Best Violin Reviews 2023

If there ever was a product for which price was a major issue, it is the violin. As simple as it looks, it could cost a lot of money. In fact, in 2011, a Stradivarius violin sold for $15.6 million. We hope we’ve not just lost you there… We just mentioned this to show how insanely expensive they can be. You can heave a sigh of relief, because we found that depending on your preferences, you can get a good violin for between $160.00 and $1,200. Of course, none of them is a Stradivarius violin. You already know how much those cost.

On a more serious note though, despite the fact that the violins we selected aren’t Strads, for the amount you pay for them, they will deliver value. In fact, some may actually deliver more value than you expect. So for this price range, there are no cheap violins. Every violin listed here will deliver good value from the most affordable to the most expensive, even if their quality and features differ with price. The higher the quality you want, the more you should be ready to pay.

We said earlier that choosing a violin should be a deliberate act. This should be based on specific yardsticks for measurement of suitability and quality. We shall list some important features to look out for and some yardsticks you should use to determine which is right for you. The features to look out for include:

• Size
• Material – type of wood
• Outfit or single violin
• Accessories – bows, rosin, strings, case
• Age/size of player
• Use – practice or performance
• Level of player – beginner, intermediate, or professional

Let’s look at these in more detail…

Violins generally come in 9 sizes, with the most common being the full size written as 4/4. Most violin players - even from as young as 11 years of age - will play the full-sized violin. However for smaller players, there are the 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/10, 1/16, and 1/32 sizes.

How do you know which size will be a fit for your young player? The easiest way to know is to ask your child’s instructor to tell you what size you should get for the child. If this isn’t possible, you can do the following to get an estimate to use with the chart below.

There are two measurements that can be taken. One will give you the measurement of the largest size your child can play at that age, while the second will give you the measurement of the size that will be most comfortable for the child.

For the first measurement (largest size the child can play), let the child stretch his/her left arm away from the body and hold it straight. Measure from the base of the neck to the middle of the palm. This will give the first measurement. For the second measure (the most comfortable size), measure from the base of the neck to the wrist.

Check your measurement against this reference chart:

• 23 inches and above - 4/4
• 22 inches - 3/4
• 20 inches - 1/2
• 18 ½ inches - 1/4
• 16 ½ inches - 1/8
• 15 inches - 1/10
• 14 inches - 1/16
• 13 inches - 1/32

If you’re still unsure, consider the growth rate of your child and how quickly s/he is likely to outgrow the instrument.

The material a violin is made of is a major deal. Top-quality violins such as Strads are handmade from tonewoods that are sometimes air-dried for over 25 years. Most violins you will find have a mixture of spruce and maple. Most have spruce tops and maple sides, neck, and back. The top wood is the soundboard, that is, the wood that amplifies the resonating strings. Spruce is preferred for this because of its properties; it’s naturally stiff and dense, creating better resonance than more porous wood. It also means that it can be carved without getting misshapen.

The tonewoods can, however, be the same while the quality of the instruments differ. This is usually because of the quality of the spruce wood. There are different species and different preparation processes that all contribute to the quality of the spruce wood.

The same goes for the maple wood used for the back, neck, and sides. It also can differ in quality, contributing to the overall quality of the instrument and of course the cost. The type of material used for the fingerboards, tuning pegs, chinrests, and bridges are also very important; ebony is preferred for these parts. Any violin with plastic or a different material for these parts is a cheap instrument.

One more thing that can affect the quality of the instrument is the finish. Top-end violins are finished with very thin coats of varnish which are usually hand-brushed. The varnish will accentuate the wood’s natural beauty, adding to the general quality and appeal of the violin.

Depending on your level, rather than going for a stand-alone violin, going for an outfit may work out both cheaper and more effective for you. This is especially the case if you’re a beginner or even an intermediate player. An outfit comes with everything you need to start playing – a violin, strings, bow, rosin, and case. This is the best bet for a beginner and an intermediate player. As you get more proficient, you can begin to choose individual accessories as you see fit.

Even if, for some reason, you find that some of the accessories don’t meet the standard you want, you could always replace them. In most cases however, beginners usually cannot tell the difference. The moment you begin to be able to tell the difference, you then really are due for an upgrade.

A beginner isn’t likely going to want to spend so much money on an instrument they have yet to master. Such a person should simply look for a beginner violin, preferably an outfit. What actually determines the designation of the violin – beginner, intermediate, and professional – is the quality and nothing else. Beginner violins are usually of the least quality while the professional violins are usually of the best quality. It therefore doesn’t make sense to spend so much on a beginner instrument. You’ll have enough time to spend the thousands when you become much more proficient.

The same goes for instruments used for practice and those used for performance. Actually, professional musicians like practicing with their performance instruments as they feel connected to it. For others who desire to have practice violins different from performance violins, the difference surely will only be with the quality. Thankfully, you can get nice-sounding and very playable violins even on a budget.

Violins are delicate instruments that need care. Yes, beginner instruments may not need as much care as professional ones mainly due to the materials they’re made from. However, you should still know how to care for your instrument. If you went for an outfit, then certainly it came with a violin case. If you just got a violin, then it’s very important that you get a good case.

If you’re buying an expensive violin, then you really need to know this. An acoustic violin should be kept at about 45-50% relative humidity so as to avoid damage to the tonewood. Yes, this is important to all violins but more so to the very expensive ones. For those living in dry areas, it will be a good idea to get an instrument humidifier to keep your violin in perfect shape.

As a violinist, you should change your strings every 6 to 12 months. This depends on how often you play your instrument. The more often you play it, the earlier you should change them. This will keep the tone of your instrument at its best.

Finally, keep your violin free of dust and dirt by cleaning it often. If you got an outfit, you may find some cleaning accessories in the package. If not, get cleaning supplies for your violin and keep it in prime and proper shape so it can serve you, and serve you well, for years to come.