Hi all, I'm a 27 year-old in NYC who is suddenly very interested in taking up the violin. I have practically no musical experience, but I've always loved the instrument and wished I had played music as a kid. My finances have started to improve and I've thought about investing in a hobby or two. I walked around on 4th of July and spotted a sign for music lessons and thought, "Why don't I finally try the violin?"

For an idea of how little I know about playing music: I grew up in Hawaii and so briefly played the ukulele back in middle school. And though I've spent the past week reading about the violin, music notation, music theory, etc, I didn't even remember that I once played the uke until this morning. My brain has a way of purging anything related to sound. I work in film and video, and have had many headaches trying to comprehend the audio side.

But I'm determined to do the work and learn, and thanks to this place and elsewhere, I'm feeling confident I can do it. I've always hesitated because I felt too clumsy and uncoordinated to truly make an instrument sing, but that's ultimately a matter of training, right?

So I'm starting fresh, which means the obvious question first. I had my mind set on Fiddlerman's Apprentice (the carbon bow alone makes it look like a better deal than any other recommended beginner violin), and then last night took a closer look at the Concert violin. And wow does that violin look sexier.

Taking a closer look at my finances, I do feel comfortable shelling out another $100 for the Concert, but I'm interested in the substantive differences between the two. Obviously the Concert looks better, which may be important in the long term (the Apprentice's orange color makes me think of a beginner violin, which may annoy me as I progress), but do they play differently or are they designed for different purposes? Is it a "Concert" violin because it projects substantially more? Or is it simply a better constructed instrument that gives a fuller sound?

Projection is a minor concern for me, as I am in a small apartment and likely will be for years to come. A major hesitation for me has been riling up my crazy neighbors as I figure out the violin. As I'll only be able to play after 8pm on weekdays, I expect I'll only play an unmuted violin on the weekends, and even then, I don't want to be too loud. If the Concert is going to be trying to fill a concert hall while the Apprentice is a bit softer, I wonder if the latter is a better choice for me right now.

I'm also now wondering about the issue of "dark" vs "bright" sound. I assume the Concert will be a darker as well as fuller sound? I haven't heard any comparisons between a dark and bright violin, but I think I'd prefer dark. I'm as much a fan as the viola, and a darker violin sound would be slightly more like a viola's sound, right? And if I'm going to be screeching on the violin for the next few months, it may as well be a deeper screech.

I do have a couple more questions before I place an order, but I know that the longer a new post is, the less likely someone will bother to read it at all. As a final note: this is all for personal enjoyment, maybe playing a bit for family and friends as the years go by. Unless I hit the jackpot or miraculously discover I'm a violinist who belongs in an orchestra, I'll never spend $1200 on a violin. I'd like to buy something that is not overkill for someone starting out but that will put out a respectable sound for the casual listener.

Thanks for the help and I can't wait to join you all with this great instrument!