Choosing the right violin for a beginner is easier said than done. What should you look for? What should you watch for? Our friends at the Howard Core Company provide the answer!

So what exactly is the difference between a $75.00 student violin and a

$500.00 student violin?

There are many ways to make a violin cheaply. The wood is not so good,
to begin with. Then it is not properly dried and aged. Perhaps the cheap
lacquer is sprayed on and much too hard. The work is generally a little
sloppy. The peg box is not exactly cut properly so eventually the pegs
will not work. The fingerboard is very cheap ebony or maybe not ebony at
all but a blackened wood that will quickly get grooves in it. The bridge
is too thick or too thin and is not properly fitted. 
The bass bar may not be correctlycut. The top and back may not be hand
graduated and end up too thick or too thin. Many of these problems are
not, unfortunately, easily seen. But they will be heard! A stringed
instrument is difficult enough to play - a student will be most
discouraged and want to quit if the instrument is pretty much unplayable
to begin with!

My Uncle has an old violin. Why can't I just use that?

Maybe you can. Take it to a reputable violin shop and have it checked
out; it may cost more to have it put into good playable condition than
the price of a new instrument. Also if your student is very young, you
may want a small size violin. Cellos are made in sizes from 1/16th to
full size. Violas come is 12" through 16 1/2". Cellos come from 1/16th
size through full size and basses start usually in the 1/4 size, with
3/4 size being the standard size. Either the teacher of music shop
representative will determine the correct size for each beginning
student.
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Courtesy of Howard Core Company
You can visit them online at www.howardcore.com

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