Mendini By Cecilio Violin - MV500+92D - Size 4/4 (Full Size), Black Solid Wood - Flamed, 1-Piece Violins w/Case, Tuner, Shoulder Rest, Bow, Rosin, Bridge & Strings - Adult, Kids

So I (as a beginner) just ordered the violin because of the good to very good customer reviews here As it turned out, I wasn't disappointed at all! The sound is very warm and it is very light and very well made My violin teacher and friends of mine, all of whom can play very well, have all tested them extensively and all have come to the conclusion that it is a perfectly coordinated violin. I have to say it is a lot of fun for me as a newcomer and is easy to play

I've had this violin for about 3 months now. Let me get started that the violin itself is great, I didn't have any problems with it so far. Out of the box, the finish was flawless, there were no dings or any imperfections. While the finish colour is a bit different than it's displayed, it's great looking nevertheless. But what visually impressed me the most is the back: the flame is incredible (high grade no doubt). Can't really comment on the tone since I don't have anything to compare with, and I'm using cheap strings, but I can't complain. Now the extras are hit or miss: -Bows: They work. I'm no expert, hence I don't know whether they're good or bad, but they seem to be doing the trick -Rosin: Different than displayed. Decent quality (again, I'm not an expert) -Tuner: Horrible. It's off by a full semitone. I checked it against a digital piano, a bunch of other tuners, and all of them agree that this tuner is off -Strings: Also horrible. The high E string breaks almost instantly -Bridge: Extra bridge is a nice touch. Since I broke the first one (my fault), the second one didn't go to waste -Shoulder rest: It's OK, but I recommend getting a comfier one -Chin rest: It really depends from person to person. The one included is a standard one. I had to get a different type -Case: No complaints there Although some extras weren't great, they are extras. Hence the 5/5 rating

This is my daughter's second violin. I made the mistake of buying a "VSO" the first time, and she quickly needed an upgrade. I didn't want to have to keep buying violins every year. I wanted something to last her several years and wouldn't break the bank. After reading many reviews, articles, and listening to youtube channels, I had finalized my decision on this violin. First off, when you first pull the violin out of the case, put some good strings on it; like everyone is mentioning in the comments. We traded the Dominant strings we placed on her ADM (it did help that violin, but not much) onto her Mendini. Her instructor was impressed with the "clean/crisp sound" this violin produces. (And so much louder!) Good quality strings will make it sound like I had paid WAY more than I actually did for it. Ssssshhhhh..... I had gotten her a KUN shoulder rest, so that wasn't much of an issue. I admit I wasn't impressed with the one that comes with it. We ended up donating it. Not a very good quality at all. We were really impressed with the bows. (And her instructor kept saying, "It came with two?!") We were looking into purchasing a carbon fiber bow, but these bows are really good quality. (Or the quality of the bow that came with the ADM was so bad??) I'm glad to delay that purchase for a little while. Her instructor was very impressed with the bows also. The rosin that comes with the outfit says Cecilio. I expect it to be a fairly decent rosin for Cecilio to put their name on it, but we haven't tried it yet. She was given a dark amber rosin while visiting a local music store and it seems to be a good quality rosin. (The case says Kohr, so I'm assuming Johannes Kohr.) In short, I think the rosin will be fine and it's nice to have an extra. But she's going to use the Kohr for now. It comes with a really nice case. She now has two, and again we think that is not a bad idea. She likes this case better because there are straps to carry your violin on your back. So much easier for her to lug around, especially when traveling! The tuner is a really nice one. Her instructor was surprised by the great quality of the tuner also. The only worry I have is that she said her Mendini is a little heavier and wider than her first violin. But again, I had gotten her an ADM to see if she was serious and wanted to continue playing. Her ADM will now be a nice wall decoration. We were actually looking at getting her the Cecilio MV500, but the cost was not in our budget. I feel confident that this violin will last her through HS. Especially since these line of violins are also made by Cecilio. Some would say this is an awesome starter violin, and I agree. I wish I had spent the $70 more and started her off with this. Then there wouldn't have been a need to upgrade after 6 months of lessons.After her first lesson with the Mendini MV500, I have seen her confidence bloom! She's not making the scratchy noises and squeaks that she was producing from her ADM. I do want to comment on how beautiful this violin is! My daughter's ADM was painted; which we learned later can affect the tone. The antique look is gorgeous on this violin. It gives a more luxurious appearance. And the sound with the Dominants is amazing. My jaw literally dropped when she played it for the first time. I do want to say that Alison Sparrow (The Online Piano and Violin Tutor on youtube) made my final decision for this purchase. Look up her review for this beautiful violin. The plan is to buy her a Cecilio CVN 600 or 800 when she graduates from HS (as a graduation gift) for her to use during her college years. I am anticipating her Mendini still going strong.

My daughter has been playing Violin since 4th grade....she wanted a new violin for her birthday. SHE received it earlier than expected!! SHE is very very pleased with everything from quality of Violin to the light weightiness of the beautiful case! THANK YOU!!

Sounds amazing

This is an exceptional instrument for the price. I've had mine since 2018 and I couldn't be happier with it. It looks beautiful and plays wonderfully after being set up. When you order one of these budget violin outfits, you have to understand that right out of the box, they probably aren't going to be playable. However, there isn't much to be done to make this instrument fully serviceable for a beginner or someone who is interested in starting the violin or fiddle on a budget. I would recommend you take it to your local luthier or stringed instrument specialist just to make sure the bridge is aligned properly, and ask them to apply some peg compound to help keep the strings in tune, but if that's not an option, here's what I did: Mine came strung with D'addario Preludes, which are great strings, but if you go with an instrument that ships with stock strings, or strings with no branding, then immediately restring it with the Preludes for an extra $50 and use peg drops or peg compound to keep the pegs steady after you've restrung it. (These 2 steps are mandatory, IMHO) Tip: if you are restringing at home look up videos on how to do it properly so you know how to replace them without knocking the bridge or soundpost out and when and how to pull the tension so that that string holds the peg in place. It's a bit more complicated than restringing a guitar. Also if you aren't seeing a luthier, watch lots of videos on how to set up the bridge correctly. Make sure it's positioned the right way, it's the correct distance from the nut, and that you've put a little graphite from a pencil in the grooves where the strings sit to help keep them in tune. There are tons of videos out there that go over this in much greater detail. The bows that came with mine were perfectly fine, but something doesn't sit right with you, shop around for a highly rated affordable bow. I upgraded to a fiberglass composite bow just to see what that's like. However, even after switching out the strings ($50), using peg drops, ($14) upgrading the bow ($35), having a luthier briefly check it out AND even buying a new case (completely optional. I did it for the aesthetic), I still ended up paying less than $300 for the whole thing, and I've loved and used it since for almost 2 years now. I know a lot of people have some divisive opinions on these budget instruments, but I'm a big proponent of making music available to everyone, not just those who can afford the best instruments. With a little ingenuity and work, instruments like these can become excellent ways for low income households to introduce music to their children. They're also a great way for adults or teens who are stuck at home right now to develop a productive and fulfilling hobby. The craftsmanship on these instruments is great, and what few disadvantages they have can be remedied with just a little more I vestment and a little work. After getting it set up the sound quality of mine is great. It projects well and can play a variety of tones to help match the mood with my music.