Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Choosing To Buy A Vintage Violin

By Dennis Perry


Many people play orchestral instruments as a hobby or professionally. Most will usually start with an entry level model when learning and later progress to a better made instrument costing more. After becoming more skilled many musicians will decide to buy a vintage violin and there are a few things to think about before purchasing one.

Music teachers and professional players will usually say that the better quality your instruments are the better you will play. Each hand crafted violin will be different in looks, tone and feel. Prior to spending a substantial amount of cash on an antique violin you should try it out to ensure it is right for you.

A vintage musical instrument will generally be more expensive than a factory made modern version. The price of these violins is dictated by a few things and a little care should be taken when selecting one. You can find reputable music retailers in Huntington Beach, CA who sell vintage instruments and will assist you in finding one that meets your requirements.

The first thing to work out is how much money you want to spend on an antique violin. With prices ranging from a few thousand dollars to millions for the very rare ones it is important to make the right choice. A number of things will affect the value such as the maker, country of origin, woods used in the construction and the year of manufacture.

Instrument retailers are probably the best place to find and buy a vintage instrument and stores can be found in towns and cities all over the world. The good thing about buying from a shop is that you can handle and play the violin before you buy it. Another plus point is that you will be able to speak with the staff that work in the store and ask their advice and opinions on any potential purchases.

Vintage musical instruments may also be found on web based retailers and auction pages. Buyers should exercise some care when buying valuable items online as you may not be able to view the item in person before buying. Any antiques should be verified by a trusted expert as over the years many counterfeits have been offered for sale.

When buying any vintage items you should always enquire about its history and ask where the seller obtained it. Get purchase receipts off them from when they got it if possible and if it has any serial numbers you can do a little research online and maybe via the maker if they are still in business. Ideally it should come with its original case and any documentation that has accompanied it over the years.

A very important thing to think about is the insurance cover for your valuable instrument. Your basic home insurance will probably not cover an antique or an item that exceeds a certain value so you should check with your insurance company. Companies are available that specialize in covering musical instruments and antique items and it is worth contacting a few of these firms to get some quotes and compare prices.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment