Sunday, May 29, 2016

Considering Purchasing A Vintage Violin

By Maria Long


Many people enjoy playing instruments as a hobby or to earn their living as a musician. Most will usually start off with a budget instrument when learning and progress to a more expensive one later on. After becoming more proficient, many players will consider purchasing a vintage violin and there are some important things to think about before you buy one.

If you speak to a professional musician, they will agree that the more expensive the instrument and the better quality it is, the better you will play and sound. All violins, which are handmade by skilled craftsmen, will have a unique tone and appearance. Before you buy a valuable violin it is highly recommended that you spend some time playing it to ensure it is the correct instrument for you.

A rare or valuable instrument will not be cheap and will cost considerably more than a mass produced model. A few things will determine the cost of these instruments and some care is needed when making your selection. There are reputable music shops in Huntington Beach, CA who deal in violins and they will be happy to guide you in your search for a suitable 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.

Musical instrument retailers are the best place to find and purchase a vintage instrument and many stores can be found in towns and cities. The good thing about using a shop to source instruments is that you can play the violin before you make a decision. Another plus point is that you can speak with the experienced staff that work in the shop and ask for their advice and guidance.

There will be antique instruments offered for sale by internet retailers and web auction sites. Some care is needed when buying from these places as you cannot see your potential purchases before buying. Any valuable instrument should be checked by an expert to ensure it is genuine as over the years many have been forged.

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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