Buying a violin for ds-what measurements do I need to take?

[FillyjonkisCALM]

Dp is off to London tommorrow and ds desperately wants a violin, so he is going to go to Foote's and avail himselfs of the Suzuki student's cast offs

Ds is 4.4 but quite long armed. He has a very battered, pretty much unplayable 1/16th violin atm (so it needs replacing regardless)

I play the violin (ish), but obviously a full size, and I can't remember what the crucial measurement is here. Seem to remember something about chin-fingertip?

(and PLEASE don't say ds should go with dp-I mean yes he probably SHOULD but-he can't.)

Can violin teacher not advise?

You should be able to put violin under your chin and reach around the scroll with your elbow still slightly bent.

However, when DD got her 1/4 size (age 6) her arm was stretched totally flat to fingertip the scroll and she still managed OK and grew out of it within 6 months!

DD3 is a long-armed five-year-old and plays uses a 1/4 size violin.

A bit sneaky, this, but could you take your DS to a local music shop to find out what size he needs?

no violin teacher

dp leaving at 6am tommorrow...

logically it would be chin-palm, wouldn't it? Why do I have in my head chin-fingertip?

no aaargh NECK-palm