Renting violins for my stepson and myself was pain-free and surprisingly affordable. I’ve had to go back a couple times for minor issues and they always help with a smile and no eye-rolling when it turns out to be something dumb like not enough rosin on the brand-new bow. You’re not getting amazing quality violins but really, you don’t want to rent a top grade violin for an 11 year old anyway because of the likelihood that they will mishandle it at some point. They carry a good selection of books and supplies as well. The rental is set up to auto-renew for the next school year so if you still need the instrument you don’t even have to go back to set up a new rental. I can’t compare them to other businesses in the area but I have no complaints at all.