If you ask around your friends and family, a lot of them have the impression that old antique violins are better than one which has just been hand crafted. Even professional violin teachers have this idea. In fact, this is a world-wide impression where many people from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia or the Philippines have. This may influence your decision when you decide to buy a violin before you start your violin lesson. However, when you are looking to buy a violin, this is not the only factor to consider. Let me explain a bit more. Old violins have a high perceived value, and this value factors in the tone and playability of the music instrument as well as the historical value. If you have no interest in collecting and investing in old antique violins, you can do well by buying a good quality new violin and practice on it for a few years. Since the music instrument is hand crafted from good quality maple wood, the tone of the violin matures over time and sounds richer. As such, a new, good quality violin which has matured over a number of years and have a good dynamic range, can respond to you when you play difficult pieces and has a clear and rich tone. So looking at this from the old antique violin angle, even if you wish to invest in one, ensure that the violin is in mint condition with no cracks and major repairs. Once a violin has been repaired, this alters the tone quality forever. So visually inspect carefully, the old violin you intend to buy. Ask the violin shop the history of the violin, who its previous owners are and if the violin has undergone any major repair. A reputable violin shop will be able to furnish this information to you accurately.  Read more...