Buying A Violin: What to Know and What to Check
So you’ve made the decision to buy a violin. You know that it is an important investment and if you’re to put down a sum of money on this purchase, you want it to be the best possible choice for you.
At Caswell’s Strings, we are experts in stringed instruments and know just how daunting it can be to choose the right instrument. It’s more than a question of budget; level, ambition, size and quality come into the equation too. Have a read of our comprehensive guide to get a good idea of the most important things to bear in mind before your start your violin shopping!
What are the basics of buying a violin? What should I know beforehand?
Before parting with any money, it’s best to be familiar with the basics of violin setup. The diagram below shows the basic construction of a violin.
Tuning pegs: The tuning pegs must operate smoothly; they should be easy to turn and shouldn’t slip easily as this will lead to an out-of-tune string. This is a nuisance for any player, but especially for a beginner who may become discouraged with the constant need to tune their instrument.
Are the pegs made from ebony? We recommend ebony fittings as they are hard wearing and turn smoothly. Boxwood is also an option but more for cosmetic reasons. We seldom use Rosewood as it is a protected species.
Bridge and fingerboard: The bridge and fingerboard must be properly fitted. If you look at the violin from the side, the strings should be a reasonable height from the fingerboard, making it easy to get the note. If they are too high it becomes difficult to press the strings down and move quickly from note to note. The bridge should be erect and the feet fitting closely to the body of the violin.
While checking this, take a look at the strings where they pass over the nut and bridge, they should be evenly spaced.
Another recommendation is to ensure that it doesn’t have a softwood fingerboard that has been painted black such as on lower quality instruments.
If buying an older violin, look out for any cracks or warping on the body, and steer clear of any violin that buzzes or sounds muffled.
Why is the construction important?
A good quality student instrument is generally well constructed, which sets it apart from the ‘el cheapo’ models offered online. A poorly constructed violin with inherent faults will be difficult to play, difficult to keep in tune, and impossible to produce a pleasant tone – which is sure to put any beginner off.
If you are a parent and considering the purchase of a violin for your child, ask yourself “What sort of sound am I prepared to hear being practised?” Equally, your player will quickly outgrow the poor quality instrument and you will be faced with purchasing another. With due regard to your budget – get the best you can afford.
Caswell’s Strings operates a strict policy of setting up your instrument to exact standards and specifications. The bridge is correctly cut and the soundpost is correctly positioned on every violin. The pegs, case and bow are checked and if you need it delivered all of our instruments are shipped with the bridges up.
Which size should I go for?
A one-size-fits-all approach is definitely not applicable when it comes to violins.
Violins come in several different sizes. The full size is known as a 4/4 violin, which is usually played after the age of 11. It’s important to get the correct size to make sure playing comfort is optimised.
The smallest violin is usually a ¼, but for smaller children, a ⅛ size can be possible. The size is decided by measuring arm length when extended, which you can measure with a tape measure. Usually, an arm’s length of 16 inches will need a ¼ size while 23 inches will require a full-size violin. An upgrade in violin size will be required with roughly every 2 inches arm growth. You can see some more information on arm measurements and violin size here.
An effective method while shopping is to place the violin as if you were about to play it, between your chin and left shoulder. You have found the right size if you are able to curl your fingers around the scroll easily when extending your arm with your palm face up. If your elbow bends to 90 degrees the violin is too small and if you can’t reach the scroll easily it is too big.
How should I pay for my violin? Buy or rent?
When starting off, you may be unsure about your violin choice and as there are so many types to choose from, it can seem difficult to choose one over another. Instrument rentals can be a way to overcome this.
Caswell’s provides an instrument rental service on several violins, with prices per month for each instrument. As we know how confusing it can be, a range of violins can be rented, starting at the Stentor Student, and Stentor 1, to the Giovanni with Dominants and the Stentor Conservatoire. If you don’t get along with your chosen violin, you can try another. If you do strike a chord with your rental instrument, it can be purchased at a later date or the rental agreement can be prolonged.
Renting can be a great choice for those players who are still undecided and is a perfect option to avoid investing large amounts of money on an instrument you aren’t yet dedicated to. Furthermore, renting provides a solution to the growing musician who will need to continuously upgrade their violin size! Sometimes it is best to purchase a violin when the student is able to play a full-size violin – this saves a significant amount on buying a series of violins in different sizes.
Where should I buy my violin?
There are so many places, websites and catalogue shops offering seemingly great deals on violins that it can be hard to know where to shop. The most important thing is to be able to contact the buyer throughout and after your investment. A music shop specialising in violins and stringed instruments, or a luthier, is the ideal place. You can get peace of mind knowing the violin is of premium workmanship. Furthermore, when you purchase from an experienced seller, you can receive the correct advice and guidance for both buying your instrument and for aftercare. It is best to try before you buy, so online purchases can be risky.
The team at Caswell’s Strings are experts in stringed instruments and have years of experience in violin purchases, rentals, valuations and repairs. Although it is more reassuring to play your instrument before purchasing it, we know that it is sometimes not possible to visit your preferred string specialist, so delivery options from a trusted seller can be the next best option.
Caswell’s is one of Britain’s oldest mail-order companies specialising in stringed instruments, providing advice you can trust along with reliable delivery options and service.
What accessories do I need?
A quality violin comes with quality accessories to assist the player. Any aspiring violinist will require to be fitted with the correct chinrest and shoulder rest for playing comfort. You should also consider a good metronome and a violin tuner.
Obviously, a good bow is essential for good playing. The bow is a crucial factor in producing a clear tone and dynamics from your violin. A good violin bow should be firm, but flexible. The horsehair on the bow is tightened or loosened by a screw at the bottom of the bow and should be adjusted accordingly and slackened off after playing.
Bow prices can vary greatly and, similarly to the instrument itself, some players will prefer a specific style of bow. There are many student bows to help beginners develop their bowing technique. Good, inexpensive bows for advancing players are the carbon fibre bows from Col Legno and Codabow, in particular, the Codabow Prodigy and the Col Legno supreme – as they are hard wearing and responsive models for advancing students.
As it can be almost as difficult to choose your bow as it is to choose your violin, Caswell’s provides a much-appreciated bow trial service, where up to four bows can be sent to you for a seven day period. Allowing you to take the time to play with the bow, compare bow types, and get a second opinion from a violin teacher.
With all of this said, most lower-cost violins come as a violin outfit, which will include the equipment and accessories needed to start your violin journey.
Rosin is another vital accessory for violinists. Rosin is applied to the hairs on your bow to cause the strings to vibrate. The rosin you choose will depend on the type of strings you have on your violin. Steel strings will require harder or dryer rosin, where synthetic strings call for softer rosin. Outfits normally have rosin included.
The right chinrest is a necessary requirement and can be helpful for player comfort and easing neck muscles, thus allowing players to practice for longer periods. Chinrests come in different shapes and sizes. At Caswell’s, we stock the four most common styles, those being the Teka, Strad, Flesch and the Guarneri pattern. All four are available in ebony, rosewood or boxwood.
Buying a violin is not an everyday purchase, so instrument insurance is a clever way of securing this investment.
Summary
This quick tour of the basics of choosing a violin aims to assist anyone set on buying a violin in their decision making. Make sure to purchase your instrument from a reputable source, where you can receive guidance. Caswell’s is a trusted supplier of instruments and can guide you in your choice. We stock an extensive range of violins and all of the necessary accessories.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements, or visit us in our store in Banbury to go through your options in person. We are ready and primed to give tailored advice for your particular situation.
Our friendly and experienced staff can help advise you on what’s best for you based on your budget, playing style and ability, whether it is a new violin, a metronome or a music book you are after.
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This article was written by the director of Caswell’s Strings, Lance Tunley who is an experienced purveyor of stringed instruments and accessories with over 30 years of experience in the field.
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