Cecilio 1/4 Violin Solidwood Violin with D'Addario Prelude Strings, Bow, Rosin, Tuner, Shoulder Rest & Lesson Book – Ideal for Beginners

I started violin in the 6th grade and played all through high school and then off and on since then (total of maybe 21 years) something like that. I love to play and the family violin I played on (Stradivarius copy) had to be loaned to my cousin to use so I had been without one for about 2 years. I was really missing playing and had a very low budget to purchase one but I did a TON of research. Just to give you a sense of the level of playing I am at I play music like Brandenburg Concerto No 3, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Cappricio Espangnole, my favorite being Bach Double Concerto for 2 Violins. The reason for the background on my experience is because I didn't see may reviews from people that had played for a while, mostly entry level and beginners and I wanted to have some credibility for my review. I would never consider myself professional but I am not a beginner. I have had this violin for about a month now and I couldn't be happier. It is certainly NOT my Stradivarius copy, however it is a really great value for the price. It does come with everything you need and I even like the beginning practice book for my warm ups. Has the Can Can, Simple Gifts and comes with the CDs to play along with. The instrument is beautiful, I will most likely replace the strings because they sound a little tinny mostly on the E string it stands out. Maybe some Dominants will fix that. I waited to do the review to make sure I didn't have any issues and I haven't. The one thing that made me click to purchase was the Fiddlermans review. I actually subscribed to his site before I even knew he did a review on a black Cecilio Violin and he was impressed for the money also. I wanted to get my violin "fix" so to speak for a good price and that's what this is. I hope this helps anyone considering. Of course if you have more money to spend, by all means get a higher quality. But bottom line is if you know how to play, you can make it sound decent.

I purchased this item because, after playing guitar for a few years, I wanted to make a departure to a new instrument, while still sticking to something with strings. Well, I received it about 6 weeks ago and have been taking lessons for 5, and I gotta say, this violin really does it's job. It was nice to order it, and BAM, ya got everything you need (sans tuner) to start playing. The two bows are nice and have a good feel, but you probably realize they're not the best, but they certainly work. The rosin I received came in a nice little box that keeps it safe and intact. The outfit also comes with a second bridge and strings, which, at this point, I can't really comment on because I've had no use. The pegs of the violin slipped at first, but with a little playing and practice, came to hold tune really well, which surprised me. The fine tuners are really nice as well, being very smooth and make getting it in tune that much easier. The case that keep it all together is very nice as well. it's very sturdy and has nice storage space and a good, smooth zipper.Moving away from the features, the violin was also basically setup, a fact my teacher was quick to point out, and was very impressed with. The only thing that really needed done was tuning.All in all, I think this was an awesome purchase, and should be a great starter instrument for anyone wanting to learn. The only thing that was not quite as the product description described was the color. the violin's body is much lighter, and the chin rest and pegs are a bit darker, bit this is really a good thing, as it makes the violin that much more attractive. If someone is still undecided about whether or not to purchase this, I'd say go for it, it's well worth the $100 that's asked for it.

After careful research, we purchased this violin for our daughter. Although some feedback left us the impression that the bow might be sub-par and the rosin might fall apart, everything in this package exceeded our expectations.We purchased ours from Austin Bazaar and the item arrived with everything promised in the condition promised. The bows in the package are very nice. The rosin was boxed and when opened, it was encased in plastic on three sides which allows the user to draw the bow across the open side. I don't even think my daughter got any rosin on her. My husband only had to score it a little bit to get it started and it worked wonderfully.Although we had warned our daughter to look up instructions for attaching the bridge, the violin came with the bridge attached. It is a lovely violin and the finish is very nice. It makes a beautiful sound once the bow is properly covered in rosin.The case is also very nice. The exterior is soft but the interior is a lined hard case that cradles the violin. There are places for all the accessories and the strap makes it easy to carry.Many reviewers said a violin will lose tune until it is broken in. Our violin did lose it's tune very quickly but, as many reviewers recommended, I ordered peg drops along with the violin and they solve the problem beautifully.This violin is a fabulous compromise if you are new to playing or want something for practice that isn't terribly expensive. We searched music stores all over our area and found nothing remotely comparable or as reasonably priced. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Cecilio again.