3 comments about Crystalcello MV100 Full Size 4/4 Violin with Case + Bow + Accessories - Natural Color.

1. Great value! My grand daughter loves it. Nobody can believe the cost of this violin.



2. Interested in violin but don't want to invest a lot just yet? Try out this full-size inexpensive instrument. I'm not an expert on violins but I do know you can get it in tune, keep it in tune, and play it as you would expect of any violin. I suspect for solo or professional use you are going to want something else.
   
   I recommend this instrument to persons who think they might be interested in the violin, but are not ready to invest in a professional quality piece just yet.



3. While the product itself will do for a beginner, I was really disappointed that upon arrival, I discovered that the bridge for all the springs needed to be assembled by sandpaper and/or tightening of the strings into grooves before tightening the strings. To me this violin will do for the basics, but that bridge assembly required to me needed to be in the product description, esp. when shipping costs if more than 25% the cost of the product. While this product is great at this cost, I don't know if I would have purchased it with alternatives if I had known beforehand about the bridge.

No comments about Cremona 1/16-Size Student Violin Outfit with Free Celebration of Classical Music CD.

5 comments about ViolinFactory Natural color 1/4 Size Teachers Recommended Student Violin + Bow + Case + Rosin Complete Set.

1. When I first tried to tune the violin I applied pressure to the D peg and the scroll broke from the fingerboard! It wasn't a lot of pressure so I assume there was a crack or a weak spot in the wood. Needless to say I contacted (emailed) customer support and was pleasantly surprised when they agreed to replace the violin at no charge (not even shipping)! The new violin arrived and I was able to tune it fine. My five year old son has been performing around the house almost everyday!
   
   Now a word about the quality. Would I buy this brand to perform professionally? No. This is an inexpensive introduction to the violin - it is a massed produced product that I think is wonderful at this price. Beautiful to look at and my son loves it - nuff said.



2. I purchased this for my daughter. She has taken great care of the instrument. We had the instrument for a month when as her violin instructor was tuning the instrument the back of the violin came apart. Austin Bazaar would not refund or exchange the item. I would not order anything from them again. It is cheap, there is a reason for that.



3. This violin never worked right. It needed to be put together, and we never were able to get any decent sound out of it, even rosining the bow with what we were sent. It's basically just a dust collector.



4. I brought the ViolinFactory for my grand child who fell in love with the Instrument from the start. The violin is very light in weight, making it easy for a child to handle for hours on end. I myself have no clue about how to tune or play a violin, so I had to search the internet on how to tune the strings. For what I found, one would think this info would have came with the Instrument itself. I also had no clue on how important the cake of rosin that comes with the unit is so thats a plus. At this point in time I'm still not sure if I placed the bridge on the right way, this info is not included in the limited info that is shipped with the unit. in fact if you don't know what a bridge is for you just might throw it away thinking it was a piece unfinish wood. The carry case is well made with plenty of space for extra items you may need or want to have. Would I buy this unit again if I had to..probley so.



5. I purchased this violin for my four yr old grandson. My daughter is a band teacher and wanted to teach him to play the violin. The product arrived in just a few days and was easy to tune and play. He practices on it almost every day. They are both very pleased with the product. It came complete with everything he needed. It is a very good beginner violin for a child. The price was unbeatable.

5 comments about Cecilio CVN-100 Rosewood Full Size 4/4 Violin with Case and Accessories.

1. I bought this violin several months ago. I wanted to give it a very good testing before posting a review. Not knowing anything about the violin, or whether I would even enjoy it, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. Having been playing for about 5 months, now, I have learned quite a bit and enjoy playing very much. I don't know how this compares to other beginner violins, because I have not tried to play any others, but I think this sounds great for my play level. I figure I can learn the basics and then transition to something a little more expensive if I decide to stick with it (which I almost certainly will).
   
   The violin came with everything promised (case, extra set of strings, rosin, pitch pipe, etc.) but I don't use most of it. The case is nice and does what it's supposed to. The rosin, just like many other reviewers, was broken into little bits when it arrived. Plan on spending an additional $4 at a local music store to get a good rosin. The extra set of strings came in very handy because the very first thing I did while trying to tune it up was break a string. The pitch pipe is a nice feature but I decided to download a program that lets you tune while playing into the microphone on the PC. Finding sheet music online is difficult.
   
   Then only problem I have is with the bow. Again, I don't know much about violins, but about half the bow strings, when tightened, are really tight while the other half are still somewhat slack. The "frog" also rotates a tiny bit. This doesn't affect play much but it is definitely noticeable. Still, for this price, minor imperfections can be tolerated. The cheapest violin at my local music store is around $300. I can deal with an inconsistent bow for the $230 savings.
   
   The other reviews are very helpful in getting the violin set up. Things like sanding the rosing before applying it and pushing the tuning knobs in while tightening the strings work great. Read the other reviews or even search for violin setup tips for the initial setup of the violin. After doing the research it only took me about 30 minutes to get it to start making playable sounds.
   
   Overall, this has been my favorite purchase of 2007. It has provided me with many hours of entertainment and I anticipate many more.



2. This is a great violin for beginners. It gives you a full value for half the price of other violins. Since it is a full size,it allows you to play it for years without outgrowing it. Many full size violins cost around $119. It is very durable and the string material lasts up to 10 months of regular play until weathering wears out the strings. However, this is not a professional violin on which you can do good trills and vibratos. This shouldn't be a problem for first time players though. Another downside is that its regular case does not provide the protection that this product needs. An accidental shove to the wall can cause severe damage to the bridge and pegs. The owner should be very careful while travelling or buy a hard case. Other than that, I recommend this violin to any beginner player who wants to get the most out of a violin.



3. 
   Upon opening the case, this violin, bought for our son, does not feel like a toy. We soon discovered, however, that the tuning pegs are extremely poorly designed and manufactured. They fail to maintain tuning for any longer than half a minute. The peg and hole system is so loose and imprecise that we could actually see the pegs unspinning all by themselves as the strings were tightened--even after trying repeatedly to push the pegs further into the holes. Another major noticeable flaw is the impossibility of playing any decent, clean violin sound, no matter how much rosin we passed on the bow, which was properly tightened (my wife is a former violin player and attested to this). With tuning pegs that seem to belong to a cheap toy and do not maintain any tuning whatsoever and with a bow that only produced scratchy sound instead of clean musical notes, we believe this product needs to improve such flaws prior to being offered in the market.



4. This violin is in great condition but I don't know anything about violins so I can't compare to any others.



5. I liked the product very much, bought it for my wife. she liked it too.
   nice decent and worth the money.

4 comments about Cecilio CVN-500 Ebony Antique Finish Flamed Full Size 4/4 Orchestra Violin w/ Case and Accessories.

1. I purchased the 500 violin recently.
   Building my own basic violin from a kit would have cost more.
   It was packaged & arrived well in a fine case with 2 bows, rosin, very crude pitch pipe, shoulder rest, case strap & extra strings.
   Luckily my violin arrived strung with the bridge fitted well & soundpost in place. No expensive setup at the local music store.
   The fine tuners work good.
   It sounds great & echos when plucking the strings & tuning.
   The tapered tuning pegs look good enough to function. However I have never used a violin or wood peg style instrument before. (straight metal tuning pin chromaharp very different) The pegs for now do their job with a slow gentle push twist motion to tighten while watching the chromatic tuner. I'll have to wait & see what humidity & temperature changes does to them over time whether they shrink & fall out or become stuck. (ebony is hardwood & should resist moisture better than other woods used for pegs)
   The new included strings are stretching holding their tune just fine. The 2 largest strings stretch go a little flat & were adjusted back with the fine tuners.
   Wood varies from tree to tree each violin can look different to some extent. My violin was almost as pretty as the advertised violin. The satin varnish looked ok enough to protect the instrument.
   With practice & patience this violin with the included strings will be a basic starting place.
   Just for fun.........
   1.If your extremely picky about buying a violin go buy a cheap wig.
   2.Next visit the local music store wearing the wig waving a credit card in the air customer service will magically appear & assist you.
   3. Drive the salesman crazy try every violin maybe every instrument in the store.
   4.Then purchase an expensive or inexpensive violin that you can listen for real then buy the violin or instrument that produces the sound you love most. (chromaharp for me)
   More just for fun non-related stuff...
   Maybe someday if I seriously get hooked on violin playing I'll walk through the lumberyard wearing a wig & begin thumping on some lumber to test & listen to how it resonates. Then build a violin style instrument with modern metal guitar stlyle tuners while maintaining the hollow space of a violin sound box/body. My violin body however will have 2 super long sticks similiar to a cello on its tailpiece for stability & maybe a longer neck for more octives.



2. I purchased this violin for my daughter to start orchestra.My local music store showed me what to look for in a quality violin,like having the name inside the violin itself and a serial number which this one did. The satin finish is perfect for hiding finger prints. This violin is every bit just as nice as the $400.00 to $500.00 dollar violins I was looking at in the music store. It came with everything to get started including a chin rest and an extra bow. My daughter has played it in orchestra for about a month and no problems.



3. I took a chance on this violin, and I am really glad I did. The sound quality of this violin is truly excellent. The finishing job is good, but not super. The strength of this violin is its beatiful sound quality. My opinion is that the finishing quality is pretty much worth what you are paying for, but the sound quality is at least worth 3 to 4 times the price of this unit.



4. My first problem and I'm not sure if this is just only me but I broke a bridge the third time I tried to tune it and it wasn't that much pressure. Good thing it came with a extra one. I have had it for about 4 days and the G and D strings come out of tune when I tune A and E and I used peg drops.So I figured I would just buy a better bridge since they do look kinda cheap.When adjusting the G string it snapped so I put on the extra and it snapped.With not much pressure.Maybe I just have bad strings.I decided with the price of the violin maybe I should just check into better strings.This could be just a problem with the violin I have.From other reviews it sounds like it might be.
   
   If you are new to the violin I recommended getting the korg chromatic tuner and peg drops plus they are pretty cheap to find.Might not hurt to buy extra strings and a better bridge for when the two it comes with go out.
   
   It sounds great though for the price.I am just a starter to the violin but in my mind its a pretty good starting point until I advance.Comes with mostly everything you need to get started.Even though I had problems I still highly recommend it.

3 comments about Persoana Violin Outfit 4/4 size.

1. If you are looking for a great quality violin at a great price, this is the perfect choice! It is perfect for any violinist of any age. It has a great quality, not like other cheaper brands, and it produces a very pleasant sound.



2. After months of careful search for a great violin on a budget I finally found what I was looking for. Great violin for the price. What you see on the picture is exactly what you get. It looks great and sounds even better! The delivery was prompt and it came in a very nice case. Definitely recommend it for any beginner or intermidate. If you order it you would not be disapointed.



3. I recently purchased this violin. I also own a few Strad style violins from 1800's which I play on special occasions. The Florea is a well balanced and superb instrument. The bridge is well arched so it makes it easier to go from string to string and allows a good vibrato with a good 1/2 inch above the bridge arch. Also the bow is straight and the horsehair is evenly distributed. The strings are fine for learning on, since you'll most likely destroy your bow and your strings while learning. The quality of the violin body and finish is lovely. You will not go wrong with this violin. And one more thing the case is large enough with a zipper compartment that you can put your sheet music in, which is a nice addition.

5 comments about Full Size 4/4 Electric Violin Complete Set - Black.

1. I was looking for a violin that would be conducive to playing live in a rock/metal band. Naturally, an electric made sense, it's a simple way to get the volume and power without having to fool around with microphones or attaching pick-ups. But I never imagined that I would find one so worthwhile for such an insignificant price. Now, if you're a classical violinist with a good bit of skill, this isn't for you, but then, if that's you, you'd probably never consider a cheapy like this in the first place and therefore, you aren't reading this, so I'll just ignore you.
   For everyone else: This is the mack truck of the violin world. It's heavy, reliable, and it's tone is strident and powerful. It's perfect for use in rock or old-school country fiddling. And let's face it: it just looks cool as hell. If you're planning to use this in a live performance setting, I hope your bandmates aren't the jealous type. It garners quite a bit of audience attention.
   All that being said, I've noticed a lot of suggestions posted by other reviewers about additional things that you need to minimalize your problems with this violin. Let me simplify, you need:
   1)Some Peg Dope.
   This will take care of peg slippage. You shouldn't need new pegs or fine tuners. Peg Dope works, it's inexpensive, and you can pick it up at any music store that carries violins.
   
   2)A new bridge.
   I suspect that most people who don't like this violin are using the bridge that came with it. Buy a 15 dollar Glaesel adjustable bridge (medium), and you've just created a fantastic violin for around 100 dollars.
   
   In summation, if you are a beginner looking for a practice instrument, or someone with skill and experience looking for a violin for live performances, give in and BUY THIS VIOLIN. You'll be glad you did.



2. I am a classical violinist and I wanted something I could practice without disturbing others in the house, but would never perform on it. It barely works for that, but I would suggest other instruments. The instrument is a little heavier than an "acoustic violin" and it will not support your shoulder rest--you will need to cut on a sponge or styrofoam to replicate the feel of your shoulder rest. The holes in the pegs only go halfway through and made it difficult to put the strings back on after applying peg dope.
   
   The instrument comes in a "no frills" case and the bow is only 28 3/4" long--keep the plastic tube it comes in if you use it so the rosin doesn't come off.
   
   For those wanting a practice only instrument, find one with either an "S" shaped body or one closely resembling a violin (acoustic) outline. Playing in higher positions is much easier on this instrument because it is slender, but that might come back to haunt you when you come back to practice and perform on your "acoustic" violin.



3. I have been playing various classic violins for 7+ years as my hobby and my sisters are indeed professional violinist and cellists. As a result, I know what sounds good violins can produce and what to expect when I pay $90 for a violin. This electric violin meets my expectation meaning that it barely produces a violin-like sound without anything related to beauty in it. So, don't expect any thing about sound.
   
   However, considering its low price tag, this product is OK as a 'silent' practice violin. It means you can play this violin for silent practices as unplugged. You don't want to play this violin for a real performance even in front of your family.
   
   Other misc things:
   1) A decent bow comes together. This is nice.
   2) Bridge is quite high. But OK because fingerboard is also high.
   3) New pegs might not be necessary. My pegs were OK.
   4) Get three fine tuners (one comes by default) and put each on every string. You need them.
   5) Get a new rosin. The one which comes with the violin is just horrible.
   6) Get a new shoulder rest. This is a must.
   
   In a summary, this is a good investment for silent practices. If you are looking for a decent electric violin that you can also play in front of audience, try SV-XXX from Yamaha.



4. I do not know violins very well, but I do play bagpipes at the more advanced level of skill so I know that when you go to buy an instrument, you can't buy one from just anywhere and expect it to last your entire musical career. I want to learn to play so I bought this violin knowing that I would get what I paid for it. The headphone jack seems to have broken (by the second day) so now I can only get sound out of one side of my headphones (if any sound at all because sometimes there's not). I understand that this probably isn't the best quality violin out there, but it was cheap and I know that as I get better, I'll have to upgrade my instrument. So to make a long story short (providing that you'll still be able to hear yourself play) this is a good buy for beginners, but don't get too attached to it.



5. I have to admit, I did not expect much based on the price but this particular violin has turned out to be one of my favorites in my collection of electric instruments. I was really surprised at the way it hold its tune and it also came with a pretty nice brazilian hardwood bow. The neck makes it a little easier to reach the higher positions but the sound really impressed me when it came time to plug into an amp. This is a fun violin. I would recommend it for anyone who loves to play violin and is looking for an electric starter to experiment with some new sounds. Can't beat the price and the sound will convince even the most diehard skeptics, like me.

5 comments about ViolinFactory Solid BLACK color 4/4 Full Size Teachers Recommended Student Violin + Bow + Case + Rosin Complete Set.

1. Violin is not what they say it is. There is no inlay around the edges, and the top and bottom are heavy for a violin. A bestler at it's best!



2. good price,good delivery but horrable stuff i mean no guidlines ,it took me forever to set up the bridge since the bridge wasnt installed and the strings keep getting loose i tried to get intouch with the company to get some guide lines but they never answer my email so the violin was a total weste of money .if you are thinking of buying one ,you might as well buy one with a higher price.



3. Please, please, please, if your child is interested in violin, do not think you are going to do him/her any favors or save yourself any money by getting a $50 instrument off the internet.
   
   Go to your local music store. They will rent you a MUCH BETTER INSTRUMENT for the low low price of about $15/month. Most have specials where the first few months are $5 each.
   
   Then, if your kid likes it, they have a GOOD quality instrument to play which will encourage them to keep playing. Poor quality instruments are difficult to play. Heck, I've been at it over 20 years and I can't get a decent sound out of a $50 violin. You can't expect a beginner to, either! :(
   
   If your kid hates it, then you're out $15 instead of $50. I saved you money! :)
   
   Thank me later!



4. I took my time and picked out a cheap violin to fool around with and this looked like a good deal. I even paid attention to when everyone said that you need to be careful with the strings and all that jazz BUT the stupid things snapped...twice and I even had the music store tune it after I broke the first string and he snapped 2 more while I was standing there. Im just annoyed with it, maybe it was just mine but...rawr.



5. I recieved my violin today for my daughter. I read the reviews on this product and I was really in the middle. Well after recieving a broken violin today I am convinced that I should have gone done to the local music store and rented one. It was horrible, light wieght - yeah like 8 oz, not 8 lbs. I think that is why it showed up broken. The strings will not stay tight, the neck was broken, the chin rest was broken and the back had a long split. I was horrified. I buy a lot online and this is the first time I have felt I was taken. I am trying to return the product now.

5 comments about Cecilio CVN-200 Rosewood Full Size 4/4 Violin w/ Case and Accessories.

1. This violin has a great tone, especially for the price. I gave it as a gift to an amateur musician who really enjoys the sound and he is very impressed with the quality.



2. However, the rosin doesn't work. Gotta get your own. My bow was also a little bent out of shape, but works.



3. This will be a moderately comprehensive review of Cecilio CVN-200 violin
   
   First of all my knowledge of violins is limited but I'm learning everyday. I do have a music background playing trumpet in school and piano at home with some compositions on the side. I've always wanted to learn violin and finally decided to try. 100 bucks for a violin, does it even work?
   
   I received this instrument four weeks ago and am extremely happy with it.
   The outfit for this is great for the price. You get everything you need to start playing and more, ie. TWO bows, TWO sets of strings, an extra bridge, a case, a shoulder rest, a simple tuner, and a cake of rosin.
   
   All of these are essential for playing the violin and you get them all. Also, the bow and strings are very delicate parts so having two in case one breaks is a huge plus for a newbie. The violin itself also comes with four micro tuners (at the bottom end of the strings) rather than just one on the e string that even some 500 dollar outfits are lacking. This is an excellent value for this price.
   
   Now, none of this stuff is of the highest quality, far from it. The bows were slightly twisted, the rosin is barely usable (but is), the bridge is asymmetrical (by design not defect), the case pocket zipper sometimes fails, the pegs do slip, and the micro-tuner hooks need readjusting. However, all of this, though unthinkable for an intermediate player and up, are more than manageable for a beginning player.
   
   So how does it sound? Well, the last violin i touched was over ten years ago and I have no others to compare with. Having said that, it plays quite well, at least it produces a sound akin to other violins I've heard. My understanding is that violins at this price are normally considered junk and unplayable. This one has quite a DECENT SOUND. Some of the other reviewers mentioned that even his/her teacher was impressed with its sound.
   
   In fact, it plays well enough that I absolutely positively love practicing on this violin. Since receiving this little thing I have not missed a single day of practice and on average spend one and a half to two hours each day on it! Something I never thought I would do.
   
   Having said all of that, the one thing holding this back are the included strings. The strings take precision bowing to respond at its full potential (which isn't high).
   
   As a beginner, one tends to bow wobbly and bouncy-like which causes the bow to slide up and down the strings. The strings respond by losing resonance and whistling or shrieking. Cleaning the strings of rosin helps, and so does re-rosining the bow. As I said all the shortcomings of the product are manageable. However, once I got better at bowing I realized the strings were holding me back which is a good thing rather than replacing the entire violin.
   
   I just recently put in an order for a set of Thomastik Dominant strings (35 USD). I read that even with a 300 dollar student violin, you should replace the included strings with much better ones (usually Dominant set is recommended). I consider this upgrading the violin to meet my own growth as a violin student rather than a shortcoming of the original purchase.
   
   Again, I absolutely love playing on this violin. For such a small investment you get so much, everything you need to learn and develop your skill... until you outgrow it.
   
   I am already looking at intermediate violins between $750-1100 since I now know I want to stick with it.
   
   This violin is perfect for someone who wants to try out the violin but not yet committed, at least not enough to spend $300-500 on a typical student violin.
   
   Considering price, 5 STARS for an excellent violin.



4. Needed professionaly tuned but came with everything you need to get started and is nice looking to.



5. This is may be a cheap priced violin, but it's an excellent choice for a student violin who's just learning or maybe is not sure about it. I have got good compliments about my violin, it has a good sound and beautiful finish. There are some glue marks in the inside but that's no problem.
   The two bows are good usefull, of course you shouldn't expect real horsehair, it's synthetic but good anyway. Now the rosin is of the poorest quality, unusable, so buy good rosin. Also I haven't used much the pitch pipe, but seems good. The shoulder rest is a piece of plastic with foam, but that wasn't a problem for me since I don't use it.
   
   In conclusion: This is a good violin for the student and begginer. It doesn't look cheap.
   
   By the way the fingerboard isn't ebony, of course for the price you shouldn't expect real ebony, but it's good painted black.
   
   Sorry for my bad english

5 comments about Austin Bazaar Full Size Violin 4 X 4 with Case - Natural Color.

1. Like so many others who purchased this, I did so because I have no experience with any musical instruments, but have always been fascinated by the sound of violins. I was very nervous considering some of the reviews, as well as some of the seller feedback. But I tell you what, I am very pleased with my purchase.
   
   A few points:
   
   Since it is such a well priced instrument it would be great if this seller realized a lot of the purchasers would be very inexperienced users. A small set of instructions would have been very helpful. I.e putting the bridge in, care and maintence, rosining the bow, storage, etc.
   
   All and all, when I recieved it, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. It is a beautiful violin. I did too also note the neck is not stained on the back, but that is not a big deal. My co-worker who is a professional violinist said considering what I paid, and where I got it, it is actually a good instrument. My only gripe is there is a piece of paper inside that I can clearly see through one of the f holes. When I contacted the seller for recomendations their response was an apathetic oh its just the label. It won't interfier with the sound quality. (which true it hasn't) but, the reason I bought a violin is I know if I give up because I can't learn fast enough, at the very least I have a beutiful piece of artwork to hang on the wall. Oh well, like I said it doesn't effect the sound quality. (this is the only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5)
   
   Here are a few suggestions if you purchase this violin.
   
   While you are waiting for the item to arrive, go out and buy real rosin. I spent $4.00 and the new rosen worked like a champ. Before doing so I was worried that I had a defective violin! The rosin included, is awful. If you do not decide to purchase new rosin, the included rosin will work but you will definately have to score the crap out of it, and vigorously apply it over and over again. After doing that and getting very frustrated I bought the new rosin and with one quick application I finally got actual violin tones.
   
   Setting the bridge. Was very very easy once I figured out what to do. (as I doubt amazon would want me to mention a specific page, do a search for 'installing the bridge' there are some good web sites out there to help with this.) one thing I got lucky with my reasoning was, the taller part of the bridge goes under the fatter or 'G' string. It also needs to be flaced directly between the f holes (the little holes in the violins body that resumble an f.) the f holes have a convenient notche (thus making the f) and the bridge should line up perfectly with those. And apparantly set tilted back ever so slightly towards the bottom of the violin. Also, before inserting the bridge, ensure you loosen the strings so you don't snap them.
   
   Another thing I learned, because thank goodness I work with someone who plays, is ensure you loosen the bow before storing it. Apparantly if you keep it taught you can warp and eventually snap the bow. She also advised that its not a good idea to touch the horse hair, as the oils from you skin may damge the sound quality. (no one had mentioned that yet). Also I am pretty dumb, because when they shipped the violin they put the bow between the holders with a rubber band. I thought that was how you store it.. no. There are 2 black knobs that you place the bow into the case, with the knob between the hair and the bow, and then turn the knob and this holds the bow into place. I felt really silly about that one.
   
   Anyway, after purchasing The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner, Violin Book 1(also from amazon) I am finally making violin noises, and hopefully will eventually learn to actually play a song.
   
   Another thing for you absolute beginers like myself, violins look easier than that really are. There are several variables that go into effect to ensure you are actually making sound. ie. are the strings tuned properly(buy a tuner, please)Korg Chromatic Tuner CA-30, is the bow tight enough or too tight? Is the bow properly rosined, and am I even holding the darn thing right. But after you get all that straitened out it is very satisfying. I think my biggest problem was the rosin, so I was freaking out about all the other variables. Seriously, that is the biggest thing I recommend, if you buy this, GO PURCHASE REAL ROSEN or get it from amazon. Violin/Viola Rosin Light. (this is exactly what I have)Its cheap, and it will save you some headache.
   
   So all in all this was a great purchase and I am very pleased. Who knew I could buy a violin this cheaply? And as soon as I learn how to play (If I have the patience anyway) I can purchase a high quality one. If you are like me, and not really sure. Go for it. And again, even as someone who doesn't really know what I am doing yet, I highly recomend the other noted accessories. Especially the rosin.



2. I have received the item very quickly, but I found that the 'Sound box' was broken.
   I have given that Violin to repair at a local store. I am paying three times more I saved by purchasing online.



3. First off, this is not a $50 violin. If you really want to learn to play violin, you'll probably want to buy peg drops, a shoulder rest, new strings, and a new bridge -- the one it comes with is way too high. Otherwise, though, it's a fine instrument. The replacement strings are especially nice, as it's likely that you'll break one or two during the initial tuning. The rosin isn't great, but it works.
   
   The violin itself sounds fine. I'm an amateur musician (VERY amateur), but I've played with violinists before, and I'd say that no one would notice the difference in sound between this and a $500 violin, if you get your bridge placed and adjusted right. But I don't know that for a fact. If you are a classical musician or member of an orchestra, you can probably tell that this isn't quite up to par.
   
   My biggest complaint, apart from the bridge being monstrously huge and not curved enough, is that this violin just _looks_ cheap. The pegs have grunge around the pegholes that obviously weren't sanded, and the back of the neck isn't stained at all. I know, the neck is always left lighter, but this just looks bad.
   
   Overall I'm satisfied, but I do wonder if it could've hurt too badly to step it up another $50 or so and get the Cecilio or something. But this is fine for what it is.



4. I actually bought this violin three years ago with the intentions of learning to play it. The need to take some college courses for my job took a lot of time away from me, and I packed the violin away for a while.
   
   At the beginning of this year, 2008, I was free of college classes, and it was time to take violin lessons! My instructor was impressed with the price I paid for this violin. He thought I paid at least $200. I had similar comments when I took it to a music store to get a string replaced.
   
   It is a great beginner's violin, well worth its price. I am sure one day I will upgrade to a more expensive violin, but this one will hold many memories and the enjoyment of learning something I have always wanted to do.
   
   I recommend this violin for any beginner, student or adult. It is made well for its price. I have been very pleased with it from the first time I touched the bow to the strings. Great violin for its price!



5. I was a little hesitant about buying this instrument. I was worried that the quality of the sound would not be good. However, after some minor adjustments, I was quite pleasently surprised by its tone. Not only me, but the lutheir, who did the minor repairs, even mentioned that it had a very nice sound.
   I will mention that I did have to have the sound post cut and fitted to the violin. This made a difference in the quality of sound. I also had to have the bridge cut, to prevent the strings from slipping.
   I would definitly recommend this violin as a starter instrument, and maybe even for intermediate level students.