Choosing a Violin or Bow

  We at Lashof Violins strongly believe that the proper selection of a hand made violin or wood bow must be done in person and with unbiased assistance. We recommend against mail order violin purchases.  With this in mind we do not sell hand made instruments via mail order. However composite bows are available for mail order trial anywhere within the US. Sound is a very subjective thing and no one can pick a violin for you. In  over 30 years of experience in the violin business, including some as a professional violinist and as a  teacher, we have yet to find a customer or a colleague that can describe the sound characteristics of a violin that will  match our description of the same violin. Trying a violin without obligation to purchase is a must.  Most teachers while not being able to describe what sound they want to us,  can instantly tell  when they play on it.

  Partially on this same thread, you need to be cautious about purchasing a violin directly from your teacher or another party. It may be a wonderful violin, and worth what it is being sold as, but it may not be the instrument for you. You also will not have the same protection as a trade in back where you purchased it from. Remember that your teacher is trained as an educator not as a violin expert. Just the same we will not attempt to tell you how to play, that is your teachers job.

   Unlike many violin firms including some local ones, Lashof Violins never pays teacher commissions for violin sales. Some teachers even refuse to look at instruments from those stores that do not pay commissions.  We do believe that the teacher should be  compensated for their time and talents by the lessons that they charge for and should be paid by the student for any additional research on their behalf made outside of the lesson, including travel time.  Please read about ethics between violin dealers and teachers. The unethical practice to collect commissions (defined as payola) most likely violates antitrust laws and even if disclosed to the student by all parties involved, puts the violin purchaser at a disadvantage and will cost the musician more for those instruments. Be sure to ask your teacher if such a financial arrangement is being made so that an impartial judge may be sought to preview all of your available choices, remember that this teacher may not be there a year or so from now.  We at Lashof Violins have lost sales because of these ideals but in this business integrity is everything and we prefer to have a satisfied customer and to keep everything above board.

Lashof Violins staff

Some Useful advise on picking an instrument or bow Courtesy of Robert Cauer Violins