Artist Series
The Artist Series is for the student whose ear has outgrown their first instrument — and whose technique is ready to prove it.
Every instrument in this series is hand-selected for tonal complexity, projection, and response. These are not student violins with upgraded labels. They are genuinely different instruments — built to different standards, from different materials, by makers with a different mission.
Who this series is for:
- Students entering Suzuki Book 3 and beyond
- Students preparing for NYSSMA Level 3 and above (NY), NJMEA Region Orchestra (NJ), TMEA All-Region (TX), FMEA District (FL), and CMEA Festival ratings (CA)
- Serious adult beginners enrolled in private study or the AVS Adult Academy
- Musicians ready to hear the difference a real instrument makes
Why buy from American Violin Shop — and not a big-box warehouse?
The violin your child receives from a big-box warehouse or marketplace has more likely never been touched by a luthier. It ships directly from an overseas factory or a regional warehouse where it has been, possibly for months, in the same box it was packed in — unsetup, and often unplayable without immediate professional intervention. What you receive is a product built to a price point — manufactured with lower-grade materials and reduced craftsmanship specifically to absorb the cost of storage, logistics, third-party marketplace fees, and sponsored placement — costs that can run into hundreds of dollars per unit, all quietly passed on to you.
Every instrument in our Artist Series undergoes a rigorous professional setup in our workshop before it reaches your door:
- Bridge: Custom-carved and fitted to this specific instrument (Despiau or Milo Stamm)
- Fingerboard: Dressed and planed for effortless playability across all positions
- Strings: Thomastik-Infeld Dominant — installed, tuned, and stretched
- Soundpost: Adjusted for maximum tone and projection
- Full acoustic assessment: Performed personally by our founder
The American Violin Shop Promise: Grow-With-Us™
Every Artist Series purchase is automatically enrolled in our Grow-With-Us™ Trade-In Program. When your musician is ready to move to a Master Series or professional antique instrument, we credit 100% of your original instrument purchase price toward your next upgrade.*See terms and conditions.
Founded by Paolo Alberghini — violinist, antique instrument expert, and former sales associate of Maestro René Morel's legendary New York workshop and managed by the Alberghini Family.
