My son, who is a tall 12-year old, switched from violin to viola 2 years ago and has been playing a slightly-less-than-full-size violin strung as a viola, with a violin bow, ever since. The time has come to reward him with a proper viola but I have no money to speak of! I got a Beare-Tertis on trial but it sounded very tinny and I have been advised to consider a Gliga Gama 2 or a Stentor Messina. The trouble is, these are not instruments I can just drop into my local music shop and try, especially not in 14" size - I have to get them sent. It seems Elida Trading are the only people who supply Gliga violas and they charge £475 for the Gama 2. Haydock Music are listing the Stentor Messina at £282.61, almost £200 cheaper. £200 is a lot of money! I know they say you get what you pay for but do you get almost twice as good an instrument with the Gama? More to the point (as I am not sure I can raise the extra £200 anyway), would the Messina be adequate for his needs, properly set up and with decent strings? To give you an idea of his standard, my son plays at Grade 4/5 level currently. I anticipate that in another couple of years we will be looking for another instrument again as he is bound to continue growing.

Does anyone have experience of either or both of the instruments I'm considering, or indeed any further suggestions? Where could I go to get a reasonable quality, previously-owned instrument (they don't seem to come up on eBay)? I'd be really grateful for your impartial and considered advice.

Hello !

The simple answer is yes - the Gama will be considerably superior to the Messina - there's no comparison really.

I think a Messina at grade 5 level will be a push, honestly - however if it's just for a couple of years and you're going to be changing again soon, why not start him off on a Messina, then get him a really nice viola once he's stopped growing?

Perhaps, could you rent a small viola from a violin maker? Many shops do offer such schemes - that way you pay monthly and you can change size when necessary.

I think really if you can't afford the gama - put it out of your head for the moment - there's no point in torturing yourself over an instrument that costs more than you can pay (otherwise you may as well try to get him a nice 18th century Italian viola !) - get the best you can with the budget you've got and he'll do fine with it - he's lucky to have a mum who takes such an interest in supporting his playing!

Elida do other gliga violas - a gems would set you back 300 ish and a genial 1 250 ish I think - they would also come with bow and case (unlike gama) and be superior to the stentor too, I'd think.

Try dropping a PM to Elidatrading (Liz post's on this board, so you should find her in the member list) - she's very honest about these things and won't sell you more instrument than you need.

Anyway, hope these options are of help!

Allan

suggestion

When money is tight, budgeting for regular (not necessarily frequent) changes of strings and bow hair is probably at least as important as the instrument.

I agree, don't rush it. I didn't want to have to buy a full-size instrument twice, but boys do grow so darn fast between 12 and 15! For example - how big are your son's feet at the moment? Although it's not a hard rule, if they are rather large for his height, warning bells should be ringing loudly before you spend up large on a smallish viola!

The "full size" instrument (and even more, the bow) that suits a 12 year old could be quite different from the "full size" set up that works a few years later (son's full-size violin bow is a perfectly good bow, but it's too light at the tip for him now at age 15, though it was just fine from age 10-13).

Apart from that, your son's tastes will surely change a bit over the next few years too. I swear something happens to their ears on their 14th birthdays...

Since you'll need a bow, a set sounds like a good idea...and since quite a few people take up viola and then let it languish, you might consider second-hand? Somebody UK-based could give you more useful advice there.

To follow up on DiscoPant's suggestion, I have one of their violins and it is lovely. I have the next model up (which cost me less then the stentor you've mentioned - but please note it's a violin not a viola) and have spent a bit of extra money (£75) getting the bridge changed, soundpost adjusted and nut shaved. I have been told that the violin should be able to see me all the way up through grade 8 (depending of course on whether I can get that far!).

Thank you so much to those of you who have taken the trouble to give me your advice! I'm really excited about the Yita violas and am going to keep an eye on them on eBay for the next few days. Do, please, keep your suggestions coming in the meantime.

I can't comment on the relative merits of the two instruments because 1. I would be breaking forum rules and 2. I have never actually played a Messina viola (or a Yita for that matter). Two things to bear in kind though if money is tight:

1. Any purchase from outside the EU is going to attract VAT plus customs (on the total cost including shipping) plus a clearance fee all of which you will have to pay before the Post Office (or other carrier) will deliver it to you. You need to add about 21% to the total price including shipping to allow for this, otherwise you will get a nasty shock when it arrives! Sometimes a package does slip through customs without being spotted but that is not the norm.

2. Depending on what you mean by "decent strings" and "properly set up" you could easily spend a further £200 having this done - for a start, stringmail are charging £57.15 for a set of Dominants and I very much doubt if you will get them any cheaper than that.

Liz

As all ears said..dont rush..he still has a lot of growing to do.

May I suggest you rent. After 8 years of our daughter playing the Viola we have never bought a viola yet. I dont know where you are based but my daughter rented from Footes in London and had to change twice as she grew. She then applied for and a received a loaned Viola from the Benslow Music Trust in Hitchin for a nominal annual sum. This is a very expensive instrument [£7K] and would be completely out of our reach in the real world. The quality enabled her to achieve an excellent G8 distinction and she is first Viola in two orchestras.

If she wants to, she can "borrow" this viola until she is 25. However, as it is not her first instrument she will return it at the end of this academic year when she leaves school.

Rented violas have the option to be purchased eventually with the rental charges deducted. Do investigate this option as growing children and instruments can become very costly.

My daughter (now just 13) has recently changed from a 14" Gliga Gems 2 viola up to a 15" instrument. The Gems was her first proper viola, after playing strung down violins, and took her comfortably through Grade 6, which she did in June. Post Grade 6 she was starting to pinch my viola to play 'because the sound is bigger' but I think that was as much a limitation of the size of the viola as the quality. If our instrument is typical, a Gems would be fine through Grade 4/5 and of course comes in quite a bit cheaper than the Gama.

You don't still have your daughter's 14" Gems 2, do you? And, if so, would you be interested in selling it??
Thanks.
Sara