Categories of Violin :
While it is quite difficult to assess, find, and purchase the right violin for you, it is recommended to choose a violin based on your individual musical style, skill level, and size. In general, violins are broadly categorized into three groups – violins for students, violins for intermediate players, and violins for advanced professionals.
1. Violins for Students:
Student violins are typically made from some less expensive woods and they are mostly manufactured or assembled by machines.
That’s why beginner level violins are quite affordable and they are less expensive than the other two categories. Typically, this kind of violins can range from $100 to $800 and they are an excellent choice for beginners.
For an instant, if you are just started undergoing violin lessons and you are not interested in making a hefty investment, then a beginner level violin will be worth your investment.
These type of violins are prepared from medium-quality woods and there will be much lesser hand work in the carving, assembly, and/or finishing process. Most of these violins have plastic parts, for example, tuning pegs and chinrests.
Key Features
- Less costly and much affordable.
- They are ideally suited for students and beginner level violin players.
- These types of violins typically require less handwork in the process of carving, assembly, and finishing.
Note: Before buying a beginner violin, we recommend you to check our student violin reviews. Please check the section — “Top 10 Violin Reviews” for a betting understanding.
2. Violins for Intermediate Players:
The violin products that fill the gap between beginner-level and professional-level instruments are termed as “Intermediate Violins”. These kinds of violins are needed when you want to improve or enhance your skills.
For example, once you have been actively playing the violin for quite a while and you wish to enhance the overall sound quality and tonal quality of your instrument, then you may consider upgrading to an intermediate level violin.
Obviously, an intermediate level violin is more costly than a student violin. However, they feature a better craftsmanship too.
Key Features
- They are typically costlier than student violins.
- They feature a better craftsmanship as compared to a beginner level violin.
- They feature a better craftsmanship as compared to a beginner level violin.
Violins for Advanced Professionals:
Professional or master violins are most suited for advanced professionals. They are typically constructed from slow-dried and cold-grown wood.
Not only they feature a premium quality craftsmanship, but also these violins are hand built and assembled by an experienced luthier.
Additionally, they are typically finished with high-quality components, for example, an ebony fingerboard or wooden tailpiece.
Note, the excellent craftsmanship, great materials, and refined artistic assembly certainly make these violins well-suitable for professional, aspiring, experienced, and advanced musicians.
Key Features:
- These types of violins feature an excellent craftsmanship and refined artistic assembly.
- In general, they are the costliest (compared to the other two aforementioned categories).
- This kind of violin is considered to be an ideal musical instrument for professional, aspiring, experienced, and advanced musicians.
Acoustic Versus Electric Violins:
In the previous section, you have just revealed three popular categories of violins.
Now, here is another important topic (i.e. Acoustic Versus Electric Violins) that you must know and understand before purchasing your first-ever violin.
Please note, acoustic violins are being used since the late 16th century. Since then, these types of violins have served as a major centerpiece of many concertos, paintings, training methods, and symphonies.
In fact, acoustic violins are arguably considered to be the best violin concertos. By using dramatic & frequent string crossings with full chords, acoustic violins possess the capability of producing a desirable sound effect.
Their harmonic structures & progressions are both unique and beautiful. Acoustic violins can help flaunting an ambitious player’s skill and effort.
They can produce a warm and rounded tone because of the natural resonance of the tonewoods.
In general, folk and classical musicians tend to use acoustic instruments.
Another popular variant i.e. electric violins typically have “best violin pickup” can produce an amplified sound quality.
Typically, these violins have a solid body with a minimalistic design that makes them portable and lightweight.
In contrast to acoustic violins, electric violins produce a raw, bright, and enhanced sound effect.Both jazz and rock musicians tend to prefer electric violins.
Because of their plug-and-play capability, these violins are considered to be a good choice for those musicians that play with amplified bands.
For electric violin reviews, please check the section of “Top 10 Violin Reviews” where detailed reviews of top-quality electric violins are described.
So, if you are purchasing a violin for the first time and you are confused about which type of violins should be perfect for you, then you must choose a violin based on your style of music.
Note, both electric violins and acoustic violins have similar playing dynamics. Therefore, transitioning from one violin to the other will not be much difficult or troublesome.