Any violin teachers or players about?

[caughtalightsneeze]

I want to buy a violin. I have one but I want a nicer one. I play to a decent standard (around grade 7ish) sometimes in an orchestra, but it's very much a hobby, I'm not heading for the Royal College of Music! I had budgeted around £1000 because I thought that's what it would take for something nice but I've been doing a bit of research and have found a few violins for much much less that seem like they get a good reputation for intermediate players like me. My daughter is learning and is shaping up to be a much better player than me so I'd like to buy something decent now.

The Forenzo Secondo Series 6 at £350
The Stentor Messina at £580
The Forenzo Series 8 at £550
The Stentor Conservatoire at £250

And I have seen a Hidersine Pianura which supposedly started off at £899 but is now the last in stock and is reduced to £499. But I can't find any reviews or recommendations for this one so I have no idea if it would be worth it.

Does anyone play one of these? Part of me wants to go for the cheapest but I'm naturally suspicious of the price!

Just giving this a little bump

Honestly if you have a budget of £1000 I'd go to a violin shop and try some. I'm a similar level of hobby player and for my 21st my mum bought me a really good violin. We went to a random small violin shop and I tried about 20. It's amazing how different they all are. My one is an old 1920s french one - it wasn't super expensive - I think about £950 - but I love it - the tone, the markings of the wood. It's fabulous. Don't think that just because you're not the next Yehudi Menuhin you don't deserve an instrument you really love. If you're playing regularly you're spending a lot of time with it. If you think of the pleasure it gives you over the course of a lifetime the cost per play is really very low compared to a lot of other hobbies - it just feels like loads because it's such a huge chunk at once! I paint and sew as well, and like gardening, and I'm sure over the years I've spent far more on supplies for each of those than my violin cost, even having to replace the odd string periodically. What's your bow like? If not great it's worth budgeting a bit for that too. If not now then in a year or so.

I have a fantastic bow, and it was quite expensive (at the time. Many years ago when my parents were paying for my lessons!). It's far better quality than my violin.

Definitely agree that you should go to a shop with a good reputation and try as many as possible. A good tone, fit, look is very personal.
I think you get far more value from decent second hand than new, but again- personal preference.

Yes absolutely agree with the others, I'd never buy a brand new violin. There are some great shops around with lovely old violins - the tone you'll get from an old one is likely to be a lot different to a fresh-from-the-factory one.

If you're in the South east can highly recommend Strings - www.stringsofpenn.co.uk/

I would prefer an old one but I have been googling like mad and can't find anywhere locally within my price range for older violins. Apart from on Gumtree but if I'm spending a fair bit of money I think that's too risky when I'm not an expert!