So I want to buy a violin

Talon

but I don't know how much money a learners violin should cost- and if I know fancy pants music stores, they're gonna want to hose my naive ass for every cent I got.

Violins are especially tricky, because they change in sound after awhile- so from the outset it's kind of hard to figure out what to look for.

Are there any exercises that I can perform on a violin to tell if what I'm looking for is the right one to me?

ddahcmai

Do you already play violin or are you just wanting to get into it?

Uncle Long

I'm kind of considering this too, not seriously, but information for someone who has never played at all would be nice. (By 'not played' I mean nothing in the violin family of strings: Cello, Bass, Violin, Viola).

Thanatos

TheLong wrote: »

I'm kind of considering this too, not seriously, but information for someone who has never played at all would be nice. (By 'not played' I mean nothing in the violin family of strings: Cello, Bass, Violin, Viola).

Rent. Violins are hugely expensive.

crake

I imagine the cheapest would be suitable for learning the basics on, and if you discover a passion for it, you could go out and get yourself a proper one.

As for pricing, I'm in Canada and I recently saw one for 145$ in a department store window (that's the key for cheapness in musical instruments, btw - see what department stores have to offer) So I'm sure you could find one for even cheaper in the US.

If you just don't want to risk getting crappy sound in a cheap violin, then as Thantos said - go rent.

lordswing

Thanatos wrote: »

TheLong wrote: »

I'm kind of considering this too, not seriously, but information for someone who has never played at all would be nice. (By 'not played' I mean nothing in the violin family of strings: Cello, Bass, Violin, Viola).

Rent. Violins are hugely expensive.

This is especially true if you're still growing physically. If you rent from the same shop, they'll usually let you keep the payments that you've made to go towards buying a violin, plus you can always upgrade to a larger size. I think violins start off at a few hundred dollars, but of course, the sound quality will not be super. I'd ask some friends to take a look with you, as they'll easily be able to help you identify a violin with a good sound.

Shogun

Eh, I googled 'cheap violin' and most of the results I got for novice/learner violins start around $70 and go up to like $150 depending on the place. Will toss out some links:

http://www.amazon.com/Palatino-VN-350-VN-300-Violin-Outfit/dp/B0002F59A4

http://www.kennedyviolins.com/StudentViolinIntro.html?gclid=COGbgrLf3osCFRcTgQodPUp2aQ

http://store.musicbasics.com/violinoutfits.html

Apparently violins come in different lengths depending on how big you are so you might look into that stuff to make sure you get the right kind/size. I know absolutely nothing about violins outside of they're made from blackwood if I'm not mistaken. That and they are goddamned hard to learn and play so I wish you the best of luck. Be like that guy who played his $3,000,000 violin in the DC subway for 45 minutes and earned $35.

EggyToast

I see an occasional "student violin" on craigslist for $50 to $100, bow included. Most need new strings.

Used market is the way to go if you really have no idea if you want to play for reals. Violins do sound different over time... if they're new. If they're older, their sound is basically set, which is also why older violins tend to fetch more than a brand new one (the older ones will have a particular sound that's difficult to reproduce).

The best way to know if a good violin is right for you is to play your favorite [memorized] passages on it and see how it compares to the "sound you want" that's in your head. if you're not at that point, don't drop a lot of dough on a nice instrument -- get practicing on a cheaper one so you can actually tell the difference in quality.

But used is the way to go. A ton of violins are made and then sold used because a) violin sections are big, and b) it's one of the most common classical instruments for kids. Actual kid violins are going to be half-sized. They're relatively easy to spot as you won't be able to hold it comfortably unless you've got quite short arms.