New Student Violin Help

glowing

New member
Ok, so first post, hope this is in the right place.

I have been looking to buy a student violin as i want to start learning.
Could anyone suggest a cheap student model or make that is ok for beginners?
I have been playing piano for 12 years and am confortable with music theory and sight reading, i just fancy having a go with the violin and intend to teach myself.
Im based in the UK, if that makes any difference.
Thanks in advance
 

John Watt

Member
glowing! I'm glad to be the first to reply and feel the complete first glowing.
Too bad you're getting it from someone who had a violin, wanting to be a violinist,
until I saw and heard Jimi Hendrix and bought a Stratocaster and Marshall with effects.
However, I am a professional musician and acoustic inventor, with some practical advice.

Here in North America, there is Kijiji.ca for Canada and Kijiji.com for The disUnited States.
In Scotland there is Gumtree and from England there is Egglist.

These are free online services for those wishing to buy and sell,
with many other categories for other services and local interests.
I'd try one of these for sure if you have the time to shop around.
That's one of the nicer things about wanting to buy a violin, or any other traditional classical instrument.
There are so many out there, so many local makers, you might find a really good deal.

Maybe we'll bump into each other out there, shopping around.
And no, you can't have mine. I gave it to my brother. He painted it white.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Hi glowing :wave: ... and Welcome to the forum :)

With any musical instrument, you absolutely get what you pay for ... for £40 don't expect it to sound, feel, or look like a Stradivarius. The reviews for this particular item are here and quite mixed ... some bad, some good, some soso. It may be a great "starter" violin to actually see if this is an instrument that you really want to persue.

Later on you can upgrade to a better one.

As an alternate, look up to see if you have a Luthier in your region and see if he/she has any beginner instruments that might be available as a beginning instrument.
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Hello and welcome to the forum. We bought my daughter an electric violin to practise on. It had the advantage that it could be used with headphones and was therefore virtually silent to everyone else. It also looks very "cool" therby encouraging her to play.

teddy
 

glowing

New member
Thankyou all for your replys. Can you recommend any cheap electric violns for practicing? i have quite a limited budget so cant afford anything over expensive
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
. . . Can electric violins be played acoustically, without electonic amplification? Silly question, sorry

From that site, the description has this to say about your question:

"The beauty of this instrument lies in its versatility in that it is almost silent (without amplification) . . ."

You would hear some tones as the strings are bowed, but very little.

Kh :cool:
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
My daughters will play directly into the headphones without an amplifier

Honorable Duckmeister, does this have batteries in it ... or maybe plugs into the wall outlet? Possibly it has its own internal amplifier for the headphones?
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Plugs into the mains via a transformer which powers the headphones Lars, May also be played without power but then is almost inaudable. Have not got an ampliphier/ speaker at the moment,

teddy
 
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Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Dear Duckmeister,

Electric Harp? Thats decidedly old hat - Now, Laser Harp - There's something to develop on.
 

John Watt

Member
All I had to do was shut my bedroom door,
and no-one could hear the scritch-scritch-scritch
of my Fender small, heavy pick on my middle-gauge, nickle-plated round-wound strings,
set up jazz style on my '64 Fender Stratocaster.
Unfortunately, cracking my bedroom window with my Marshall amp when my parents were out,
was proof I was turning it up loud.
However, my parents were proud when neighbours across the street,
on the next parallel street, across the main road from the new mall,
and residents in the big apartment buildings two blocks away,
said "We heard John playing his wah-wah today, sounding just like Star Spangled Banner", by Jimi Hendrix.
My newspaper customers caught on to my songlist right away, so I took some requests.
I'm always looking out for the next big tip.
Being electric without plugging in always had rehearsal advantages.

Yeah, those were the old days, nothing laser-guided then.
 

glowing

New member
Does the one I linked have to be plugged in to mains? Not sure. Pain to have to keep changing batteries. But nice to have the option of both. anyone know? Also looking at the shape of it(the one I linked) there is no shoulder rest and it dosnt look as though one would fit, anyone got any insight or idea? Thanks
Glow
Ps oooooooooo lasers
 

teddy

Duckmeister
The one you linked has batteries for practise or will run off the mains with an applifier. I should not imagine it would use much juice, so a set of batteries might well last weeks. And it looks cool.

teddy
 

glowing

New member
Will it only work from mains with an amp? Or can it be used on mains with headphones
 
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teddy

Duckmeister
Sorry, don't know. You should be able to get spec from the site. I would imagine you can turn the volume off on the amp and just use the headphones.

teddy
 
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