I Want to Learn Violin. Should I Rent or Buy?

Violin, while perhaps not the most expensive hobby, does incur many costs. Purchasing your violin and bow is just the beginning. Buying music, accessories, and signing up for a lessons program will soon start to feel like an enormous investment. There are less expensive ways to pursue your dream of playing the violin, and choosing to rent initially is one way to keep down costs. This blog will discuss the pros and cons of renting vs. buying a violin, but if you want more information about purchasing and great advice on where to begin, see our blog “Purchasing Guide”.

Advantages of Renting

• Not sure you can commit? If your schedule doesn’t allow for regular violin practice, you would only be out a few moths rent if you decide to quit.
• “Rent-to-Own” is a gentler means to eventual ownership. Reputable rental stores have generous policies that let you apply some portion of your rent toward the eventual purchase of any violin in the store’s inventory.
• More quality for Less money: Renting a violin is cost-effective. Shops rent high-quality instruments to avoid frequent repairs, offering durable violins that can withstand heavy use.

Advantages of Buying

While renting an instrument is fiscally a safe choice for beginners, many people love the perks of ownership.

• Many more options to choose your special instrument. Violin shopping is exciting! Violin shops let you play everything they have in your price range, and will even allow you to take several instruments home on approval.
• More likely to stay committed. Dropping several hundred to a thousand dollars on an instrument is good motivation to commit to learning.
• Saves money. If you’re in this for life, why be out any rental costs?
• Recoup some costs if you need to sell. Should you ever need to sell your violin, consigning your violin or listing the instrument on an online marketplace is one way to recover some of your investment. However, unless you bought a pedigreed violin for several thousand dollars you will unlikely be able to sell it for what you paid for it.

What to expect from your rental agreement

• Rental credit toward purchase: Most stores credit a portion of your rental fees toward the purchase of a violin if you decide to buy one later.
• Easy Exchange: You can switch out your violin for another if you encounter any issues with the one you rented.
• Free string replacements: If a string wears out, simply bring your violin back to the rental shop. Most shops will replace it for free. Keep in mind that rental violins often come with student-grade strings.
• Optional insurance plan: Most rental agreements offer insurance for a small monthly fee. If you own a violin, consider adding a rider to your homeowner’s insurance policy. Otherwise, you may need to take out a separate policy for valuable instruments.
• Included accessories: Most rental packages come with essential items such as a shoulder rest and rosin. Typically, the shoulder rest is a basic “Kun” style, so you won’t need to purchase accessories right away.

Where to Rent?

Stay away from general music stores that also sell band instruments. Inventory is often very low and the quality of the instrument is substandard. Also, employees at these stores are not stringed instrument players so don’t have the expertise to help advise your purchase.

We strongly advise renting from a violin shop in your area. Do a google search for “violin shops in my area”. Even if you have to drive an hour or two to get there, it’s worth the trip. Select a shop with a wide selection of violins in the “step-up” price range. These instruments typically cost two to three times more than a rental, but with rental credit applied toward a higher-quality violin, upgrading down the road will become more affordable.

Recommended Online Rentals

If there are no stringed instrument shops within a reasonable drive from where you live, choose reputable companies like the following.

• Sharmusic.com has a rent to own plan with a generous trade in policy for a future upgrade.
• JohnsonStrings.com has a rental program for higher quality instruments.
• Southweststrings.com is another large operation with affordable rental prices.

Renting a violin is certainly an affordable entry into the world of beginning violin learning. Violin Lab will take you from square one and teach you to play so well, you’ll have no choice but to buy yourself a lovely instrument someday.