How Much Will It Cost?
Prices of contemporary step-up instruments range from $1,500 to $5,000; an antique instrument could cost much more. Although you may think that a higher price means a better instrument, sometimes a premium is attached for details such as fancier fittings, more intricate inlay, and other niceties that don’t necessarily affect the tone of the instrument. There are some very good-quality instruments at the lower end of the spectrum. Define what your upper limit is before you go shopping for your new instrument—and remember there will be plenty to look at throughout each of the price ranges.

Be sure to check the Violin Pricing Guide in the 2006 Strings Buyer’s Guide for contact and pricing information on numerous makers and their going rates. (The guide is available online at www.stringsmagazine.com.) Many musicians even have had custom instruments made within these lower- to mid-range prices. The good news is, as Horkan puts it, “There are so many great contemporary makers [and] terrific new instruments that are reliable, consistent, and structurally sound.”

Set Your Standards
Choosing an instrument is a very personal endeavor, and it takes time. Make sure to allot an hour or two when you first visit a shop, and don’t buy on impulse. Plan to take instruments home to try in the environment they’ll be used in and to play for your teacher. Visit many shops to compare. Doug Cox, a Vermont-based luthier, says not to worry if the process takes a few months. After all, you’re purchasing an fiddle that will be your “voice,” one that you will hopefully keep for a long time. Most shops let you take instruments for a week or two for a trial. Try to take home two contrasting instruments so that you can compare them over time.

“Although everyone has different tastes,” says Horkan, “there are certain things all players can look for in an instrument: responsiveness, ease of playing, evenness of tone from string to string and throughout the range of the instrument. Some players prefer a mellow sound. However, in general I try to steer students toward an open, clean sound.

“Comfort is extremely important. It really works both ways, though: If a student is comfortable with an instrument, they’ll pull out a better sound—and if they like the sound, the instrument feels comfortable.”

The Right Fit
Usually, between you and your teacher, you’ll know when you have found the right instrument. “In helping a player choose an instrument, I look for verbal and physical cues,” Horkan says. “I’m aiming for when a player says, ‘I just love this instrument.’ Sometimes I can see a player relax with a particular instrument—and I know they’ve found the right one. Sometimes I may notice that they tense up with one instrument and I’ll make sure to communicate that to them.”

This brings up another issue: standard size of instruments. If you choose a stringed instrument that’s a little different (larger or smaller), you’ll end up adjusting to it—but it may be hard to readjust when you move on to your next instrument. Cox says that “you become used to a nonstandard instrument—and your technique will end up conforming to it.”

Benotti recently went through the process of finding a cello for her son. They a particular instrument that had unusually sloping shoulders, she says, but were told by cello colleagues that it would be hard to adjust to, particularly for a child. So they continued their search—ultimately finding just the right one for stepping up.