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Editor's picks

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  D'Addario Helicore 4/4 Size Violin Strings 4/4 Size Set with Steel E String

  Musical Instruments (D'Addario)
  

  Rating (17 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  Excellent Strings

  Recently I have replaced my 4/4 violin strings with these news ones. They produce an excellent quality of sound with minimum bow moment. I am happy that I got these strings after a prolonged research to get good strings. I highly recommend these strings to medium to professional violonists.Another good aspect of these strings is that you don't need any setting time. Hope this helps to aspirants.Haricharan M. 5/5 Haricharan Maramraj (Santa Clara, CA, USA) - See all my reviews, October 1, 2007

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  good stand by's

  I am a freelance classical violinist and these are the strings I always go back to. It depends on the instrument-- but I find these much warmer and fuller than Dominants. And it is not that much fun to start monkeying around with the gut core because they are so expensive. 5/5 A. taylor (boston, ma) - See all my reviews, February 14, 2008

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  Good strings for folk music

  I mainly play folk music and fiddle tunes, and I prefer the mellow sound of these strings for folk songs and folk fiddle styles of New England, Canada, and the British Isles. To my ear, Cajun music also sounds fine on them. They hold their tune well and I find them responsive and easy to play on.Sound is a matter of personal taste, of course, and if you are looking for a brighter string for blue grass or southern styles, try steel. 5/5 Lynn D. Hebert (Wallingford, VT USA) - See all my reviews, January 25, 2007

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  List Price: $60.00
  Price: $28.69
  You Save: $31.31 (52%)

  For Classical, Modern, Jazz, Country Music Styles

  For Full Size Violins

  Designed for Professionals and advanced students

  Excellent for electric instruments using Piezo TM pickups.

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  Bonmusica 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest

  Musical Instruments (Bonmusica)
  

  Rating (32 reviews):

  (4.4/5)

  

  Excellent, Comfortable Shoulder Rest

  I am a beginning adult violinist. I purchased this shoulder rest to find a comfortable fit for my violin, shoulder, and chin, after several attempts with standard shoulder rests. It is an amazing piece of equipment. It can be adjusted in numerous ways to achieve a customized fit. The extended, curved, left end can be bent to fit the violinist's shoulder and prevent the instrument from sliding off without requiring extensive down pressure from the chin. It is a little more expense than other standard shoulder rests, but it is definitely worth the price. I recommend this shoulder rest to any beginner who may be having trouble achieving a comfortable, relaxed bond with your violin. 5/5 B. Brown "Bobby Brown" (Pleasanton, TX) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Bonmusica 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest I am a beginning adult violinist. I purchased this shoulder rest to find a comfortable fit for my violin, shoulder, and chin, after several attempts with standard shoulder rests. It is an amazing piece of equipment. It can be adjusted in numerous ways to achieve a customized fit. The extended, curved, left end can be bent to fit the violinist's shoulder and prevent the instrument from sliding off without requiring extensive down pressure from the chin. It is a little more expense than other standard shoulder rests, but it is definitely worth the price. I recommend this shoulder rest to any beginner who may be having trouble achieving a comfortable, relaxed bond with your violin. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , August 8, 2006

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  Dependable

  I have had this shoulder rest for at least 6 years. It has NEVER fallen off my instrument, ever. it can be molded to fit your shoulder and chest exactly. love it. 5/5 Vendela (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews This review is from: Bonmusica 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest I have had this shoulder rest for at least 6 years. It has NEVER fallen off my instrument, ever. it can be molded to fit your shoulder and chest exactly. love it. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , April 12, 2008

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  Very comfortable, but inconvenient

  This is a very comfortable shoulder rest, and with it I find that it requires very little effort (none, really) to support the violin. The only downside is the shape and size, which makes it very difficult to find a violin case that will hold it. Of course, the size and shape is also what makes it comfortable, so it's hard to get too upset about that.I'm giving it a 5-star rating, though, since anyone who reads my review will know what to expect going in, regarding its awkwardness. 4/5 David A. Smith - See all my reviews, October 3, 2007

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  List Price: $56.00
  

  Padded Curved Adjustable Base For Precise Fit

  Height and Width Adjustable

  Made in Germany

  Fits 4/4 Violin

  Great For Players With Previous Injuries Or Arthritis

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  Cecilio 4/4 CVN-200 Rosewood Fitted Solid Wood Violin

  Musical Instruments (Cecilio Musical Instruments)
  

  Rating (56 reviews):

  (3.6/5)

  

  After four weeks of playing, EXCELLENT beginning violin

  This will be a moderately comprehensive review of Cecilio CVN-200 violinFirst 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... 5/5 Cbui "CBui" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews This review is from: Cecilio 4/4 CVN-200 Rosewood Fitted Solid Wood Violin (Electronics) This will be a moderately comprehensive review of Cecilio CVN-200 violinFirst 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... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 27, 2008

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  For the price, it's great!

  I bought this violin and a CVN-100 1/10 size for my four year old son. He loves the CVN-100, and I love the CVN-200. Please remember that most instruments need a "breaking in" period. Get some peg drops and that will help with the tuning pegs.The thing that I like about this violin is it's tone. A nice beautiful sound. I'm sure that upgrading the strings would also boost it's tone, but for right now, I'm happy. The thing that is nice about this violin, aside from the great price, and tone, is the fact that I don't have to worry about my four year old son breaking a $500+ violin. Because I've been able to be so relaxed, my son has taken full responsibility for his violin. He treats it carefully, wipes it down, and really takes pride in what he has learned in his lessons. It's been a wonderful, low stress way of introducing music, and instilling self-confidence in my little boy. Thanks Cecilio.Know that if you get this violin, you need to learn how to install the... 5/5 Arthur Moore (UT, USA) - See all my reviews, December 16, 2006

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  Cecilio CVN-200 Violin is great for the money

  I recently purchased this violin and love it! Both my local music store, and my new teacher looked it over and thought I got a great deal. Being a beginner, I really have no idea if it truly sounds good or not. But, my teacher (who has been playing violin half his life) said it really does have nice sound! So, I would recommend it as a good beginner's violin. 5/5 Quilty Qelly "Kelly" (Indiana) - See all my reviews This review is from: Cecilio 4/4 CVN-200 Rosewood Fitted Solid Wood Violin (Electronics) I recently purchased this violin and love it! Both my local music store, and my new teacher looked it over and thought I got a great deal. Being a beginner, I really have no idea if it truly sounds good or not. But, my teacher (who has been playing violin half his life) said it really does have nice sound! So, I would recommend it as a good beginner's violin. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 4, 2007

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  List Price: $239.99
  

  One Year Warranty

  Rosewood Tailpiece With 4 Fine Nickel Plated Tuners

  Includes Extra Set of Strings, Rosin, Bridge and more

  Hand-Carved Solid Maple Back & Sides

  Natural Color Rosewood Pegs, Chin Rest, Tailpiece and Fingerboard

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  Toy Violin -- Electronic Toy Violin for Kids

  Musical Instruments
  

  Rating (44 reviews):

  (3.6/5)

  

  This "toy" violin is a great beginning instrument for possible future violinist

  I caught my three year old grandson pretending to play music by running a stick across another stick...as though he was playing a violin. Hmmmm I thought...just maybe??? I called our local Suzuki school and they suggested we wait until he was 4 yrs old to give him violin lessons. I saw the electronic toy violin and thought it would give him something a little better than two sticks to get a feel for a true instrument...and that it did. He is learning to properly hold the instrument (his mother played violin and I the viola, as children), and to properly run the bow across the bridge. The programmed tunes are very nice. I really like that the tunes are played based on the child running the bow over the bridge of the violin. The are no real strings, so there is no worry that a 3 yr old will break the strings. My grandson thinks that he is actually playing and making music. I think this little violin shld be a required toy for evry child who plans to take violin/viola lessons. My... 4/5 Laura A. Johnson (chicago, Illinois) - See all my reviews, December 27, 2007

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  Decent toy, poor customer service from company

  I bought this toy for my 4 1/2 year old son who loves music and requested a violin from Santa for Christmas. Upon it's arrival, I was disappointed in how small it was and overall it just seemed a bit "chincy". I tried it out before wrapping it up and you do have to get the bow just right on the strings for the music to keep playing (it sort of cuts in and out). I decided it would be fun for him in spite of my impressions. He did really like it, and the smaller size was actually about right for him. The only problem was that it quit working within the first hour. We tried replacing the batteries and still nothing. I know it was played with gently so this was a big disappointment. There was no return/exchange info on the sales receipt and I have failed in getting a live person at the phone number listed. My messages left have gone totally unanswered. I fear I will have to file a claim with Amazon's A-Z guarantee department as this company (The Planet Shops) is quite lacking in their... 4/5 sportsmom (Fargo, N.D) - See all my reviews = Durability:, December 30, 2009

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  "Real" toy violin

  My 3 year old daughter who has autism was always fascinated with my violin and enjoyed drawing the bow and pluck the strings. Although there are no strings to pluck on this violin I was amazed at how authenitic it looked and the wonderful sound of the 4 classical music pieces that you could play by simply pushing a button. My most favorite aspect was the ability to draw the bow across what looked like strings which moved the apparatus back and forth and it would play the next note in the song if you held the bow in the position it would hold the note, so she really felt as if she was playing. Although she mostly likes to push the demo buttons to here the song without using the bow, she has enjoyed it as much as when she would want to pluck the strings on my violin. 4/5 R. Fast (Western New York) - See all my reviews, January 6, 2008

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  Plays 25 Melodies

  Ages 3 and up

  16" tall Realistic Toy Violin

  Easy to use.

  2 AA Batteries Included

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  Cecilio 3/4 CVN-200 Rosewood Fitted Solid Wood Violin

  Musical Instruments (Cecilio Musical Instruments)
  

  Rating (15 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  Cecilio CVN-200 Rosewood 3/4 Size Violin with Case and Accessories

  Perfect for my 11 year old. No complaint. A friend of mine lent us his $2000 violin and after tuning this one, it sounds almost just as good as my friend's violin side by side. 5/5 H. Tran "Blue Thunder" (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews, May 12, 2008

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  Great item

  We love the violin. It came with so many items that we were quite surprised. The tuning of the violin for the first week was tough. I think it just needed to be broken in. Now it works great. Her violin instructor is also impressed with the quality and sound. The price was fantastic for all that you get. I would absolutely recommend this product. 5/5 arysea (Kentucky) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Cecilio 3/4 CVN-200 Rosewood Fitted Solid Wood Violin (Electronics) We love the violin. It came with so many items that we were quite surprised. The tuning of the violin for the first week was tough. I think it just needed to be broken in. Now it works great. Her violin instructor is also impressed with the quality and sound. The price was fantastic for all that you get. I would absolutely recommend this product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 8, 2010

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  A nice starter violin

  I bought this for my 9 year-old and have not been disappointed. I was worried that for the price the instrument might not hold up, but it has done well. The only negative comment I have is that the pegs move a little too easily and don't hold their pitch as well as I would like. I also bought her a nicer bow, which made a big difference in her sound. Overall, a fine beginner instrument. 4/5 S. Ferguson - See all my reviews, April 29, 2010

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  List Price: $239.99
  

  One Year Warranty

  Natural Color Rosewood Pegs, Chin Rest, Tailpiece and Fingerboard

  Rosewood Tailpiece With 4 Fine Nickel Plated Tuners

  Includes Extra Set of Strings, Rosin, Bridge and more

  Hand-Carved Solid Maple Back & Sides

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  Palatino Antonius Violin Outfit 3/4 Size, with featherweight case and bow

  Musical Instruments (The Music Link (AXL))
  

  Rating (5 reviews):

  (1.8/5)

  

  2nd yr. violin player

  We rented a violin the first year for about $280. We had no clue thinking violins were $300-$500. My son wanted to play a 2nd year so we decided to buy one. This is it. He loves it and is very proud to have it. We decided to buy in the mid range of $50 - $150 and went for the $85 violin. It was easy to put the bridge on. My 10 year old did it his self and the music teacher tuned it up in about 5min. So far so good and waaaaaaaaay better than forking over $28 a month for 10 months. 4/5 Aliceia Olmos "B Like Jesus" (USA) - See all my reviews, October 17, 2009

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  Bad Quality Even for a Beginner

  Violin will not hold a tune at all. Right after you tune it, it starts to loosen immediately and by the end of one session the larger string has usually come undone all the way. Bought a cheap one for our 8 year old who is trying it out. You get what you pay for here. Amazon's return policy won't let us return it either even though it is only a month and a half out and took this long to figure out it was basically broken. We can all accept minimal quality but not below minimum to where it doesn't even function. Either buy a nicer one or RENT like we are going to now do. 1/5 Blair A. Anessi (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews, December 2, 2010

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  Poorly Manufactured

  While this looked like a great deal, especially for my 9-year-old's first violin, she can't use it because the pegs are too big for the holes, so it can't hold a tune, and the bridge is too big, so the strings are too high. I would have to invest more to repair this than I paid for it and that's ridiculous. . . I'm returning it. Don't be fooled by the nice appearance! 1/5 kak - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Palatino Antonius Violin Outfit 3/4 Size, with featherweight case and bow (Electronics) While this looked like a great deal, especially for my 9-year-old's first violin, she can't use it because the pegs are too big for the holes, so it can't hold a tune, and the bridge is too big, so the strings are too high. I would have to invest more to repair this than I paid for it and that's ridiculous. . . I'm returning it. Don't be fooled by the nice appearance! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 10, 2010

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  List Price: $109.99
  Price: Too low to display
  

  Maple Back, Sides & Neck

  Fine Tuner Tailpiece

  Featherweight Case

  Spruce Top

  Ebonized Frog Bow

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  Flat Flesch 4/4 Violin Chinrest - Ebony with Standard Bracket

  Musical Instruments (JSI)
  

  Rating (4 reviews):

  (3.8/5)

  

  Violin Chin Rest

  I love the product. I received the product quickly from the time I ordered it. The price was also very reasonable. 4/5 Kelly A. Behnke - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Flat Flesch 4/4 Violin Chinrest - Ebony with Standard Bracket I love the product. I received the product quickly from the time I ordered it. The price was also very reasonable. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , August 23, 2011

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  Good chinrest in poor condition

  The metal feet on the chinrest I received were bent out of shape. I had to force them to bend back straight to even attempt to fit it on an instrument. Even now, it does not sit totally flat, and I will be ordering another elsewhere. 2/5 Rachel - See all my reviews This review is from: Flat Flesch 4/4 Violin Chinrest - Ebony with Standard Bracket The metal feet on the chinrest I received were bent out of shape. I had to force them to bend back straight to even attempt to fit it on an instrument. Even now, it does not sit totally flat, and I will be ordering another elsewhere. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 26, 2011

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  Nice product, comfortable fit

  I'm new to violin so I'm still trying to make things as comfortable as possible while playing. This chin rest works great for me. It may or may not work for you, depending on your body shape. I ordered a couple before finding this one that works well for me. You might be better off going to a shop and finding what you like before attempting to order online.The wood is nice and the bracket is sturdy. The only thing that I noticed with mine, is that the shape of the bottom of the wood doesn't exactly match my violin. You didn't want to over tighten it and harm the instrument so be careful when installing. Especially if it doesn't exactly match the contour like in my case.One other thing...$4.25 shipping charge when I ordered it. When I received the package, the shipping label said that it only cost $2.25 to send it. 4/5 Stephen L. Caldwell (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews, August 26, 2010

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  List Price: $19.00
  Price: $15.95
  You Save: $3.05 (16%)

  Flat Flesch-style

  Center mount

  Ebony - crafted from the finest Indian woods

  Standard bracket

  Fits 4/4 Violin

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• 

  Cremona SV-75 Premier Novice Violin, 1/4-Size

  Musical Instruments (Saga Musical Instruments)
  

  Rating (7 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  Lovely little instrument

  My grand daughter loves her violin, and we adults think it is very pretty. The instrument does not arrive "set up", but we were able to have a musician at a local music shop set it up for $10. Prices for this service may vary, so call for prices before you buy the violin if that additional cost is a concern for you. (Set up includes installing the bridge, which is not attached to the violin but is held in place by the strings; positioning the sound post, which is not attached but is inside the box and held in place by the top and bottom panels; rosining the bow, and tuning the violin.) In closing, may I just say that y'all don't know how difficult it was for me to call this a violin and not a fiddle. 5/5 flibbertigibbet - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Cremona SV-75 Premier Novice Violin, 1/4-Size (Electronics) My grand daughter loves her violin, and we adults think it is very pretty. The instrument does not arrive "set up", but we were able to have a musician at a local music shop set it up for $10. Prices for this service may vary, so call for prices before you buy the violin if that additional cost is a concern for you. (Set up includes installing the bridge, which is not attached to the violin but is held in place by the strings; positioning the sound post, which is not attached but is inside the box and held in place by the top and bottom panels; rosining the bow, and tuning the violin.) In closing, may I just say that y'all don't know how difficult it was for me to call this a violin and not a fiddle. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , May 12, 2010

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  .1/4 size fiddle

  We bought this fiddle for our 2 children, ages 4 and 5 to learn the fiddle. It is the perfect size and the quality was good 5/5 Candida Kish "candi386" - See all my reviews, March 13, 2010

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  very satisfied

  i got this for my 7 year old student. the quality and sound are good and the price is right. 5/5 Lorgina L. Doran "music making" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews, August 6, 2011

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  List Price: $99.95
  Price: $65.99
  You Save: $33.96 (34%)

  Warm Brown finish

  VP-71 bow: wood stick rosewood frog and unbleached horsehair C-3907 Featherweight arched-top shaped case with blue exterior and light grey interior

  Hand-carved solid Spruce top Hand-carved solid Maple neck back and sides

  Dyed Rosewood fingerboard and fittings Dyed hardwood chinrest VP-61 tailpiece with (4) built-in finetuners

  Painted purfling

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  Super-Sensitive Old Fiddler Violin Strings - E, 4/4, Unwound/Steel, Thick, Ball

  Musical Instruments
  

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  Violinsmart Natural Color Student Violin Size 1/4

  Musical Instruments
  

  Rating (10 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  Decent student instrument

  I bought this violin to start my daughter on, and it's been perfectly serviceable. The natural wood and real horsehair bow were a pleasant surprise in an instrument with this price point, and the instrument itself exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations. I grew up a violinist, so I knew I would not be getting the highest quality instrument for this price, but for a child just starting to play, you want an instrument that you won't have weep over if it does happen to get dropped facedown on the floor, or if your child decides to move on to piano or flute instead. This violin fit the bill. It is well-enough put together to learn on, stay in tune, and have passable tone. The only problem I had was that the mass-produced bridge had to be filed down by a luthier to fit the strings properly, but that cost me less than $20 and made all the difference. The case was of higher quality than I expected and my daughter loves the backpack straps. Good starter package. 4/5 A. M. Lighter "renaissance woman" (Utrecht, Netherlands) - See all my reviews, August 6, 2007

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  Great Violin

  Initially I ordered a Violin that was too small and I thought it would be a hassle to get one my size but the person whom I purchased this Violin from gave me no trouble at all and was very helpful with everything. On top of that, the actual Violin is beautiful and plays spectacularly, I am very pleased with this purchase. 5/5 MusicMakesThePeople "Love" - See all my reviews This review is from: Violinsmart Natural Color Student Violin Size 1/4 Initially I ordered a Violin that was too small and I thought it would be a hassle to get one my size but the person whom I purchased this Violin from gave me no trouble at all and was very helpful with everything. On top of that, the actual Violin is beautiful and plays spectacularly, I am very pleased with this purchase. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , April 2, 2010

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  great to test if there is interest!

  my 3.5 yr old had been asking for a violin. neither me nor my husband has experience with strings. so we had to take it into a shop to have it set up and tuned. the lady at the shop commented that the bow wasnt bent like it should be. (but i didnt care its a toy). otherwise its a beautiful looking violin and my daughter LOVES it. only comment is that the strings on the bow are very fragile and dont really tighten that well. we ve already had to cut off like 12 hairs from the bow. otherwise, as long as you use the resin, you can get some good sounds. great for beginning stages and to see if my kid will actually like it (before buying a VERY expensive one). thanks! 4/5 A. Legittino - See all my reviews, January 11, 2012

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