Violins on E-bay... (Sigh)

April 3, 2006 at 11:56 PM

I have to say, I've been burned twice know. The Russian violin came with several open seams, and cracks, even though it was supposed to have none. The pictures that show on e-bay are of the sides not cracked :(.

I'm working know with the seller to make an insurance claim as it was "possibly" damaged in shipping.

C'est La Vie.

From bill _
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 1:59 AM

Ebay Schmeebay.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 5:29 AM

I confess that i've bought some violins on ebay. http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZwsh519QQssPageNameZSTRKQ3aMEFSQ3aMESOI They are made by someone in China (Zhang Shu Mei) and shipped via Hong Kong. I read about the violinmaker and he sounded good, but I didn't take a chance until I played one of his violins which one of my students had bought. I would describe them as good quality beginner violins or knockabouts. I take one when I go camping or traveling. I had one assessed for insurance purposes, and it was assessed at $800 by a reliable luthier. Of course, the price is not the same thing as the quality, but It's a rough indication of what you're getting. My students love these violins because they sound much better than the average ebay or Internet junk. When a beginning student sounds good on one of these violins, he feels good about the sound and is encouraged to practice more. The prices are low enough for a committed beginner. The cost is about $200 + shipping from Hong Kong ($75 to US) + setup. My student pulled some kind of a deal with the distributor. They are both from Hong Kong and have long conversations in Chinese. This student got a better violin made by the luthier, rather than by people in his shop, or so they say. Caveat emptor. Somehow, my student managed to get a $2000 violin for about $400, and it sounds very good. I want to buy it from him, but he won't sell it. (I am not taking bribes to promote these violins.)

From Jason Thomas
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 11:17 AM

Yes, I have a ZSM Bird's Eye Maple Violin, which is pretty good. I enjoy it quite a bit.

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Violins on E-bay... (Sigh)

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