Violin Price Guide: Current Values & Sales

A violin is sold in sizes, and in levels of craftsmanship, and the two together explain most of the price spread. A child outgrowing a fractional size and an adult auditioning for a youth orchestra are shopping in different parts of the market, even though both say they need a violin.

Most beginner violins are sold as outfits, meaning the violin comes with a bow, a case, and rosin. A bare violin, such as the one in the advanced tier below, usually leaves you to buy those separately. Check what is in the box before comparing two prices.

Beginner and student outfits cluster at the lower end of retail listings. Fiddlershop sells a starter outfit under its Tower Strings line at $259, and its Fiddlerman Apprentice sits at $489. At Sweetwater, student outfits from Knilling, Revelle, and Eastman run from $599 up to $1,108.

Retailers run sales often, so the figure you see at checkout can differ from the list price printed here. These are retailer list prices at the time they were checked, and they are not guaranteed to match what you pay.

Past the first year or two, many players move up. Shar Music's guide puts the intermediate to seasoned student bracket at $800 – $3,000. The listings below fall in or near that bracket, from the Fiddlerman Master at $1,099 to Eastman and Carlo Lamberti models near $1,999.

The Carlo Lamberti Master Series is sold as the violin alone, so budget separately for a bow and case if you do not already own them.

Higher tiers generally mean better tonewoods, more hand finishing, and a more careful setup. Student models are often factory made, while step-up instruments tend to use more carefully chosen wood and are adjusted by a technician before shipping. Better strings and fittings often come with the higher tiers too. A good setup matters at every level, because a poorly fitted bridge or pegs that slip make practice harder regardless of the label.

Brand names and the line within a brand matter less than the setup, so a teacher or a shop that sets up each instrument is worth consulting. Ask what the retailer inspects and adjusts before shipping.

Children who are still growing often need a new size every so often, so renting can make more sense than buying. Shar Music runs a rent-to-own program called SharWay, and it lists its standard violin outfit at $18.99/mo. The figure comes from the retailer's program page, and terms such as the length of the plan and the buyout rules are set by the retailer, so read them before signing.

Renting also tends to bundle the bow and case. If you plan to keep playing for years, compare the total of the payments against the cost of buying a comparable outfit outright.

The instrument is rarely the only cost. Plan for a shoulder rest, extra strings, a lesson book, and occasional adjustments. A bow bought separately, a better case, or a professional setup adds to the bill. Strings wear out and are replaced periodically.

• Size: Fractional sizes are generally priced similarly to full size at the student level, and you may need to change sizes as a child grows.
• Construction: Laminated or machine-carved tops cost less than hand-carved ones.
• Included accessories: An outfit bundles items that a bare violin does not.
• Setup: A shop that inspects and adjusts each instrument may charge somewhat more for that work.
• Seller: Specialty string shops, music chains, and online-only sellers price the same model differently.