Stentor 2 for grade 5?

Sounds good!

My own dd is working on grade 5 and we decided to get something decent when she moved to 4/4. She’s gone from being Grade 3 standard to grade 5 in about 6 months - aside from being too small, she wasn’t getting any sort of “payback” from her Stentor. We got a great deal on a Gewa - the shop had got it cheaply so passed on the saving. It was actually the luthier who suggested this violin - it was above our budget but he heard her play and thought she needed better. Hopefully this should get her to Grade 8. Hilariously the luthier said she’d probably need something better when she’s at a conservatoire - she’s 11. Does he know something we don’t???!

One thing to note OP is the issue of the bow. I’ve just got dd a not cheap carbon fibre bow. As she’s growing constantly atm her needs/preferences are changing. She’s getting through shoulder rests at a rate of knots too - she’ll grow and then suddenly cannot for love nor money get on with her shoulder rests.

My dd upgraded violin shortly after grade 5. We were advised to buy a 3/4 with a good tone that would take her to a high playing standard. I'm glad we invested a little extra as now we are looking at a grade which I thought inconceivable a year ago. The violin she has gives her a little extra confidence

I don’t think you’d get much in the way of a tuba or harp for £250 either, Mitzi.

All in all though I would save your big money for when she needs a full size, as that will be the one that will last her-DDs was £££££££s!

Getting something secondhand is better as it will hold its value more than a stentor and you will be able to sell it on. DDs 3/4 we sold for what we paid for it-she was v loathe to part with it as she loved it so, and it was a beautiful Mittenwald 1850s, but needs must!

My DD had a Stentor 2 at half size; she did her grade 3 on it and then grew quickly so we upsized and upgraded to a Gliga Gama 2. The difference was very marked (but presumably partly due to the size) and the Gliga should be fine until about grade 7 or she needs a full size, which ever is first.

Think dd would need a full size viola maybe? Might look in a year or so for one- but for now this one will do .
Folk- However I know your dd plays a lot of viola as well as violin so it’s more difficult. I imagine it’s very difficult to play an instrument that you don’t like the sound of- especially when you have another to compare it with.

13" - same length as a 3/4 violin (she's still on a half).

Folk- dd has a Beare-Tertis viola- it’s too small...I’ve put new strings on it but it still isn’t great....but she only plays it once a week whilst she’s playing viola in quartet (they rotate the positions- so no point spending anymore at this stage).
What size is your dd’s viola- the sizes confuse me on violas! 😊

Indeed Mrs Elijah- there are violins out there- you just need to look.

If I was going for a stentor it would be the conservatoire version.
But I’d probably visit a few luthiers and see what they have second hand. DDs 3/4 we spent about £500 on and lasted till she was around 12, but it was beautiful and sounded great x

Zak - we've been trying to pimp up a Hidersine Vivente viola with good strings, soundpost adjustments etc but it still sounds rubbish compared with her violin! She hates the sound of it in her ear...

Oh, and at higher grades, examiners really start to expect a bigger sound and good tone. Cheaper instruments don't have those things - and as Zak said, in the higher positions in more challenging repertoire they can sound particularly shrill....

Maybe go for the stentor, but I would definitely try and upgrade for grade 5 +

I know people who have spent from £400-£3000 for a 1/2 3/4 size violin- it’s not how much you spend but what the violin is like and whether it’s been setup probably.
Unfortunately stentors are factory made, shipped out and sold as is. I guess you could get it setup by a luthier but I’m not sure how much difference it would make.
To make progress on a violin, the instrument has to be able to generate a good sound, and be playable- otherwise it can become very frustrating for the player, especially as their ears improve.

We started 'trading up' quality wise quite early on for a whole host of reasons.

1. her first (and very experienced) teacher always advised us to go for the best quality instrument we could afford. Better quality instruments are more enjoyable and rewarding to play, and it fine tunes the ear from an early stage. As a violinist albeit amateur) this I could appreciate. Plus it was nicer for me to listen to...
2. it was evident quite early on that she was musical and had the potential to be quite good. We decided to invest a little more each time and trade-up in order to soften the blow of a very expensive instrument later on. So far, this is paying off.
3. we initially got stung buying new instruments that were worth next to nothing when selling on. Quality holds its value, and some luthiers will even guarantee to buy back at the price you paid if trading up with them later on.
4. a pointless and whimsical argument, but I'm a sucker for beautiful old things. There is something very special about a 125yr old teeny violin. (All that stuff about trading up is very sensible but emotionally I'm going to really struggle to say goodbye to the one she's on now!!).

Someone on another thread suggested a rule of thumb of £100 per grade, excluding bow/case. I'm not sure how widely accepted that view is, but it feels about right to me.

Most Stentors can be picked up for hardly anything secondhand. Our violin teacher said they were perfectly adequate for grade 5, but by grade 7, it was definitely time to move up (and by then, most players are able to appreciate the differences in construction and intonation from going up the price bands, so are more likely to appreciate an instrument with good tone and playability as being 'nice' than something new and shiny. Any secondhand one will need a professional setup, though, as you can't always tell if it's been stuffed under a bed or next to a radiator.

My specialisms are in different families (which is why I listen to the violin teacher), but I'd advise parents to not spend more than about £250 for most instruments until the higher grades. drums, pianos and large strings excepted .

To be fair she's only just starting on G8 standard material- won't be doing the exam any time soon!! But yes, it's been a rather speedy ascent, especially this past 6 months!!!

Also check the higher positions for quality of sound- this is often lacking in stentors- which will make gr5 + repertoire very difficult to play/get a good sound!