Gliga Violins Canada — a specialist violin shop in Vancouver
Looking for the best place to buy a violin in Vancouver? Whatever your level, we have something for you: the best violins for beginner students, a great violin for an adult beginner, an intermediate violin or a violin for an advanced student. There are violins here for every taste and every budget, and we are happy to guide you along the way if you would like us to.
Gliga Violins Canada is much more than a violin store. It is quite literally a labour of love. The care that goes into these instruments comes from the dedication and craftsmanship of Vasile Gliga, one of the finest luthiers working today. Based in Romania, Vasile has decades of experience in the design, hand-crafting and quality testing of violins, violas and cellos.
Why we carry only one maker
Many violin stores source their instruments from several makers, and quality varies from one to the next. Carrying only Gliga means a consistently high standard from one instrument to another, and it makes comparison easy: when two violins sound different, the difference is in the instrument, not the supplier. It makes choosing a violin much simpler and clearer.
Where to buy a violin in Vancouver — every size, every level
We carry a large inventory of violins in all standard sizes, from 1/32 (for three-year-olds) to 4/4 (for adult violin students). We also stock accessories: violin cases, violin bows, fine tuners, rosin, music stands and more. If you are working out a budget first, see how much a violin costs in Canada — what each price actually buys, at every size.
Choosing a child's violin starts with size. Violins come in 1/32, 1/16, 1/10, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4, each adapted to the build of a player in that age group. Adult learners usually choose a 4/4 size violin, or a 7/8 size violin if they have a smaller frame.
Try before you choose
We will help you find a violin that matches your skill level and the sound you are after. If you are an advanced player looking for a particular voice, try our violins for advanced players. If you are buying for a child, a young beginner, or looking for a good intermediate violin, we will play several instruments for you, point out the differences, and guide you through the choice. If you do not play yet, that is no obstacle. You make the final decision, based on your own ear and taste.
About Gliga violins
Our shop has been open since 2011, specialising in handmade violins. Gliga makes his instruments from resonance spruce and flamed maple from the Carpathian forests around Reghin — a region known as the "Italian Valley", because Italian makers historically sourced their tonewood there. Gliga selects the densest, most even-grained wood from trees 150 to 200 years old.
For those new to the violin world: Reghin is to Romania what Cremona is to Italy. Cremona is famous for Antonio Stradivari; Reghin is famous for Vasile Gliga, a contemporary maker whose work continues to impress players around the world.
Gliga violins are sold in violin shops all over the world. They combine traditional Romanian woodworking and tool-making techniques with modern manufacturing, giving them sound structural integrity and real artistic beauty. They belong in the fine contemporary instrument category, with superior tone and distinctive visual appeal.
Every Gliga instrument — from the beginner models (Genial 1 and Gems 2) through intermediate (Gems 1) and advanced (Gama) to the Maestro and Maestro Elite — is made with fine materials and the craftsmanship learned at the workbench, and with a real love of music and of the musicians who play them.
Visit our violin shop in West Vancouver
We are in West Vancouver, by Park Royal, with easy access from the Lions Gate Bridge and Highway 1. You are welcome to come and try any violin we have in stock.
We ship across Canada
If you cannot get to West Vancouver, you are not at a disadvantage. Violins ship anywhere in Canada from $65 by Expedited Mail, usually arriving within seven to ten business days, tracked and covered, and the shipping cost is shown on every product page before you add anything to your cart.
Every instrument comes with a seven-day home trial, counted from the day it lands on your doorstep. Play it, show it to your teacher, and if it is not the one, return it for a refund less the shipping. We are also happy to answer questions by email and send sound samples before you order.
