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

I have always wanted to play violin, and a few weeks ago I decided what the heck, I'm going to just get one. I did some research on Amazon and came across this set; the negative reviews made me question if I should buy it or not, but the amount of positive reviews helped me decide to just go ahead and get it. When the violin first came, the strings were all set and everything, but (as expected) it was not in tune. I tried to tune it and I had some trouble. I've tuned a guitar before, so it's not like I was completely clueless- the problem was that I never used an instrument with a bridge before, so I knocked it over when tightening the strings. I wasn't 100% comfortable setting the bridge back up because everything feels so fragile and I didn't want to break anything. I took it to school (I'm a teacher) and had someone in the music department help me. If this is your first experience with tuning a stringed instrument, especially one with a bridge, I would highly suggest taking this to a music store or to someone who can help you. Tuning it after that initial setup isn't so hard; I purchased an awesome tuner to help me. I would HIGHLY recommend this tuner to anyone: Snark SN-5 Tuner for Guitar, Bass and Violin . It's easy to use and really helpful!! Next, I tried to assemble the shoulder rest. Lo and behold, I found that it did not fit...it must not have been made for a 4/4 full size violin because it wouldn't even reach across the bottom. Since the order was fulfilled by Amazon, I contacted them to see if they could replace the part. Amazon customer service is amazing and they said I could either return the whole set for a new one, or they would credit me for part of the cost of the violin so I could buy a new shoulder rest that did fit. I did not want to send the whole set back after the bridge/tuning business, so I had them credit me and I bought the Everest EZ Series Shoulder Rest for 4/4 Violin . It fits perfectly, is affordable, and I can tell it's more comfortable than the one that came with the violin would have been. After that, I took out the bow and began to work on that. I am not thrilled with the bow; when comparing all of the hairs on the bow, some of them were (and still are) more loose than others. However, when you buy a violin set for 60-70 dollars, you can't expect something mind-blowing and amazing. I used the rosin (you have to start it with some sandpaper or something) to get the bow ready to go. I actually ended up buying some better rosin because the stuff that came with the violin set seemed really cheap; after doing some research, I went with Pirastro Goldflex Rosin For Violin - Viola - Cello . I'm sure the cheap stuff is good enough to get by, but I wanted something of just a bit higher quality. The violin set does come with an extra set of strings and an extra bridge; I like having those extra pieces as backups just in case. As for the quality of the strings, I've seen from other reviews that the strings really make a difference in the sound the violin makes; maybe in the future, I'll get some nicer strings, but for now the ones that came in the set work fine. I have friends that play the violin and I know the one I bought off Amazon doesn't sound half as nice (and it never will), but this Mendini set is such a great starter. It's affordable and sounds pretty good, which is all I need since I'm just teaching myself in my free time. One last thing- I live in the middle of nowhere and do not have access to lessons (and the school I teach at doesn't even have orchestra- band only, so sad), so the book I've been using is Essential Elements 2000 for Strings Plus DVD: Violin Book 1 . It's easy to use and comes with a DVD (which I didn't find too helpful) and a CD so you can play along with the tracks (which IS very helpful). I have also been using various YouTube videos for technique, like the bow hold, because those aren't covered as well in that book/on the DVD. I am very pleased with this violin and I would highly recommend it- especially if you're an adult looking for something affordable to putz with!

Let me clarify that I am not a teacher, I have never played more than six months when I was 5. So to some people I don't know everything. This is just a review on this product of what I have found. I was hesitant about ordering this product. From all the bad reviews and different people were complaining about odds and ends. I chose to get the Black Mendini 4/4 MV solid wood violin. Let me tell you a few things that I questioned that no one had posted about. The violin does come with the strings already put in place with the pegs. You have to insert your bridge and tighten the pegs so that the bridge isn't going to fall out or anything. One thing people complained about was the pegs slipping. All I had to do was push and twist so that it tightened into the wood on the other end of the peg. I have listened to a lot of violinist and heard a lot of tuning things. I was able to tune my violin by ear. At first when you are trying to tighten the pegs so your bridge will stay in place, you need to be careful not to break the strings. Especially your littlest and thinest string. You have to move slowly and carefully. The rosin that came with mine was cracked and flakey. But you have to scratch it up a little bit to make it powdery anyways. If you take it straight out and try to play it you will get the worst sound. You need the rosin on the bow. and quiet a bit at first or you will get a cracky sound. Last night I was able to learn how to hold the bow, was able to play my open strings. and also learned the rest of the notes down the neck. The only thing I am worried about is I have already had two hairs fall out of my bow. I will see how it does over the next few weeks. If it loses to much then I will contact the seller since it is under warranty. I haven't tried out the shoulder rest yet. But if I do I will be sure to come back and update if it is good or bad like some people have said. Also Some people complained about the body being in bad shape, or the neck being crooked. Mine looks perfect. My neck is straight, and there isn't any buffs or marks or scratches anywhere. I am hoping for luck since I am 23 now and learning to play. I think I have a great start, It takes a lot of determination to get it all down!! Overall I would say this is a great beginners violin especially when you don't have 300 or more to put down on a violin that you may not continue to play! I do enjoy it though I feel I will be purchasing something better in the future!

El violín está lo que sigue de HERMOSO!! Excelentes acabados y el color precioso. Trae todo lo que se muestra y se nota que todo es de muy buena calidad. Excelente precio por el contenido. Me emociona saber que mi hijo estará encantado con su nuevo violín.

殆ど経験もないに等しいので個人的な感想になりますが、そりゃお高いものと比べれば違いは歴然です。しかしちょっと触ってみたいな。別に他人に聴かせる訳じゃないし…という人にはお手頃でいいと思います。 問題点は調弦のときにDストリングがすぐに切れてしまいました。付属のストリングに替えましたが今のところそちらは大丈夫です。たまたま不良品だったのか分かりませんが。 弓の毛が何本か切れてぶら下がっていました、が、そこだけ切り取れば特に問題なし。 付属の松脂は割れてるし固すぎるし到底粉が着くような代物ではありませんがそのくらいは想定内。一応弾ける程度にはつきましたけどすぐ取れるので別のところでちゃんとしたものを買いました。 あとブリッジに溝がありませんでした。 ペグは少し緩めかなという印象。楽器屋での調弦後でも一日経つと音が少し狂います。(これは楽器屋での調弦がダメだったのかも知れませんが…)そのあと自分で直したのですがそのあとはまだどうなのか確認しないと分かりません。 でも思い出してずっとまた触りたいという衝動を解消できたので全体的にはいい買い物でした。

[Scroll to the bottom for Feb2020 Update] March 2019 - First time Review Overall, amazing. This violin sounds amazing. Clear, crisp, and does not sound like a toy; which is what I thought it would sound like. Lets get into the details. What's good: Body and Bridge, Tailpiece, the Case. What's bad: Pegs, Chinrest, End Pin, The bow. The Body is solid, the paint coating seems to give the violin a slightly mellower sound which is good if thats the type of sound you are looking for (like me). The paint job is not the best, but its not like anyone is really going to see it. The bridge is actually very well done. Although, I wasnt a huge fan of how high the feet were. I cut a new bridge with an old Aubert bridge I had from 2008. It certainly enhanced the sound more than the original bridge, but if I had no option, I'd be perfectly happy with the two supplied bridges it came with. The bow was unfortunately useless, dont use it unless you want to get turned off from starting the violin. Not straight, barely any arching, but at least the hair is nice. you can probably use it for parts. The chinrest and endpin were no good either. Rough, and will probably give you a rash on your chin because its like putting your chin on sand paper. I replaced it. The tailpiece is good! The tailpiece is not alloy. It is plastic. Although I truly prefer plastic over metal for a tailpiece. I was never a huge fan of 4x fine tuners though, so I replaced it as well. But you can bet that I'll be keeping the tailpiece to use on another violin. The pegs are usable, not much to say, but I'll replace that eventually. I still have to test them to see how they will work for me. The rosin, despite what everyone says, is actually usable. Mine came as one piece. The shoulder rest seems to work. not as comfortable as a wolf secondo, but if you dont have a shoulder rest, it is usable. The case is the best I've seen for a budget violin outfit. it seems snug and i feel confident it will keep my violin safe. The strings also get a bad rep. They are great starter strings, don't throw them away, they are playable. I'm not the biggest fan of steel strings and they are too thin for my liking, but if you set up your violin properly (specifically the bridge) then they will sounds crist and clear and bright. A bit too bright for my taste though. Mods: I spent and additional 17 dollars to replace the chinrest, end pin, Tailpiece, and bridge (bridge was free, i had a spare uncut bridge lying around. That i ended up cutting myself to fit into this gorgeous violin) With only a few mods and maybe 30 min of cutting a bridge + setting up the violin, I ended up with an amazing violin i'm super happy about. February 2020 Update: The sound didnt open up as much as I hoped it would. I guess the paint makes the sound restricted. At this rate I would not recommend purchasing this if you are hoping it will sound better later. I made some major mods on it. I replaced the fingerboard because it isnt real ebony. Upgraded the tailpiece, chin rest, and pegs to planetary tuners. It is more enjoyable to play but again, the sound is taking forever to open up.

My Rosin came broken and cracked

It is great, I had a problem with the Mi String its sound was cold, I reduced 1.5mm from the bridge of the side of that string, and now it perfectly 100% match the sound that I hear from 1000$ professional Violin's.