Help Choosing A Violin

I`m interested in starting violin/fiddle-playing but I`m having difficulty picking a violin.

I`ve been seeing tags like 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and it has me completely lost. Could someone explain this to me?

I was also looking for maybe a pricetag on string/bow/rosin replacements as well. I`ve played guitar (kinda) for a while and I know how expensive and cheap it can be at the same time.

Thanks

Right, you need 4/4 (also known as full size)

An outfit is by far the cheapest way to go, that will have everything you need. After that it`s just a matter of choosing one within your budget.

Liz

Thanks Liz, I figured a 4/4 would be what I needed, just the fraction made sense. LoL

How much does string, bow(hair??), and rosin replacements normally cost?

you can buy a full chines sett wery cheap. or if you want a better one, you can se if you can find any polish violins on the nett. But if you are going to buy on the net, you have to be wery care full. It is easy to buy junk... The best thing is to go to a good store were you live, and have them help you. But don`t buy a expensive one if you have not played before. Wait to see if you enjoy it

Elvis,

strings vary a lot and I don`t know where you live. Are you in the US? The short answer is that a good set of strings can cost about half as much as a basic violin outfit. Rosin is much cheaper, a couple of pounds here. Chesap bows are not rehairable, you just play them until they`re no good then dump them and buy a better one, again i can;t really give you a price without knowing where you are.

Liz

I live in Canada. I`ve researched some strings and while I didn`t find prices yet, I`ll probably use Steel strings rather than the other options.

Bows are use-and-toss? I thought they were still reusable LoL :D

I live in Canada!

Strings vary greatly. The last set of Thomastiks (not the Dominants...steel strings) were about $45. Other sets of strings will be somewhere around that price. To rehair a bow costs $40-45 (without tax). Rosin varies greatly in price...anywhere from $5 and up. I`m saving up to buy some `special` gold-fleck rosin ...just to enjoy it`s presence in my case...for about $23.

Kewl stuff, thanks a bunch. That`s not quite the expense I was expecting but can be pricey. Thanks again

hey guys,

well where in canada do you live? cause there are soooo many places here. unless you already found a store that is

errr... my first violin was a japanese one i think... a suzuki. and it was fine, so yah. however, in outfits (usually) they`ll give you really cruddy strings, so save some money to get strings that are just that much better

I`m in Halifax. I haven`t found a Violin yet, but slowly working towards getting one. I`ve been eying some on Ebay ($30US + shipping) that includes hard cases, bows, rosin, etc. Sure the strings prolly suck, but the deal seems promising.

...LOL...I really REALLY need an edit button...

Hey,
If you`re in Halifax, I`d definitely check the Halifax folklore center on Brunswick St. (Just off Spring Garden) They might have a deal! Or else go check MusicStop on Cunard St., they`d probably have something for you as well! Good luck

I thought about Musicstop, but I wasn`t fond of some of the pricetags last time I was there.

I`m interested in starting the violin more for the occasional enjoyment. If I learn how to play well, then great... so I`m looking for the least costly way of starting.

I`ll have to check out the other place mentioned (Haven`t heard of it before). Thanks