4/4 Size Violins

Full size violins for sale in Canada

A 4/4 is the full size violin — the instrument most adults and most players from roughly twelve years old will use for the rest of their playing lives. We carry handmade Gliga violins in 4/4 at every level, from a first instrument at $428 to concert-grade Maestro violins, all made in Romania from Carpathian spruce and flamed maple and set up by hand in our West Vancouver shop before they ship.

Is a 4/4 the right size for you?

Violin size is decided by arm length, not by age. Hold the left arm straight out to the side and measure from the base of the neck to the middle of the palm. About 23½ inches (60 cm) or more means a 4/4.

If the measurement comes in a little short, or a full size feels like a stretch across the shoulder, a 7/8 size violin is worth considering. It is only slightly smaller, sounds close to a 4/4, and suits many adult players with a smaller frame — particularly those returning to the instrument later in life. Send us your measurement if you are unsure and we will tell you honestly which we would put you on.

Choosing a level

Gliga makes one continuous range, so the step from one level to the next is a real difference in wood, workmanship and set-up rather than a change of supplier. That is what makes them straightforward to compare. If you want the prices laid out side by side first, see how much a violin costs in Canada.

• Genial 1 — the beginner violin, and the right instrument for a first year of lessons
• Gems 1 — intermediate; the usual choice for an adult beginner who wants to buy once, and for a student moving past the first year
• Gama — advanced; noticeably more responsive, for players working on tone and projection
• Maestro Extra — hand-carved throughout, in Stradivari and Guarneri patterns
• Maestro Elite — the same grade with extra work done: a lion's head scroll, birds-eye maple, hand inlay

If you are buying a first violin for a child or an adult beginner, start at Genial 1 or Gems 1. If you already play and you are looking for a particular voice, Gama upward is where the differences become worth hearing side by side.

Left-handed 4/4 violins

We stock genuine left-handed violins — built in mirror image, not simply restrung — which very few shops in Canada do. If the size you need is not in stock, one can be made to order at the Gliga workshop.

5-string violins, made to order

A 5-string violin adds a low C string below the G, so a single instrument covers the whole violin range and the viola range beneath it. For a fiddle player that means dropping into the low register without changing instruments; for anyone who doubles on viola it means carrying one case instead of two. It is a favourite among bluegrass, Celtic, country, jazz and improvising players, and increasingly with worship and session musicians.

It is not simply a violin with an extra string added. The fingerboard and bridge are wider, the string spacing is reworked so the hand still has room, and the bass bar and soundpost are set for the extra tension. That is why it has to be built as a 5-string from the start, and why we make these to order at the Gliga workshop in Romania rather than keeping them on a shelf. Build time is two to three months.

We build them at the Gama and Maestro levels, and there is a reason for that. The low C is the hard part: a violin body is small for that pitch, and on a poorly made 5-string the C sounds thin and dull next to the other four strings. Getting it to speak properly takes the wood and the workmanship of an advanced instrument. That is also what makes a handmade acoustic 5-string worth the wait over the electric ones that fill most of the market.

Email us if this is what you are after and we will talk through the options before anything is ordered.

Bows and cases

• 4/4 violin bows — pernambuco, brazilwood and carbon fibre
• Master violin bows — our finest pernambuco sticks
• Violin cases

Come and play them

Our shop is in West Vancouver, by Park Royal, with easy access from the Lions Gate Bridge and Highway 1. You are welcome to try any violin we have in stock. If you do not play yet, we will play several for you, point out what is different about each, and let you decide on your own ear — and if you are elsewhere in Canada we are happy to advise by email and send sound samples.

Ordering from anywhere in Canada

A full size violin is usually bought once and kept for years, so it should not be chosen from a screen. Violins ship anywhere in Canada from $65 by Expedited Mail, arriving in seven to ten business days, tracked and covered, with the shipping cost shown on the product page before you reach the cart.

When it arrives you have a seven-day home trial. Play it in your own room, take it to your teacher, compare it against whatever you are using now. If it is not the one, return it for a refund less shipping. Most players know within minutes; the week is so the person teaching you can agree.