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Position:Home>Performing Arts> I am interested in learning to play the violin, but first I have purchase one, aQuestion:I would NOT buy a violin off of eBay unless you're an experienced musician who is very knowledgable about violins and has a good idea of what violins are worth on the open market. The inexpensive new violin outfits available on eBay are, IMO, not very good, and a lot of the people selling secondhand fiddles have NO idea what they have or what their instrument is worth. Sometimes you can find a bargain on eBay if you know exactly what to look for, but even then I would always rather buy from a real brick-n-mortar violin shop where I can try out and listen to a variety of different instruments to find the one I want. Go to a violin shop (not a regular music store that focuses on guitars and drums and so on: they won't have much, if any, selection, what they have probably won't be set up correctly, and the sales people won't know anything about violins anyway). If you have a friend who plays violin or fiddle, bring them along to help you look at the instruments. Have your friend or a sales person play each violin while you listen so you can hear what they sound like and pick the one that you think sounds best. When you're budgeting for your violin purchase remember that you must get a bow to go with the fiddle -- and the quality of the bow is as important -- maybe more important to a beginner -- than the quality of the fiddle. A badly balanced, poorly made bow that won't do what you want will make it much harder and much more frustrating to play. If you have a limited budget, you're better off getting a good bow and a cheap fiddle than a cheap bow and a good fiddle. Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I would NOT buy a violin off of eBay unless you're an experienced musician who is very knowledgable about violins and has a good idea of what violins are worth on the open market. The inexpensive new violin outfits available on eBay are, IMO, not very good, and a lot of the people selling secondhand fiddles have NO idea what they have or what their instrument is worth. Sometimes you can find a bargain on eBay if you know exactly what to look for, but even then I would always rather buy from a real brick-n-mortar violin shop where I can try out and listen to a variety of different instruments to find the one I want. Go to a violin shop (not a regular music store that focuses on guitars and drums and so on: they won't have much, if any, selection, what they have probably won't be set up correctly, and the sales people won't know anything about violins anyway). If you have a friend who plays violin or fiddle, bring them along to help you look at the instruments. Have your friend or a sales person play each violin while you listen so you can hear what they sound like and pick the one that you think sounds best. When you're budgeting for your violin purchase remember that you must get a bow to go with the fiddle -- and the quality of the bow is as important -- maybe more important to a beginner -- than the quality of the fiddle. A badly balanced, poorly made bow that won't do what you want will make it much harder and much more frustrating to play. If you have a limited budget, you're better off getting a good bow and a cheap fiddle than a cheap bow and a good fiddle. That was a great answer! Very comprehensive. My son has taken up the cello and we're looking to purchase one for him this summer. Report It * You must be logged into Answers to add comments. Sign in or Register. Other Answers (3) |