I'm looking into buying a violin. I've been to many shops but I haven't found anything with a name a really trust (or know). Now I'm only a learner so I don't want anything too flash, but I do want something which is playable.

http://www.djmmusic.com/index.asp?FSCat=49...iFromFeatured=1

here I found a stentor conservatoire which sounds ok.

I also found this on the dreaded ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A:IT&ih=004

I'm a bit suspicious but would like advice. (Previously this same item went for £160) Obviously I'm not going spend anything above £200. I know this isn't much, but I already have a flute, sax, piano and well I'm just an idiot really. Anyway help would be appreciate.

I don't hang out much on ebay these days but I can say that if I'd seen that at £160 I would certainly have bid higher than that for it. It does look very nice and to be honest the price they are quoting as a shop price is about what i would expect to see it go for in a shop. In fact I would very much like to know where in China they are getting them from that allows them to sell them at that price. We couldn't buy it for that from our Chinese supplier. Their buy it now price of €650 is about what i would expect to sell the violin alone for, unless the pictures and description are totally misleading. It looks to me to be in a totally different league from the Stentor. In short, I'm envious!

I do think it is likely to be far too resonant for you as a beginner. But then, if you buy it and don't like it, some nice UK retailer might well agree to do you a straight swap for something more suitable

Liz (who is sorely tempted to bid herself)

Yes, the reason I was suspicious, was due to the fact it is relisted - I think maybe the buyer also wanted more for the violin. But she still fails to put a reserve on it. I looked at her feedback and she had one complaint (in foreign) about a similar violin, but it was mutually withdrawn. Personally I find it a little weird that there is no reserve for such an item. I noticed it was a one piece back, real ebony fittings.

I would be very dubious about buying violins off ebay. I brought an old German one, thinking it would be playable, only to find out that it was no better than a cheap Chinese one and will cost £500 upwards to get it restored properly (thankfully, it's not my main violin).

I've had a look at the one you're considering on ebay and it does look very nice. I don't know much about violins but it does say that it comes with Dominant strings. My (main) violin has dominants and they are purple at the peg end, looking at the ebay picture, the strings on this violin are not purple at the peg end, which would make me wonder. But, as I've said I'm no expert.

If you're looking for a beginners violin, you should be able to find a suitable one at a music shop but it would probably be something like a Stentor or Antoni etc. I started learning on a Skylark but it broke. I then went to a violin shop and found a French violin, which should take me to Grade 8 and beyond, for £300. If you have violin shops near you, I would go there and see what they have to offer, they may have some good secondhand violins that are reasonably priced. More importantly, you'll be able to try them out and hopefully find one that suits you. My Skylark was very heavy and too big, when I found and played my French one, the difference was unbelievable and my playing has improved considerably.

Good luck with your violin search and happy playing.

No question of a doubt - it's a jazzed-up chinese violin. The strings are not Dominants but the type that seem to come with a lot of Chinese violins.

I bought a Bird's eye maple violin from a company based in China that goes by the name Yitamusic - they only advertise on ebay. I paid £130 - including case, bow and p&p . They have cheaper models and you could easily get a good quality violin for under £100. My violin teacher was so impressed with them, he bought 3!!!! Just change the strings - they're awful!

Half of the English National Opera Orchestra now own and play one of the T21 violins made by Yitamusic. Excellent quality to be honest and with a good set of strings they make a good 'muddy field' or touring instrument. I borrowed one of them for the kids concerts teaching I was doing, just before Christmas.

Other than that, I would recommend our own forumite Liz, for good quality instruments at very bank balance friendly prices.

You've missed the fact that this is a dealer.

Liz

Personally, I wouldn't buy a violin online unless that place has a good reputation. One of my teacher's student brought a £100 Chinese violin from ebay. The set up wasn't too good and in the end he had to buy another violin from the shop.

Now that the forum is back - hooray - I'm curious, did anyone here get that ebay violin?

Liz

No, but I noticed there were a couple for auction with the same photographs... that rings alarm bells for me. One went for GBP260-ish and the other went for GBP221

That doesn't mean a thing, honestly. I've done it myself. It just means this is the make and model you are buying. I must say that when I do this I always state clearly that "the pictures are representative and show a (whatever it is)" but the violin will be the same, the flaming may perhaps be a different pattern, that's all.

Anyway I see the seller hasn't relisted it. Maybe he is selling at a loss and has given up trying. The worst time of the year for sales starts next week so perhaps he is being sensible. I'd still like one though if I could get it at the right price.

Liz