Student violin: purchase or rent?

woodsyi · « **on:** 9 Apr 2014, 02:46 pm »

My soon to be 12 years old daughter has been playing for 6 years and finally sounds good. She is on a 3/4 and will be moving onto a 4/4 any time. She is committed to playing and already signed up for the honors orchestra for middle school and she has private lessons once a week. The rental is 60 a month which comes to $720 a year. Now that she will be on a full size, should we buy her a violin or continue to rent? If buying, do you have any recommendations on a company or price range?

JohnR · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 02:47 pm »

What about loaning her the money to buy her own?

woodsyi · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 02:57 pm »

Quote from: JohnR on 9 Apr 2014, 02:47 pm

What about loaning her the money to buy her own?

She does house chores to make money to buy music and other stuff. She will be baby sitting next door kids once she turns 12 and is looking forward to making real money to finance her toys. We the parents are footing the bill for educational items though. I think violin falls into this where we will cover the expense until she is grown up.

JohnR · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:17 pm »

Hi Rim, lemme try again. Why not ask her if she's reached the limits of the rental. Or let her try some better instruments and let her own playing/committment decide instead of deciding for her where the limits are.

Ericus Rex · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:18 pm »

It sounds like she's into it. Buy one. What rental companies don't want you to know it that the instruments you're renting are from China and cost less than 1 year's worth of rent. It's a real cash cow for them. In the end, she'll sound better and want to play it more if you buy something nicer now. If she plays it for more than a few years you'll be better off financially too. And it she doesn't you can resell it and get much of your money back (as long as it's still in good condition) so long as you bought something good to begin with.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:23 pm »

Quote from: Ericus Rex on 9 Apr 2014, 03:18 pm

It sounds like she's into it. Buy one. What rental companies don't want you to know it that the instruments you're renting are from China and cost less than 1 year's worth of rent. It's a real cash cow for them. In the end, she'll sound better and want to play it more if you buy something nicer now. If she plays it for more than a few years you'll be better off financially too. And it she doesn't you can resell it and get much of your money back (as long as it's still in good condition) so long as you bought something good to begin with.

This make sense, it will be a encouragement.

nickd · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:30 pm »

I agree with Ericus Rex,

We rented for three years then bought a very nice Viola from "Southwest Strings" web site is swstrings.com
The quality of the purchased instrument was quite superior to the cheesy rental. The music teacher was also pleased at the improvement in sound quality.

I think I paid $750.00 for a sweet mid level full size model with high end strings, bridge and bow. It came in a very nice hard case too.

You can re-sell if she ever gives it up and they make beautiful art work for the listening room if you decide to hang on to it.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:31 pm »

Do not buy an entry level instrument. Buy the best you can afford. If she's been playing for 6 yrs., she's into it. If by some odd circumstance she gives it up, you can always get most of your money back. Not so with a entry level one.

Doc

dflee · « **Reply #8 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:33 pm »

Depending on where you are located, there are a lot of really decent used violins around.
The bow is very important also. Her teacher can probably recommend places to begin. I
purchased a good used violin for my niece at half the cost of the year rental you stated and her teacher wanted to buy it if she ever sold it.

Don

mcgsxr · « **Reply #9 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:43 pm »

I played for over 10 years in my youth (reached the 9th level C) and can attest that the way your instrument works with you is very personal.

If one of mine played that long, I would buy her one for sure.

I found that the bow was much harder to pick out than the instrument. The instrument sang for me right away. I had to try about 6 bows before I found the right one for me.

I found both through the conductor of the local youth orchestra.

When it feels right, it is right.

Congrats on supporting her so far!

DogWizard · « **Reply #10 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 03:47 pm »

Quote from: Ericus Rex on 9 Apr 2014, 03:18 pm

It sounds like she's into it. Buy one. What rental companies don't want you to know it that the instruments you're renting are from China and cost less than 1 year's worth of rent. It's a real cash cow for them. In the end, she'll sound better and want to play it more if you buy something nicer now. If she plays it for more than a few years you'll be better off financially too. And it she doesn't you can resell it and get much of your money back (as long as it's still in good condition) so long as you bought something good to begin with.

I agree - while I can't make any specific recommendations on violins, I have been a musician all my life and started on trombone in 5th grade with my cousins cast-off Conn. When my parents realized I was serious, I got a beautiful Yamaha and I still treasure it today. I played it all the way through school, including college, and it is still one of my favorites. There is a certain pride of ownership that comes with using "your" instrument and little things like that can make a big difference.

There should be plenty of solid-quality instruments available without breaking the bank (or at least there used to be) - I think that my old Yamaha was $1200 new at the time but that was 30+ years ago. It doesn't take very long to pay for itself in rental fees and even if she decides to stop playing in a year or two, it's still a financial win. Buy something decent that can grow with her and involve her in the selection process if you can.

Just my opinion and I hope it helps - good luck!

woodsyi · « **Reply #11 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 04:22 pm »

Sounds like we should get her a violin of some quality and she should be involved in the acquisition process. Thanks guys.

craig223 · « **Reply #12 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 04:36 pm »

You should take the plunge and get a quality instrument. My boys are just a little older and play guitar. For their 13th birthdays, each got a guitar that they helped pick out. One got a Fender American Strat and the other got a Gibson SG Standard. Better sound, ease of play and pride of ownership in a good instrument all positively influence a budding musician. They also see that you are supporting them in their music.

I watched our local music store ads and waited for them to be desperate for cash flow. Bought both guitars for around $800 each and they sell at MusiciansFriend for around $1,300. Now would be a good time to check on sales. Right before school starts would be a bad time!

Craig

Alan · « **Reply #13 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 05:38 pm »

It's good to own. I've got a flute I bought 40 years ago, getting ready to pass it on to my granddaughter. It's kind of battered (my daughter used it in marching band), but good enough to get a 5 year old started and see if there's an interest. I've got an old clarinet that will probably go that way too.

Best wishes for you and your daughter

acresm22 · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 06:57 pm »

I bought a full size Eastman 305 for my daughter a few years ago. She was 13 at the time and transitioning from a 3/4. She's still on that instrument and loves it. The 305 has been very favorably reviewed, and won't break the bank.

RDavidson · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Apr 2014, 07:42 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 9 Apr 2014, 02:46 pm

My soon to be 12 years old daughter has been playing for 6 years and finally sounds good. She is on a 3/4 and will be moving onto a 4/4 any time. She is committed to playing and already signed up for the honors orchestra for middle school and she has private lessons once a week. The rental is 60 a month which comes to $720 a year. Now that she will be on a full size, should we buy her a violin or continue to rent? If buying, do you have any recommendations on a company or price range?

Here's some advice based on personal experience you may not have considered. I played violin from 3rd grade up thru about my sophomore year in high school. Why did I stop? Quite simple. I got into other things (primarily sports) in high school. As my interests / experiences changed in high school, I became less interested in playing the violin. My dad wishes I still played violin and I know he payed a lot of money for my private lessons and instrument maintenance. But aside from learning to just play an instrument, one learns MANY other things that come along with it, like getting up in front of an audience, listening skills, coordination, etc. etc. With that said, I would either wait to buy a violin a bit longer OR let her buy it or pay for it (via chores etc). This way the commitment is more on her shoulders or it least it will feel that way to her. And if she changes her mind later, a good violin should be fairly easy to sell.

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jun 2014, 03:12 am »

Btw, I think you can be pretty safe to bet that any sub 1-2k instrument you buy will be Chinese. including Eastman, swstrings etc. This is not to say they are no good. Chinese luthiers have been "podiuming" if not downright winning competitions for years, if not decades. There are Chinese instruments at all price points. There's no mystique in the nationality of the hands that made the instrument if they are equally gifted and learned from the same teachers. At the prices being thrown about, these are not going to be machine made pieces, no matter the country. Ah, sorry, actually, if it's European, it might be machine made because of the price of labor

Any string instrument at any given price range can be a winner. Lots of it is just from the luck of the draw. On that note, you can play with violins until your ears beg for mercy, but to me, the feeling and setup is usually a bigger factor than the sound. Every instrument will feel different due to the nature of hand crafting. And don't skimp on the strings.

At $720/year to rent, buying is a no brainer.

JackD201 · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jun 2014, 01:53 pm »

Going to 4/4?

Buy

Do involve her in the selection process though. That will make it a lot more special for her.

Rocket · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Jun 2014, 06:35 am »

Hi Woodsyi,

Definitely purchase a secondhand violin for your daughter because if she upgrades in the future you won't take much of a loss selling the instrument as compared with new. Renting a new instrument is just lost money imo. I've been back playing trumpet for 6 years and every time I bought a new instrument I lost a stack of money when I upgraded the instrument. I'm currently playing a Bach Stradivarius and save $1500AU by purchasing a really good quality secondhand instrument. I would also suggest obtaining some advice from her music teacher as well.

Good luck

Regards Rod

macrojack · « **Reply #19 on:** 20 Jun 2014, 01:55 pm »

This shop should be within driving distance of your house and I bet both you and your daughter would enjoy the experience of shopping there. David Bromberg (yes, that David Bromberg) is regarded as America's foremost. violin expert. At least that's what I've read. He's certainly one of our foremost guitarists.

https://www.facebook.com/DavidBrombergFineViolinsLlc