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Buying a Violin

May 1, 2009 - -

There is a lot to consider when buying a violin. A summary is as follows.


1) Budget.
There are many factors affecting the price of a violin. Eg. Material, craftsmanship, origin. A beginner should be able to get a student violin under $200.


2) Size.
I think many do not know, but violin comes in different sizes. From 1/32 to 4/4 (Adult size). It is necessary to have violins of different sizes to cater for users of different built. The height of the user varies accordingly to the user's arms length. And yes, if you grow, you have to change your violin.


3) Looks and finishing.
You might not know, but the best looking violin with cool colours and thick vanish may not be able to produce it's best sound. Plastic coats would restrict the violin to produce a clear, loud and crisp quality of a music piece. Do also note the material -wood. It should look normal, with no holes and no gaps between the joints.


4) Fine tuners.
Someone did tell me before that the lesser the fine tuners there is on a violin, the better the violin is. He is somehow right. But i guess he do not know the reason. It is because that a good violin would not go out of tune easily, so there would be no need to do any frequent / major tuning. (I mean it will not go out of tune that often). There would most probably be only a fine tuner needed on the "E" string as it is thin and hence easy to break when not handled with care.


5) Shoulder rest.
It is an additional piece that is highly recommended for beginners to allow them to maintain the violin at a horizontal level - projects the sound effectively. However, do note that as the shoulder rests would need to grip at 4 locations on your violin with it's rubbered leg. It would affect a minor bit on the sound quality. Also, do remember to get one with the correct size for your violin.

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