Mendini by Cecilio 1/4 Violin Set For Beginners - Hand Carved Acoustic Violins Kit - Fiddle Ebony Fitted Solid Wood Kit with Hard Case, Two Bow, Rosin, Shoulder Rest and Extra Strings

I bought this violin for my 6 year old as a Christmas present. He has been asking for a violin for the past 4 months. I occasionally offer him my own instrument so he can saw away at it. He's not making music per se but I appreciate that he has a love for live sound. I decided his interest was genuine so he's going to get this violin. My own violin is an old French made JTL so I have something to compare against.This violin arrived as advertised. The case is a hard foam zip up unit with the usual top pocket and internal compartment. You would normally keep your instruction book in the top pocket but this pocket is too small for that. The internal compartment is adequate for something like rosin and a cloth.The violin comes with a set of strings, an extra bridge, two bows, a shoulder rest, and a rosin cake. Nothing was missing from what was advertised. The extra stings look like replacement steel strings. Although there's nothing special about them, it's still nice to have them handy when (not if) your child breaks a string. I'm not sure why you would want an extra bridge handy unless this one is so soft that in the long term the strings will press through and break the one that's currently installed. The two bows are functional but not great. Yes, a couple of the hairs do break off from one end but that's honestly not a big deal. Just break the one or two hanging hairs from the other end. There's plenty of hairs left. A good bow will not have any hairs break off but you have to remember that a good bow will normally cost more than this entire package! The rosin cake is a small and hard. It's difficult to hold and work with but it is functional.Before playing the violin be sure to rosin up the bow. Since this rosin is very hard you will need to spend anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes rubbing the bow back and forth across the cake. You will quickly see how difficult it is to hold compared to some of the higher quality rosins that come in a wooden holder. Eventually the bow "breaks through" the polished surface of the rosin and the bow gets nice and dusty. When your bow changes from yellow/orange (unrosin'ed) to white (plenty of rosin) then you are ready to use it!The four strings were loose which relieved pressure on the body during shipping. The violin tunes up just fine. Be sure to press the pegs inward as you tighten the strings. Use the pegs to tune just below the open note. Don't go crazy fine tuning with the pegs! Use the fine tuners to get the last bit. I use a chromatic tuner app on my iPhone and I had no problem getting everything to tune and hold. The fine tuners are a little stiff but not unmanageable. Be warned that the strings will need an initial stretching! Let the violin rest after your first tuning. The strings will stretch and bit and then you will need to adjust the tuning. Perfectly normal.The strings were not well spaced on the bridge on my violin. It was very easy to adjust their position while tuning.The fittings and fingerboard board do look like they're made of ebony. This is a huge plus and helps the violin maintain mechanical stability. Cheaper violins will have soft wood fittings or even plastic. Stay away from those instruments. Soft woods and plastics are easier to manufacture but they will slip in the violin assembly as time goes on. This is when you hear complains of violins unable to maintain their tuning.The violin itself is generally of a good build quality. Mine did not have any strange smells coming of out of it so I know the finish is truly dry. The finish on my violin is rather thick but there's nothing I can really do about it. Ideally the finish should be thin so it doesn't dampen the sound. The wood used here is not too thick but thicker than a high quality instrument. Again, there's nothing I can do about this except accept what it is. The wood should generally be thinner to allow for more resonance as I understand it. Other bits like the neck, pegbox, and internal cavity look just fine. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is the nut. It looks like it was shaped with a very course file. So, it looks a little ugly. No big deal.Now comes the big question. How well does it play and how does it sound? You have to remember that this is a small low cost violin. It will not resonate like a full size high quality player. Despite physics working against this violin, I have to say that it sounds just fine, especially for a young player or a child that wants to screw around with making live sound. The D and A strings sound very nice in the first position. As you get up to the E string and the notes there then the sound starts becoming a bit shrill. It's not bad but it's not great either when compared to a full sized instrument. The G string sounds very dull though and that's where the small size of the instrument comes into effect. It's not a deal breaker. Just understand why it sounds the way it does and you will be OK.So, the bottom line is that this is a very functional and complete violin. It's not perfect but you can't expect everything from such a low cost instrument. Be sure to tune it properly by pushing the pegs inward as you tighten the strings. Let the strings stretch and then adjust the tuning. Take 10 to 15 minutes applying rosin to the bow. After that, you will be able to make sounds and if the hands are willing and able then you will make music! My adult hands are too big for this violin so I sound worse than usual. :-) With all the pluses and minuses I observed I will give this violin 5 stars because it is still a good value for the price I paid. If this violin was priced higher then I would have looked for a used violin with fewer accessories and with better sound on a classifieds site or an auction site.

UPDATE: I've had this violin for ten days short of a month and I've been using it nearly every single day for an average of an hour a day. I've had to upgrade to a better rosin and chin rest. The chin rest that comes with this one is excruciating and was giving me some minor nerve damage in my jaw. I switched it out for a Glaesel ribbed plastic chin rest that has a much smaller profile (on recommendation from "The Online Piano and Violin Tutor") and the jaw pain is a thing of the past. It's also made this violin a lot lighter. I do plan on upgrading the strings as soon as I fully wear these out.Some points of note I wanted to share: The bows are garbage. I knew I'd need to upgrade but I didn't anticipate needing to upgrade within a month. Maybe it's because I'm not a complete beginner, I played in school, but the bow is starting to hold me back. It's bouncy, poorly balanced and makes a crunchy sound. Upgrading the rosin helped a lot but it can't cure a terrible bow. I'm in the process of researching a new bow, but that doesn't take away from this kit at all because you're going to want to get your own, better bow no matter what instrument you buy.So with the new rosin and the new chin rest, it feels like a completely different violin than what came out of the box. I believe with a new bow this violin will still be able to carry me through a full year before I'll need to look into upgrading. If I were a student, I wouldn't even consider upgrading until my third year probably, with the exception of the accessories and bow. Hopefully this helps someone out there!---Original Review Below---So, a little background. I'm an adult looking to get back into playing violin. I used to play in grade school and have really missed it over the years.I did a lot of research into inexpensive beginner's violins and this one came up again and again. Knowing the difference between a violin and a violin shaped object (VSO) goes a long way in making an educated decision.Also, you need to have realistic expectations. At the time of this writing, this violin sells for just under seventy bucks. With it you receive a case, two bows, the violin, two sets of strings, rosin, a shoulder rest and an extra bridge. That's amazing. Absolutely amazing.Does this violin sound like an instrument many times the price? No. Of course not, and if you're expecting it you should seriously consider why you're thinking about spending less than a hundred bucks on a whole violin kit. However, it does make beautiful notes and is a joy to play on. It will last a beginner at least a year until they'll need an upgrade, probably a lot longer with the right kind of modifications and changes such as higher quality strings. I do however think this one is a bit underpriced. It's definitely worth more than seventy dollars alone.So, some things you NEED TO KNOW: This violin needs breaking in. If you don't know how to break in a violin, do some research before purchasing and leaving a bad review because this violin doesn't deserve it. It will require frequent tuning as the strings break in and some rosin or peg compound in the pegs. You will need to scratch up your fresh rosin before use and work the bow over it in long, slow strokes for several minutes before the new bows will make any sound.And on to the actual contents.Violin: I bought the 4/4. It's lightweight, orange wood color. Feels good to hold. The varnish is a bit thick feeling but doesn't affect the violin much. It's pretty, but could be prettier. Overall a solid instrument with no visible flaws. In the right hands and a proper breaking in I could see this being a great, inexpensive little fiddle. I do get a really nice sound out of it and despite the violin snobs saying otherwise, there's no reason a beginner shouldn't use this instrument.Bows: One is heavier and darker than the other. They feel a bit cheap but get the job done. I recommend upgrading as soon as possible. Genuine horsehair, not synthetic.Rosin: Chuck it in the bin. It's garbage. Avoid putting it on your bow in the first place. It produces a raspy sound and leaves the violin and strings caked and sticky. Spend a few dollars on higher quality rosin. I use Jade. I have a review for it in my profile if you're wondering which one.Strings: Could be better, but just fine to start with. Just use them up and save for a nice set after they're worn out. You get two sets, but I had to change mine to the second set within a week because the ones that came strung on the instrument were just old and sounded bad. Don't forget you have to frequently tune new strings to break them in.Shoulder Rest: I found this quite comfortable but I prefer a cloth.Chin Rest: Bulky and uncomfortable but most violins need a chin rest upgrade based on your personal preferences so that's to be expected.Case: Amazing! I mean, wow. It's solid, beautiful with a red velvet interior. Everything fits securely. Even if I upgrade in the future, in keeping this fantastic case. What a surprise it was. I could see this case selling for what I bought the whole setup for! The only thing that could improve it is a solid locking mechanism.This violin is not something a true professional would use on the daily, but it is a great beginner's instrument and I could see it as a traveler's instrument for fear of a more expensive one getting lost or stolen on the trip. The price is right and if you do your research properly you should have no trouble getting it to make a great sound. However, if you buy this and just hand it to your kid of try to play it without expecting some time dedicated into setup, you're going to be sorely disappointed.