String Instrument Buyers Guide
Ready to buy an instrument? It can be daunting to make such a financially hefty decision. Here is some pointers to get you headed in the right direction.
Ready to buy
You are ready to buy an instrument if all of the following are true:
- You’re all done growing or can comfortably play a full-sized instrument, and–
- You know you want to continue with music through high school or college, and–
- You have a good idea of what tone you enjoy in your instrument, and–
- You can play well enough to put the instrument through its paces: playing high and low, soft and loud, fast and slow, etc.
If this doesn’t sound like you, consider renting instead.
3 grades of instruments
There are 3 different ‘grades’ of instruments: rental, student, and professional. If you’re upgrading from your rental and you can afford it, aim for a student instrument, one that would be suitable for auditioning for college one day. Even if that’s not the path for you, it will be of sufficient quality that you can enjoy it for the rest of your life.
Know your budget
A good student violin runs $1500-$3500-ish, but can go much higher. Violas are slightly more expensive. Cellos are usually almost double that. If that is not financially comfortable, just tell the shops what your budget is, and they will set out what they have in that price range for you. (They will surely set out a few that are higher, too…)
Set your budget beforehand, so you can compare “apples to apples” across different shops.
Shop around!
Finding a new instrument is a bit like dating: you have to know what’s out there before you choose “the one.” Every instrument has its own tone and feel–brighter or more mellow, richer or more tinny, the necks and fingerboards will feel different.
Since this will be an instrument that you will presumably play many, many hours on, having a tone and feel that is very pleasing to you is a top priority. You need to play lots of instruments before you know what you will like best. Strive to play at least 6-12 instruments from at least 2-5 shops before deciding.
Not only will this help prevent buyers remorse, but it provides invaluable education, and you can sincerely enjoy the instrument, feeling confident in your choice for many years down the road.
Remember the peripheries
You will need to also set aside budget for a case ($100-$300-ish) and a bow. Some shops will sell you the whole outfit (instrument, case, and bow) together which is a fine way to go! Though, you may want to upgrade the bow later.
A better bow can wait
You can buy a nice bow at the same time you purchase your instrument, but you don’t have to. The bow does make an impact on the sound quality, but to a much lesser extent. There is a huge range in bows–composite/carbon fiber bows are less expensive, while wood bows are more expensive. The tone quality increases accordingly, but starting with a cheaper composite bow now and upgradinging later is a good way to spread the financial burden out. Many musicians then keep their cheaper bow as a backup.
Where to start looking
If you are currently renting and your shop offers any sort of rental credits (where part of your rental fees each month have been accruing toward a purchase), then start there. Using those credits can save you lots of $$. If you find an instrument you really love, ask the shop how you can ask to see this one again specifically, because I still highly recommend trying out other instruments and definitely going to at least one other location. You need to be able to walk away feeling like you know what’s out there, and utterly confident with your purchase.
Below is a google map to shops I can recommend looking for a good student instrument in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. Plan to visit a few. Call 2-3 days ahead for appointments, tell them that what you are looking for, tell them your budget, and ask if they have several for you to try. Inventory can vary greatly from time to time, and a trip across town for 1 instrument can be disappointing.
Map of instrument shops in Dallas/Fort Worth (for purchase)
You can stack several appointments on the same day and make an outing of it. Some locations will be bigger commercial establishments, but most will be small, and may even look like residences. Sometimes the smaller, antiquated shops have the best gems of instruments 🙂
What to look for
First, you’re looking to explore what type of sound is most pleasing to you. Do you prefer a tone that is dark and rich, or one that is bright and sassy? As you play a plethora of instruments, take note of which type of tone makes your heart sing. Which sound do you want to hear more of?
Second, you are looking for which one feels best physically, on your shoulder, and neck for violins and violas, or on your chest and knees for cellos. See how your hand feels moving up and down the neck, reaching for higher notes, or using thumb position (for cellos). Is it unusually heavy? Will it tire you out faster? Does it feel awkward? If so, move on, and keep looking.
While tone is a matter of taste, and feel is utterly personal, you definitely want an instrument with a clear, resonant, big sound, not one that is muffled or dull.
How to evaluate each instrument
When trying each potential instrument, take it for a thorough spin. Play notes on every string. Play fast and slow, soft and loud. Have a song or 2 that you will play on every instrument to give you a common comparison across all the potential candidates.
For more advanced players, if you know how to shift, play notes high up on the fingerboard on every string. Look for a consistent resonance and clear tones as you play higher on the fingerboard.
A word about wolf tones
Wolf tones are a relatively minor issue. When looking for a student instruments, it’s not something to worry much about. For very advanced players, as you evaluate, listen for any wolf tones (an unstable, fluctuating tone on isolated notes in certain positions, particularly on the lower strings). Wolfs happen when the note being played matches a strong resonant frequency in the body of the instrument. Violins and violas should ideally have none, but it’s not uncommon to have a single wolf somewhere on a student instrument. They are more common on cellos particularly on the G and C strings. If the wolf is especially noticeable or in a really inconvenient place, move on. If it is minor or in on out-of-the-way note, there are effective strategies for dealing with it.
My semi-professional viola has a wolf on the C-string, where you would play an B-natural (4th finger in 3rd position). It is minor and has not required any additional adjustments. I have no idea if my student instrument ever had one. I owned it for 7 years, but wasn’t playing it in an advanced-enough way for a wolf to ever be noticed.
Don’t be fooled
We’d like to think that instruments dealers are in it for the love of the craft and the joy of bringing music to children, but since they have to be salespeople too, here are some things to look out for —
Model name of instrument
Sometimes a shop will try to impress you with the fancy model name of your instrument, calling it a Stradivarius violin, a Kaufman viola, etc. If it doesn’t have a sound that makes your heart sing, the name just doesn’t matter.
“It will get better…”
Don’t buy an instrument counting on it to improve. You will surely be disappointed. It is true that instruments do get better with age. As the wood dries out, it becomes more porous, and therefore more resonant. This is a decades-long process, and most instruments don’t change very significantly.
The same can be said for phrases like, “it will sound better with different strings” or “with a different bow.” No. If you’re going to spend thousands of dollars on an instrument, it should sound GREAT now, and any betterment later is icing on the cake.
Your eyes can deceive you
Sometimes shops install decorative pegs, a fancy tailpiece, or use a special varnish to enhance the look of the wood. While these all serve to increase the visual appeal of the instrument, they don’t affect the tone or feel. Buying an instrument for its decorations is like buying a house because you like the flooring in one room, even if it doesn’t work for your family’s needs. Let your ears lead the way!
Take it for a trail week
Most shops will let you take 1-2 instruments home for a week or 2 to try out more extensively. If you are feeling at all uneasy about your decision, use this time to get a second opinion from a trusted friend or teacher. Practice on the prospective instrument lots, and if you continue to feel uneasy — let it go, and keep searching! Don’t settle.
See? Finding your instrument really is like dating.