Pitfalls to Avoid When Buying a Violin Viola Cello

A violin that has not reached its setting and is not ready to be played.

Sometimes the cost of setting it up is more than the cost of the actual instrument if we can get it playable. If the "parts" were all there, there wouldn't be enough IKEA diagrams for one to expect a player or family to be able to set up their own violin correctly. Tune in and get started!

欢迎选购艺匠琴坊的弦乐器，您可以点击此链接与我们建立联系！

colored violin

Any color that does not belong to the spectrum of yellow, brown, red natural varnishes should be avoided! This is a sign of poor craftsmanship, and the thick lacquer can actually dampen the violin's vibrations.

The instrument is sold with pictures of numerous accessories – in this case, more is not more. 

Tuner metronomes cost at least $20, and there are many free apps available for you to use. What is included will be very cheap and won't last...maybe even inaccurate. Put your violin budget into your instrument or bow. While it's nice to have a shoulder stock to start with, most "included" shoulder stock are knock-offs and break easily. Every violinist's body is different, so it's best to choose the correct shoulder rest that works for you and your posture, as well as what your teacher recommends, rather than as part of a "tool kit." It is best to purchase these accessories separately from the instrument, case and bow under the guidance of an instructor.Extra bridge or extra strings 

This is a major red flag! A basic bridge blank (uninstalled) made of hard maple costs $8, with custom accessories at least $20. A good set of student strings will cost at least $15. The included bridge is more like kindling than an essential part of the violin, it transfers your bow/pluck strings into the body of the violin. Also, the included strings are more of a "cheese cutter" and even the best violinist can't make the cheap steel strings sound good because many of them are inferior steel strings with wire cores.anything "bright and shiny"

If the trimmers are silver or gold, they are heavy and attached to a cheap wooden tailpiece. Heavy fine tuners can weaken your violin, and the arms that extend from the tailpiece and hold the strings in place can distort the normal vibration of the strings.  extra bow

The bows included in many budget kits can be considered to be of poor quality, but if you get two bows then you further take money away from a quality instrument and now you have two very low-end bows. The mysterious woods used in these bows can warp, be heavy, and/or be poorly balanced, making them extremely difficult to play. For faster passages, the stick will not remain balanced, and the fragile nature of the stick will prevent smooth lyrical playing with such little force.  Painted trim

If they don't specifically say inlaid edging, then it's most likely painted. You can also tell by visual inspection. Without proper binding, a small accident can damage your violin, as the binding acts as a barrier and prevents cracks from spreading to the outer edges. 

欢迎选购艺匠琴坊的弦乐器，您可以点击此链接与我们建立联系！

"Blackened" or "Ebonized" parts

Stick to black fish! Blackened maple or rosewood does not have the same durability and can cause poor tuning of the pegs or a bumpy fingerboard.