Which Instrument Should I Buy?

Tanya Davis

The biggest question for beginners is which violin (or viola, cello, guitar, etc.) they should purchase. The array of possibilities seems both endless and bewildering.

With any product, there are low, middle, and high quality offerings. Stringed instruments are no different. It is very tempting to find the lowest cost stringed instrument on the Internet and go with that one. If you don't like it, you haven't made a huge investment; you can probably get most of your money back if you sell it. On the surface, this makes sense.

There are a lot of problems with the $50 violins:

• Tuning pegs don't fit, so you can't get it in tune OR it won't stay in tune
• Bridges, nuts, and fingerboards are not aligned
• Strings break easily
• Cases are inferior, often falling apart after a few months

But the biggest problem with the very cheapest instruments is that you usually are unable to get good sound from them. This can be very frustrating for a student who is trying to learn to do just that. 

One long-time string player said, "I still can remember when I got my first REAL violin. I'd played on 2 or 3 student instruments before my mom bought me this one. All of a sudden, I sounded great! And it was so easy to make that good, strong tone!"

He's right. Making good sound is easy with a quality instrument that has been professionally set up.

How High Quality?

With musical instruments, it's easy to find costs that run into the thousands -- five digits are common, whether you're looking for a string bass, acoustic guitar, or violin. Although beginners don't need to go that high, it is important to purchase the best you can afford. Shop around. Compare prices. Ask to hear each one played for you, and compare the sound. Is it an even tone, or is it shrill? Does it sound muffled?

Remember, a stringed instrument is an investment. It is something that, with proper care and feeding, you can keep forever. In fact, you can pass it down through the family--tons of people are proud owners of "grandaddy's fiddle."

At Fiddlesticks, we carry some lower cost violins, violas and cellos for sale and rent because we know that beginning students are often on a budget. However, we don't sacrifice value. We require that even our least expensive instruments have proper fittings and good wooden bows strung with horsehair. We stick with brands that we know and like, and every instrument is examined and adjusted before it leaves the shop.