Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Purple
I bought this as a very beginner. I didn't want to spend a lot in case I damaged it while transport or practice. So price was 5 stars. Sound was a little off, not terrible, but not top quality. But that's to be expected. Although my teacher said it wasn't bad and helped me fine tune it. Shipping was
great, it arrived a day sooner than expected. I bought the purple version, and it is gorgeous. Overall, very happy with my purchase.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2023 by Bob Houston
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
I have always wanted to learn to play the violin, so I finally decided to get this one based on research "best violin for beginners" and plan to teach myself. All the searches I came across said this was the top violin for beginners. For the price, the quality is great, you get presumably everything
you need for full basic setup and it comes strung already. Bow is not resined, so if you have never played, let alone seen, a violin before, then you can watch some YouTube videos on how to properly resin the bow, like I did (you won't be able to get sound without doing that, which I never knew before!) Be careful of strings, they will break easily, especially the E string. I was attempting to tune it for the first time and I barely moved the peg, and mine snapped, so it was fantastic that they had an extra string included! I decided to take up my Pastor's offer to tune it for me so I knew it would be in the best hands possible and I could practice tuning at a later time (I had watched YouTube videos that taught how to tune, but I was having difficulty getting it just right when it snapped). Also, as I was attempting to tune, the other strings were a little easier to tune, but the pegs kept slipping, so every time I would get the strings tuned, they seemed to slip and loosen and I'd lose the correct sound. Loved that it came with a tuner, and that the tuner came with a battery! The sound quality is really good for a cheapy beginner violin once it is tuned. The accessories that cone with the violin help to get you up and going right out of the package. The only accessory that is not included that is suggested for learning to play, is the fingerboard cheat that shows you where all the notes are. I am ordering one to better help me learn finger placement for correct notes since I am teaching myself. Case is not HARD, but definitely not soft, and is sturdy. Again, seems like a great little violin for someone starting out, and has pretty much all the necessary accessories for beginners. I got the Satin antique, and it is pretty! Can't wait to start learning and playing! I will try to update later when I get my violin back and begin actually learning to play and can review more from experience.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2022 by Michelle Lawrence
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
I'm a complete beginner to strings, after viewing many videos on which violin kit to start with, this Mendi Cecilio MV300 4/4 (Full Size, Satin Antique) was voted the best. I love it! Convinced a friend to get one!
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2023 by Devin Devin
-
-
-
-
-
Beginner friendly- pos review
So I read all the nasty comments here still bought it. I had very few issues so far after opening it. So here is my list of things to help you get this violin to play. 1) Tuning, a violin is not a guitar, the violin does not require as much tension to tune. The turn screws behind the strings at the b
ase is our additional tuner. It is best to note, tune right to left or from the thinest string to the thickest, the opposite to a guitar. Get it close to the range of the note we need and move the screws little by little tighten to increase pitch loosen to lower pitch. You will have to push the string adjusters in as they are not affixed. Like with a guitar you will be making multiple adjustments tuning it. But onceyou tune the first string move to the next then retune the other. Repeat this for every string till the end. Tension of strings moves tension of others until you have them all around where they need to be at. Then each time you play just adjust them little by little. 2. The bow is bad quality, but it is good. You have a tightener on the bottom handle where you would hold it. Do not over tighten it will break. Loosen the strings so there is no tension, tighten it just enough that they aren't dangling. Then give it a quarter turn more to maintain tightness. 3. The beginners book isnt basic enough for a child, they will need a teacher as well. The same also applies to anyone not already used to a bow string instrument. The book it not very direct about technique. I've been playing instruments but never with a bow till now. But I picked it up quickly. Do not expect this to be easy to learn 4. If you have bad memory of where note are by approximation invest in a fingerboard sheet that you can add to the board. It is also advised for children as this will not be their last violin, but will help them make sense of it. 5. Rosin, invest in a small knife and dull it out for children. This knife is to score the rosin. You will need to score it many times and more over time. It makes it faster to adjust and add the glide to the bow much faster than widdling away and risking so much tension on the strings of the bow they pop or snap. Take you time rosining the bow. The more you do the long it will last. I wasnt dissatisfied but everything here works and is workable, fine tuning it was easy enough. Just use the tuner and common sense. If the string has too much tension loosen it and see if the pitch is supposed to be softer. Not as good as other violins with quality but the sound is still pretty. I gave it a two on craftmanship because it was made cheaply, especially in areas that shoukd neber be cheaped on. 4 on beginners as that is all its good for. And a four on sound quality as it is still lovely sound.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2020 by Keitoshi Kenji
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
For all future buyers with no experience or knowledge of violins, this needs to be said because many of these instruments have been sent back with nothing wrong with them. Do more research than just reading reviews. Ive seen dozens of reviews complaining about the finish on the neck. The neck normall
y is not finished, and hasn't been for centuries. The finish can cause your fingers to not slide, causing sour notes due to poor fingering. I've also seen claims of the violin being broken on arrival because the bridge had fallen in transport. The bridge is not fixed to the instrument like on a guitar. String tension holds it to the violin. If the strings are loosened or if the bridge tilts forward, the bridge will fall. It just needs to be set back up between the notches in the f-holes. The tuner has 4 modes on it: guitar, bass, violin, and cello. When tuning the violin for the first time, be certain to set it to violin or you will likely break a string. And finally, the tuning pegs. Unlike a guitar that uses a set of gears in the tuning machines, the tuning pegs on a violin are tapered and held in place solely by friction. When tuning, you must push in when you turn the pegs to seat the taper or they will slip and not retain tension on the string. Please future buyers, do your homework so you wont be disappointed or believe something is wrong with what you've bought when it is exactly as it should be. With that said, 100% satisfied with my purchase. Tuner worked fine, already playing my first notes within an hour of unboxing.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018 by Chandler
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
OK, so let me preface this by stating that, yes I am aware that I purchased a $69.99 violin online and yes I did not have high expectations. I am a woodwind player so my knowledge of stringed instruments is limited. However, I have been interested in learning my way around our less breathy friend, th
e violin, so when I came across this one I said "Why not? Let's see how it goes." I received the item quickly and it appeared to be in good shape (UPS apparently paid attention to the "handle with care" notice on the box.) With great excitement I opened it and prepared to delve into the world of strings. The case looks nice and appears to be sturdy. The interior is acceptable and fairly standard however the top will not stay up. It drives me absolutely bonkers. There is a strap at the scroll end that appears to be too short so it's an act of balancing to get the lid to stay open and not constantly fall over as you try to unpack. Once unpacked I inspected the fiddle and found it to have a nice matte finish, although flawed in many places but again, it's a $69 violin, so perfection was not expected. The bridge was already placed so that was one less thing to worry about at setup (there is also 1 spare included.) Unfortunately, upon removing the bow, I found several hairs had either already fallen out and were lying in the case or were already broken and hanging off. Disappointing but again...you get what you pay for. The provided accessories, rosin, shoulder rest, and tuner were standard and not really remarkable. The rosin arrived cracked down the middle but I was still able to scuff and use it. The tuner does appear to be quite accurate and easy to use. The package also includes an extra set of strings, which is good since it appears the will be needed often. During initial tuning, 2 broke. The D string broke as soon as the peg was turned the first time. My suspicion is that it was already frayed. The replacement string snapped as well 2 turns into loading it, bringing me to the conclusion that Cecilio strings are probably not of any quality. They are cheap though so if you're like myself and just "fiddling" around with a new hobby- order them in bulk...just sayin' Overall, it's meh. Again, I am not looking to become a stage performer or prodigy. I just wanted to learn a new instrument and maybe play some Christmas songs for my family so the Mendini violin meets that need but if you are looking for a serious player or school band instrument that will get daily play, you may want to consider something more substantial. I have also through research found out the many repair shops will not service Mendini products due to the repair cost outweighing the purchase price, just FYI. Anyway, hope this review is helpful. UPDATE: I contacted Cecilio Customer service regarding issue with Bow, rosin, and the strings and they are replacing them at no charge and no questions asked. They were extremely apologetic and helpful. Positive Customer Service exeperince
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017 by TMM
-
-
-
-
-
GREAT BEGINNER VIOLIN - Violin Teacher APPROVED!
I bought the 1/2 size for my 8yr old boy, based off comments in the question section. I bought it in black. BE AWARE: the black is NOT black matte, but a shiny, glittery black. Just saying. I bought after seeing a video on YouTube where this guys tested 10 different violins of various quality and pri
ce, and my husband and I both thought the cheap Amazon violin was one of the best sounding. And let's face it. An 8yr old boy isn't exactly gentle on stuff, nor do we know if he'll actually like it (it was his idea). So, it came with everything shown, and a few extras such as rosin (needed for bow), batteries for the tuner (excellent!) and a book on how to play. Case alone is worth $100. When I bought my flute ages ago, a case like that was extra $$$ and considered high dollar. The bow came with the bridge in place, but did need extensive tuning. I DO reccommend reading the enclosed instructions, they are GREAT. You need to rosin up the bow for a while, and the pegs as well. The sound was shockingly amazing once that was all done. NO VIOLIN STAYS IN TUNE!! They are wooden instruments, and subject to the weather conditions outside so you must tune EACH TIME you play. My teacher added some sort of oil to the tuning pegs to keep them from slipping. You can also twist the tiny little metal pegs at the bottom to fine tune the tuning (I didn't know this until the teacher did it). Even the tuner impressed me, it listed each note on the back of the back that each string needed to be tuned to, and I had no complaints on ANY of it. I was just more and more impressed. He goes into lessons next week, so we'll see if my review changes ;) UPDATE AFTER LESSONS: Teacher was impressed at everything that came with the set, even the book! Teacher suggested packets of alchohol wipes to keep in case to clean the chin rest, strings and bow path. You bow comes un tensioned for a REASON . . . always UN tension it when done playing or you will RUIN your bow!!! ****I had NO idea*** The shoulder rest is TOO BIG for small kids. Instead we ditched it and use a chunk of squishy foam and rubberbands. Works much better! 100% would purchase again and recommend for anyone starting out!
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2021 by suzanne swift
-
-
-
-
-
Good sound for little beginners
The media could not be loaded. This item is certainly a mass produced item, but for the young beginner it seems to be good quality and has good sound. Our order was for 1/10 size and sizing matched size charts we referenced. Our child has no trouble producing very good sound both plucking and with th
e bow. It must be tuned regularly, which isn't a surprise with any string instrument, but it is a very fine tuning process as it is so small. The shoulder rest included with the instrument doesn't suit our child, so we needed another style, but that is a personal preference. The bow works well, however the first bow we received from our seller had issues. The bow with issues had a crooked tip and hairs easily popped out, plus there was an awkward bend to the top of the bow (stick). Our seller replaced the bow immediately and did a good job, but this review is not focused on the seller. A true issue with these bows though is that the black piece (grip) on the stick has an obnoxious odor that is a chemical smell something like tires. We have experience with violins and thought that's not a structural part of the bow and removed the grip with a blade, then carefully cleaned the bow and all is well now. Be sure to add lots of rosin to ANY new bow for it to work properly. Even with our bow issues, we would recommend this violin set for a young beginner. For an older child, perhaps something of higher quality would be preferred though.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2022 by Lou
-
-
-
-
-
Definitely a "You get what you paid for" situation
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: White
I've always wanted to play the violin. I learned how to play multiple brass/woodwind instruments in school but they didn't have a string section. I finally decided to try teaching myself, just for fun. I read the comments carefully and decided I would go with this one in spite of all negative comment
s. Some general personal accounts of what I've discovered based on what others said and what I've found myself as someone with NO experience with string instruments: - It says to rosin your bow for a good 5-10 minutes as it's normal for a new bow to have no rosin. I was a bit shocked when no sound came out of the violin after rubbing it for 10 minutes. I kept rosining it for about an hour and still no go. I finally found a YouTube video saying to rub the rosin with a little sandpaper to get the gloss off - BAM ready in 5 minutes. - The directions say right on the violin that the bridge may slip in shipping. I was fortunate in that mine did not but one of the strings wasn't in the groove correctly. I did fix that, but the bridge snapped off several times while trying to tune it. Very surprising to someone not expecting it. - The sound itself is alright, but considerably noticeable that it's not a high quality violin - especially if you're watching videos to teach you how to play and they have better violins. - The poor reviews about tuning are pretty accurate. I snapped a string trying to tune the A string because the peg kept slipping and I have no idea what I'm doing. If you're pegs are rotating give them a good shove in, if the tuning is way off, give it a good shove in. I've settled for getting everything similarly flat because getting them tuned right wasn't happening. - There is an obvious part on the neck where they didn't apply paint. There were some complaints about this, but it is done on purpose apparently so your hands don't slip. I picked white, a louder color might make this more noticeable and something to be considered if it would bother you. - My bow was pre-warped as others mentioned. I found you're not supposed to store it tightened and mine was shipped tight so I think that's the biggest culprit maybe? - The case is pretty nice, but it is a soft case. Kids, especially if traveling around, should really have a hard case IMO - The only thing not included that I've found I would need is a cloth to wipe down the violin to remove the rosin powder. I think this is the perfect violin for those expecting mild abuse while you learn; which would include really small children, and stubborn adults who like to fiddle with things without realizing your not supposed to touch the horse hair on the bow, or drop the whole violin while you try to tune it while juggling the tuner.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2019 by CB
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
Son really liked this. Worked well for him! He still plays it
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2023 by Jessica C
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
Did a bit of research and decided this was the best least expensive violin out there. This is my first violin, and figured I can't screw this one up and I can only go up in quality from here if I stick with it. Actually I had selected the MV200 4/4, but when I chose the Satin Antique varnish for $10
more it switched to the MV300. The varnish looked a bit better on the product images, so I bought it. When I got it in the mail, the smaller cardboard box was in a much larger and paper stuffed box from Amazon which was nice to protect during shipping. Everything was shipped successfully. When I opened the box, I grabbed the tuner and began to work the bridge on and tune the strings. The bridge wasn't on when I opened the box, so after some googling I figured out the lower sloped side goes on the right or by the "E" string, and the higher on the left or by the "G" string. The "Cecilio" brand stamp on the bridge should face the bottom of the violin (bridge should also be at a 90° angle, allign in the middle of the two "f" holes, and be centered left to right). One string came off the tuning peg, but that was easily restrung. Also make sure to loosen the fine tuning knobs before tuning. The tuner provided allows for tuning based on the vibrations (clipping it to one of the tuning pegs), or via the mic. Both work well, but the letters on the "modes" stand not for the notes but either a guitar, bass, violin, or cello. There is also a dial that changes the pitch, though not sure what that does for me. It worked great and got it tuned successfully. The last tip/feedback bit is when I went to apply resen to the bow, it was very slow/unsuccessful until I googled and then used sandpaper a repeatedly and then used the bow to loosen up rosin dust and then apply it until the shiny part of the resin was gone. After playing for an hour or so, I looked at the back of the neck for what I can remember as the first time and noticed the varnish either wasn't applied (like a previous comment) or it quickly wore off in my first evening using it. Could be either, but pictures are posted. The book didn't give much guide for how to prep your violin, so I hope this helps. Cheers!
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017 by Sam I Am
-
-
-
-
-
more than good enough for the money. it is low-end instrument. not for high expectations.
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Black
updated 12/24/2018 :original review at the bottom so it has been a year with this violin. overall: Still Cheap violin. so you can be _GUILT FREE_ about sticking fingering sticker on the finger board., marking it with white paint, etc major PLUS for beginner. The instrument stayed in tune the entire y
ear, needing only minor adjustment from day to day. Probably because it's covered in paint, it was actually very stable against change in climate conditions through out the year, from dry cold winter to wet spring to humid hot summer to dry hot fall. Painted body also means sound quality is muffled/muted/colorless and not at all expansive and no projection. (at least compared to my wife's 19th century hand-made violin with really thin varnish). But then again, this wasn't a bad deal for me as I can't make those sound on my wife's higher end violin ANYWAY! :) Changing to a set of dominant strings made everything sounding _even_. Still won't do anything subtle, but I'm not capable of subtlety, so this is NOT a problem. in fact because it is limited, it won't ask the beginner like me to do anything more than what I'm capable of. Very comfy. changed to wittner chinrest. it made easier for me to hold the violin under my chin. The production chin rest was adequate, so I'm taking this one as preference issue. ...still good enough violin for middle aged beginner who has no musical talent, but willing to move through the learning process slowly. ___________________________ For the price, it is good enough. mine came with everything in good condition. no damage to the items. the strings took about 5 days to settle into tune. but once it settled, after 45 min of practicex2times per day, it went back in tune by within a half the turn of micro-tuner at the end of the day. this is consistent, and I don't consider this to be going out of tune quickly or grossly. Bow is adequate. not really high quality, but good enough for beginner. no problem with hair. it stays put. sound. mine had warm enough sound. within the beginner's ability to create a sound, it does what it is suppose to do. IF you want a violin that would answer to Subtle manipulation, this isn't for you... but for beginner working on basic tunes? More than adequate.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2018 by ao
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
Although, at first glance this appears to be a fantastic deal. I would strongly caution against purchasing this Violin outfit. The violin itself looks decent, however there are some issues that I could not overlook. The strings that were previously strung were already frayed and starting snapping wit
h careful and slow tuning. I changed to the secondary set provided and found the strings to be very scratchy upon playing. I would recommend immediately replacing them if you wanted to continue, but you won't want too, not with this violin. The pegs were slipping constantly and within a few hours, I knew this would be extremely frustrating to continue with. Even after applying generous rosin to each peg and lightly tapping them into place, I found myself playing soured notes after 30 minutes, as it was constantly falling out of tune. With what notes I could properly get to play correctly in the brief amount of time it would stay properly tuned, the sound quality was very unpleasant and discouraging. There is no way to describe the sound but it was not a sound a well made violin should have. The fine tuners were not even installed. I found the screws laying in the case under the violin. Now that is not an issue about them not being installed, some use them and some do not even have all 4 to begin with, but to have screws just underneath the violin means that can damage your instruments wood. The set up bridge had gashes all over it from the previous person not lining the string up properly in the slight indentations. I had switched to the other included one, hoping it would make a difference in sound quality but it did not matter since the pegs constantly slipped and I was struggling with keeping it in proper tune. The rosin came broken and powder was everywhere. Rosin can be easily replaced and isn't a huge cost to replace. That can be overlooked. The bow was the best part of the purchase. It was very light, felt evenly balanced and I could maneuver it rather well. Remember, to really take your time rosining up your bow when it is brand new. However, the hair was snapping off off a bit after a few hours of using. It isn't the best bow, nor the worst but of decent quality. I see nothing wrong with a beginner using it. I believe that this violin isn't even worthwhile for a student. You need a decent quality instrument to properly learn on,to gauge your skills and this would lead a beginner down a path of believing they are just not that good and discourage whatever passion they had for learning. Even I was questioning if I could play decently and I took classes for over five years. I simply wanted a practice violin for daily usage instead of using my vintage 1900 one. I think that it's really important and crucial to spend a bit more, source elsewhere or rent (in the beginning phase) and find a instrument that is of much better quality from someone who knows what they are doing.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2020 by StarNoStarz
-
-
-
-
-
It's alright, depends on what you're looking for.
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Purple
I ended up ordering the Cecilio $120 wooden violin set.. I intended on returning this one because it came with one string already broken, the purple is not metallic but... glittery.. like boat glitter paint jobs.. and the back of the arm isn't painted, like they just missed a spot. The case's zipper
is already failing and I've literally used the zipper a few times. I was debating this item vs the more expensive one, and tried this first since I thought I had ordered it prime. Turns out, somehow I didn't, and it'd cost me too much in shipping to return it, so I guess it's mine now too. Haha. Other reviewers are saying this isn't the bee's knees or anything but is fine for students, and any new violin won't hold its tune very long. You can get some good accessories for relatively cheap to beef this guy up too if you wanted.. for me, he'll just be something I toy with to practice setting up and tuning violins. Plus, he'll be a "I don't care, throw it in the car we'll see" violin, one I don't mind scuffing up or taking to parties and letting people play with. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EOYKGH0/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_6_w?th=1 This is the violin I ordered. One of the reviews on there posts a list of things to beef THAT guy up to make it a super solid working violin. You could use that list on this violin as well. If you're not going to get really serious about the violin, the price point is good for this one. If you really want to learn and have a quality product, I think the more expensive model will be worth the price. The list from that review: What I later on Added/Used: - Wittner 918111 Ultra Violin Tailpiece (4/4 Size) - The String Centre Peg Drops - Glaesel Cleaner/Polish For Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass 2-Oz. - GelRest Stick-on GelPad Black - Aubert Teller Germany U Insert Semi Fitted Violin Bridge 4/4, 9145-44 - Fretless Finger Guide for Full (4/4) Size Violin - Super Sensitive Light Violin Rosin - Snark SN-5 Tuner for Guitar, Bass and Violin - Fiddlerman Wood Violin Shoulder Rest for 4/4 and 3/4 with Collapsible and Height Adjustable Feet Pricey Bow - Fiddlerman -Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4 Cheaper Bow- Full-size 4/4 Silver Winding Violin Bow, Fluer-de-lys Inlay, Golden Mount, Well-balanced Pricey Strings- JSI Special 4/4 Violin String Set: Gold Label Ball-End E & Dominant A, D, and G Strings - Medium Gauge Cheaper Strings-D'Addario Prelude Violin String Set, 4/4 Scale, Medium Tension
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017 by Krys
Size: 4/4 (Full Size)
Color: Satin Antique
It works fine and as expected The only thing is not perfect is The shoulder rest is not well seated
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2023 by Sami malik
