Could you point me in the right direction for a good quality Violin under or around 100 dollars?

Question

When I was younger, I played the violin for a year and eventually "gave up", because I never practice and felt bad that my mom would pay so much for something I never spent much time on. However, as I've gotten older, I've regretted this action. So now, I want to buy a violin and self-teach what I learned before, but this time I'm going to not give up.

Anyways, I am by no means planning on being professional or anything, so I want a violin that isn't incredibly "breach the bank" expensive. Still, I don't want a crappy violin that goes out of tune every time you play a note, and you end up wanting to throw it against the wall because it's just downright cheaply made.

I would love a suggestion on a name brand, and especially if you know of an online site that sells violins cheaply (but once again of good quality). I researched this vaguely and found a few people say yay/nay about ebay as well, so please, give me an opinion on that as well. Oh, and I say a hundred dollars, but if this price range is ridiculous for a good quality violin, please say so. Oh, and I want a full size violin, as I'm way too old for the tiny ones nowadays, lol.

Again, please and thank you. :)

(I live in Pensacola, Florida, by the way)

Answer 1

musicians friend online.  www.musiciansfriend.com.  the problem with a hundred bucks and wanting an excellent violin is that violins don't saturate the market as much as some other instuments, and good quality, long standing companies definately put a realistic price on it's worth.  they aren't cheap to make, but that site gives you a few options for kits- violin, bow, strings, case, for about 130-150 if you want something you can learn on, and move on to play on a regular basis down the road.  they have plenty of options, and the cheap, cheap ones, are definately cheap.  the middle range ones i looked into a while back, and if you're willing to give a little on the price, there are many folks who've purchased the 150 ones and left great reviews- which is also why i recommend it.  a lot of people from every level use the catalog, and most give honest, detailed, feedback.

Answer 2

haha!

100 dollars for a "good quality" violin.

good luck....

for about 200 you can get a 7/8 violin from shar or southwest.  its the etude. i fail to remember the makers name atm.

i say 7/8 because my school has several of them. and they aren't the same size as my 4,500 dollar violin.

but then agian, i could have a larger instrument

Answer 3

No such thing.  To get a violin with decent strings, good set-up, correct bridge and soundpost placement, fitted pegs, and an ok bow is going to cost about $250 minimum.  Anything much less than that is just going to frustrate you with the poor sound and not staying in tune problems.  

I'd stay away from eBay.  Don't buy a violin without playing it first - no matter how good it looks, there may well be something wrong with it.  There are a few online shops that give you a trial period before you pay to determine if the instrument is right for you.  I'd recommend http://www.stringworks.com - I got my violin from them, and I love it. They give you two weeks without paying to decide if it's for you.

Answer 4

Check with Schmidt's in the downtown area.  He may be able to help you out.

Answer 5

I'm sorry to tell you this, but non-crappy violins start at $200.  This is the best one I know of at that price:

http://beststudentviolins.com/violins.ht...