Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Flip

Original poster

Violins, some expert opinion needed as to which temporary 3/4 to go for

16 replies

itwasallsoldout · 09/04/2021 18:05

Hello, I need a 3/4 for about six - nine months for my 10 year old who is tall and fast growing, we have stuck with the 1/2 too long, and will very soon need a full size. Would you go with a second hand Stentor I or a second hand Antoni axl31? My dc's level is around grade 2 - maybe 3 (they aren't doing exams at the moment)
Thank you

OP posts:

doesanybodyhaveamap · 09/04/2021 20:30

Of it's really not going to be for very long then I'd suggest renting one.... take DC to luthier and see what they prefer to play.

Original poster

itwasallsoldout · 09/04/2021 20:57

thanks for your response but I don't have that option where I live!

It really is for a short time, I think dc could just about handle a full size now - they just had a huge growth spurt! -but wanted to get a 3/4 in case, and also to give me a bit of time to find a decent full size

OP posts:

Cldashlda · 09/04/2021 21:02

Can't help on the specific brands (I had a beautiful French 3/4 on hand when ds needed one). But would advise not to jump to the full too early. Having to stretch screws with both tuning and tone development - you can't develop a nice vibrato if you're stretching too far just to get the notes.

Original poster

itwasallsoldout · 09/04/2021 21:40

@Cldashlda that is what I was thinking, about size.

Now, why don't I have a beautiful French 3/4 on hand, I wonder...!!

OP posts:

doesanybodyhaveamap · 09/04/2021 21:55

Caswells will send to anywhere:

caswells-strings.co.uk/instrument-rentals/

Cldashlda · 10/04/2021 09:57

@itwasallsoldout it was a complete fluke - mine from when I was a child (bought cheap from newspaper small ads) that has been held onto - there's no real market for good 3/4s - most people are like you - passing through on the way to a full size. We had a stentor as well on loan from his teacher to take to and from school - it was fine.

Original poster

itwasallsoldout · 10/04/2021 10:06

thanks @Cldashlda do you know who made the French one? Just interested really, no relevance to this.

thanks @doesanybodyhaveamap - I think I might well get the full size from that website, it looks great, rental to buy so thank you very much for that. I also noticed the other thread which recommends cardiff.
Are you a luthier or a teacher or player? Re the 3/4 I can get a cheap antoni or stentor i from ebay for £45 or so so that really is cheap, and my thinking is that dc can continue to learn new things practising on it and also they are going through a slightly gungho stage and accidents are more likely, and the last thing I want is for them to damage a rental. The antoni is a faster delivery, the stentor has better recommendations i think - but I don't anything too dire as it will be demotivating.

OP posts:

doesanybodyhaveamap · 10/04/2021 10:31

@itwasallsoldout I'm a player and parent, my DD started quite young and we are quite far along her journey now.

We have actually owned all our her fractional sized violins as she has generally been on them for quite a long time and we have also gone for quite high quality instruments because of the path she is on. We do rent her viola though, from Philip Brown in Newbury. Also worth contacting if within travelling distance for you as his rentals are fantastic quality.

The stentors etc can be quite hard to sell on hence my advice to rent if you're not planning to keep for long. Also the set up makes a massive difference to playability- if they have rubbish strings and haven't been properly set up by a luthier they can be hard to get a decent sound from and can impact progress. So getting a rental (or buying) from a reputable luthier will make a big difference.

Original poster

itwasallsoldout · 10/04/2021 12:13

doesanyonehaveamap that is very helpful, thank you.

OP posts:

Londonmummy66 · 10/04/2021 19:58

Thwaites in Watford are good at set up and often have nice secondhand smaller sized instruments so worth a call if they are accessible.

thirdfiddle · 11/04/2021 19:59

Agree buying on ebay can be a false economy. Assume you will need a new set of strings, and may need a luthier to sort out setup. You can get lucky but you could end up spending more than you save. DD has borrowed a nice 3/4 but it needed a new bridge and strings and a new bow; I spent more than the cost of a new stentor getting it set up right. Which is worth it as it has a great sound, but wouldn't be worth it if you were starting with an old stentor!

Renting does sound like a good idea if it's going to be short term.

Of the two brands you mention DD had a (smaller) stentor at that sort of grade and it did the job nicely. They're pretty reliable I think.

cingolimama · 12/04/2021 09:49

Get in touch with Cardiff Violins www.cardiffviolins.co.uk/. I got DD's beautiful 3/4 violin from them (handmade, not factory-made from skilled luthiers in China). They have generous trade-ins (around 90%) when you're ready to upgrade to a full-size. They ship anywhere - I'm in London, and have dealt with them for years - recently upgraded DD's bow. They are extremely helpful.

Just to say that your DC may want a 3/4 for longer than 6 months - you don't want to rush the jump to full-size.

Original poster

itwasallsoldout · 17/04/2021 15:19

Thank you - I had ordered a new 3/4 stentor II which was being sold by a music shop on ebay for £103, half price because of slight aesthetic damage to wood on bow plus missing case, and I was worried but it has arrived today, and thank goodness it seems absolutely lovely. It has a brown stentor student hard case, which is fine. It is missing its satin blanket though... I have tuned it.

I really appreciated all the advice, thank you. Will be taking it on board for when we buy 4/4 which will be more of a long term investment.

OP posts:

thirdfiddle · 17/04/2021 18:27

Nice find :) you might want to wrap it in a scarf or large handkerchief for additional padding in the case.

Pythonesque · 18/04/2021 05:00

I'm grinning reading this. DC2 got to choose a 3/4 violin as DC1 grew so early I missed it and she was rerady for full size at 10. I'm tall and didn't need fullsize till 11.

Our 3/4 has subsequently been lent to my own students as they've needed it (only a couple so far)

hope you keep enjoying the journey!

Didiplanthis · 21/04/2021 14:29

I took advice from someone upthread..😆 about getting a decent small size for my dd. She loves it after her previous entry level violins, and it made a huge difference to her enthusiasm and enjoyment of practice as she really works to get the sound she knows it can make and she was only grade 2 ish at the time. Unfortunately she now has expensive tastes for future sizes and 100% knows what she wants... and has discovered violas...

Flip