Instrument and Bow Buying Guide

Buying an instrument or bow can be an overwhelming experience. With so many choices available, where does one start? I hope that this short essay may be of help to the player or parent confronting the task of buying an instrument or b0w.

Decide on a budget

That is step #1. Be realistic. Is this a first instrument or bow? Is this the instrument or bow for a lifetime? For the first time buyer one should be prepared to spend between $800 and $1,500 for a violin, or more if the budget allows. You can find a well set up, good sounding violin for the first time buyer at that price range. A corresponding bow will cost $100 - $150 for carbon fiber, or $300 - $500 for a good wood bow.
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A step up from the first time violin can be found for $1,800 to $5,000 generally.

Violins for Advancing Students

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Violas for Advancing Students

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Cellos for Advancing Students

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Instruments are not priced by sound

In general, instruments priced under $2000 will be new “workshop made”. This means that they were made by hand, but by many hands. This was done is Germany and France since the early 1800s, and more recently in China. The quality will vary with these instruments, so best to buy from a reputable shop where the instruments have been vetted, and where you will get a guaranteed trade back toward another instrument if desired.
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Instruments priced from $2,000 to $5,000 are also often workshop made instruments, but of a higher quality. Workshops will earmark the best wood for their best line of instruments. Often the makers of the more expensive instruments are the most experienced. But instruments are not priced by sound. This is an important concept to understand. Instruments are priced by the maker, the condition, and factors other than sound. That is why I always let players know that it’s possible to find the right instrument at the price that’s comfortable for them.

In the $2,000 - $5,000 range you may also find older German, French, English and American instruments that have been restored to excellent playing condition. These instruments have the benefit of being older, with stable wood and often a richness to the sound that comes with age.

Snow 200 Violin

$1,250.00
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Ivan Dunov Superior Violin (Crafted in Romania)

$1,500.00
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Snow 300 Violin

$1,500.00
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Eastman 305 Violin

$1,300.00
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Martin Beck (Romanian)

$1,500.00
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Scott Cao 750 Artistic Series

$1,500.00
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Snow 400

$1,800.00
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Jurgen Klier (German)

$2,200.00
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Darche Freres (Beijing)

$1,800.00
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Calin Wultur (Romanian)

$1,800.00
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Snow "Per Caso"

$2,400.00
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Michael Gerlach

$2,200.00
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The next step

The next step for violins is the $5,000 - $10,000 range. Here again you will find a mix of workshop made instruments, restored older instruments, and sometimes hand made instruments by up and coming makers. Certain workshops like the Juzek workshop of Prague and the Heberlein and Roth workshops of Germany are sought after and getting more valuable as time goes on. These instruments, though made in a workshop, are more expensive due to their fame and reputation.
Everything I’ve said about violins is true for violas and cellos as well, except for the prices. Violas generally start at about $1,000 and go up from there. With violas it is important to know the size. Violas are not standardized like violins, so the sizes will vary widely. You will find violas from 15” up to 17”, and it all depends on your size and comfort level.

Cello prices generally start at about $2,000 and go up from there. We have found good workshop made cellos from Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, and China. Sometimes a shop may have their own label, but the instruments are still mostly made in one of the countries just listed. Some shops, like ours, also sometimes has their own instrument made from a “white instrument”, which is an instrument made roughly in Germany but with no varnish. The instrument is then “graduated” or thicknessed in house, and finished off in house. This allows more control over the sound properties of the instrument. For cellos priced under $10,000 be sure that there is a good trade back policy, and that adjustments are included for changes neck angle and bridge height.

Ultimately it’s a leap of faith to buy an instrument. A good instrument should sound better and better over time, but no one can guarantee what an instrument may or may not sound like in the future. Try the instrument at home for a few days, show it to a teacher or trusted player, and get some peace of mind by buying from a good shop with trade back guarantees.
 
Matt Stamell