Children's sizes

It saddens me when I see Internet "guides" that give a child's age and a corresponding size that he or she should be playing. Children are not the same size! I have recently rented a 1/16 violin to a 5-year old and a 1/4 to an 8-year-old. Both of these students are playing on the correct size for their body; both are extremely small for their age. On the opposite extreme, I have a 7th grade viola student using a 17-inch viola. That's a monster size instrument; I won't even try to play on it cause it is way too big for me!

In general, the rising 6th graders in our area will use a 3/4 or 4/4 violin, a 14 or 15-inch viola, a 3/4 or 4/4 cello, and a 1/2 or 3/4 bass. But these numbers are not carved in stone.

To get the right size for your child, please bring him/her into the shop so that we can measure in person. If you are an Internet customer, please phone the shop during business hours and we will walk you through the measuring process.