Hello. I`m looking to purchase a violin but have a small budget. There are some "student violins" on Ebay for very cheap ($50 or so) but I`m not sure about them. What exactly is a student violin anyway? I`m not neccesarily looking to become a violin virtuoso, but I have a real desire to play. I play the piano so I`m not starting from scratch as far as music is concerned but I know pretty much nothing about the violin/violin technique.

Any help, suggestions and input is appreciated!

Best advice is to make sure you buy from a reputable seller. Don`t even look at anyone with less than 99.9% and you must count the neutrals as well - only exception is if the feedback is obviously undeserved. Get the seller to ship it bridge up and only buy from a seller who knows about violins. if the seller can`t or won`t ship bridge up, go elsewhere, because you will strugglle (unless you have a teacher)

Liz

Hi! I am exactly the same way. I browsed through some ebay violins, but I`m not sure if I trust ebay. About 10 minutes ago, I ordered a brand-new violin from www.amazon.com for $41. The shipping is low. I also recommend buying peg drops to help keep the violin in tune, a beginners` instruction book, and some rosin for the bow if it isn`t included with the violin. Hope I was helpful!