Violin Buyers Guide

When you are considering the first time purchase of a violin, either for yourself or your child, it can be very confusing! Here at Axiom Music we are violin specialists. Our owner, David, has been playing violin since he was five years old and continues playing today in orchestras and ensembles. We hope the following information will help you make your choice.

WHAT SIZE DO I NEED?

It is vitally important that you have the correct sized violin. If the violin is too small the playing position will be cramped, and if too large the player will have to stretch the wrist resulting in an inability to play the correct notes

Measure the arm length from the base of the neck to the middle of the palm. The following table shows which size will be correct. Note, ages shown are averages only and may not apply to your child

Arm Length	Age	Size
40 - 45 cm	3 - 5	1/8
45 - 50 cm	4 - 7	1/4
50 - 55 cm	6 - 10	1/2
55 - 58 cm	9 - 11	3/4
Above 58 cm	12 - Adult	4/4

VIOLIN TIMBERS

Some budget violins use very cheap woods in their construction. A violin's tone is produced entirely by the vibration of the timber so it is really important that the instrument uses high quality resonant woods. Axiom violins use high quality tonewoods including spruce, flame maple and standard maple depending upon the model.

TUNING PEGS

The design of the violin has not changed for hundreds of years. The strings are held in place and tuned by "pegs" which are wooden pieces which fit into holes in the scroll of the violin and are held in place purely by friction. It is vital that the pegs are made of EBONY, a dense hard timber that resists swelling or cracking. Many budget violins use pegs made of poor quality soft wood and this causes huge problems in tuning and holding pitch. All our Axiom violins use Ebony pegs.

The fit of the peg into the scroll is also important. The pegs should extend neatly to the other side of the scroll and fit perfectly. If a peg sticks out beyond the scroll or doesn't extend to the other side it is a sign a poorly fitted peg which will cause all sorts of problems for the player

THE TAILPIECE

The tailpiece holds the strings at the opposite end and is a very important part of the violin. Many budget violins use cheap plastic tailpieces which not only do not hold tune well but can bend and warp which means the violin will be pretty much unplayable. All our violins use CARBON-FIBRE tailpieces. This is a super strong yet lightweight material that gives the tailpiece the ability to float freely without any distortion. Four fine tuners are incorporated with wide carbon-fibre levers meaning the tuners will always be smooth, accurate and easy to use.

PROFESSIONAL SET UP

When a violin is produced at the factory a very basic set up is performed, the bridge is removed and the strings loosened for shipping. Before a violin can be played the bridge must be shaped, adjusted and installed, the pegs checked for fit and the violin tuned and test played. Most violins you will find online in Australia under $300 will NOT be set up and will require you to make these adjustments yourself, which is impossible to do correctly without the right knowledge and experience

EVERY AXIOM VIOLIN WE SELL IS PROFESSIONALLY
SET UP AND TUNED PRIOR TO SHIPPING.

Our owner, David, is a violinist with over 50 years experience and he personally checks and sets up every single violin that leaves our warehouse. As far as we are aware we are the only company in Australia which provides this service on violins under $100. Please be very careful of online sites offering violins at amazingly low prices. They will almost certainly be poor quality and not set up.