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Student violin advise
Looking to find some advise on which one to buy
Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 Topic Rating: 0 (0 votes) 
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sxk

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February 22, 2015 - 2:29 am
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Hi folks

 

My son wants to play violin and I am looking to get one of the following for him. Not sure how long he is going to stick to it and if he does not then I may pick up violin at some point soon any ways. That is why I am planning to buy one.

 

Does any of the following sound reasonable for a beginner?

http://www.violinslover.com/ge.....ins4_4.php

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Specia.....2edd88a55f

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Specia.....487a707868

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gliga-.....#038;rt=nc

 

Thanks a bunch

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February 22, 2015 - 9:24 am

  None of those would hold interest to me.  Paying $60 shipping is a ripoff.  Buying from an individual gets you no warranty and no technical help.  Buying online is iffy because it is the sound that you are looking for.  You need a seller that will make it easy for you to return a violin that does not sound good to you.
At the top of this page is a link to "violin shop".  That is where you will find the appropriate violin backed by honest, friendly and knowledgeable people.  The journey you are on is an exciting one, have fun with it.

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micra
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February 22, 2015 - 9:57 am
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I agree, MrYikes.  Not sure you can do much better than Fiddlershop if you're going to buy online.  

Check out the Violins under the Instrument tab, sort by "Beginner" and you'll find a much better selection, not to mention video and buyer reviews.  Your comfort level will soar!  Best of luck!

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augustoad
Ponta Grossa, Paraná - Brazil
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February 22, 2015 - 10:02 am
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I second MrYikes' opinion. Fiddlershop is great, check it out. :)

Skype: augustoad Email: augustoaguieiras@hotmail.com Phone number/whatsapp: +55 42 9861-4084. I'd be happy to talk anything fiddle-related to anyone! :)

 

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micra
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February 22, 2015 - 10:13 am
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oh yea, and by the way that Gliga Grottano?  did anyone else cringe looking at all those shots of the violin resting on a pile of rocks?!  gee whiz!

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sxk

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February 22, 2015 - 3:18 pm
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Thanks for all the replies. I am new to violins as you can see. I tried to read up on these and the yita and gliga had decent reviews and that's how I ended up with that list. 

 

So none of the ones sound good to you folk.  What about the fiddler man apprentice package. It seems fairly affordable as well as the concert one, both under 400. Are these manufactured by fiddler man or do they belong to some other brand? 

 

I am not brand conscious and as long as the tool is good I don't mind. 

 

Thanks

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LyleA
Little Rock, AR

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February 22, 2015 - 3:38 pm
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sxk said
Thanks for all the replies. I am new to violins as you can see. I tried to read up on these and the yita and gliga had decent reviews and that's how I ended up with that list. 

 

So none of the ones sound good to you folk.  What about the fiddler man apprentice package. It seems fairly affordable as well as the concert one, both under 400. Are these manufactured by fiddler man or do they belong to some other brand? 

 

I am not brand conscious and as long as the tool is good I don't mind. 

 

Thanks

Someone else may be able to answer this better, but what I understand is that Fiddlerman is only a reseller.  He doesn't build them.  The Apprentice and Concert violins are made in China (like most instruments under $1,000).  

However, Fiddlerman is also a violinist and not just a businessman.  He has years of experience playing and knows what makes a good a violin and what doesn't.  He has gone through dozens of different instrument makers and companies and has picked these particular models out because they impressed him whereas others did not.

One top of that, he will set up and adjust each instrument so you know that it is in the best possible condition when you receive it.  Plus, he has a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  And, he has review of these instruments online so you can see and hear what you will be getting:

 

Never mind maneuvers, just go straight at them.

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Daniel_Shaped_Object
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February 22, 2015 - 4:27 pm
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micra said
oh yea, and by the way that Gliga Grottano?  did anyone else cringe looking at all those shots of the violin resting on a pile of rocks?!  gee whiz!

Good Lord, yes. I would definitely NOT purchase a violin from a seller who didn't know better than to set it face-down in the gravel to take pictures of it. No thank you.

As to the others, the 'GENIAL 1-Oil' Violin Outfit is from a real-live brick and mortar store based in Pasadena, California in the U.S., so if you live in the states, that might at least give you bit more confidence in purchasing it. A quick Google search turned up a handful of positive reviews of dealings with that store. Not a LOT, mind you, but I didn't see anything negative in my brief search.

The other two are from the same E bay seller, yitamusic. They seem to have a very high positive feedback rating (99.8 %) with only 2 pieces of negative feedback (and 11 neutral) out of 1548 over the last 12 months. That's pretty good, I must admit. On the downside, though, they are based in China, so if you have a problem with your purchase, you are most likely dependent on their good graces to sort it out for you. 

One other niggle about yitamusic...their over-hyped advertisement copy raises some red flags for me. In particular, there's a bit about the brazilwood bow that comes with one of the violins that reads:

"Attention: this bow is not for beginners, it's quality is beyond your imagination, and it can be easily sold over 80usd in western violin shops)"

Um..."beyond my imagination"?  Really?  Oversell much? Besides, in a Western music shop, a violin bow with a price tag of only $80 would hardly be of a quality that is "beyond imagination". I am highly resistant to this kind of selling tactic. As soon as I hear stuff like that, I usually leave the store or close my web browser.

Also, there's this little bit of "fine print" at the bottom of the product page:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Soundpost may fall in posting." 

"Buyer is responsible for install it if this happens."

"Bridge is sent unfitted to avoid damage in transit."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I concur with what others are saying: Fiddlerman is probably the *safest* bet. I went with a cheaper chinese violin myself (Mendini MV650) from Amazon, but that was purely because of my limited financial means. If I could have afforded it from the start, I would most definitely have purchased at least a Fiddlerman Concert Violin. I'd be a lot less nervous than I am right now, waiting until monday to hear from the luthier about what it will take to make my MV650 a respectable instrument. Who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised with what he has to say. But I'm pretty sure that if I'd been able to go with a Fiddlerman violin set, I'd be extremely happy with it and not have to be "surprised" to find myself so.   :-P

Anyway, good luck with whatever you decide on, and let us know, so we can share in the excitement!   :-)

EDIT FOR CLARITY: When I said I was waiting to hear what it will take to make my MV650 a "respectable instrument", I'm not insulting it (or at least wasn't intending to). To be honest, it looks beautiful to me, and I'm already in love with it even though I haven't played it yet! I just mean that it hasn't been checked out or set up, so it could need any number of adjustments (a new bridge, sound post adjustment, perhaps the nut needs filing down to improve the string action, etc., etc.). It might not need ANY of these things, but the point is that, by buying cheap like I did, I won't know until I hear back from the luthier. 

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sxk

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February 22, 2015 - 11:05 pm
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Thanks for the advice, I am seriously considering buying from the fiddlerman. 400 is more than what I wanted to spend but I think it makes sense to spend once rather than for repair and disappointments.

So before I bite and order, are there any decent student grade violinstent for under 250 usd?

I guess not considering the replies above. 

Now I need to convince my son that the violin is for us both! 

Thanks again for all the advice. 

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sxk

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February 22, 2015 - 11:08 pm
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One other niggle about yitamusic...their over-hyped advertisement copy raises some red flags for me. In particular, there's a bit about the brazilwood bow that comes with one of the violins that reads:

"Attention: this bow is not for beginners, it's quality is beyond your imagination, and it can be easily sold over 80usd in western violin shops)"

Um..."beyond my imagination"?  Really?  Oversell much? Besides, in a Western music shop, a violin bow with a price tag of only $80 would hardly be of a quality that is "beyond imagination". I am highly resistant to this kind of selling tactic. As soon as I hear stuff like that, I usually leave the store or close my web browser.

That was a fun read though gold_star

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 23, 2015 - 7:39 am
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Hey sxk and welcome to the forum.
How old is your son and what size violin does he need? There is a difference in spending less on a fractional size violin and a full size instrument since your son would grow out of a fractional size anyway. Usually 2 years or less per size.
https://fiddlerman.com/what-si.....uld-i-get/
What ever instrument you get I wish you luck with it and hope he maintains his interest.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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sxk

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February 23, 2015 - 9:12 am
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Hi fiddlerman

My son is 12 and I to him to the local music store. They suggested full size. He has been showing interest for a while now so hopefully he will continue.

 

I am pondering between Cecilio cvn500, core academy 10 and the fm apprentice and fm concert. Obviously the price range is from 200 to 400. My question is for a 12 year old and possibly for me as a total newbie with no musical experience is it worth spending near 400 or should I stick to lower end. 

 

Appreciate the knowledge and willingness of all here.

Thanks

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Fiddlerman
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February 23, 2015 - 9:46 am
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If you go with the Apprentice, there are two advantages. The first is that we almost give full value for our instruments when we do trade-ins/upgrades.
If your son shows continued interest and promise, he may deserve or want a better instrument later. If you prefer, we also do rentals, usually locally but we make exceptions provided you have a credit card and scan your license for us.
We rent the Concert for $20/month.
The second advantage is your full money back guarantee in case you are not satisfied. If for any reason you change your mind within a month, we will refund your purchase upon return, provided there is no new damage to the instrument that was caused by misuse or accident.
The CVN500 is a good value but they are not always set up properly and we have no way to check that. The margins are so low that we would be making almost no profit if we had them shipped here first, especially taking in account the time necessary to go through the set up and adjusting properly. I've seen both decent set-ups and lousy ones from Cecilio. If you are a do it yourself type of person you may be able to better the instrument yourself.
We get a fairly large percentage of Cecilio returns and extremely low Fiddlerman Approved instrument returns.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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