Hi. I want to start playing viola and I`m wondering whether to rent or buy.

A local music shop rents them for $65(US) for 3 months.

However, there are quite a few violas on ebay for that much or a little more (bow, case, and rosin included). Are those violas worth having?

What should one look for in a viola when buying? (I`m not planning on going professional or even playing with an orchestra necessarily.)

Rental money is dead money. I always recommend buying. You can use rental money against a subsequent purchase, usually, but the shops that do this have high prices to cover it.

As for what to buy, well simply, it depends on your budget. How much do you want to spend?

Liz

If you plan on playing for awhile, then I would go with buying. But if you`re not sure you`ll stick to the viola for more than a few years, rent.

You could probably find a decent beginner viola on ebay for cheap. If you need help finding one, let me know and I`ll look for you.

I second what Liz said...I`d buy. If you have a music store at hand, look for an older, less expensive instrument...the store should set it up nicely for you...

...if you do go ahead a purchase a cheap one from eBay, you might want to take it in to have it set up properly (incl. new strings) so it plays it`s best...def. worth the bit of extra money you`ll spend.

I found quite a nice $300 package (older, inexpensive instrument - but with a perfectly acceptable sound) at one music store. It would have been perfect for a beginner.

...hehe...this forum really needs an edit feature...

...of course you can also look at new, inexpensive violas at music stores, and again, the store should set them up for you...

...the disadvantage (and also excitement) of a new instrument is that it takes a few months of continuous playing for it to break in and come into it`s full sound, whereas with an older viola you know right there and then what it`s going to sound like (in it`s current set-up).

What about these violas on ebay that sell for $50-$80? I`m currently renting a Karl Reiser SL130A from H&H for $25/month and wonder if I`m better off buying one of these cheap units. It`s for my beginning 11-year old, and not sure if he`ll stay with it, but don`t want him to get frustrated with a cheap unit that does not sound well either.

It`s hard to tell without seeing the one you have in mind. Can you give the number?

Liz

Leave eBay well alone, that`s my opinion.

I purchased a 1901 Italian violin for maybe £300 on ebay. It looked beautifully varnished, well set up, good quality etc.

I received it, had to spend a fair amount of money on a new set of pegs (not just the pegs - the holes for the pegs were pretty dead) and it sounded pretty dire.

Basically, better being able to see what your getting, even if you think you don`t know what your talking about.

Next point. If you do buy, it is best to get your teacher or someone else who knows what they are talking about to look at it first. If the shop will lend the instrument to you for a week without obligation of purchase, it is a really worthwile thing to do.

Here`s one of the $80 eBay violas I was referring to...it`s a Kersting?????

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16225&item=3746351436&rd=1