Category: Violin Value

Violin Value And Purchasing A Violin

Instrument Quality Affects Violin Value

The violin novice can rent or purchase their instrument. Even though renting a violin may be a budget conscience choice, the violin value is usually inferior and can become more of a hindrance if anything. When acquiring an instrument from a music shop, it is advised to check with an experienced violinist or luthier. If your instrument is bought from a luthier, the violin, bow, and case will probably be sold separately.

If you indeed decide to purchase the violin, it is fitting to test the violin and bows before purchasing them. Mentioning the violin price you are willing to pay is a bad idea. Dealers sometimes intentionally increase violin prices if the price tag is not already exposed. It is also advised to negotiate the cost of the violin if a price tag is already present. Proficient haggling skills can get you quite far, however; regardless of your purchasing intentions, try to stay within your price range and only test instruments you know you can afford.

Contemporary instruments, completed by a living luthier, are prone to be less costly than older violins. An elder violin is more valuable because of its sound and exquisiteness. In addition, due to its antique denomination it may be a ìlimited editionî if that particular type of violin is no longer constructed or the creator is deceased.

An older violin can be a superb asset. However, there are current violin creators with instruments of sound quality. If your budget is tight, this may be the better option. Essentially, your greatest ally when purchasing a violin could be your teacher. Show them the violin and bows, or bring them along on your violin-shopping venture. In addition, friends who are musicians can also be of great assistance in determining the violin value.

Then again, in the long run friends and mentors are probably not experts on the actual make of the violin and you may need to consult with a luthier. An experienced luthier will certainly be able to corroborate the maker and the estimated age of the violin. Furthermore, they will confirm whether the violin value is in question. In spite of anyone elseís opinion, never procure a violin that you are not comfortable with.

A widespread misconception is that a violin is an investment, and that the violin price or value will increase. This could be for violin prices in the $100,000.00 range, but not less. The financial side of trading in violins is iffy at best, and violin values in the private sector are not efficiently established. Most violin value will accrue if you upgrade to a more costly model from the dealer where you purchased the original one.

Now and again, dealers may propose to trade at a comparable value for the violin you acquired elsewhere. On the other hand, if you no longer play the violin and decide to sell it, you may witness a momentous regression in the violin value. If this is the case, it may be best to put it away for someone, like a child or grandchild, or perhaps take a tax reduction and make it a contribution.

Violin Value – How much is my violin worth?

Why It Is Difficult To Set Violin Value

Every violin dealer has heard the question “How much is my violin worth?” Even with the Internet and instant information at our finger tips from experts everywhere determining the exact violin value remains an elusive goal.

One of the problems in determining violin value is that value is subjective and violin price can be a moving target. Much as a financial statement for a company represents the value of that business at that particular point in time, a violin value certificate represents the value of that particular instrument at a particular point in time as appraised by an individual expert. Economic factors can change the company value or the violin value, time can change the company value or the violin value, disasters can change the company value or the violin value. Essentially what I am saying is that if someone sets a violin value then it is only really valid for a very short period of time and is almost out of date the moment it is issued.

Current economic conditions lack the stability of former times and the violin market is an active and volatile one. Violin value has steadily advanced over the years and may well continue to do so for some time into the future, but just as speculation of the stock market can lead to disappointment, so can speculation on violin value.

A violin value is obviously affected by the economy and the value of a dollar (or local currency), but the fluctuations in violin value are also affected by more ethereal factors. Most products have a value that is easily determined by the cost to manufacture. A violin value on the other hand is determined more by the instruments age, rarity, craftsmanship and artistry, and of course, its tone; a violin value bears little relationship to what it cost to make.

A violin value is dependent on condition. Condition is everything. A $5000.00 violin can be reduced to virtually no value if it is badly damaged. If the from or the back of the instrument are damaged in an acoustically important area such as where the sound post fits or the base bar is glued the tone of the instrument can be irreparably impaired. The corners of the instrument may have been damaged by dropping, the neck may have been replaced, the fingerboard my not be original. All of these factors can adversely affect the violin value. Having said all that, it does not mean there is no value in buying a damaged instrument. By nature, the number of older fine violins in perfect order must always decrease while the demand will always grow. There needs to be a compromise between the condition of the instrument and the desirability. The relationship of condition to violin value is always changing. There may be some allowance made for substitute parts, refinishing of surfaces and well made repairs.

A future article in this series will delve deeper into the factors that can affect violin value.

Violin Price – What Should I look for When Buying a Violin?

Whether you are purchasing an instrument for yourself or for your child, violin price is often an concern. As a parent, it is understandable to not want to spend a lot of money on a musical instrument until you are certain your child will enjoy his or her lessons and continue to play the instrument. That is where violin price enters into your criteria for the violin purchase.

Is a violin price under $300 a good deal?

However, you should be aware of what to look for when purchasing a new or a used violin. Buying an inexpensive Chinese-made instrument with a violin price under $300 does not come without its issues. There are many things to look for in the way the violin is made that can assist you in making that purchase decision. In the long run, the materials used and the construction of the instrument play key roles in not only how the instrument sounds, but also in the ease of playing the instrument. This is very important for the new student as well as the experienced one. It is very discouraging if the mechanics of the instrument adds to the difficulty in learning to play it. Also, the sound of inexpensive strings in themselves will not add to the tone of the violin and may bring you to an early decision to end the student’s lessons.

It does not pay in the long run to spend less on an instrument when you might end up having to replace the strings, the bridge, or the pegs. The inexpensive violin may end up increasing the violin price by $100 to $200 or more in upgrades.

Things to look for that affect violin price and quality

When purchasing a violin, one should examine the fingerboard, which should be made of ebony, a hard wood which is naturally black in colour. In instruments with a lower violin price, this is often made from a softer, lighter wood that has been painted or stained to resemble ebony. If you examine the underside of the fingerboard carefully where it joins to the body of the violin, you may be able to detect where it has not been painted. If this is the case and the wood is lighter in colour, then it is not made of ebony.

Violin Price can be affected by the bridge — Nicely vertical bridge

The bridge is also a very key part to examine. The bridge is integral to the sound of the instrument and can clearly affect violin price. The bridge should be footed and sit in an upright position to the body of the violin. It should not be leaning. If you examine the bridge from a level view from the bottom of the violin along the strings, the strings should not line up in a straight line. The “E” string should be lower, for example, allowing for the ease of playing the individual string with the bow. If the bridge is properly made and mounted, the instrument will be easier to learn to play and make it more enjoyable to learn.

The sound post, which can be seen inside the body of the violin through the f-hole and under the treble side of the bridge, should be vertical and not leaning. The sound post is a small dowel usually made of spruce that is held inside by the friction between the top and back plates of a violin and is situated under the treble side of the bridge. It is important for structural support, as well as the tone because it transfers vibrations from the top plate to the back plate of the violin. Its position, as well as its size and type of wood, make a difference in the tone of the violin. In a later article, we will discuss how to adjust the sound post. Note that adjusting the sound post is not for the feint of heart and if you do have difficulty it is advisable to seek the assistance of a qualified luthier.

Violin price can be affected by quality purfling — Purfling

It is also important to look at the purfling on the violin, quality purfling can also affect violin price. These are the “lines” that run parallel to the outline of the violin along the front and back of the violin. Usually these are made by carving and are inlaid with another thin strip of wood. This adds strength to the instrument. On an inexpensive instrument, the purfling may be faked by simply being painted to appear like inlay.

In most cases of a higher quality violin, but there is always an exception to the rule, the violin company or maker will have a label inside the violin that can be viewed through the f-hole on the body of the violin. The label can have a big influence on the violin price and for this reason there are a lot of false labels. Be careful that the label is real.

Most importantly, there is no substitution for playing the instrument and listening to its tone, its richness and its depth, the way it feels in your hand and the mechanics of how it plays. You cannot do this when ordering online!

Violin prices vary. There are many reasons to consider paying more for your purchase. However, if the student decides the violin is not for them, you are going to get a better resale price for the quality violin you purchased that was well cared for.