Budget-restricted? Don't buy cheap, rent...
This is a topic that I find coming up often - it is rather timeless, and likely even more prevalent now because of the current state of consumer economy due to borrowing and credit concerns nationwide. It is natural for players to desire the best instrument they can get - it's healthy. Unfortunately for all of us in the bowed string instrument world, our tools are not as affordable as a flute or guitar on the 'acceptable' student end.
Don't force yourself to purchase an instrument that is not being sold by a qualified retailer, and is not made of acceptable materials, which likely will require several hundred dollars in proper setup (another blog post) to be playable. Many violin shops offer excellent instruments in a rental program - take advantage of this. Save up for the instrument you CAN afford WHEN you can afford it - purchasing an inferior instrument just for the sake of owning it can actually hold your performance back.
Don't force yourself to purchase an instrument that is not being sold by a qualified retailer, and is not made of acceptable materials, which likely will require several hundred dollars in proper setup (another blog post) to be playable. Many violin shops offer excellent instruments in a rental program - take advantage of this. Save up for the instrument you CAN afford WHEN you can afford it - purchasing an inferior instrument just for the sake of owning it can actually hold your performance back.
posted by Todd French | 6:33 PM
2 Comments:
Todd, I couldn't agree with you more. My parents rented my first outfit for about two years. At about that time, they figured that I was serious about learning/playing the violin and bought me an instrument of my very own.
They had a fellow come to our home. He placed several violins and bows on our dining room table and they told me to play them all and select what I liked best. Needless to say, I selected the most expensive of each. I still have both the violin and the bow.
Renting was the only way we could have afforded the instrument and it gave me enough time to be sure I was serious.
Of the twenty one kids who started violin lessons at that time, within a year I was the only one left. I wonder how many of their parents bought their violins? Hmmm.
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I have had great results with this product and just wanted to say thanks.
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