Violins for sale of quality

"A violin's age is not counted in years but in moments of bliss"

For many musicians, a violin is more than just a stringed instrument. Especially old violins with their mature, individual character are true companions in orchestra playing, chamber music and solo performance. Corilon violin's online catalogue features violins, old violins and antique violins for sale that inspire the serious player with their delicate workmanship, selected wood and fine antique varnish. Beginners and advanced players alike appreciate older violins for their richness in tone and rare violins as a desirable alternative with a good investment value.

Corilon's violins catalogue - quality violins for sale at affordable prices

The Corilon Shop presents a hand-selected collection of violins for sale at an attractive price; these attractive full sized violins from feature a wide range of different characteristics and date back to different periods. Carefully selected antique violins, Italian violins, fine violins, beautiful old violas, professional violins, and top-quality violin bows and other fine stringed instruments full of personality and character are competently are lovingly restored by our violin maker and made ready to play. Discover a wide range of violins for sale online at Corilon, and view our special selections of small sized violins and valuable violins. You may search our website for details of violins for sale by a special maker, origin or sound by typing e. g. "Antique violin", "warm sound", or "Old violin" into the search box. We will be happy to suggest the best violin and suggest a suitable bow - email us for recommendations.  

Violins for sale with a history

Corilon violins online catalogue features a wide range of meticulously restored violins for sale, old violins and antique violins, each with its own unique history and character. Crafted by master violin makers from renowned European schools of Germany, France and Italy, antique violins have stood the test of time, resonating with rich tones and a warm, mature sound. As usually expensive and high quality handwork, old violins are passed down from generation to generation. It is generally known that an old violin sounds better than a new one. The Corilon online violin shop offers user-friendly navigation and detailed information and a sound sample on each available violin to ensure you can make the best choice when you order your violin online. Browse our collection of old violins and antique violins for sale today and discover the perfect violin that meets your requirements. Follow the links to browse our collection of professional violins and see some of the violins we have sold; information on the care, cost, maintenance and history of your violin is available in our library. Purchase violins online with confidence at Corilon - we guarantee every violin in our catalogue.

Quality violins that suit the player

Buying violins online is a convenient and easy way to purchase the instrument of your choice from home and try it out in your familiar surroundings. Corilon violins' long-established online store for high-quality stringed instruments, with its own workshops in Munich and Cremona, offers a carefully curated selection of quality old and new violins for players of all levels. Detailed instrument portraits with lavishly recorded sound samples help you choose the right violin online. From student violins to professional violins: every violin from Corilon is unique! You can buy here from inexpensive violin sets and old violins for students, high quality violins of the middle price segment, contemporary works, up to certified investment objects of historical masters the right violin for every playing style and budget. Feel free to take advantage of our personal email advice on buying a violin.

Violin highlights: old violins and antique violins

Old violins are valued for their rarity and historical value and have been played by various musicians. Handcrafted by violin makers and manufactures from renowned European schools in Germany, France and Italy, these violins have stood the test of time and resound with a warm, mature sound. As mostly high-quality handcrafted instruments, good violins are passed down from generation to generation. Antique violins usually exhibit a unique tonal quality and maturity in sound that has developed over time. It is common knowledge that an old violin usually sounds better than a new one - but old violins are usually no more expensive than new violins of the same craftsmanship quality, up to a certain price range. Corilon violins is a long-established online store for high quality stringed instruments, offering select, expertly refurbished, high quality instruments, and each instrument has been expertly appraised and inspected for quality and defects for you before being included in the violin sales catalog. Old violins, antique violins and fine antique violins for sale at Corilon: with a 30 day returns option, a lifetime trade-guarantee that protects your investment, professionally set up and adjusted by our violin makers. 

New or old violin - which violins sound better?

There is no law of nature that says a new or an old violin will sound better or worse by itself. The decisive factor for a good sounding violin is above all the quality of the instrument, which is determined by many factors - from the material properties of the tonewood to the care of the workmanship and the correct intonation of the violin. It goes without saying, however, that many old violins are characterized by a special sound quality, a mature tone, which cannot be found in this form in newer instruments. Moreover, the artistic statements of historical violin makers, preserved in the sound of their antique instruments, are an interesting inspiration for musicians of our time. In Corilon's sales catalog you can find new violins with surprisingly good sound already in the low price segment.

How much does a good violin cost?

There is no law of nature according to which new violins must be more expensive or cheaper than old violins. A newly made master violin certainly costs more than an old but simpler student violin, and conversely, fine violins made by a historical master can be more expensive than a new instrument of the same tonal quality. A good violin can be purchased from Corilon violins starting at 600 Euros. For an overview of the prices of old and new violins, see our article on violin price and cost.

Facts about the violin for starters

What is the difference between a violin and a fiddle?

Violin and fiddle - these two terms are synonymous and refer to the same stringed instrument. Since "violin" (it.: violino) as a loanword tends to suit a higher style of language, it is sometimes said to denote the special quality of a better violin. Nevertheless, even the best violins in the world were certainly referred to as fiddles. However, until the end of the 19th century, violin was a pejorative term and therefore part of a tradition that stretched back to the late Middle Ages. 

When and where was the violin invented?

The origins of the violin lie largely in the darkness of history. It probably developed in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance from predecessors such as the violin, the rebeck, the gig, the krusher and the trumschet. This phase ended with the work of Antonio Stradivari, the luthier of the Amati family and world-renowned master, and since then the model of the violin has been modified only in individual respects.

How is a violin made?

The violin consists of a resonating body called the "body" on which the four strings are drawn. A tailpiece attached to the lower side holds the lower end of the string, while the upper end is wrapped around the pegs of the peg box - this allows the tension of the string to change continuously when tuning. The upper end of the peg box is traditionally decorated with a scroll that rolls forward, typical of the Renaissance or Baroque period. The necessary distance between the strings and the body, as well as the transmission of vibrations, is ensured by a small wooden "bridge", also known as the bridge, which is fixed to the top of the body by the pressure of the strings, without any further fixation. Above the bridge, the strings pass through the fingerboard to reach the yard, which is the lower end of the peg box and creates the distance between the strings and the fingerboard needed to play the notes. Most violins are made of certain European and exotic types of wood. For the top of the body, spruce has proven itself, preferably from the higher mountains; the back and sides of most instruments are made of maple. Ebony is usually used for the fingerboard and the inlays (usually three-piece inlays) that surround the top and back. In addition to the interior of the body, the violin is coated with a clear, colored varnish based on oil or alcohol, which plays an important role in the vibrational behavior and sound of the instrument.

How is the sound of a violin produced?

The sound of a violin is largely influenced by the quality of the wood used, which is why the material used for the top and back is also known as "tone wood". The body is excited by the vibrations of the strings, mediated by the bridge, which transmits the movement to the top of the instrument. Underneath the bridge, a small wooden rod, also known as a soundpost, ensures that the vibrations are transmitted to the back of the body. This makes the entire cabinet and the air inside vibrate; this amplifies the tone of the vibrating strings, and the resonance of the instrument itself gives it a special, individual tone. Additional transmission and a certain amount of vibration damping within the soundboard is provided by so-called bass bars, which are glued to the inside of the soundboard, slightly off-center. Because of their great importance in shaping the sound, the sound post, bridge and bass bar are also known as the "acoustic elements" of the violin. Subtle modifications to them allow the luthier to improve the sound of the violin with relatively minor interventions.

What is the importance of craftsmanship in violin making?

Making violins is a craft whose requirements and basic working methods have not changed significantly since the days of Stradivari and Amati. This does not contradict the fact that today the worldwide market for stringed instruments is strongly determined by industrial production; top quality violins are still made purely by hand and artistic highlights are still the result of the careful work of experienced masters - whose special skills are indispensable, especially for the care and restoration of historic violins and for optimizing the sound of a good violin.

Some important and famous violinists

Famous violinists have not only left their mark on the history of music, but have often had enough influence on contemporary violin makers. Among them - in chronological order - are:

• Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
• John Giorgio Pisendel (1687-1755)
• Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755-1824)
• Rodolphe Kruse (1766-1831)
• Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840)
• Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881)
• Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)
• Giorgio Enescu (1881-1955)
• Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
• Stefan Grappelli (1908-1997)
• Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999)
• Franz "Schnuckenack" Reinhardt (1921-2006)
• Ida Haendel (1928-2020)
• Sigiswald Kuyken (* 1944)
• Itzhak Perlman (* 1945)
• Didier Lockwood (1956-2018)
• Pavlo Beznosiuk (* 1960)
• Anne-Sophie Mutter (* 1963)
• Joshua Bell (* 1967)
• Leonidas Kavakos (* 1967)
• Daniel Hopper (* 1973)
• Patricia Kopatchinskaya (* 1977)
• Hilary Hahn (* 1979)

"The longer an old violin is played, the more beautiful its sound grows"