Buying A Violin, how? Options

[lollipop]

Everyone says that the best way to buy a violin is to go to a shop, but I want to buy one online. What is the best way to do this? I am a total beginner but I don't want a cheesy violin that I will have to replace soon. Is ebay a good place to look? How do I tell if I'm getting a good product?

[lollipop]

I think that more people should reply to this post.

DONT JUST LOOK AND GO AWAY! I WANT YOUR INPUT!

[elidatrading]

Be patient, people don't get these messages by direct email.

Ebay is dangerous for a novice violin buyer: if you want to buy there, I'd suggest buying only from a seller who will give a no quibble return guarantee and only buying from a seller with at least 99.9% positive feedback. This will cut out some genuine private sellers but it is at least a way to be safe.

Where are you in the world?

Liz

[Appassionata]

QUOTE (lollipop @ May 23 2005, 09:36 PM)

I think that more people should reply to this post. DONT JUST LOOK AND GO AWAY! I WANT YOUR INPUT!

Do you really think people will want to reply to your posts when you speak to them like that?!

You'd only waited 30 mins for replies and most people will only check the forum once or twice a day.

[AmandaL]

QUOTE

but I want to buy one online.....I am a total beginner but I don't want a cheesy violin that I will have to replace soon. Is ebay a good place to look? How do I tell if I'm getting a good product?

Liz at Elida Trading (who has already replied), is as good as it gets for mail-order instruments and buying musical instruments online. What's described is exactly what you'll get, and providing you live in the UK, you are guaranteed a refund if you don't like the instrument when it arrives.

Other than that, I would always advise to go and look at instruments in a shop - or perhaps take advice from a violin teacher. On the internet, what an instrument looks like and what they sound like are often too very different things. In addition the photos of second-hand instruments may not be as detailed as you think. A violin which subsequently turns out to be in an unplayable condition, could cost more than the instrument is worth to get it back into playing order.

Tread carefully if you buy online.

[ErnieP]

Hi,
I just bought a Gliga Gama violin on eBay, although it came from the dealer whose web site is www.violinslover.com. The violin is made in Romania but the web site is based in California. I just got the violin a week ago and am very pleased with the quality of workmanship and the sound. A friend of mine had a look at it last night and played it a little; to say he was impressed would be an understatement. I live in Canada and it took about a week to get it from California by express post. A comparable instrument here probably would have cost me twice as much as I paid.

I don't know where you live but they ship throughout North America and have a 7 day trial period. If you are in the UK, there is a dealer called Elida Trading, I think. You should be able to find their web site, there is a wealth of info. there and the lady, Liz, I think, seems very knowledgeable and helpful.
Good Luck
Ernie

[elidatrading]

We don't pay them for saying these nice things, honest! :lol:

Liz

[sarah-flute]

:lol: I was just thinking, who needs advertising? :lol:

[frumpybabes]

I would go with Liz at Elidatrading too. I bought a Gem2 for my son at the beginning of the year, he used to play on a Stentor conservatoire and Messina and he prefers the Gem2 much more. In fact shifting was so much easier once he moved onto the Gem2.

Liz is really helpful and is full of advice and knowledge. She even offers the VAT free scheme for kids at school.

If you use EBAY be very wary of badly setup bridges and currently there is a violin seller who is selling under several different alias and bids on his own items to boost up his prices, he has private identities on some of his auctions and the bidding is seems low. Also watch out for low auctions with high postage rates. Best stick to people or shops you know.

Always ask here if you bid on EBAY just in case someone here has experienced that seller.

[JonSadler]

I wouldn't risk buying online unless you go to a reputable dealer with a try and then 'maybe' buy policy - you'll only lose the postage if things go wrong. Ebay is a definate 'no go'. Go to Liz if you're in the UK. Gigla violins are brilliant for the money and play way above their actual cost.

[AmandaL]

QUOTE

Gigla violins are brilliant for the money and play way above their actual cost.

..and my Gliga Gama viola looks just as good as it sounds. :D

The workmanship would hold its own alongside most other new instruments.

[Gae]

I bought a Gliga Gem2 violin from Elida Trading recently and it is a lovely instrument. I'm very pleased with it.

Gae

[sarah-flute]

QUOTE (AmandaL @ May 30 2005, 09:46 AM)

QUOTE Gigla violins are brilliant for the money and play way above their actual cost. ..and my Gliga Gama viola looks just as good as it sounds. :D The workmanship would hold its own alongside most other new instruments.

Amanda, you are a TERRIBLE influence...

Sarah

(hoping for the delivery of my Gliga Gama viola Thursday or soon after, bless my mum for deciding to loan me the money so I could use it this summer... I am SO excited! :rolleyes:)

[Violinia]

Having read about Gliga violins here I'm getting very excited as I've just recommended Gliga to an adult pupil of mine. She has ordered one on spec and it should arrive tomorrow or the next day. From what I've just read here I'll be very surprised if she doesn't decide to go for it and buy it. As soon as it arrives she's going to phone me and I'm going to go and see it; I'll write a report on it here afterwards. It'll be totally unbiased I promise, as I've only heard about Gliga violins here over the last few months.

If it's as good as everyone's suggesting, I shall be recommending them to all my pupils from now on.

Violinia

[Tess]

Better tread carefully, lollipop. We bought our first - a very good-sounding ex-rental German one - from a reputable shop in London, and our second from e-bay. The second one was from e-bay, an Andreas Zeller - not bad. We were very fortunate. Horror stories abound including that of a friend of ours who also bought from e-bay and it was a horror story very soon after purchase!

By the way, sorry to hijack this thread but it seems a bit of a waste of time to start a new but very similar thread, I wonder...
whether those of you who are teachers out there could tell me
(1)what sort of instruments and
(2)what range of budget are we looking at
for a child or student of yours who is a dead serious student but only needs a 3/4 size violin? Does grade matter? Oh well, she will very soon be grade 5, we were told. Is £600 a realistic budget - be it 2nd hand or new? Any ideas???

Thanks a million!