2 replies to this topic

[Publius]

Hi all,

My wife's birthday is soon and I'm looking to buy her the best possible violin for between 500 - 800 USD. She played the violin for several years (when she was a kid), but then took up the clarinet because her school did not have a symphony, only a band. Now, she has been talking about playing the violin again, which is music to my ears

Well, the local violin specialist, the Guarneri House, is selling an AV7 Yamaha Violin for $500. Here's an article about those violins and the Guarneri House.

So, is this a good deal? And if not, what should I be looking for?

Cheers,

Publius

[kaiselin]

What a wonderful gift. I know she will be thrilled.
I can not tell you about violins, but I know I tried to skimp when buying an instrument for my son when he was in band and it ended up that the repairs we had to do almost as soon as it was bought cost more then the isntument itself and it never played correctly. You get what you pay for.

[Publius]

Well said and I'm steering well clear of the $30 bargain violins on ebay...

I am confident that the Guarneri House is reputable. I went in to browse a few days ago, and spoke with the owners. They played the violins in question and they sounded well tuned and looked well crafted. I asked them about their quality control, which I'm worried about since the Yamaha violins come from China. Apparently, they specifically buy violins crafted in the European fashion, instead of the Chinese fashion (whatever that is supposed to mean). Also, they test all incoming violins, put their own strings and fingerboards, have a warranty, and allow people to trade-in their violins for an upgrade. They also sold cellos to Yoyo Ma. So, I feel good about the people at this shop, but I still don't quite feel 100% comfortable with these violins. I don't know if they are well crafted, whether they last (by not warping, thereby ruining its pitch, etc....