Creole - Posted - 04/20/2022:  06:14:17

So as I am getting back into playing I have a CVN 500 by Cecilio. Will need to buy almost most everything to get it playable (Bridge, tail piece), chin rest, Bow) and it is a decent Fiddle but not quite what I like tone wise. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on places to buy, internet or otherwise. Other brands, when I was playing 4 years ago Silver Creek was a decent brand I see they have a $300 model but not sure if it is any better than what I have. Anyone have a hook up on a $ to $400 brand they just love. Thank you so much.

Edited by - Creole on 04/20/2022 08:07:14

KCFiddles - Posted - 04/20/2022:  09:21:16

I have a couple of discontinued Liberty models that I can sell as outfits for $400 with case and bow. They have a good setup and play fine, but I just decided not to carry them several years back, because I found people would rather pay more for better performance. I offered a Southwind model on here for $800 a while back that my main (pro) clients all said they loved the sound and setup of, but it didn't sell. But in the meantime, I 'm busy all the time with $2500 to $10,000 fiddles. I also have some "second" Krutz 400 models that normally sell for $1300- $1500, but had cosmetic damage to the varnish that I normally repair and wholesale off to other dealers. I might set one of those up and sell it, fiddle only, for $400 or $500, depending on looks.

Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 04/20/2022:  12:20:32

I went a little crazy on the moulahhh and delved into the mid four figures when I bought my good fiddle at the violin shoppe, but I had enough self-control to pass up the low five figure ones...which transported me straight to heaven. The saleslady gently kept me from going nuts, as well. In any case, I'm still thrilled with my purchase.

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 04/21/2022:  01:43:10

That range is too low if you’re looking for a decent instrument. There are plenty of violins for sale at that price, but they do not perform well. A decent quality setup can easily cost $400-$500, so there’s no way a violin that costs less than that can be made or set up well.

Keep in mind that the cost of the violin to the business that sells it is going to be somewhat less than its retail price to you, which means that the cost to produce it has to be almost nothing. At that point, you’re not getting anything even remotely good and hand labor that is involved is at the lowest level.

It can be frustrating to hear that you have to spend more money than you’d like, but you have to spend more to get the quality you need to have a fair shake at it. Poor quality instruments are one of the greatest causes of frustration and quitting. The violin doesn’t do all the work, but a bad one keeps you from getting anywhere.

I would suggest two options:

1) Look at violins starting around $1000-$2000. At that range you can find reasonably well-made instruments that will have workable setups. Some of these can be made to sound quite good if you’re willing to invest in a better setup.

2) Try renting a violin from a good violin shop that properly sets up all its rental stock (if they’re just pulling the violins out of boxes, it’s a waste of time and money). You can get a violin that would otherwise cost you about $1000 for $20-$30 a month and you can have coverage so that if any damage occurs, you’re not stuck footing a large repair bill. If you don’t love playing, you can stop at any time and you’re not stuck trying to resell a cheap violin in a market that doesn’t want to buy cheap instruments used unless they’re sold for pennies. Most shops offer either a rent-to-own plan or rental credit that you can apply toward purchase of a better violin if you do really enjoy playing and want to upgrade. This is the lowest cost option for getting started and you have a better chance of getting something playable. Online purchases are a real gamble unless you know what to look for.

Dick Hauser - Posted - 05/27/2022:  09:40:17

Royce Burt in Plant City Florida, sells reconditioned fiddles. I think a person will end up being more satisifed with a higher quality used instrument than a very inexpensive new instrument. One of my fiddles is one of Burt's reconditioned instruments. Check Burt's website out. You can contact him and he will help you select the instrument that meets your needs. Great guy to work with.

KCFiddles - Posted - 05/28/2022:  11:33:56

Check your email. I've got one on your price range. Italian (legit) student instrument that got a girl through high school and into a music major. No fancy wood, but plays and sounds good. Pro setup.

I've got others, but no photos or videos right now on the starter stuff. As others pointed out, if you want to spend a little more, you can get a LOT more. I'll eventually get around to doing photos and videos on some of the starter - level stock, but I just don't have any free time lately.

KCFiddles - Posted - 05/31/2022:  09:57:07

I'll post a couple for sale here soon, as time allows. But I may not have demo videos. Still too much other work.

LorenKshlerin - Posted - 07/19/2022:  02:31:26

Remember that the violin will cost the company that sells it less than its suggested retail price to you, which implies that the cost to create it must be virtually zero. By that time, the hand labor involved is of the lowest quality, and you are not receiving anything even somewhat decent. blockpost

woodswalker - Posted - 08/28/2022:  05:10:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by Creole

So as I am getting back into playing I have a CVN 500 by Cecilio. Will need to buy almost most everything to get it playable (Bridge, tail piece), chin rest, Bow) and it is a decent Fiddle but not quite what I like tone wise. Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on places to buy, internet or otherwise. Other brands, when I was playing 4 years ago Silver Creek was a decent brand I see they have a $300 model but not sure if it is any better than what I have. Anyone have a hook up on a $ to $400 brand they just love. Thank you so much.

---

I'm in Southeastern PA. I just upgraded from my Cecilio student model & bought an "Otto Kaiser" fiddle for $350 from "Montchanin Mountain Music". I have never played a $2000 fiddle so I have nothing to compare it to. All I know is that "an older fiddle is better" and this one was from the 60s and made in Germany. (that's sposed to be good too.)

My Cecilio student model, which I bought at a flea market for $20, was a pretty good fiddle. (I did have it professionally set up.) But the low-end was "muddy". I tried out this new fiddle at a festival and the low end was strong & clear. Also the nut was very low & I could successsfully play those first-position minor scales that I'd need for Balkan/klezmer music. I said "I'm taking this."

A lot of times playing Old Time music, it's mostly on the upper 2 strings. But I go to these Folky & blues jams and they just love the key of C. 

 

Earworm - Posted - 08/28/2022:  07:17:38

So, Creole , have you been able to come up with something satisfying, or are you still working on finding a fiddle in this price range? This is about the price range I have aimed for in the past too. And twice, I "missed." Best of luck to you.

Edited by - Earworm on 08/28/2022 07:21:29

Creole - Posted - 08/28/2022:  09:18:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by Earworm

So, Creole , have you been able to come up with something satisfying, or are you still working on finding a fiddle in this price range? This is about the price range I have aimed for in the past too. And twice, I "missed." Best of luck to you.

---

I play every day so wanting to still find another one now.  Plus it would be nice to have one for travel/outside...like the one I am playing now and a bit nicer one for inside studio use.  I have my eyes on Eastman and one or 2 others. 

Creole - Posted - 08/28/2022:  12:24:36

quote:

---

Originally posted by Creole

quote:

---

Originally posted by Earworm

So, Creole , have you been able to come up with something satisfying, or are you still working on finding a fiddle in this price range? This is about the price range I have aimed for in the past too. And twice, I "missed." Best of luck to you.

---

I play every day so wanting to still find another one now.  Plus it would be nice to have one for travel/outside...like the one I am playing now and a bit nicer one for inside studio use.  I have my eyes on Eastman and one or 2 others.  Considering just buying one of the cheapies like a Mendini etc...to travel with an djust keeping the one I am playing now as my daily player.  I have a Kennedy and it does ok with Tonica Piastros on it. 

---

Gunther_az - Posted - 08/29/2022:  08:55:51

Might as well add my two cents. My first violin was a cheap Chinese Cremona for about $350 complete with bow and case. It was good as a starter to see if this was an instrument I really want to play. It did not take long before I wanted something better.

Having saved up some money, I started looking at those in the $1000-2000 price range. Then the salesman asked if I wanted to see a couple that were in the next price range so I could compare the sound. One of these really stood out to me. After trying it out a week I so impressed with that particular one that I bought it and never looked back.

While the quality of the violin may always exceed my playing ability, I loved the sound then, and still love it now, 10 years later.

My humble suggestion is to look at higher quality instruments if your budget can allow. Spending more now will likely pay off with greater satisfaction with the playability and sound. And, it could also result in saving money in the long run since you may not feel the need to upgrade again and again.

Swing - Posted - 08/29/2022:  09:21:49

Price and playability of the fiddle are two different things.... I have four fiddles, they all play very well and they have been procured in varying ways... my main fiddle I have had for 20 years and my most recent purchase for thirteen years... I will say this about fiddles...it is generally not the price that you pay for the instrument... it is how well the instrument is set up. This includes the sound post, bridge, tailpiece adjustment, tuning pegs etc.... if you buy an inexpensive fiddle and put money into the set up, you might end up with a really terrific instrument.... buying a higher priced fiddle may only mean that you are paying for the work I listed above....

Good luck....

Play Happy

Swing

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 08/29/2022:  10:49:53

This is analogous to the classic student rental dilemma:

Violins for younger players need to be smaller to accommodate their smaller sizes. A violin might last as little as a few months before it’s too small, so it doesn’t make sense for most parents to buy violins that they’ll have to resell at a loss (unless they’re high-end, fractionals have limited appeal once they’re no longer new). To keep from investing a fortune in something that’s not a guarantee, parents choose either to rent or buy from the cheapest source they can find.

From the business perspective, it’s not very cost-effective to invest in expensive instruments that will be hard to resell when they come back unless you have a staff with the skill to resurrect them or enough customers that take care of their instruments that they can last a few years and pay for themselves. On average, shops tend to choose models that are cheap enough that they will pay for themselves with perhaps a marginal profit in one rental season.

It’s a difficult balancing act from both sides, but one thing at least is clear: poor quality instruments are a major deterrent and cause of quitting among beginning players. If the setup is not done well, even better quality instruments will inhibit progress.

Potential buyers don’t always like to hear that they ought to spend more, but the reality is that cheap instruments cost much more in the end—to be playable, they need new setups and better strings (strings are the first corner that gets cut), and they only last a short time before they either fall apart due to shoddy construction or cease to be enough instrument for the player. You can’t ever expect to get your money back by selling them, and if they’re bad enough to discourage one’s enthusiasm for playing, it costs a lifetime’s worth of enjoyment and edification.

ChickenMan - Posted - 08/29/2022:  15:37:43

I suggest you take up KCFiddles' offer. He's a talented luthier and won't steer you wrong.