hey..i really need some advice here..are suzuki violins good??..or is there any other suggestions??..i could use a some advice..cause i'm searching for a good violin..owh n'..wat does these means like 1/4 , 1/2 , 3/4 and so on??..thanx alot!!

I don't know which violin is good because I never learn it from a teacher and never asked this question.
1/4,1/2....etc means the size of the violin. we need different size of violin according to our arm's length.
eg, a small kid about 6 year old will have to buy smaller violin, and change his/her violin to the bigger size one when he/she has grown up because the arms are "longer".

to see which violin suits you, hold the violin and see if your arm has a "V" shape or not. if you see the shape, then the violin suits you.

it will be better if you can get the full size one (4/4), so you can use it until you are old!(it is the biggest size if i haven't mistaken).

The violin experts here, of whom there are many, will be able to give you better advice if you state a the sort of budget you're willing to spend and what level you want it to last you until (e.g. beginner on early grades not spending too much in case of give up, want it to get you to grade 8, etc.). As xue li says the numbers are sizes so that will depend on how big you are too. Liz (Elida Trading) sells a good range of violins that are popular amongst people here.

You might get more advice if you post in viva strings, and with a more informative topic title like: Help Buying a Violin, so that people who know about these things will know what your thread is and read it .

Good luck in your search .

Liz at Elida Trading is the best person to contact regarding student violins. She can supply instruments to suit all budgets and size of player.

thanx so much..xue li..another pianist n amanda...i went to the site..elida trading..n there was so much to choose??..so i'm not really sure..which one to pick..??..any suggestions??..i'm not really sure of my budjet either..cause i'm still a beginner n i dun really noe how much does a violin cost..

The prices are totally different in my country I think. But I know some of the violins can cost you verryy expensive(RM 1000 or above[sorry because I don't know the exact amount in pounds]) but as student, I don't think it is right to buy the expensive one--that is only for the intermediate or some special violinist.

Some violin from China are very cheap however(RM 300).

Some of my friend say it is better to buy a second hand one(of course, the one in good condition) because the tunning can easily go wrong if you buy a new one.

Why not if there is a real interest and the student (or their parents) can afford it?
Why should a student always be expected to begin with a poorer instrument?

Ah, I see Xueli, are from Malaysia as well. Yes, we have a problem getting Liz's help because of the distance problem. Anyway the exchange is around 7X so RM300 would be around 42 pounds and RM 1000 would be around 142 pounds.

So what should one take into consideration when buying a violin? I don't really trust my teacher to pick one for me, because his tastes and mine are totally opposite! No doubt he has a nice sounding violin, but I don't fancy the colour at all. Ugh! I might be better off getting one online from Liz for all I know.

little candle,
why not email Liz or give her a call. She's really helpful and really friendly, and I just know she will help you choose what is right for you. It will also be of assistance if you've got some idea of how much you might be able to spend.

Hi, in Malaysia, the good violins are mostly over RM2000. For cheap violins, you can get it <RM300, China made. This type of violins, could be good also, depends on the instrument itself. If you are lucky, you might have bought one which can bring you through higher grades! I admit choosing violins here are quite hard, depending the places you are in. If you are in KL, choices are more there.

Oh.. where in KL can you select violins? If I want to upgrade, then maybe I should go buy it when I go there. But I doubt I'll get any discounts like I do here because I know the people here.

Sizes. If you are about aged 12+ or that sort of size, a 4/4 is fine. Otherwise, you probably need to try some out. it is a terrible idea to buy a full size just because it works out cheaper, like someone suggested, unless you tihnk tendonitis is a whole lot of fun.

Absolutely agree!! and as we both know, bohemian, age does not dictate the size of your hands.

heya'z !! 3/4 etc they are the sizes of voilin you need according to the length off your arms !!

It depends when i was a grade 1 voilin i brought a purple one for £114 , when i go my grade 3 i then brought one for £600 and my friend who is grade 8 brought one for £ 2000 !! it al depends on how good you need it to be and how much you are willing to spend . !