Violins have a rich history in the lexicon of Western musical styles. They are traditionally considered to be in the stringed instrument family, and they generally have four strings, each tuned to a fifth apart. Among the other "violin" family members, the violin is tuned the highest, with its lowest note being the G just below middle C. The parts of the violin are fairly standardized as well. The violin is composed of a hollowed wooden "box" of sorts that utilizes a few different types of woods. The bass bar, the sound post, and the "belly" of the violin are generally made from spruce wood. Spruce is a light, but generally strong wood that has proven effective in many stringed instruments including guitars and other members of the violin family.
The rest of the violin, which includes the back, ribs, neck, pegbox, scroll, and bridge, is composed of maple. Maple is a hardwood, and it provides a tough "skeleton" for the violin. The fingerboards of violins can have a bit of variance. Some older violins utilize the now forbidden ivory, while some inexpensive models actually just paint regular wood black. The preferred material, however, for a violin fingerboard is ebony. It is durable and stands up well to frequent play.
Violins have been around at least since the 16th Century when they first were invented in Italy. There are plenty of precursors to the violin, however, including the Renaissance fiddle, an instrument called the rebec, and another called the lira da braccio. You can find a number of new and used violins for sale, and if they have been well taken care of, a used violin can perform just as good if not better than a new one. Finding a good vintage violin takes quite a bit of research, and in fact there are specialists who deal specifically with the restoration and purchase of high quality antique violins. These are heirlooms that only increase in value, and the very best of them possess an unparalleled sound quality.
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