I've been playing for three years now with my dad's old factory made Soviet violin that cost 80€. It's been ok, but it's hard to play and has a sharp and unpleasant sound. It's insane how much the quality of the instrument changes things, even quiet sounds come out so easy and soft...!

And the new violin is like.. 50% lighter than my dad's violin, so it's going to fix some shoulder pain as well. I feel like I just paid money to become a better violinist instead of practicing more, it feels like cheating almost..! 😂 Needless to say, it has increased my motivation quite a bit!