Cecilio CVN-200 4/4 Full Size Rosewood Violin w/ Case and Accessories

I'm not going to write a long review as most of the other negative reviews are spot on. I ignored those reviews and took a chance. Hopefully you will not do the same. The violin was received damaged (there were chips in the finish) and the quality was absolutely atrocious. It stayed in tune only for a few minutes. The case is nice for the money you pay, but Cecilio should seriously improve the quality of their instruments... Who cares about the case if the instrument can't stay in tune? I've decided to rent a violin for $20/month instead. Not that it is a big deal, but the 'high quality rosin' they provide is far from that. The bow was also horrible quality and arrived with several hairs hanging loose. I do not recommend this violin at all... If you're purchasing this for your kid, beware! They will have more problems keeping it in tune that they will most likely become frustrated with the violin in short order. Invest a little more and get a good violin or simply rent one from a local trustworthy music shop.

(1) Product arrived in time, well packaged, in new, pristine condition.
(2) Will need tuning, but that was expected based on reading the other reviews.
(3) My 7th grade daughter was so excited to receive her item she can't wait to bring it to class next week!
(4) Product is extremely light (but I've never purchased a violin before).
(5) Case appears quite durable and comes with a shoulder strap which is really helpful.
(6) Accessories include extra strings, rosin. Very good product for the price. Definitely recommend this.

I bought one of these for me, and another for my son. We have both been wanting to learn to play for years, and I thought it would be good for us to learn together. I was impressed with the quality as soon as I opened the case.When we took these in to our local music shop, the first question he asked was how much we paid. I had to show him the invoice before he believed me. In his words, "A DAMN good instrument for that cheap!" Mine tuned in beautifully, the fine tuners made the job pretty easy. My son's was another thing. As soon as he started tuning it in, (nowhere near in tune yet) the small nut that holds the gut (the loop that holds the tailpiece down) slipped completely off. It was a simple $9.00 fix, and all was well in just a few minutes. We have been learning in leaps and bounds and loving every minute of it ever since.

It is hard to say whether this violin is a bargain. One one hand it is the best price you can find and comes with all the necessities, but on the other hand it will likely drive you insane. It is no secret that this violin doesn't stay in tune. Peg drops do work, however when I used them it focused all the tension on the tail cord (on the opposite side of the violin) and I'm now struggling to keep that piece on. I haven't played this instrument once while it was tuned but I remain optimistic. Some people say that the violin and strings may need to be broken in before the violin will tune properly. I give those people the benefit of the doubt because I want this violin to work. Am I wrong?

Taking other reviewer's advice, I bought new rosin but to be honest, the rosin it comes with would works. I'm also considering buying new strings soon. I'm not sure if these strings could have anything to do with the tuning problem, which is all that I'm concerned with, but if everyone is saying that it needs new strings then it'd be best to get them before waiting for the current strings to stretch.

I give it three stars because a lot of people are able to overcome its inability to tune and I was unlucky to have one with a bad tail cord connector. Should you buy this violin? Only if unable to find a used violin that is in your price range.

Below is a list of the problems that resulted in my immediate return of this item...

- Multiple scratches, blemishes & scrapes on the front of the violin
- Strings were bent in several places presumably from poor storage
- Bridge is very poor quality
- 1 of the fine tuners is broken and the remaining 3 are warped
- Wood shavings sticking up around the f holes
- Pencil scribbling on the fingerboard
- The instrument was obviously strung in a hurry and was done very sloppily