Are you tired of getting those cheap internet violins in your classroom? Are they hindering your students progress? Are they wasting class time? It’s time we educated parents about buying those “Violin Shaped Objects” (V.S.O) before the school year begins so they don’t make a huge mistake!

On my school orchestra website, I’ve created a special page to address this issue and have also shared it with my feeder teachers in hopes that they will also send out this information to their rising students.

It is very tempting for parents to purchase cheap internet instruments from large online retailers (some jungle name, I think), however we must let parents know why these instruments just won’t work and how they are harmful to a student’s education in music.

I teach high school in an affluent community, but still find these instruments making their way to my classroom. I do understand — regardless of how much money you have, it’s always nice to save money, right? But in the case of stringed instruments, where every millimeter matters (in terms of set up), we need instruments that will be reliable, tunable, and allow our students to be successful. Besides the fact that cheap internet instruments cripple individual students ability to progress progress, they also hurt the education of the entire class by wasting away valuable class time simply because they do not stay in tune.

Because this problem has become widespread, I decided to created a dedicated page on my website with a short, informational letter and a list of questions that will help educate parents about V.S.O. and guide them to vendors who will provide high-quality instruments and service. Check it out below… Feel free to copy/paste or modify to fit your needs!

Obtaining a stringed instrument

Dear Parents,

I am so glad that your child has decided to play in orchestra! Playing a stringed instrument is something that can be enjoyed for a lifetime and it all starts here!

Before we begin, it is critical that your child have a quality instrument for orchestra class and home practice. Poor quality instruments cause frustration for the student and prevent adequate progress.  There are also many disturbances for the teacher as these instruments generally don’t stay in tune.  Poor quality instruments are made with substandard materials, are constructed with unacceptable craftsmanship, and are most often not “set up” properly, making it difficult to tune, play and produce a beautiful, characteristic tone.  

A list of questions, provided below, have been put together to help you become better informed about choosing a vendor who will provide you with the best quality instruments and the best service should any issues arise.  I care about the experience your child will have in orchestra and obtaining a quality instrument is the first step.  While I cannot recommend a particular vendor, we hope that this sheet will better prepare you to choose a high-quality vendor.  

In addition, I highly encourage parents to avoid temptations to purchase cheap internet instruments, commonly known as V.S.O. – “Violin Shaped Objects.” These objects look like real musical instruments, but most of them are virtually unplayable due to the a number of structural and set-up problems. Many well-meaning parents send these instruments to school to find out that even an experienced teacher cannot keep them in tune then take them to a repair shops to discover that the repairs required to make the instrument playable actually cost more than the price they paid for the instrument. Often the price rivals that of a properly made and set-up instrument. Unfortunately a cheap internet instrument made playable is still worth very little in the long run. As with almost anything, if the price sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with additional questions. I’m looking forward to working with your child soon!

Sincerely,

Dr. Laux

Questions to ask…

QUALITY of Instruments

• Does the instrument come with brand name strings?
• Who does the set-up of the bridge, sound post, and other “fittings”? Is it done on site, or do instruments come set up straight from the factory? (Set up should be done on site).
• Is the instrument ready to play out of the case?  Is the bridge cut to the correct height?
• Is the bow rosined? Is the hair REAL horsehair?

QUALITY of Service/Repairs

• What type of repair service is available?
• Is the cost of repairs included in the rental price? (Should be!)
• During what hours is your shop open?
• Does your sales staff have a background in strings? (This is a must!)
• Can they give knowledgeable assistance regarding string instruments?
• Do you have a qualified luthier (string instrument repair specialist) available to service instruments in a timely manner, or do you need to send instruments out for repairs? (All repairs should be done on site)
• Do you have representatives that make regular visits to each school to provide service?

Rental Policies

• Are rental fees due monthly, quarterly, etc?
• Is there a minimum amount of time I must rent an instrument?
• What is the monthly rent and how much of that payment will go towards the eventual purchase of the instrument? (This should be 100%!) Are there multiple makes of hand-carved instruments available for step up when my child outgrows his/her first instrument?
• Am I able to trade up to the next instrument size at any time? (i.e. 1/2 size to 3/4 size)
• Am I able to upgrade a purchased instrument at a later time?
• What options do you have for high quality instrument upgrades for my child later in life?
• Is insurance included in the monthly rental?
• If so, what is covered by insurance (what are my liabilities?)
• What accessories are provided with the instrument?
  • All students should have a cleaning cloth and rosin.
  • Violins and violas have a rigid shoulder rest (foam/sponges are not acceptable).
  • Cellos and basses should have with a rock stop (to prevent floor damage)

References:

Shar Music’s Parents Guide to V.S.O.

Note: Special thanks to Shar for providing a valuable “Guide to VSO” on their website.