buying a violin

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Questions to ask: What is the violin you are seeking to be used for orchestra? solo? other? Are you a student? amateur? professional? Does it matter what is looks like? How would you like the new violin to be different from the one you now have? Do you have a teacher or violin friend helping you? Why have none of the violins you have tried so far been acceptable? Are you glued to the $$$ you plan to spend or can you comfortably go higher? Can the violin you presently have be worked on by a luthier to perform better? Violinists not only play violins but many times are called upon to appraise an instrument on its investment value and its sound. This can be difficult, and it can be enjoyable. I enjoy trying all the violins my students are considering purchasing. A violinist spends many, many, hours with her/his violin and therefore needs to have a violin that they can really "bond" with and create beautiful music. Many times I have seen questions related to buying a violin posted on the bulletin boards. Below you will find an article written by Jeffrey Holmes. I hope these are helpful to you. I will add information as I receive it. The bottom line is tone and visual appeal will affect violin buyers the most. Violin investment buying is extremely risky.
Violin's Purchased by Sheila
Lecavelle of Mirecourt, France mid 1800's belonged to my ggrandfather William Toy, Bradford Pa. and was a gift to me from my father $free in 1954, but has had $2000 work done on it in the last 10 years.	A German violin circa 1950's ? by Nurnberger Purchased in 1987 from The Loft Violin Shop in Columbus, Ohio $900
Purchased as a new violin from John Masters Columbus Ohio in 1989 $5000	Kelvin William Marshall Scott Opus 30 a.k.a. "Little Guarneri" was purchased for my birthday, June 2001.
The prices may be different now. I am including them so you can have an idea of what the adventure in violin buying might cost. You can spend a LOT more. Buy the best and go as high as you can comfortably afford. A cheap or sale-violin is not bargin. These violins are not for sale. This is not an add.
SOUND AND YOUR VIOLIN PURCHASE
Sound and its effect on quality or value. A well made (classic arch, classic design, first class materials) has the best potential to sound well, however, it may or may not (sound well) the day it visits the appraiser.... or be to the appraiser's taste. This is illustrated well when one examines the relative market value, design, and performance differences of the wonderful Amati style instruments compared to the bolder, generally more powerful 18th century Cremonese designs. A good deal of the value of an expensive instrument is determined by it's provenance, condition and originality of authorship. This "trickles down" to the lasting (not the 15 minutes of fame type popularity) modern or contemporary makers. The most expensive Modern Italian instruments are built in a classic Italian style, classic design, and sound materials. The most lastingly expensive of the contemporary makers are those who have built reputations on the same criteria. In the same way, those who are considered "innovators" in design (and who try and capitalize on this in terms of price) most regularly have a brief popularity, then become rarely requested. For example; Though Vuillaume's "classic" instruments are quite sought after and relatively expensive, his innovations are pretty much objects for collectors and not so terribly expensive. Now, all this being said.. within any "class" (price range/style) of instrument... when one is selling... the one which sounds best is the most desirable in the rack, so to speak. Supply and demand tempered by appropriate value and quality..... and sound. Contributed by Jeffrey Holmes J. S. Holmes Fine Violins, LLC
BUYING A STUDENTS VIOLIN-A STORY
I have been reading the violin buying threads on the Corner Violin Board, so I am sharing this with you.... When my daughter advanced to needing a full size violin, I had to find another violin, so that we would each have one to use. I knew it would not be the final violin I would buy for us, but I needed a really nice one--in a certain price range, at that time I had less money...2 kids to raise. I asked a violin playing friend who I trusted to go with me and we went to a respected violin shop, The Loft, in Columbus and I told them how much I was willing to spend. I gave them a price range and I would not go over it. I gave them a range of $800-$1200. Saying I would prefer to stay under $1000. They went to their violin room and brought out about 15-20 violins and placed them on tables in a room where my friend and I were able to play them and inspect them by ourselves, no sales people unless we had a question. I found 2-3 I liked, my friend found the "ringer", a very expensive one they put in just for kicks. I brought home 2 to try in my own home for a week. The following week we returned to the shop, he had a gig with the Columbus Symphony so these trips to Columbus also included a perk of going to the concert, I watched , he played. and we tried the violins again. I finally settled on one for $900, the Nurnberger you can see on my site. I also realized I needed a case to take it home in and they gave me a good deal with a Bobelock case and the violin. Did I choose wisely? It is a nice violin and well worth the money, I do not regret the $900, I would ask at least $2500 for it now. However, had I to do it over I would have chosen differently. I would have purchased the old Italian or old Klotz and perhaps my taste in tone would be different now. Why say this? Because those would have increased in value more than this violin. But at the time I needed a violin that was in excellent condition and one that would hold up under a lot of use not one for an investment. This was many many years ago. My recommendation is: --If you are a first time buyer and have little knowledge of the violin selling world, go to a repected shop and take a friend you trust and try violins in your price range, you need to be firm about your price range... --I have also bought violins from luthiers, you can ususally get a good selection of their work if you go right to the source and most luthiers are VERY happy to show you their product, but you need to take someone with you, a teacher or a friend, to play and listen with you. If you cannot take the teacher or friend then take the violin out on trial and take it to someone you trust to play and listen to it and inspect it. --I have purchased bows from a different sort of seller, Jerri Foresteri in Cleveland, he has violins too, but you really really really need to know what you are doing and take someone else who knows with you if you are going to deal with the dealers......and have lots of money with you ;o) --I read the posts and wonder where the teachers are in helping the student find a violin? I think you need to be sure the teacher who is helping you is NOT connected with the shop, etc. teaching and selling do not mix well. My students all get their violins from different places. I try to determine what the parent can spend and then make several suggestions as to where to get one. I suggest all the way from renting, to going to a shop, to catalog, to luthier, not in any particular order. --Some parents are willing to drive across the country to find a violin. Some are only willing to make an 1-800 phone call. And some have $350 and some have $20,000. My concern is that the student have a nice violin to use, well setup and one they can "bond with" AND I do not want any parent to have to eat bread and water for weeks just to pay for a violin ;o) --I have had student's parents bring me violins they have gotten at auctions, farm auctions, I send them off to have them evaluated by a luthier and an estimate for cost to get them in playing order. Yes, some of these have worked out well, usually only for beginners to use. There are NO Strads at farm auctions. --I have had parents order violins through catalogs, Shar, Southwest, Discount Strings, as examples, they get the one they think they like and can afford. Then they bring them to me and I try them and tell them what I think, I do not charge to do this. I do not make any money doing this.. --so why do I care so much about the students getting a well set up and nice sounding violin?.... Yes, I have a motive... I want my students to sound the best and play the best of any students around this area...or any place. I want them to like playing the violin, and you have to like the violin you are playing to like playing. If I wasn't a bit competitive in that I want my students to play the best, and be well respected in the violin community, I would not be a very good teacher because I would just be going along and taking their money and nodding my head.... I try harder... I keep working to improve my teaching skills and I try to see to it that they get good materials (violins) to work with. I do not know if this long letter will be of any help to any of you... but if it is .. I am glad. --Sheila