun, and to learn, so I don't really mind having a lower quality violin, and it's always possible for me to upgrade in the future if it's something I really take to.

So I've been looking on Amazon.com at some cheaper violins, and I want to know if they would be good enough for what I'm looking for or if I'll just be wasting my money on a piece of crap. I've found some that have relatively good reviews, saying they're good for the price, but of course not very good quality. Of course you get what you pay for. Here are some links to ones that I'm considering buying.

http://www.amazon.com/Mendini-Fitte...ie=UTF8&qid=1441589642&sr=1-6&keywords=violin

http://www.amazon.com/Mendini-92D-1...pebp=1441589650539&perid=0NBY0QH3VZ28WARSS6ZT

So are they worth it or a waste of money?


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## senza sordino

I too started on the guitar, but later in my 30s, I switched to the violin. My advice: you can buy a cheap violin, but it would be better to try playing it first, listen to it first, before buying it. Can you get to a music shop? There are some shops that will send a couple of violins for you to try before you buy, shipping by UPS etc. Give them your credit card. But I'm not sure if they would do that for a cheap violin.


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## Krummhorn

Might suggest renting a violin before purchasing. Many music shops provide this as a service ... ours do, locally.


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## Amberviolins

Certainly best to try before you buy. Good strings can cost nearly as much as a starter violin outfit but are really necessary as the ones cheap instruments are sold with are awful. Go to a special;ist shop or online shop to make sure the violin is set up well. A poor set up can make an instrument very hard to play and put you off before you get over the first playing hurdle! Good luck.


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## Dedalus

Everybody seems to recommend that I rent before buying. Here's my thoughts on that. Renting really IS throwing away money in the long run, and I don't want to be stuck renting one forever. If they only rent out nicer ones anyway, I'll never be able to buy those, at least not anytime soon in the near future. I'm reasonably sure I want to learn how to play the violin, but I don't want to wait 6 months to a year when I'll be able to afford a decent one, I'm kind of excited to start learning and playing already. But again, I don't want to be stuck renting forever. Also, my birthday is coming up, and my parents might swing buying one of these cheaper violins for my birthday, but a decent one is just costs way too much.

I understand that if I bought one of these cheaper ones I might have to take it to a shop to get it set up, especially since I have no knowledge of violin setup/upkeep, and I've read that it's quite a bit more complicated than guitars. And I know this will cost me a bit more money.

So all this considered, is it really a bad idea to buy one of these cheap ones? Should I really just rent?


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## Guest

I bought a cheap used Palatino for about $120 and it serves me quite well. I've played on much higher quality violins and, yes, of course, there's a big difference but the Palatino does what I need it to do. It's not like I'm playing a Bach concerto at Carnegie Hall or anything. The thing is, it's much easier to find a good quality cheap violin than it is to find a good quality double bass for cheap. It's like the bigger it is, the harder it is to get good quality cheap.


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## Dedalus

I found a violin shop that's a reasonable distance from where I live (30 minutes at most) and I was checking out their website. The thing I don't understand is exactly is that they say it's not rent to own, but your monthly fees will accrue, and you can use that to by a different instrument... I think... I'm not positive I understand it correctly. But it's $27 a month to rent. Here are the links to their rates and faqs below. I'm hoping somebody could tell me if this sounds like a good deal or not. I'm mainly confused by the "Is this a rent-to-own program" question in the faqs, and I don't know what reasonable rates are for renting.

http://wyattviolinshop.com/pages/rental files/back.pdf

http://www.wyattviolinshop.com/pages/rental files/front.pdf


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## GraemeG

Ya gotta try the instrument; there's no substitute for that.
GG


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## Taggart

Sounds like a weird idea. You rent a fiddle. You like it. But it's not a rent to own so you have to apply your credit to a new instrument.

I would talk to them and sort that out. The other thing to do is look at a good teacher and see what they suggest.


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## 1611PB

Renting is not throwing away money...

I'll never understand how the selective misers work. 
If you want to buy a quality violin in the average case you will spend $300 to $800 for an intermediary instrument. 
A student-quality rig will hover between one or two hundred dollars. That may vary by location or demand. Some exceptions like the Realist violins apply as well.
It's the original poster's money; I do not much care how it shall be spent. Yet, it appears the OP cannot decide what he desires. 
Here's a friendly thought from a poor Southern boy: If you are unwilling or unable to pay it, _don't!_
Making a choice is sometimes a research-laden journey lined with some old-fashioned critical thinking- among which is "Do I want to pay for this? What is the ratio of my interest level to my available monies?"

The guitar is an ancient instrument which has had its distinctive developmental processes more so than the violin in terms of how long it took to reach its modern formats. 
Therefore, much data is there on the guitar; ask this question.

"Would I buy a low-end guitar if I'm not sure of it or my interest level?"

Therein lies your answer.


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## 1611PB

Here is another thought.
27•2=54
27•3=81
At $81 for three months, not even a full quarter of a year, you still spend less than the average student violin at around $100-$180. 
I suggest the problem is a mixture of laziness and lack of interest.


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