<p>...is the best? I have narrowed it down to German and Italian violins. I have about 400-500$ to spend at most for one. Should I get a German or Italian or some other violin?</p>
<p>Hmm, I'd go for an Italian violin. From what I've heard, the Italian violins died out at the end of the eighteenth century, so they got pretty rare after that. Also, the Italian violin has a remarkable sound because of its shape and varnish. If you can, get a French violin, but it might be a bit hard to find one at $400 to $500 (the French violin I bought was around $3,000, and it wasn't a full-sized one). As for the bows, the German and English bows are affordable and they're pretty good. It's best to buy one of the bows that have a stamped name on the frog portion (lower part). My bow is stamped with TOURTE (French bow). Get the bows made of pernambuco (a type of wood). They produce the best sound quality and are very flexible.</p>
<p>I should get an old Italian violin right? Can I get a decent one for $400 to $500 at most?</p>
<p>Do you have a teacher?</p>
<p>IMO you should rely on your teacher to guide you in this decision. He/she should identify reputable sellers for you and should examine your proposed instrument before the purchase is final.</p>
<p>ur learning violin now? that will be a fricken challenge.</p>
<p>Well I do have a teacher for my Adv. Orchestra class, but the teacher does not specialize in stringed instruments. She specializes in wind instruments, and is learning string instruments with us as we go along. So I don't think I can rely on her opinion.</p>
<p>I agree about your teacher, but can she put you in touch with a strings specialist? Maybe a teacher at anothetr school?</p>
<p>Or, at least check out this link or find some similar link:</p>
<p>Don't go for just the title - you should try out a few violins. Play both german and italian violins. Remember that everyone has a different style and different tones may suit different people. If you're a solo player, you might go for a brighter, louder violin. If you play in orchestra, you might go for one that's more mellow. Get the violin you feel comfortable with, not the prettiest one. Violin sellers want you to try different instruments, so don't be shy. Good luck!! =)</p>
<p>What you should do when choosing a violin is base your decision on the sound of the individual instrument (not the origin). Go to your violin seller, they will usually let you loan out a few violins for a week or two. Try them all, bring them to your lessons and orchestra rehersals and see which one you like better. Also, get somebody else to play them without showing you which one they're playing. That way you can really figure out which one sounds better to you.</p>
<p>If you're just starting off, I suggest loaning one from the music store. From my experience the difference between a $500 violin and a $150 violin is barely noticeable. If you find you really like playing the violin and have a passion for it you can buy a more expensive one later.</p>
<p>Another option you could consider is buying a violin from the native country (Italy, Germany...etc). Labor is cheaper internationally and you can get a quality hand-made violin for much less than in the States.</p>
<p>Starting violin takes a lottt of effort and frustration. If you're going to try out for some state orchestras later on I would recommend getting a violin $1000-$3000..and a Coda bow. It really makes a ton of difference in sound</p>
<p>I agree with ADad and HaoLi.</p>
<p>Get a good teacher to help you.
Borrow a violin from a music store.
$400-$500 will not get you too far. It might be better to rent or even borrow a school instrument and save your money.
Even a bow easily costs more than that but you might put the money into a bow now and save up for a violin later.
Remember, a good violin keeps its value, so you are making an investment.</p>
<p>Stradivarius.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Are you insane?</p>
<p>I wish I had a Strad.</p>
<p>$500 might be a bit low if you really want a super-good violin, but definitely shop around and see. Don't let the violin's country of origin throw you off...try a bunch of different ones first.</p>
<p>I'm not looking for a violin for advanced players. I just want one for intermediate I guess.</p>
<p>Anyone know if I can get a $400-500 violin with very clear harmonics?</p>