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Peace be with u everyone!
It's been literally two months since I joined here. It's crazy....
Anyway. It's been almost a year since I started playing and I am thinking about changing my violin becaunse I bought something cheap, a starting violin. I changed my strings once and they are even worse than the first ones so instead of changing them again I want to buy a good violin. Well, not like a pro but maybe for intermediates.
Do you suggest that I change the violin or the strings? Till when I should wait to change?
If I change the violin what kind of features should I look for? Should I buy second hand violin? Etc.
Right now my violin is vanette. And there are no problems except for the strings. (Tho my bow is also a not high quality.)
Thanks in advanced ! ^-^ I wait for your advises!
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I think it is best to upgrade since it sounds like you have outgrown your violin, sometimes with a new bow and new strings you can make it sound really nice, but if it was just a basic cheap starter one, you might want to consider upgrading, as there may be nothing you can do to make it sound better, since you need a better bow, maybe get one of those first...and take your time to find a violin, I see there are lots on fiddlershop!
I bought a much better used violin after about 3 months of practicing, it was in my price range, and upgraded it with new strings and a new bow from fiddlershop. Now I will take another 10 years to get as good as this violin!!!!
Good luck!
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I agree with @Mimi Aysha it sounds like you are ready for a violin update. The only rule I know for choosing to upgrade is when you are aware of how your current one is limiting you, or you are looking for a specific tone your current one doesn't have. It sounds like you are there.
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Before chiming in, I wanted to google "vanette" to see which violin you have now. All I got were images for a Nissan van... so much for that, LOL.
Are you lucky enough to have some real violin shops in your area that you can visit? If yes, it's a great education as to what's available at what price. More importantly, you get some idea of what kind of sound production is possible from instruments in your budget range. Bring your violin with you and compare the sound when you try others. The local luthier can advise you if new strings are even worth considering.
Although I got my violin from Fiddlershop in the end, I spent a few weeks trying different instruments locally so when I finally pulled the trigger (despite my lack of violin experience) I was really comfortable with my choice.
What happens if you don't have one or more violin shops nearby?
Work with a really reputable online provider. Someone you can actually dialogue with by phone or eMail to explain what you're looking for in a new instrument. From what I've picked up after a lot of internet research, Chinese made violins are likely to have the most bang for their buck... with two caveats:
1) The importer needs to play each and every instrument that arrives for quality control. The "duds" (this can be around 30%) are returned to the factory and then re-sold online by less scrupulous vendors.
2) The online shop (importer) needs to have experienced musicians and luthiers to do the best set up possible for each particular violin. A really great online shop will even adjust the set up to tweek the qualities your are looking for.
It's a fun journey to upgrade so enjoy!
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@Mimi Aysha thanks for the comments. I considering what you said. Today I asked somewhere about the strings their prise and which one I should buy. If I get good strings..... I may consider buying a very good violin in five years or so.... I'll think about it.
@damfino yes exactly!! I look for a tone! Last week my friend played and it was like a magical fairytale was sang by the violin! I long for something warm and soft. But since I am not pro yet idk if it's the violin that limits me. Maybe I should take baby steps and try to figure out.
@bocaholly thanks for the investigation lol .d.d.dd. I googled it too but all the results were in Turkish .d.d.d maybe it's sold in here. Luckily I know some music instrument shops but I don't know any violin shops but that's a brilliant idea!!!!! I would learn so much that way. I am actually shy but..... I should do that for violin!!!
Thank you all. It is indeed a fun journey! I'll update what I do about this. !!!
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Belated reply - but "Vanetto" came to mind - ( yes, I read virtually ALL posts, even the old ones ! LOL ) - Ken ( a.k.a @fiddlestix ) referred to his Vanetto here and his learning/playing experiences with it, way back sometime 2012 - - https://fiddlerman.com/forum/s.....hy/#p31964
(and the rest of that thread)
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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It's hard to say whether you need a different instrument without being able to test or hear yours.
Where do you live? We ship all around the globe but our 45-day satisfaction guarantee doesn't cover international shipping.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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@BilliG lol .d.d.d thank you so much.
I went through this site and listed the recommended strings. I actually wanted to buy Evah pirazzi but the seller was like.... this is too good you should upgrade it gradually and that way you can understand the difference.
So I showed him the list and he have me prelude. I bought it and tho didn't give the warm sound I long for, it really made a hugeeeeeeeeee difference. (Tho when I came home I saw videos that recommended dominant instead of prelude. Are these two that different?)
I was lucky enough to show my violin to someone else and he let me try a different violin. It sounded very.... full and confident. I also learnt that my violin is not made of..... tree (is that the word to express it?) And if I want a strong sound I need that kind violin.
Anyway....
After that journey I learnt some strings and how they sounded, I know what kind of violin I should look for in the future and I finally got a violin sound from violin ! Thanks for the advise everyone!
And thanks for the offer. I would wanna buy here. Seems like everyone is pleased. But the currency.... makes it too much expensive for us to buy abroad... maybe if it gets better hopefully ^-^
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ilkkk said
@BilliG lol .d.d.d thank you so much.I went through this site and listed the recommended strings. I actually wanted to buy Evah pirazzi but the seller was like.... this is too good you should upgrade it gradually and that way you can understand the difference.
So I showed him the list and he have me prelude. I bought it and tho didn't give the warm sound I long for, it really made a hugeeeeeeeeee difference. (Tho when I came home I saw videos that recommended dominant instead of prelude. Are these two that different?)
I was lucky enough to show my violin to someone else and he let me try a different violin. It sounded very.... full and confident. I also learnt that my violin is not made of..... tree (is that the word to express it?) And if I want a strong sound I need that kind violin.
Anyway....
After that journey I learnt some strings and how they sounded, I know what kind of violin I should look for in the future and I finally got a violin sound from violin ! Thanks for the advise everyone!
And thanks for the offer. I would wanna buy here. Seems like everyone is pleased. But the currency.... makes it too much expensive for us to buy abroad... maybe if it gets better hopefully ^-^
Yess, @ilkkk - Preludes are steel strings, and the dominants are synthetic core. The "warmer" sound you seek will inevitably come from synthetic-core strings rather than steels. Steel strings "have their place" of course - and SO MUCH depends on the instrument itself. One of my fiddles is a cheap e-bay purchase (and happens to be a 3/4 size) - with Preludes it sounds just quite astonishing for what it is and of course, that sound is also specific to certain musical genres. Fitting THAT fiddle with more expensive synthetics, in fact, would almost be pointless. So it all comes down to (a) the sound you prefer (for the genre you play most), (b) the instrument itself and of course finally (c) the strings. Although there ARE other aspects which affects overall tone production, these 3 I feel are at the top of the list. Sure, the bow, the hair, the rosin, the physical set-up (bridge and sound post position will all figure in this, but to a lesser extent). The FiddlerMan shop have their own set of strings, well, narurally called the "FiddlerMan" strings. They have a good reputation, are generally regarded as being "pretty much like the syntheic core Dominants" but much cheaper. If shipping abroad is too expensive - I *believe* they are available on Amazon - you can always check.
"From tree" - i.e. made from wood - well, yes there are cheap student violins out there that could well be made of some synthetic material - probably carbon fiber, although apparently you can now get 3D-printed "plastic" things... LOL
Here's a link to a "wood and carbon-fiber violin duet" - it's not the clip I was thinking of - both instruments are being mixed and I can't find the video I was thinking about - - but by close watching you can tell which is making which part of the overall sound -
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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Hi BillyG (and others). Due to language translation issues, I believe that you were taking the original poster too literally when he said not tree. A cheaper alternative to wood violin construction is plywood.
He may want to try D’Addario Ascente or Pro Arte strings, which are upgrades but in keeping with the construction stature of the violin (if indeed it is plywood).
Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.
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Indeed so @Irv - good point, it just escaped my mind while writing! 
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
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