Hi, this is my first post. I am wanting to buy a violin but am not sure if the maker is a good one. This violin is a used one...but it is a copy of the 1713 Strad. made in Czechoslovakia. It doesn't look very old so it's probably 20 years old or less.

My question is: Is Lignatone a good violin maker? Anybody have any idea about them? I can't find any info.

Any help is appreciated...also, the bridge is missing - how much is it to have someone replace the bridge? I think I also will need to replace the strings...one string is a colour red and doesn't match the others.

I am a complete new student of the violin..but have been playing piano for over 15 years.

I'm not sure about the maker, but I can tell you about Stradivarius copies in general. You have to be careful about who the maker is. Some makers take a real Strad and make exact measurements of the thickness of the wood at all kinds of different places. Some makers however just slap the name Stradivarius on their violin to make some people think that they found a violin worth a million dollars selling for a couple hundred dollars. I would get it appraised if your paying over 1,000 dollars for it. Be prepared to spend just a little less than a hundred dollars for the appraisal though. Otherwise, they are usually very good quality instruments especially for beginners because they have a good sound.

Good luck with your new purchase.

First, think of the price. How much does the seller offer you? Stradivarius violins are hard to find and they are only a few in the world! So be careful.

I have one the same they are older than you think probably from the fifty's They were made for export only in chech. they were manufactured in a wooden toy factory. Don't get me wrong they are surprizingly good toned. they are not very loud though.Probably still better quality than most cheap violin kits. I wouldn't pay more than 250$