I need a bit of help. My neice who is 7 years old has just started lessons. She really seems to enjoy them and the "cheap, starter" violin just isn`t going to do it for her anymore. I want to get her a good, but affordable violin. I will spend more than the $50 her present violin cost, but I can`t spend a thousand. What names and features do I need to look for?

Ages 5 - 7 = 1/4
Ages 6 - 10 = 1/2
Ages 9 - 11 = 3/4
Ages 11 - up = 4/4 or full size

1/4 - 18.4", 460 mm
1/2 - 20.8", 520 mm
3/4 - 22.0", 550 mm
4/4 - 23.6", 590 mm

Hi Liz,

What size is the violin your niece is playing now? If it`s a 1/2 size, I`d hold off until she needs the next size up, or you`ll be replacing it again in a couple of years.

Violins in less than full size (4/4) are usually only made in student models, and the child will grow out of it before their playing requires something better.

They`re also quite rare as second hand instruments, though you can pick them up on eBay.

It might be better to rent one for the time being, from a school, teacher or local music shop, and put aside some savings towards buying her a really nice first full size violin. By that time she`ll have been playing for five years at least, and will probably have a better idea herself of what she likes in a violin.

As for makes, I`d have to say she`d be delighted with a Gliga Genial, but I`ve come across many makers of student violins and I think they`d all be much the same - Antoni, Prima, Palatino, Stentor, Primavera, Poller.

Check out the following site - it gives a lot of good advice even if you can`t buy direct from them:

http://www.elidatrading.co.uk/

Well thanks Martin! But you`re not quite right: good violins are made in all sizes. We have a Suzuki teacher who regularly has bought Gamas from us down to 1/32 size. The 1/32 size was absolutely beautiful to look at, I wanted to put it in a glass case somewhere and look at it all day! It sounded (to me) pretty bad, but both the buyer and another Suzuki teacher said it was very good for a 1/32. In which case I can say with all honesty that I am very glad I am not a Suzuki teacher!! We got a 1/10 Gama for the same buyer and that really did sound like a little violin. High quality Chinese ones come down to 1/8 size too.

Liz can get a Genial 2 from ebay in the US for not very much and it will be a nice little violin. Gliga prices vary quite a lot with size and the higher quality models in small sizes actually don`t cost a great deal.

Cheap violins are actually harder to play than better ones, unless a lot of money is spent on getting them well set up, so perhaps it`s not such a strange thing to do. Liz should be aware, though, that resale is going to be difficult unless the seller has a trade in policy.

The other Liz

One more thing: Ebay needs some caution if you`re looking for a used violin. We know what we`re doing and still we have found that perhaps 2/3 of the used violins we bought from there have had to go to our repairer. The percentage rises with the age of the violin: a modern one is a better bet if you want to avoid repair bills.