Rent or buy a violin
This is the one instrument where the answer is genuinely different, and the reason is sizing: a child does not buy a violin, they buy three or four of them.
By Stephen V. · Writes Reed & Rosin · last verified
The short answer
For a growing child, renting a violin usually wins regardless of the break-even month, because they will pass through three or four fractional sizes and each purchase resells poorly. For an adult on a full-size instrument, buying wins comfortably within about two years at typical rates.
Some links on this page earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which instrument we recommend, and it does not change the order. We also earn nothing when the honest answer is “rent it” — and we still say so. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Outfit Solid spruce top, maple back and ebony fittings at student-outfit money. Ebony pegs and fingerboard are the specification that separates a workable student violin from a decoration. | The student violin a teacher will accept | 9.0/10 | $299.99View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
| 2 |  Stentor 1560A Conservatoire II 4/4 Stentor is the brand most school string programs actually stock, which matters: a teacher who already knows the instrument can diagnose a problem in seconds rather than blaming the student. | Matching what school programs already use | 9.1/10 | $771.91View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
| 3 |  Eastar EVA-3 4/4 Beginner Set The best-equipped budget outfit: tuner, spare strings, shoulder rest and a frosted fingerboard marker included. The marker is genuinely useful in month one and should come off by month six. | The most complete budget outfit | 8.4/10 | $173.36View on Amazon #ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded |
Scores are our own editorial fit rating from published specifications — the rubric is on our methodology page. They are not test results; we have not played these instruments.
Every other page in this section reaches roughly the same conclusion: rent for a year, then buy. Violin is different, and the difference is not marginal. A child starting at six on a 1/4 violin will typically move to a 1/2, then a 3/4, then a full size. That is four instruments, and it turns a single purchase decision into a sequence of them.
First, the arithmetic as normally presented
| If the violin costs | Renting equals it after | Which is roughly |
|---|---|---|
| $200 | 11 months | about 0.9 school years |
| $300 | 16 months | about 1.3 school years |
| $400 | 22 months | about 1.8 school years |
| $600 | 32 months | about 2.7 school years |
| $900 | 48 months | about 4.0 school years |
| $1200 | 64 months | about 5.3 school years |
Rates are the published standard monthly rental prices at Hickey’s Music Center, read on 7 September 2026 and effective from their chart dated 9 August 2025. Rental rates vary by region and by shop, so run your own local quote through the same arithmetic — the method does not change, only the input.
Violin is the cheapest instrument in the published chart we checked, at $18.99 a month standard. On its face that looks like a strong argument for buying: about a year of rent covers a budget student outfit.
Why that table is misleading for a child
Because it prices one violin, and a growing child needs several. Run it again with that in mind.
| Path | What you pay | What you are left with |
|---|---|---|
| Rent throughout | The monthly rate, continuously, with size exchanges included in the agreement | Nothing — but you never bought anything you could not use |
| Buy each size, sell each on | Four purchases, minus whatever each fractional instrument resells for | A full-size violin, plus the accumulated resale losses |
| Buy each size, keep them | Four purchases | A full-size violin and three instruments nobody in the house can play |
Fractional violins resell poorly. The buyer pool is small, local, and mostly served by the same rental programs you would be competing with.
Rental programs exchange sizes as part of the agreement. That single feature is worth more than the monthly rate difference, and it is the reason string teachers overwhelmingly recommend renting for growing children.
Where the sizing sequence stops
A student reaches full size somewhere between about eleven and fourteen, depending on arm length rather than age — our sizing chart has the measurements from two independent sources, including where they disagree. Once a student is on a 4/4, the growing risk is over and the ordinary break-even arithmetic applies again. That is the moment to buy.
The exceptions where buying wins
- An adult beginner. No sizing risk at all. Buy, and the break-even table above applies straightforwardly.
- A student already on a 4/4. Same reasoning. Buy at the point they stop growing into instruments.
- A very small fractional size for a short window. A 1/8 or 1/16 violin is inexpensive enough that buying it outright can cost less than a year of rent even accounting for zero resale. Check the local rate against the actual instrument price before assuming renting wins at the extreme small end.
- No rental program within reach. Rural families sometimes have no local string rental at all, and shipping a violin back and forth for size exchanges eliminates the convenience that makes renting worthwhile.
What to buy when you do buy
When the sizing question is settled, buy a solid-wood outfit with ebony fittings rather than the cheapest complete kit. Ebony pegs hold; ebonized softwood pegs slip, and a violin that will not stay in tune is a violin nobody plays. Then spend a little more on the bow, which is almost always the weakest component in a student outfit and the cheapest one to improve.
We earn a commission when you buy a violin through this site and nothing when you rent one. This page recommends renting for most children, because that is what the sizing sequence makes true.
The picks, in full
Every card below is written from the published specification and the manufacturer’s own documentation. We have not played these instruments — see how we work for exactly what that means and what we do instead.
Our top pick · The student violin a teacher will accept
Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Outfit
Solid spruce top, maple back and ebony fittings at student-outfit money. Ebony pegs and fingerboard are the specification that separates a workable student violin from a decoration.
What works
- Solid spruce top rather than laminate or painted plywood
- Ebony fingerboard and pegs — ebonized softwood warps and slips
- Sold as a complete outfit with case and bow
What to know
- Still needs a shop setup: bridge fitting and a proper string height are not guaranteed
- The included bow is serviceable rather than good
- Top
- Solid spruce
- Back and sides
- Maple
- Fittings
- Ebony
- Outfit
- Case and bow included
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.0/10.
Pick 2 · Matching what school programs already use
Stentor 1560A Conservatoire II 4/4
Stentor is the brand most school string programs actually stock, which matters: a teacher who already knows the instrument can diagnose a problem in seconds rather than blaming the student.
What works
- Widely used in school string programs, so teachers know it
- Solid carved top and back with ebony fittings
- Holds resale value better than unbranded outfits
What to know
- Costs more than the generic online outfits
- Bow and case are basic for the price
- Size
- 4/4 (full)
- Top
- Solid carved spruce
- Fittings
- Ebony
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 9.1/10.
Pick 3 · The most complete budget outfit
Eastar EVA-3 4/4 Beginner Set
The best-equipped budget outfit: tuner, spare strings, shoulder rest and a frosted fingerboard marker included. The marker is genuinely useful in month one and should come off by month six.
What works
- Includes tuner, rosin, spare string set and shoulder rest
- Fingerboard position markers help a beginner find first position
- One of the few budget outfits that arrives close to playable
What to know
- Fingerboard markers become a crutch if they stay on past the first months
- Fittings are ebonized rather than solid ebony on some units
- Size
- 4/4 (full)
- Outfit
- Case, bow, rosin, tuner, shoulder rest, spare strings
- Fingerboard markers
- Yes (removable)
#ad · price as of September 7, 2026 · how this is funded
Specs read from the manufacturer or retailer listing on 2026-09-07. Our fit score: 8.4/10.
Questions people actually ask
Is it better to rent or buy a violin for a child?
Rent, in almost every case, until the child reaches full size. A growing student passes through three or four fractional sizes, each of which resells poorly, and rental agreements exchange sizes at no purchase cost. Buy once they are on a 4/4.
How much does it cost to rent a violin?
One shop's published standard rate was $18.99 a month, the cheapest instrument on their chart, with a deluxe tier at $28.99 and an optional damage waiver adding $8 to $12. Local rates vary.
How many violin sizes will my child go through?
Typically three or four. A child starting at six on a 1/4 usually moves to a 1/2, then a 3/4, then a full size somewhere between eleven and fourteen. Arm length rather than age decides each transition.
Should an adult beginner rent or buy a violin?
Buy. There is no sizing risk for an adult, so the straightforward break-even applies: roughly a year of rent at typical rates covers a budget student outfit outright, and about two years covers a good one.
Sources
We have not played these instruments, so citation is our evidence. Everything above traces back to one of these, on the date shown.