By the time a student enters High School or has grown into a full-size instrument, I suggest that families consider purchasing them their own instrument – the instrument that they will play for the rest of their life, perform in a college or community Orchestra with, and pass down to their own kids someday. As this instrument should last them the rest of their life (and beyond), I highly recommend taking a trip to a reputable music dealer, test playing the instruments, and talking to them about the instrument choices within your price range.

Important Note: Please do not purchase a cheap instrument on Amazon!!!!! I cannot stress this enough. These are not instruments at all, but rather ISOs, or Instrument Shaped Objects. They are very difficult to tune, the bows break easily, the necks break off, the horsehairs will not tighten after a couple uses, the wood gets warped, the bridges are never beveled correctly, and they make for an extremely frustrating experience for the student trying to play them. Please save your money and buy a quality instrument from a reputable dealer when you can afford it! 

Below are recommended dealers:

Monaco’s Violin Shop and Music Centre (for ALL instruments & repairs, not just violins) **this will likely be your most cost effective option for the quality** 55 Crosspoint Pkwy., Amherst, NY 14068 / www.monacosviolinshop.com / 716-688-8600

The String House 1531 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14618 / www.thestringhouse.com / 585-442-9272 or 800-828-3548

If you must purchase an instrument online, I highly recommend: Southwest Strings - www.swstrings.com. This is a reputable company that you can trust with buying a good quality instrument from, plus the beginner models are very reasonably priced!