I have to agree Ibanez. I'm a stratocaster lover and have several, some very valuable. But when it comes to agility, playing a strat is like playing a 2x4 in comparison. I tend to agree with James Britt that a violin will become part of who you are and much more transparent than something like a piano. Perhaps it's the closeness and the fact that it resonates off of the body much more. Although this is coming from a guitar player. Michael