“The quality of these is so much better than I expected,” said strings educator Miriam Kammen, referring to the 18 violin outfits assembled in the Strings studio for inspection by a panel of professional players and teachers. Times have changed since Strings’ 2001 roundup of student violin outfits. The good news for consumers: the tsunami of stringed instruments being imported from China and Eastern Europe has driven prices down while, generally speaking, competition has improved the quality of
student instruments.
So I decided to survey what’s on the market for
student-level violin outfits priced under $2,000, including a violin, case, and bow.
At first, I envisioned our imaginary shopper as a beginner of any age ready to buy a first instrument after renting or borrowing for a period, hence the need for an outfit. But in reality, the instruments that arrived for review ranged from inexpensive beginner models to sophisticated violins appropriate for the college-bound student or even the budget-strapped professional.
And there are great values to fit any budget.
Our review panel included three professional musicians who also teach, and who could test drive each outfit and offer comments. The panel represented a variety of playing styles, musical perspectives, and tastes. The panel included violin and violist Mads Tolling, a member of the Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet; and violinist Evan Price, a former member of Turtle Island and now with the Hot Club of San Francisco. Both are classically trained and play a variety of styles, including jazz. String educator Miriam Kammen is a 50-year veteran of such orchestras as the Indianapolis Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Oakland East Bay Symphony. She still maintains a busy teaching studio in her semi-retirement.
All three musicians took turns playing and listening to the instruments and bows, inspecting cases, and also playing the violins with Price’s CodaBow Diamond NX.
Who Benefits from Buying an Outfit?
A hundred years ago, Sears Roebuck supplied rural Americans, who might never see the inside of a violin shop, with outfits that included everything necessary to get started, even an instruction manual. Today, for a beginner starting from scratch, the simplicity of having everything you need to get going in one convenient package can remove one more barrier to getting started, as selecting all those items separately can be overwhelming at first.
For more experienced players who already have a case and/or bow that they like, or who have definite preferences in bows, an outfit may not be the best route. For those who prefer to choose their own outfit, some violin shops offer a discount on a case and bow of comparable quality when you buy an instrument from them, so a customer can set an overall budget and then custom build an outfit that fits that budget.
What to Expect from Pricing
Sometimes outfit pricing represents significant savings over buying all of the items separately. In other instances, the savings is minimal, but not necessarily a bad deal. On the Internet, some violin companies show the price of each item so you can calculate the savings or order a la carte.
The violin itself is the most expensive component of an outfit. In some instances, that’s basically the total value of the outfit—an inexpensive case, bow, and rosin are “thrown in” to get you started. Even the least expensive outfits in our collection included a serviceable bow, but this is not always so. Sometimes the included bow is of such poor quality that it is worth less than the cost of rehairing. Such bows are typically difficult to control, don’t draw a good tone, and are frustrating to use, especially for a relative beginner. In this case, the teacher often will recommend that a student get a better bow. Don’t forget to include this in your budget.
Some outfits, particularly at the higher end of our range, dedicate a significant portion of the total price to a quality bow. The included bow may or may not ultimately be the right bow for you, but at least you’ll have something reasonably good to play in the meantime, something worth keeping as a second bow or possibly worth some money in trade toward a better bow of your choosing.
But if you’re set for bows, a la carte might be the better deal.
All of our outfits arrived in good- or better-quality cases that would provide adequate protection. The least-expensive cases were made of lightweight foam with nylon covers and zippers. Most outfits were housed in attractive oblong cases constructed of foam, plywood, or a combination, which typically retail individually in the $100–$200 range.
How to Evaluate the Quality of an Outfit
The panelists were quite consistent about what they wanted to hear in a violin. These terms came up again and again: open, rich, warm, brilliant, sweet, focus, clarity, purity, projection, balance, evenness from string to string, personality, and character. Kammen was particularly
interested in hearing a pure tone at the very top of the E string, though
she noted that most students would not be playing in that range.
“You can see a change of bow can make a lot of difference,” Kammen remarked when switching to a better bow transformed one of our less-expensive models. Indeed, a change of bow can make a real difference in clarity and quality of sound. Occasionally, however, a better bow doesn’t make much difference if the instrument doesn’t have more to give. “The violin sets the limit for how good it’s going to sound,” Tolling observed.
The higher-end outfits typically included more sophisticated pernambuco or carbon-fiber bows. But as Price said of a top-end outfit, “This bow is just fine. But this violin actually deserves a better bow.”
Strings also can make a difference in sound. On one violin, Price immediately recognized the strings that he uses on his own violin and thought they made a big difference in the sound. Most of our outfits were strung with quality strings—even so, panelists occasionally remarked that an instrument might respond more favorably to a different type of strings.
When evaluating an instrument, remember that the projected and under-ear sounds can be quite different. “Sounds great under the ear, then shallower at a distance,” remarked Price of one violin. For a beginner instrument, a satisfying under-ear sound is most important. But if projection is a concern for you, make sure to have someone play it so you can step back and hear the projected sound.
It’s also important to note that first impressions aren’t always the best judge of an outfit’s quality. Our panelists sometimes changed their minds over time—first impressions are important, but perception can change with further listening. Don’t be afraid to give an instrument a little more time if you’re not sure about its desirability.
And even expert listeners can disagree. “It sounds mellower up here,” remarked Kammen on one occasion. “I heard exactly the opposite,” replied Price.
Plus, different sounds suit different kinds of music. Occasionally one of the panelists would suggest that the sound of an instrument would suit a certain type of music, such as bluegrass or jazz. Panelists felt that other instruments had a “violinistic” tone.
Bottom line: when it comes to value for the money, sound quality doesn’t necessarily correspond to price. Some less expensive instruments outperform pricier ones.
Under $700: Beginner Instrument
A beginner violin and bow should not create barriers to learning—stringed instruments are hard enough to learn without struggling with an instrument and bow that don’t work well. Look for a violin that is easy to play and sounds pleasant under the ear rather than focusing on projection. The best beginning instruments have a “sweet spot” that is easy to find and makes a clear, satisfying, if
simple tone. The sound should be fairly even from string to string. No one note should pop out or be weaker than the others, nor should the sound be fuzzy.
Expect these minimum setup standards even on an inexpensive instrument: The pegs and fine tuners must work. The strings should be neither too high nor too low. There should be plenty of bow clearance from string to string without hitting the edges of the instrument when bowing the outer strings. If the bridge feet don’t fit, the bridge can be prone to falling over. The fingerboard must be accurately planed so that every note can be played clearly, and the nut (where the strings cross into the peg box) must be properly shaped, both for comfort and so the strings don’t break. The strings should be good quality. Consider upgrading them if the teacher recommends it, as strings make a big difference in sound.
Visually, it should be attractive and blend in with older instruments in the classroom—probably not bright orange! The lightweight foam cases that came with our entry-level instruments all offered adequate protection.
Expect a strong brazilwood or fiberglass bow that meets minimum standards: The stick should not warp or twist with the hair tightened. It should be filled with a flat, even ribbon of good-
quality white horse hair with no clumps or gaps. The screw should turn easily to playing tension and loosen the hair all the way. The bow should draw smoothly from end to end without wobbling; if it is not adequate, consider upgrading to a better-quality brazilwood bow.
Where to buy: Internet, school-band and orchestra stores, full-line music stores, and some violin shops.
$800 to $1,200: Step-Up or
Deluxe-Beginner Instrument
At this level, expect a good setup or better. Most of the outfits our panel reviewed at this price point had a higher-quality bridge and tailpiece than the aforementioned beginner instruments with more attention paid to the carving of the bridge and dressing of the fingerboard.
Listen for some character and variety in the sound, and begin to consider the projected tone. In this price range, some of the violins sported a more sophisticated appearance with better-quality carving, some shading in the varnish, or light antiquing. Others still looked like factory fare. Some drew an admiring, “Not bad!” But panelists also used such terms as “covered,” “boxy,” “not well balanced.”
Most outfits at this price point came in oblong foam cases with tough nylon covers, hinges, and latches. Bows were usually constructed of pernambuco and individually would sell for $90–$200. A more advanced player might consider a bow upgrade.
Where to buy: school-band and orchestra stores, full-line
music stores, violin shops, and online violin retailers.
$1,700 to $2,000: Advanced-Student
or Professional Second Instrument
“I would definitely not be bothered by having this in my closet as a backup instrument,” said Evan Price, admiring one of the outfits in this price point. Other instruments in this range drew similar compliments. In Kammen’s opinion, the best violins reviewed in this group would be good enough to take a student through college.
At this price, expect a professional setup with a good-quality, well-cut bridge, good strings, more attention to details such as neck and fingerboard shape. Better-quality wood plus more time spent on factors that affect tone, such as arching and thicknessing of tops and backs, result in a more refined, more responsive instrument.
In terms of tone, look for a strong, open, clean sound, richer and more nuanced than less-expensive instruments and with some personality. Some of the violins in this group sounded less warm than the step-up instruments or even slightly harsh under the ear, but that surface noise was not apparent in the projected sound. The best projected sounds were pure, rich, and warm, even in the highest register.
In terms of appearance, this group of violins was more sophisticated, usually with a more hand-carved look, better varnish, and some individual character. Several were heavily antiqued.
The pernambuco and carbon-fiber bows in this range were a definite step up in quality, retailing individually for $150–$350. Cases were, for the most part sturdier and heavier, constructed of wood or a combination of wood and foam.
Where to buy: violin shops and online violin retailers.
Build Your Own Outfit
While a pre-selected outfit may be ideal for a beginner, more experienced players often prefer to choose their own bow and case. Some violin shops even offer a discount on a case and bow when you buy a custom outfit from them—essentially a do-it-yourself outfit option.
For example, Johnson String Instrument in Boston offers those creating their own outfits a 10 percent discount off the price of a case and bow of comparable quality, or 15 percent during the company’s twice-a-year sales.
Many customers buying an instrument take them up on the custom-outfit deal, says Jon Crumrine, Johnson’s sales manager. Even in the upper price ranges, customers “frequently change their bow when they’re looking for a better instrument—at the intermediate level, almost always.”
Students stepping up a size will need a bigger case and bow, and many teachers recommend upgrading the bow, he says.
Crumrine asks the prospective customer about their purchasing budget up front. If a client finds an instrument at the upper end of their budget, Crumine will try to help keep the cost of the total outfit within reach, perhaps by finding a suitable used bow from the rental pool. —E.S.
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