The Best Violins for Beginners

A violin teacher writing for Meadowlark Violin Studio advises against buying from Amazon and big-box stores at all, and warns that instruments under about $250 are often poorly made and difficult or impossible to tune. On r/violinist the same point comes up again and again: several of the best-selling budget brands on Amazon are described by commenters as hard to keep in tune and not worth a repair shop's time.

We have not listed those brands. What to look for instead:

• Solid carved wood. Musiciangoods notes laminated tops sound dull and cannot be fixed.
• Ebony fingerboard and pegs. Commenters on r/violinist flag maple fingerboards and pegs as a warning sign on budget listings.
• A named brand that sets violins up before shipping, or a clear plan to have a shop do it.

Setup is the fitting work that makes a violin playable: a bridge carved to the right height and curve, a nut cut so the strings sit low enough to press, and pegs that turn smoothly and hold. Musiciangoods argues that a modest violin set up by a shop can outplay a pricier one left as it came from the factory. Fiddlershop makes the same case: a poorly adjusted violin is hard to play, especially for a beginner.

That is why both Kennedy outfits here are set up in the US before shipping. If you buy a Stentor, ask a local violin shop or teacher to check it. The cost is usually far less than buying up a price tier.

Violins come in fractional sizes, and a violin that is too large makes good technique almost impossible. Measure with the left arm fully extended, palm up, from the base of the neck to the middle of the palm. Kennedy Violins' chart gives:

• 4/4 (full size): 23 inches and up, typically age 12 and older
• 3/4: 22 to 23 inches, typically 9 to 11
• 1/2: 20 to 22 inches, typically 6 to 10
• 1/4: 18 to 20 inches, typically 4 to 7
• 1/8 and smaller: under 18 inches, typically 3 to 5

If you fall between sizes, size down. Almost every adult plays a 4/4. Never buy a child a larger size to grow into.

For children, the common advice, from Musiciangoods and on r/violinist, is to rent. A child may move through several sizes, and a good shop swaps each one and sets it up properly. Many shops also credit rental payments toward a later purchase.

For adults the math changes. Musiciangoods points out that buying usually costs less than a year of renting for a committed adult learner. If you are unsure you will stay with it, a few months of rental is a low-risk test. If you know, buy one of the outfits here and have it checked.

An outfit is the violin plus a bow, case and usually rosin. Beyond that they differ. Both Kennedy Violins outfits add a shoulder rest, tuner and spare strings. The Stentor outfits do not include a shoulder rest, which Musiciangoods calls often overlooked but important for a beginner's comfort. Plan to add a shoulder rest, a clip-on tuner and a spare set of strings. Meadowlark's guide also suggests geared pegs for self-taught beginners, since they make tuning far easier.

• Buying online, no teacher yet: Kennedy Violins Bunnel Premier. Set up, everything included, about $420.
• You have a teacher or shop nearby: Stentor Student II, then have it adjusted.
• Adult with a longer horizon: Ricard Bunnel G2, or the Stentor Conservatoire II if you are certain.
• A growing child: rent from a violin shop first.

Whatever you choose, listen to the instrument you are learning toward. Bowed strings sound different across the world, and hearing an erhu or a nyckelharpa is a good reminder of how much a bow on a string can say.