Written by The Weekend Vote
Published: September 5, 2014 at 6:57 PM [UTC]
I wonder if, today, that window is a computer screen!
Certainly, it's a different experience, to evaluate violin in person at a violin shop, or to evaluate it over the Internet.
Buying a violin over the Internet can be a risky deal, but if you do your research, enlist the help of a teacher or trusted colleague, you can find reputable dealers on the Internet and find a decent instrument. Increasingly, commerce of any kind seems to be moving to the Internet, after all. And many companies allow you to test several instruments that they send, and decide between them. This is particularly helpful if you live nowhere near a physical violin shop or maker's workshop.
Still, the experience of visiting a violin shop or a dealer's workshop is informative to all physical senses. Usually a dealer will also let you take a few violins home to test, but while at the shop, you can narrow down your options by holding the instruments, playing them, comparing them, and inspecting them from any angle. Sometimes I accompany my students when they test out violins at a local shop, just to help them narrow down their choices. It's a special chunk of time, in a special place. That said, I do live in a region with a number of high-quality shops.
Another option is to start the process online, in which a faraway shop sends samples for you to try, before you commit to buying anything.
For you, how did you choose your most recent violin? Was it mostly over the Internet, or did you go in person to a dealer or maker?
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There is "internet purchases", that are run by regular violin shops.
And then there are "internet purchases" made via EBay.
If I had not purchased an instrument in this manner, I would have gone to a shop so I could play before buying.
My instrument was purchased for me by my wife. It was a gift for my 43rd birthday as well an engagement gift since we were getting married 3 months later.
She bought it at an actual violin shop (The Violin Shoppe in Oneida, NY). She doesn't play, but the owner of the shop played several instruments for her in the shop. He knew me and had an idea of what I was looking for and price range, so he chose instruments that he thought I might like. After playing several different instruments including a 19th century French violin and an early 20th century Chekoslovakian violin, she settled on the newest violin he played. She made her decision based on the tone, what her ears liked, what just sounded the best to her.
I would never buy any instrument online without actually playing the instrument first.
I voted "Another way" because my violin was selected from instruments sent to my home from somewhere in Chicago. Several were mailed for trial, and eventually, I found the instrument I knew was meant for me.
For my primary instrument, I would want an in home trial of at least a few days per instrument (unless it was immediately obvious that I didn't like a particular instrument).
However - that said - I'm seriously considering an "advanced student" violin purchase - via the internet (from a reputable maker) - so that I'll have one for playing outdoors. I won't play mine outdoors per my luthier's advice.
My last two violins were given to me by a friend (had belonged to her mother) after she had some minor work done on it, and one my brother had bought years ago at a garage sale (had belonged to his friend's mother) and I had it checked out and minor work (new bridge/rehair) and turns out that both are very good!! instruments - I was really lucky!!!
Of course every shop is now doing the ship and ship back thing but still, the local shop has advantages. Like when you pop a seam etc.
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