Hi everyone,

For the past 4 months i've been trying to find out as much as i can about the violin because i've always wanted to learn but couldn't afford lessons and now i can.

I have been trying to find out where i can buy a really good quality violin from and i have heard alot of good things about Gliga Violins and also the Stentor Elysia and other Stentors.

My limit is £650.

I found this forum when i was searching google for info about violin makes and it seems really helpful and friendly on here and i was wondering if anyone could give me some advice or guidance as to which violin to buy.

I'm a complete beginner...but i'm not the type of person to give up after a month or two...and this is something i've dreamed of doing for several years. I love the sound of the instrument and i can be very picky about the sound quality hehe...i learnt how to play acoustic guitar by ear because i've never learnt to read music and i can be a bit picky when it comes to choosing a guitar because of the sound quality...cant help it hehe. I'm not only going to be taking lessons in playing the violin but i'll hopefully be learning how to irish fiddle also....i don't know whether that makes any difference to what type of violin model you buy...

I've seen photo's of gliga violins and they do look beautifully hand crafted and good quality instruments and are slighty my favourite choice at the minute the trouble is i'm not so sure which model to go for...one of the Gem's or one of the Gama's? Preferably one with the best sound quality that will last me quite a while before i need to upgrade.

It can be quite hard to find a suitable violin...i've been into local shops and had a browse round their violin sections which have all been small collections of dusty and plasticy orange looking instead of the lovely rich red i've seen on site's and you can just tell the difference in quality by appearance sometimes.

In my totally biased opinion, the Gliga Gama will play a Stentor Elysia into the ground any day (if you're going to get one of those better Stentors, stick with the Messina - the Messina, Elysia and Arcadia are the same model when they come out of China, Stentor freely admit to grading them on import and that can only be by appearance - no way they're going to play them all)

Still, you really don't need to spend £650 - you will be the limiting factor yourself for a very long time. Why not just get a Gems 2 and save the rest of the money for some lessons?

Liz

I agree...i have played a lot of violins over the years, and I haven't heard anything in the price range that compares to the Gliga Maestro. Cost me AUD$3000
with no bow or case.

I do tend to believe that a great quality instrument will motivate a person to practice more though.... certainly always helped me!

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a violin for my son. 3/4 size. I have looked through most of the postings and have not found info on painted Gligas. My son is would like one from the animal series (peacock). Does anyone know how the completely painted Gligas stack up to the normal oil based varnished ones? I would like to know sound comparison and also durability. I hear the nitro ones fall apart after a couple of years. I am thinking of a Gems 1. Would this have good enough sound quality for a student orchestra?

Also, is EuroMade also made by Gliga? My son's violin teacher said that was of average quality, okay for now. I would like to know how a painted Gliga Gem 1 compares to that since he's rented that for a year.

Thanks,
M. Yee