I'm trying to figure out what a good violin for a beginner would be.. I don't want anything that's too cheap as I don't want to have to purchase another as I get better. I want it to sound good but not be too expensive. And I'd really like for it to last a long while... any advice is welcome..

I can thoroughly recommend http://www.elidatrading.co.uk/gliga.htm

I've just bought my violin from them (see thread 'My new violin') and am delighted with it. I have heard great things about their whole range; I know a beginner with a 'Gems' who is very pleased with it. Much better than yucky shiny-red chinese things too.

Very friendly helpful service too

Whatever you buy just make sure you buy it from a violin dealer or a music shop which also specialises in string instruments, try to avoid buying it off the interent/mail order unless they have an 'approval service' kind of thing, where you can return the instrument if not to your liking (not just if damaged).
I am not an expert so don't know how much you have to spend in order to get a violin which you won't have to replace in future to get you to grade 8 but 'maybe' we are looking at more than £300 worth? the more the better of course.
Some would reccomend not to spend too much until you have reached grade 8 as while you get better with your playing and mature as a player you will learn to like what type of tone you want from your violin and therefore be able to choose the one that suits you as a person.
Jo

Personally I'd recommend renting until you're sure you take to it. If you spend a couple of hundred on a nice instrument, then find you can't 'get it', you'll wish you hadn't bought!

Ask at your local seller about their hire scheme. Most do a system wher you can hire for a while then get all the hire money off purchasing the instrument, or some of the money off an upgrade.

I'm in the same position as you trying to buy a violin , although I don't want to spend too much. I really only want to spend £100 incase the violin is not the instrument for me. Is there anything half-decent that you can get for this amount of money?

We bought our daughter one last year for that sort of price from the link above. Her teacher was very happy with it, as we were. Like you we were unsure if Violin was for her so didn't want to spend too much.

Yes, lots of options at that price point.

Liz

I can recommend getting an instrument from Elidatrading, especially the Gliga instruments. I got my viola from there and it's beautiful, and Elida's customer service is the best you can get. They have loads of happy customers on this forum

My problem is.. I'm stationed in Turkey so I'm not really able to go to a shop or anything like that.. there are none around! So I have to buy directly off the internet.. unless I want to wait for another six months and just get one at home.. But I want to get started right away..

I had my violin posted to me from Elidatrading to the North of Scotland. It was sent on approval too so I could try it and make sure I was happy with it. I don't know about their European postage options but if you phone them they are tremendously helpful. They'll set you up with a case and bow too so you can get started straight away ....

Many retailers would be willing to post to Turkey. The postage costs could be an issue though, there is a size limit on small packets as well as a weight limit (struggles hard to remember whether Turkey coutns as Europe or not ....)

Liz

I see that the cheapest one from elida trading is £150, do you think it is worth that money incase I want to give up?
I have been tempted by ones on ebay althought I guess most of you would say stay away! This is tempting though.....what does everyone think?

I don't think that's the cheapest they sell just in that range/ The violin we have isn't a gliga, but it's still a very nice instrument.

Can something at that price be any good apart if you're using it as a toy? sorry, don't mean to sound funny but I'd be suspicious to buy it, I'd rather rent for a couple of months (can't you rent from anywhere? maybe not).
I hope I'm wrong about my 'suspicions' of a violin sold at £30, please anyone comment?

I expect that it will play. But I'd also expect that it would sound pretty rough. Better strings would probably help it a bit, though.

Having said that, I started on a violin my sister got for £35 on e-bay, before upgrading to my Gems.

I will sound one major warning and it is this sentence:

"These violins will need setup.
(This is a simple procedure and is normal when you buy any new violin, as if the violin was sent to you already set up there would be an increased chance that it would arrive to you with a broken strings)"

Apart from the fact that the "broken strings" part is utter rubbish and thus suggests that these people have little idea of what they are doing, the seller is making it clear that the violins are being sent bridge down. That means the soundpost is quite likely to collapse (how likely depends on how well it fits but you could easily be looking at a 50% chance or even higher). If it arrives with the soundpost down you will not be able to fix it and will have to take it to a repairer. I would recommend avoiding like the plague anyone who refuses to ship the violin bridge up and in tune.

liz

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Ok I'm, no violin expert...but I can tell you that the cheap violin I got from the internet for My daughters freind was really thin. I can't give an opinion of what it sounded like but it wasn't worth the £40, that they ended up paying for it with postage, imho based on looks alone (and I'm no instrument snob). This one wasn't set up either and the bridge was down. You would be looking to upgrade fairly quickly if you buy one of these and it's secondhand value won't be much at all. I think it's better to save up a bit longer and buy £100 one from somewhere reputable then if you don't take to it you at least have a chance of getting a fair slice of your money back.

No, that's the cheapest Gliga.

Liz

Thank you. Taking your advice, I have become interested in a different model - see my thread Stentor violin in the viva strings.

If you're not sure if you'll take to the violin ....... RENT ONE!

You can get them for £5 a month at the bottom end.

That's what I did.

So you can spend £5+ a month for say 3 months and by then you'll know if you like it. You only will have spent £15 on rental for three months and the cost of the lessons.

But if you buy a violin at £100 and decide you don't like it after a few months you've lost quite a bit of money.

Seems more logical to rent to be honest.