Violins and Violin Bows For Sale
Fine Instruments for Classical and Traditional Players

We are an online violin shop based in Scotland with customers in every continent - except Antarctica!

We specialize in fine French and German violin bows and in antique violins with unusually good playing characteristics. We also sell our own very successful range of new violins, violas and cellos, handmade by Hungarian craftsmen to our specifications.

We offer our violins for sale online and to private customers. We have much lower overheads than a traditional violin shop and we pass these savings on to you, providing fine instruments and bows at unbeatable prices. We stock items which are suitable for serious classical and traditional players, and all of our instruments are assessed by Martin, a professional violinist. We have full insurance for sending instruments internationally and all purchases are covered by a 14 day no quibble return policy.

"I grew up playing a Matthew Hardie violin which was beautifully made but sounded like a cricket bat. Over the years, I've slowly become fascinated by the question of violin tone and by its complete lack of relationship with price! In fact many of the best violins I’ve played have been modest trade instruments, and most 5 and 6 figure violins are a disappointment.

You can view any of our instruments in high-definition photographs – check out this example to see the detail

Click on this image to enlarge, then use to expand further

Sound is a very personal matter, no two pairs of ears agree, but as a professional player in several genres I'm in a unique position to help other musicians with their choices. Although I started out selling antique violins, I am now also producing fine handmade violins with a number of Hungarian makers. I'm pleased to say that in tone, volume and overall playability these instruments compare with the best vintage violins.

If you are looking for a fine antique instrument, you’ll find a selection of superb violins for sale on this site, all with tonal qualities I am happy to endorse. If you are choosing an instrument on the basis of sound rather than antique provenance, our new handmade violins, violas and cellos are fantastic value for money. We always have a choice of new violins for sale, we generally have at least one viola and cello in stock, and we can make part size and left-handed instruments to order.

We also stock an excellent range of violin bows, viola bows and cello bows. Upgrading a bow can help a player reach new levels as much as buying a new instrument, and money is often better spent on a more expensive bow than a more expensive violin.

The violin trade is deeply confused about the whole issue of quality, and prefers to make its money out of the antique or artistic value of violins than out of tonal considerations. I believe that sound should come first ..."
Martin Swan

We’ve been selling violins online since 2007 and have so far helped over 600 players, professional and amateur, to find their ideal violin. We recently set up an image archive of the instruments which we've sold - we hope this will be a useful public resource. We don’t operate a shopping cart; ours is a more personal service (old-fashioned you might say) and we’ll be very happy to discuss your requirements with you. Please contact us with any queries, large or small – we try to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours. We can send you email alerts when we have new instruments or bows for sale - click here to sign up. We also always welcome customer feedback and reviews.

"Thank you Martin for providing such a wonderful instrument, I really love it with a passion. It is everything and more than I could have expected. I was looking for something that had qualities that were in reality far outside my price range but somehow you managed to find an instrument that far exceeded anything I had any right to expect."
Tony Harrison, Record Producer and Conductor

Martin is an active member of the Maestronet online community. Check out the Pegbox and Auction Scroll for discussions about making, repairing, identification and valuation. We support the charity Luthiers Sans Frontières, who provide repair services to musicians, orchestras and ensembles in developing countries and in areas where no local services are available.