Are there different "brands" of the violin? If there are, what kind of violin is the best to get?

This is a great question thank you for asking!

Unfortunately violins are not like cars, in that one brand operates a certain way compared to other brands. Each any every violin is unique, and can sound/play differently from one instrument to another. The more advanced player you are, the more you will notice this difference.

Opposite of cars, violins actually appreciate in value. This means that the older they get, the better they sound, and more expensive they are. Although you can find good new instruments, typically the older they are the better they will sound.

Most of the time if you see a violin label with an individuals name on it, this means that the instrument was hand crafted by this person. A hand crafted instrument will sound much better than one that was made through a machine! The next thing you will look for is when the instrument was made, which will tell you a lot about what you might be dealing with.

The best thing you can do is go to a trusted violin shop and play violins in an affordable price range, and pick the one that sounds best to you. This may not be the one that sounds the best to another violin player because of your different playing styles.

Hope this helps!

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