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Recommended Reading
When buying/hiring an instrument for a child or adult beginner it is crucial to make sure that the instrument is well set up. This means that all the fixtures and fittings (pegs, bridge, sound post etc) are of a good quality and work well. A violin with pegs that slip or cello where the bridge is too has a direct impact on the pupil's enjoyment and the amount of progress made.
My first recommendation would be to avoid purchasing instruments on sites such as ebay! I have heard so many horror stories about instruments with crucial parts missing and any saving you make will count for very little when the instrument has to be taken into a shop to be set up properly. It is tempting to go for the cheapest option possible when buying an instrument for the first time, but many of the general high street music shops stock instruments which have come straight from a factory and the strings on these instruments are of a very poor quality.
It is always advisable to visit a specialist string instrument shop and I would particularly like to recommend 'Stringers' on York Street London W1 (www.stringersmusic.com, tel: 0207 224 9099). The London branch of Stringers opened in 2006 but the Edinburgh shop has been providing high quality yet affordable instruments for players of all levels singe 1992. The shop is staffed by professional players and teachers who work with a luthier (instrument maker/repairer) to make sure that even the most basic instruments are fitted with high quality strings, bridges, pegs etc. Prices are competitive and there are many payment options available including hire to buy (whereby you initially hire the instrument while the pupil decides whether he/she definitely wants to play and the hire fees you pay count towards the price of the instrument if you later decide to buy it) and a part exchange scheme when upgrading or moving to the next size of instrument.
Learning to play an instrument takes hard work and dedication but should also be fun and finding an instrument that makes a pleasing sound and is comfortable to play makes a huge difference in terms of satisfaction for the player (and the listener!).
