Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is an absolutely gorgeous violin! The flaming, stripes on the back, and detailing of the accessories are awesome. The tonal quality is good for beginning adult students who want to learn and practice playing the violin. The bow takes a bit of rosining at first, but once it's rosined up, it plays beautifully. I like the violin case too -- it comes with a "sleeve" to protect the violin a bit more, and also has a bigger accessory box than most violin cases. There's also an extra zip-around pocket on the outside of the case that can hold sheet music (if it's folded in half). This is a great violin set at this price.
Austin Bazaar's customer service is fantastic as well -- I had a problem with the first shipment, but they rectified it completely and quickly. Their standard shipping is also quite fast... via UPS, it only took two days from Texas to Illinois. Thank you Austin Bazaar!
A couple tips:
> The first time you open the rosin that comes with this violin, be sure to open it over a wastebasket, as it may have small pieces/crumbs in it (probably due to shipping). So for heaven's sake, don't open it while holding it OVER the violin or case!
> The strings that come with the violin break easily when you tune it up for the first time... be prepared to have a backup set in-house by the time your beautiful new violin arrives, or you will be upset that you can't play it right away if one (or more) of the strings break on you too.
> You will have to install the bridge on the violin, since it shouldn't be shipped with the bridge in place. This is EASY; just read up on it first. There's a ton of sites on the internet about installing a bridge.
Accessories you'll need with this violin if you're just starting out:
> as mentioned above, an extra set (or two) of strings -- Super-Sensitive Red Label Violin String Set, 4/4 is good for beginners (currently only around $15-20 on Amazon).
> a shoulder rest (the Kun Collapsible 4/4 Violin Shoulder Rest is awesome and is quite comfortable with this violin)
> a tuner (I'm using the Korg Chromatic Tuner CA-30, which is great, and seems to be the one of choice on Amazon -- Austin Bazaar currently sells these)
> a metronome - I'm using the Seiko DM50 Compact Metronome - Blue, which seems to be working okay (plus it was cheap). If you go digial, make sure you can adjust the volume, and also adjust the tempo by increments of 1 or 2, from at least 40 to 208 (the DM-50 goes from 30 to 250 by increments of 1). Austin Bazaar currently sells these too.
> Of course, you could just get the tuner/metronome combo and avoid having two separate devices.
> if you have "others" in your household, you may also want to invest a couple bucks in a good practice mute (Enough said there...)
Other useful items for your accessory box:
> two soft cloths -- one to wipe down the strings after playing (the rosin gets on the strings, and will build up over time), and one to polish the body of the violin. I don't recommend using the same cloth for both -- the rosin from the strings could potentially scratch the finish on the violin if the same cloth is used.
> a very small piece of sandpaper for scoring the rosin. You need to "score" the rosin before "rosining the bow".
> fingernail clippers. You may have to cut your nails down on your left hand!
Anyway, if you're thinking about investing in this violin, I highly recommend it -- it's well worth it, and is a bargain at this price!
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