# So... do you have a broken violin laying around? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 12, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058 "2008-05-12T17:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/1 "2008-05-12T17:55:40Z")
I’m about to start an art project that requires me to have a violin cut in half. I’m trying to find the cheapest way to acquire a violin and it seems like finding someone who has one that is already in non-playable condition would be the way to go. So…anybody? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/2 "2008-05-12T19:47:10Z")
Call instrument rental, repair shops? Pawn shops? Antique collectives or other rummage-y type of places? Best of luck - I look forward to hearing about / seeing the project… ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/3 "2008-05-12T22:07:13Z")
Other than “cheap as possible” what’s the budget? A quick search on ebay for the terms **violin repair** (Search title and description) bring up a range of violins from beat to death and cheap on up to valuable instruments ready to restore. Even better - seach for **violin project -cd** to find the real basket cases that you won’t feel bad about sawing in half. [Here’s one that’s been bid up to $2.25.](http://cgi.ebay.com/ACADEMY-VIOLIN-145AU-4-4-SIZE-PROJECT-with-CASE_W0QQitemZ190220370688QQihZ009QQcategoryZ38108QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) Or [this “as-is” one for a buck.](http://cgi.ebay.com/VIOLIN-AS-IS-NO-CASE-ONLY-1-00_W0QQitemZ290229887886QQihZ019QQcategoryZ38110QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/4 "2008-05-12T22:29:49Z")
I did, a couple of weeks ago, dammit! Go with **WordMan** ’s suggestion. Hit the telephone and you’ll find one. Be creative if need be, think of anywhere which will have a dusty cupboard full of things which will never see use again. Or the eBay idea isn’t bad - the first link, where _‘the neck is at a bad angle and needs to be reset’_, suggests a repair several times the original value of that crappy instrument. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/5 "2008-05-12T23:19:01Z")
thanks for the idea **gotpasswords**. I had been searching ebay for **violin damaged** , **violin broken** etc, but I don’t think I had “search descriptions” checked and most of what I was finding was over $50. Budget wise I’m hoping to come in under $30. Incidentally, you can find some really weird stuff on ebay: [like this](http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Violin-Health-Ear-Pick-Wax-Dirt-Remover-w-LED-Light_W0QQitemZ270236911221QQihZ017QQcategoryZ67589QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/6 "2008-05-12T23:34:01Z")
Opal, There are a few non-broken violins on ebay that are pretty cheap. Knock offs that are in the twelve to twenty dollar range. Maybe you can find something that won’t cost much to ship and just destroy it yourself? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/7 "2008-05-13T00:09:01Z")
i have an intact violin, the bow is broken. i’m still looking for a new bow. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/8 "2008-05-13T00:37:31Z")
[QUOTE=photopat] Opal, There are a few non-broken violins on ebay that are pretty cheap. Knock offs that are in the twelve to twenty dollar range. Maybe you can find something that won’t cost much to ship and just destroy it yourself? [/QUOTE] Yeah, I know, I have auctionsniper set to bid on a few both broken and non-broken. Most of them really nail you on the shipping, though, so that’s been the main thing. $9.99 violin, $30 shipping. Bah. I think everything I have in my bidgroup is set so that my bid + shipping is less than $35. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/9 "2008-05-13T02:31:49Z")
Maybe. I’m going to wait until my wife isn’t trying to sleep to make sure that it is definitely broken. I can probably give it to you for shipping plus some gas money since the post office isn’t close. Also, I’ll need to figure out how to ship it. Your not going to melt cheese on it are you?😉 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/10 "2008-05-13T04:03:17Z")
No cheese, I promise! It’s going to be a painting of a violin that turns into a real violin sticking out of the canvas. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/11 "2008-05-13T04:28:18Z")
I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to check it out. If it as bad as I think, you can have it as far as I’m concerned. My wife may have another say, but she knows as well as I do that it’s a piece of junk taking up space. I mean if were a remotely decent instrument I’d have it fixed, but even when it worked it was cheap. I suppose you don’t want the case, bow and resin. I don’t know if I have anything to ship it in. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/12 "2008-05-13T08:57:23Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] No cheese, I promise! It’s going to be a painting of a violin that turns into a real violin sticking out of the canvas. [/QUOTE] Ah - not quite got the hang of **Trompe-l’œil** 😉 I keed, I keed. Good luck with the art project. Si ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/13 "2008-05-14T01:00:00Z")
Sadly, when I checked my violin, it really looks like it only needs a little love. More importantly, when I suggested we didn’t need it to my wife, she objected. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/14 "2008-05-14T01:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I’m about to start an art project that requires me to have a violin cut in half. I’m trying to find the cheapest way to acquire a violin and it seems like finding someone who has one that is already in non-playable condition would be the way to go. So…anybody? [/QUOTE] Yes actually I think I do. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/15 "2008-05-14T01:37:50Z")
Do ya still need it? Someone emailed me off-board with one they’re willing to part with but it’s missing a few bits, and so if I can find one that’s got all of its parts that would be better. If not I can probably figure out a way to fake it with the one that has stuff missing. ---
**Author:** ![partyofpenguins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c67d28/32.png) [@partyofpenguins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partyofpenguins)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/16 "2011-06-02T02:14:09Z")
I have a violin broken right in half. If you still need one, how much would you pay for it? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/17 "2011-06-02T06:09:36Z")
Do zombies play broken violins? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/18 "2011-06-02T06:33:19Z")
> [@partyofpenguins](#): > > I have a violin broken right in half. If you still need one, how much would you pay for it? In 2008 dollars? Maybe her art project is done by now? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/19 "2011-06-02T14:14:54Z")
[here it is](http://katherinefernie.com/albums/paint_dance_with_violin_solo/paint_dance_with_violin_solo_four_views.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058/20 "2011-06-02T14:52:21Z")
Before donating your broken fiddle to a (non-musical) art project, you might have a luthier take a look at it. I found an old German one in a recycling room that was later appraised at $2,000. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-do-you-have-a-broken-violin-laying-around/449058.md?page=2)