Student Instruments

Beginners often start out on very cheap budget instruments and then come into our workshop wondering why their instrument doesn’t actually work. They then have to spend even more money on improving it than they would have by buying a decent student instrument in the first place.

We are aware of the fact that not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on an instrument but we still try to educate people by explaining what is essential, even for a beginner. For example, you cannot learn on an instrument which has extremely high or extremely low string heights over the fingerboard, where pegs are not fitted properly or fingerboards are extremely ‘bumpy’. An instrument will not sound with a badly fitted soundpost that has been incorrectly positioned nor with bad quality metal strings, etc.
Now people do ask themselves- is it really that important when you start?
We think a properly working instrument is as important as a good teacher. You won’t like to play if you cannot get a nice sound out of it, just as you wouldn’t feel like going to your lesson if you didn’t like the teacher.
That’s why we have decided to make it our policy to not deal with the very cheap range of student instruments as it won’t make our customers happy nor will it make us happy because we know what you are getting. Or rather what you are not getting.

We have spent a lot of time and are constantly on the lookout for good quality and reasonably priced instruments and have selected a few that we think represent good value for money. At the moment we offer instruments and outfits mainly by German companies Schroeter, Hoeffner and Paesold.
New outfits start at around £150 for violin. They are all properly set up in our workshop and are fitted with good quality strings.
Occasionaly we do provide second hand student instruments.

We do offer a part- exchange when you upgrade an instrument.