I am often asked this question by adult beginners, but also by parents whose children would like to learn the violin.

Many are overwhelmed by the wide range and huge price range of instruments available on the market.
So what should you look out for?
– The violin should be made of solid wood (spruce and maple), with ebony pegs and fingerboard.
– The violin should be well adjusted in terms of playing technique:
– The distance from the strings to the fretboard and the bridge foundation must be correct so that the violin is easy to play.
– The pegs must fit, and a fine tuning tailpiece helps to make the violin easy to tune.
– The height of the upper saddle must not be too high so that it is comfortable to play.
– The distance between the notches and the rounding of the fingerboard must be correct to ensure good playability.
– The position of the soundpost and good strings contribute to a good sound.

As these things cannot be checked by a layman and violin beginner, I recommend going to a local violin maker. He/she is your contact person and will help you make the right choice.
– The violin should sound good, otherwise you will quickly lose interest if it squeaks and whistles.

– Take lessons. Learning the violin on your own is very difficult and you may get used to the wrong posture, which will be difficult to get rid of later.
– In the beginning, rent rather than buy. To get a decent violin that is well set up, you need to calculate a minimum of approx. 750 – 850€. If you don’t want to invest that much, simply rent a violin from a violin maker in your area. If you have any problems, there is always someone to contact. If you realize after a few months that you enjoy the violin and want to stick with it, part of the rent will usually be credited towards a purchase.
If you want to buy a used violin privately, show it to the violin maker first. He/she will be able to assess whether the condition and price are okay and whether you will have to pay for any follow-up costs or repairs.