Cecilio Full Size Violin With Prelude Strings

I am new to the violin, but have played several other instruments. I decided to try the violin after seeing that there are many examples on Amazon that are highly rated yet affordable. I did some research, found many articles denouncing “cheap Chinese violin shaped objects” and so on, and decided to trust the reviews. I am not disappointed in the least. The instrument that I received appears to be very high quality. It is a very attractive instrument an appealing finish and genuine flame maple as per the photos. The instrument holds a tune very well and despite playing it for around 2 hours per day, I haven’t had to do more than a small adjustment on one or two strings every other day or so. It is a very resonant instrument with a sound that projects impressively.

The workmanship isn’t entirely flawless; on close inspection some minor imperfections are evident, but nothing that would even be noticed save under a close inspection.

The included extras are nice. In particular, it is reassuring to have an extra bridge and the instruction book has more interesting pieces than I expected, such as for example the theme to the 2nd movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. These are fun and inspiring to play.

The shoulder rest and tuner are adequate, but not exceptional. I ordered other pieces and use these instead. I also ordered a nicer bow, though I haven’t found those included to be obviously bad. Someone more experienced than I could better evaluate the included bows.

Overall, by all appearances this is a remarkable value and I have no regrets about this purchase. This instrument inspires me to play, and I am confident that it is of sufficient quality to carry me to at least an intermediate level of proficiency before the need for an upgrade becomes obvious. Of a first instrument, I can scarcely conceive of greater success than inspiring these statements while simultaneously being quite affordable.

good value for money, if you want better pay more but for an all-around deal i feel good value

I really like this violin and it comes with everything you need to get playing!

The Violin- I am a beginner, and admittedly do not know much about violins, but it sounds great to me! The sound is loud and clear. The violin also came in perfect shape (No dings or scratches, or imperfections in the finish) and feels very solid. It is not as yellow as in the pictures and is slightly more reddish and warm colored. The strings sound great as well, but if I may find I need to upgrade as I learn and progress. The tuning pegs up top did slip for me (some more than others), but the fine tuners worked perfectly, and there are many tricks to get the tuning pegs to stay put, so I wouldn’t say this is a deal breaker. From what I can tell, this is quality. It is definitely NOT a toy or a cheap-o, and I can see myself playing it for a long time.

The Bows- The bows sound good and seem balanced. They look pretty, though there are minor imperfections. They seem a little bit cheap compared with the quality of the violin, but they work well enough for me. Same as with the strings, I might upgrade as I progress, but as the violin comes with 2 bows, I can’t see myself needing to upgrade any time soon.

The Case- It is a hard-shell case wrapped with canvas and a soft lining. It zips up and has a button flap. It has a pocket in the front (which is just big enough to hold a lesson book) and a handle and backpack straps on the back. I am very impressed with it! The case also has a spot to hold your 2 bows and your rosin/accessories. Very sturdy (and light-weight despite that). I feel confident putting my violin in it. It could take some bumps and still be perfectly fine. Definitely a plus!

The Book- The book also impressed me! It covers all the basics such as holding the violin and bow. It starts off with the open strings and progresses with all of the notes and various techniques and scales. It has 32 pages chock-full of exercises, folk songs, and classical songs which are fun to play. You can learn quite a bit from this book. It is perfect for getting you started (plus a bit more!) It does progress fairly quickly though, and does not cover a lot of basic music theory. These are not necessarily negatives, but may be important to know. It does say on the book that there is a cd(?) and it did not come with one if it was supposed to. No big deal though, as I probably wouldn’t have listened to it anyway. 🙂

The Shoulder Rest- Fits well on the violin and suits my needs. It has plastic screws on the bottom to tighten it on and the rubber feet to grip the violin. It will not scratch the violin (unless you are jamming it on). It is comfy and doesn’t jab into my shoulder at all, though it may for other individuals. It seems a little plastic-y/cheap, so I may upgrade eventually.

The Tuner- Okay. I don’t know if it needs newer batteries than what it came with, but it only registers about 1/4 of what is being played. But when it registers, it works correctly. I will try new batteries and see if it works better then. I already have tuners, so this was not a big deal to me. It has a built in metronome though, which could be useful.

The Rosin- Works well. Applies easy. It is not messy and has plastic to hold on to as you are applying it. It has its own little case as well.

I would definitely recommend buying this violin. From what I can tell, you probably can’t go wrong buying any in the CVN series.

Well cosmetically there were some screw ups on the assembly doesn’t take away from anything but aesthetics it is a beautiful item it sounds very nice nice case some nice goodies all in all happy with the purchase if new to violins be sure to watch vids on how to rosin your bow properly