Please help me!!!!

[Katey]

ok, so i really want a viola for christmas. my mom finally gave in and went to look at violas at the music store and the guy there knew she had no clue what she was doing and basically told her that if she was gonna get me one, then she had to get me this super nice expensive one. i really think that the guy was lying to her, cuz i've seen people selling violas in the classifides for hundreds upon hundreds cheaper. so, my question is, how much should you spend on a cheap used viola? or even violin for that matter? i want to play so badly that i'd even play a violin!!! (no offense violinists!) not to mention the fact that i need one! i'm totally desperate, so please help me out!

[Rudolph the Red]

Anywhere from $150-200 and up for a used one in fairly decent condition would be okay I think....If you're just starting out, one of the things that I've heard of people doing is leasing an instrument, so that if you don't like it after a month or find that you can't play at all, you can return it. After you get pretty good (several years), and you decide you want to continue playing, you'll probably want to get a nicer, more expensive instrument.

Hope that helps...

[Katey]

yeah, that's what i thought. the guy told my mom that we should spend absolutely no less than $600 for a used one in not that great of condition. that really sounded high to me.

[LWatford]

one reason the salesperson recomended spending that much (provided he wasn't trying to make money) was that stringed instruments are expensive. While you can get a $150 viola, it won't sound very good and you will quickly out grow it. If you are just wanting to mess around, find a cheap instrument. If you are wanting to be serious about the viola, then find a good instrument. $600 really isn't that expensive for a stringed instrument. The guy that teaches cello at my school paid over $15,000 for his back-up cello!

So I guess it all depends on what <I>you</I> want to do.

Lee

[NathanGrimm]

Now that is a darn lot for a cello!!! Or any instument for that matter.
Nathan

[Rudolph the Red]

my cello teacher spent like $3,000 on her bow!

[Katey]

yeah, i'm not really looking for something really really nice. i'm looking for something that will play. honestly, that's all i really care about. i don't really like new things. so there's absolutely no reason for me to spend $600 for one.

[JB2001-]

all I know is about guitars!!! :D

[flig_chris]

I've played violin for over 11 years and here's my words of wisdom. When beginning, do by a less expensive instrument. If you really like play and plan on playing in a band, orchestra, or whatever, start to save for a good instrument. I currently own 4 violins. I have my mother's 3/4 size that I learned to play on...then when I needed a full size we got a cheap Jap. violin. After about 3 years of playing on that I got a German violin made in 1819 (old instruments are expensive to maintain...so if you get one, make sure it is solid!) for $1200. The tone and quality of sound from the instrument was 100%+ better than my previous Jap. violin. About three years later I aquired my late great grandmother's violin which I play today. It is valued at about $2000, which for a "nice" violin, isn't much. I have played on $12,000 violins before, which sound and play wonderfully. But for my ability, my great grandmother's violin serves me fine. I still play my German violin, but it's mainly a "backup" in case my greatgrandmother's has to go into the shop.

Flig

[PaxCristus]

Ok, so I don't know much about violins. But all this talk about expensive violins kind of bothers me. My violin was free, a friend gave it to me for Christmas, and he got it for about $50 at a little Japanese used instrument store. I love it. I need to spend an extra $2.98 for a thing of rosin, but other than that, it sounds just like any other violin would sound unless I was a master. And by the time I'm a master, and I buy one that costs a couple hundred dollars, I'll be good enough that people won't be able to tell it's a cheap instrument.

Or maybe I'm just too much of a broke college student to understand expensive things?

[flig_chris]

Originally posted by PaxCristus
And by the time I'm a master, and I buy one that costs a couple hundred dollars, I'll be good enough that people won't be able to tell it's a cheap instrument.

Or maybe I'm just too much of a broke college student to understand expensive things?

If you play on a REALLY nice instrument, you will notice the difference. The violin is an instrument that the slightest modification in the building processes can create huge impacts on tonal quality and playablility. Would I pick up my first full size violin and use it in a concert (a very cheap violin)? NEVER! That's why I have a decent back up.

I agree that when starting out, it is best to spend around $200 (for a violin or viola, cellos and basses are even more for "starter" instruments).

Chris

[d0c_99]

it's alright to start out with a cheep instrument ($200) or so but after a year or two as you get better at it you really need to get a better instrument cuz as you develop your playing skills and personal tastes, a $200 just doesn't cut the cheese. You'd probably get frustrated with the instrument because you can't express yourself in the way you want you may even end up quiting. If you still dont' know why you should invest in a quality instrument, just go to a high end string shop. Ask a reputable dealer to let you try (or if you dont' want to embarass yourself, ask the dealer to play) a cheep instrument (say $300-400) then ask to demo a really nice instrument ($10,000 and up) and try listening to the difference. It's like night and day.

If you can't find a good strings dealer, go to another shop! I know some shops won't let you touch highend instruments unless you either have a suitcase worth of cash in your hands or are a professional player but they should still play something on the instrument just to let you know what's a good instrument and what's...well not so good.

on a side note...YoYo Ma (who played in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) plays a 1712 Cremonese Davidoff Stradivarious that thing is estimated at $5 million USD. he also has a backup cello which is a Montagnana cello from Venice made in 1733

Listen to his later recordings with a good sound system or home theater system and you'll hear why his cello is worth 5million. Try playing it and you'll feel why it's worth 5 million (that is if you're ever able to get closer than 100ft from it...)