Saturday, May 21, 2016

Considering Purchasing A Vintage Violin

By Maria Long


A lot of people play instruments in their homes or professionally as part of a band. The majority of players will use an inexpensive model when they are learning and then invest in a more expensive instrument as their skills improve. Some people will decide to buy a vintage violin and there is some careful research to be done to avoid making costly mistakes.

Many music tutors and professional players will say that the better quality the instrument is, the better you will play. Every hand crafted violin will be unique in tone, feel and appearance. Prior to spending a large amount of cash on a violin you should play it for a while to make sure it is suitable for you.

Vintage instruments will usually command a higher asking price than a modern made one and this is the usually case with violins. Their value is dependent on a few factors each of which is extremely important when you are choosing which model to buy. There are well established music retailers in Huntington Beach, CA who stock antique violins and they will be happy to advise you when you are looking for one.

The initial thing to work out is how much you want to spend on your vintage instrument. With the prices ranging from a few thousand to millions of dollars for the very rare pieces, it is important to make the correct choice. A variety of things will affect the overall value including the maker, the country of origin, construction materials and the year.

Music retailers are the best places to source a valuable instrument and there are many of these stores around the world. One of the benefits of purchasing from a store is that the instrument can be played beforehand to ensure it is to your liking. The knowledgeable staff will also be there to offer helpful advice on your purchases and they will be covered by a guarantee.

Web sites are a useful place where you will often find vintage instruments offered for sale. Buyers should be very aware that in many cases they will not be able to see or play the violin before making an online purchase so caution is needed. If you cannot get to view the piece, you should try and get an expert to examine it for you to check its authenticity before making a commitment.

When you buy a vintage item, you should always ask about its history and where the seller obtained it. Get some copies of receipts from when they purchased it if possible and if there are any serial numbers you can do some research via the maker if they are still operating. Ideally the violin should be in its original case and will have some kind of documentation from the makers.

When you are purchasing an antique instrument you should take some time to think about some insurance cover in case it is damaged, lost or stolen. Most homeowners will have contents cover but in most cases this will not cover valuable items. Specialist musical instrument insurers are available to cover your purchase and some estimates should be obtained.




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