What Kind of Violin Do You Have?  

I've bought a couple violins on Ebay, but I'm thinking this time I'm hoping to try it first if possible. My Ebay violins weren't duds or anything, but they weren't as great as they said.

My 5 string I have is from Ebay and it is constantly in need of repairs.

It's sort of coming back to me, but I used to practice like an hour a day so it is not coming back to me to that degree. I guess sort of like a bicycle... I used to have only a bicycle for transportation and could easily ride 100 miles a week and sometimes 40 miles in just one day. If I hopped on a bicycle today, I'm certain I could still ride it, but I couldn't do 40 miles today.

An hour a day is great amount of practice time.maybe because I played for 9 years straight that whenever I pick up the violin it is second nature.

I played about 8 years in orchestras (3 years in middle school, 4 years in high school, and 1 year in college which is where the conductor and I hated each other and I quit).

I can still play, but if you handed me some crazy movie score with 6 sharps, I'd be lost now. Or if I have to shift higher than third position, forget it. I know part of it is that I'm left with an evil violin. But a lot of it is just that I don't practice for at least an hour a day anymore. Now I rarely pick up my violin at all, and when I do, I just play some fiddle tunes on it and that's about it.

I started playing when I was 9 and stopped when I was 18.After 18, I picked up the violin every once in a while but not as regularly as I used to.I still have the violin I played way back then.Just a couple weeks ago, I picked up the violin and played and it all came back.I played for about an hour.I played a little Handel and Bach and called it a day. What is so ironic is I can't play fiddle, I mean I don't play a country violin. I sing country. I play country songs on the guitar. But I don't play fiddle.

Interesting. I can't seem to play country guitar. I can play classical and some flamenco. That's about it.

Well the songs I can play are all ballads that I can sing along.I was singing coutry songs way before I started the violin.

I've seen a couple of those before... how do you like the sound so far? How long have you been played it?

I'm not going to be able to afford a violin that nice unfortunately. I got my viola for $600 and even that was a stretch. It still wasn't the greatest thing ever, most of that price was probably because it was a small store where I bought it.

I'm probably staying away from eBay though, I don't mind machine made, but I'm too afraid of buying one I haven't heard and especially there where I probably will not be able to return it.

I do have one violin that's probably handmade. However, it's also an antique (over 100 years old) and I'm too afraid of restoring it. It will be for sale eventually I'm sure, so I don't want to ruin it by trying to restore it without knowing what I'm doing. Unfortunately, that's probably the only handmade violin I'm going to see. I do hate the tinny sound though, and try my hardest to find one without that. I think I'm not really going to "move up" so much though as just play for fun now. I used to play in orchestras, compete, etc. I thought I'd play in a studio orchestra eventually, but gave that up and now am totally out of practice. Basically, I just want to learn again so that I get good enough to play a few cool classical and movie pieces, and then just have fun. I'm almost done with college so I doubt they'll be many orchestra opportunities for me later anyway.

Now that I understand your circumstances, it does make sense. Try several out. You might find a little gem. So if you go to a shope or individual, try out all that they have in your price range. Sometimes also colleges where they teach students to make violins, if one is near, you may want to see for low prices there.

Other possibility is renting. Good luck! And who knows, you may join an orchestra in the near future. They have them for all different levels around. :o)

That's an interesting idea, looking for schools that make violins... thanks! I will try to find some.

I've rented before and I've never rented a good instrument it seems. The instrument I rented in college orchestra was what made me finally give up orchestra (the instructor insisted I was too big for a 14" viola and wanted me to rent a full size from her, which she insisted sounded much better, but it was a plasticy piece of junk).

Oh, how sad. I'm sorry about how your teacher ended up getting you to quit. You played viola instead of violin in college?

Also, does the school provide instruments for discounts to buy or at least use while aa student attending? (Besides from renting directly from the instructor)? For example, all public schools in my area provide violins for students for a small fee. The schools get a discount deal from regular renting from the stores they borrow from.

But a 14" viola does sound small for you. I'm petite but also have a viola bigger than that.

The schools instruments are horrible. We can only rent them, not buy them. Some instructors will hook us up with people who can sell us nice instruments, but not all of the instructors have connections. I'll have to see if this guy does.

I played viola in middle school, high school, and college. I learned violin after high school but before college, however, the orchestra was short viola players so I got stuck on viola still. I kept trying to switch to violin and they wouldn't let me. I have a feeling they're still short on viola players because as soon as I mentioned to the instructor that I used to play viola, he asked if I would like to join the ensemble.

A 14" viola isn't much smaller than a violin, which is why I thought it was odd that she was so upset. It wasn't worth it to switch and play an inferior instrument. I'm pretty petite so it didn't look odd or anything. It just kind of looked like I was playing a violin instead of a viola.

If you played the viola for so many years, as a teacher, I could understand their preference that you play the viola with the group, especially if you hadn't had much experience with violin yet. But I understand your yearning to play the violin more. Both are beautiful instruments, but I know often violins get the melody more than violists. But viola does have a luscious sound.

Lower end violins, you should always check shifting up high very seriously, because some can squeak up high like a screaming mouse, which you don't want the audience to put on earplugs. ;o)