Looking for advice on whether the things pictured here (marks, slight gap next to saddle, crackling in finish) are common on new stringed instruments, or if they should be avoided when purchasing. Is this all pretty standard, or could they be indicators of poor quality?
I'm a middle-aged hobbyist looking to purchase an instrument. I've been taking lessons on what I would call a serviceable rental, but I want more tonal character, resonance, and sustain. I'm unsure which "class" of viola I should pursue, though. It seems that different shops/websites categorize their instruments differently. Some have "student" instruments as anything under $5K or $10K, some have "student" instruments as anything under ~$800 and then jump up to intermediate/advanced in the $1K-$3K range. Some distinguish between 'advanced' and 'professional', but what does that mean? An 'advanced student'? Or just an excellent player but one that just isn't playing professionally or as a soloist?
With the understanding that a) each viola will be unique, they all vary as individuals, and I'll need to try as many instruments as I can, b) I'll be getting my teacher's opinion as I go along, c) I'll need to budget separately for a bow, and d) I'm a hobbyist who plays for fun, mostly by myself, and at most may someday play in a chamber or community orchestra, what general price range should I be targeting for a "forever" instrument? I'd like to find something I can grow into and that will maintain its value over time; I don't love the idea of continually needing to upgrade instruments.
For context, the first shop I visited had me try a dozen instruments or so in the $1,500 - $1,800 range, all modern Chinese instruments (I'm not sure they had anything pricier in my size). I have a couple at home on trial. But from my reading I'm not sure if these would still be considered "beginner" or "student grade" instruments, and I want to make sure I'm targeting instruments that I could keep indefinitely and that I won't end up outgrowing in a few year's time.
Seeking the wisdom of the internet for input on which instrument to pursue as an adult. For reference, I'm not new to music-- I played alto saxophone as a child, dabbled in trumpet, took violin lessons for a few years as an adult, then picked up and self-taught guitar. I'm at a point in my life now where I feel ready to invest in lessons again, but I'm torn which direction to go, and keep debating between guitar, violin, viola, or piano. I'm a hobbyist and have no visions of ever playing in groups or for money; I just enjoy learning. I imagine a casual investment in lessons every other week or so, without too much pressure to be continually practicing so that I can realistically fit it into all of life's other demands on my time.
Guitar
I already have a nice instrument that I enjoy playing. I adore it for its resonance and sustain. It's easy enough to noodle around on and there's not as much technique, per se, as with something like violin. I mostly play fingerstyle off tabs. Lessons could help broaden my repertoire and help me learn more chords/styles/improvisation. However, it seems many guitar instructors are also self-taught, and it's hard to tell how much value I'd get from lessons vs. remaining self-directed.
Violin
I already have a foundation in the instrument, having taken lessons for a few years. I'd progressed up to the beginning of Suzuki Book 5 when I stopped. It's been more than a decade now since I've played, but I imagine a lot would come back fairly quickly. I unfortunately had to sell my instrument so I'd have to find another. When playing, I enjoyed many of the Suzuki songs but had the most fun with things like folk and gypsy tunes. I struggled to practice consistently because I often found the higher registers very harsh under the ear, even when my intonation was good. The resonance and sustain that I love in my guitar seem harder to obtain with a student violin, which may require a pricey investment in an instrument.
Viola
Viola intrigues me because of its lower voice. However, if I understand correctly it can be more difficult to play, more difficult to find teachers, and is more physically demanding. I'd also need to learn alto clef, and I wonder if that would be difficult or frustrating after almost exclusively reading treble clef for decades. I LOVE the voice of the viola-- the lower, more grumbly sound really appeals to me-- but there also seems to be less out there. Fewer videos, fewer solos, not much fiddle music, etc. As with a violin, it may require a pricier investment to get an instrument that has good resonance and sustain, although I'd rent initially.
Piano
Piano seems like it might be easier to play initially, but (perhaps) harder/just as difficult to progress over time. I think piano would be wonderful as a tool to become more music-theory minded, and to better understand chords/chord progressions, etc., which is not something I ever learned when younger. A piano is furniture, though, and apart from taking up significant space, I worry that the songs I'm most interested in learning to play are complex enough that it may be years before I reach that level of progression, which may be demotivating.
I understand that this is ultimately a personal decision that no one can make for me, but I'm genuinely struggling to make a decision, and I don't have the luxury of renting and trying out multiple instruments. What would you choose? Or maybe, how would you make the decision if you were in my position?