Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Violin Buying Tips For Beginners - Should I Buy Online?

Introduction
Many people ask the question if they should buy a violin online as a beginner. I consider buying a violin online a risky way to pick out an instrument because you never know what you are getting. Don't get me wrong, I am far against buying products online being that there is a huge selection and you can find pretty good deals if you look in the right places. But it is hard to find a good deal on a violin because you don't really know how good the violin is until you get the opportunity to play it.

Problems from Buying Online
There are many problems that can arise from instrument to instrument that it is impossible to tell until you get the violin in front of you. Even then a beginner player wouldn't in some cases be able to tell what the problems are until they bring the violin in for a checkup. Problems include small cracks or open seems on the instrument which can harm the playability and sound of the violin. Another problem is different pieces being warped or not in their right spots. Many times violins come with warped fingerboards which can really harm the playability of the instrument.

Is it Worth taking the Risk?
Many times people buy violins Online because of the affordability. They can get a violin, case and bow for sometimes under a hundred dollars. To them this is worth the risk especially if they aren't really sure that they that serious about playing the violin. My opinion is that any violin under a hundred dollars online is pretty much junk no matter what kind of violin it is. The bow and case are also going to be junk and I would stay away from buying any violin in this price range. Some violins online that are in the 200-500 range can actually be good instruments. If you get a good background of the instrument and there is a return policy I would possibly try buying a violin in this price range. Make sure you bring the violin into a local shop to make sure the violin is in working order.

What are my other Options?
If you don't want to take the risk of buying a violin online you do have some other options. There are many local violin shops that give you the opportunity to actually play on the violin before you buy it. You could bring your teacher with you to make sure the instrument is right for you also. Many times violin shops have rental programs that are really nice for beginners that are just starting out. I would look for a rent to own program that actually allows you to pay a monthly fee but all your payments go towards the ownership of the instrument. These work very nice because you can return the instrument if you are not interested in playing violin after a short period of time. On the other side, if you build interest in playing violin, you will eventually own the instrument which is great. I suggest going to a store that specializes primarily in stringed instruments and nothing else. They are the ones typically with the good inventory. You want to find stores that will trade-in the rental instruments for a better instrument in the future.

No comments:

Post a Comment