I Try Every Violin on Amazon 🎻
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2024
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In this video, I try 8 different instruments to find which Amazon violin is the best value (so you don't have to!)
🔔 Subscribe to the channel for regular updates to vids and livestreams: www.youtube.com/@RayChenVioli...
0:00 - Intro
0:22 - Unboxing ASMR
00:45 - $23
1:00 - $39
02:47 - $90
04:15 - $130
05:23 - $170
07:16 - $340
09:57 - $575
12:06 - $740
![Can pros tell which INSTRUMENT is more expensive? [Blind Test]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E1Nz0AKG_bA/mqdefault.jpg)
![Can pros tell which INSTRUMENT is more expensive? [Blind Test]](/img/tr.png)
![12 Music accessories you NEVER knew existed 🎻 [TRY TO GUESS]](/img/n.gif)
Which violin did you think sounded the best? 😄No matter which instrument you choose, you still gotta practice: tonicmusic.app/practice-together Don't be lonely, let's have fun and practice together!
I'll let you know in 4 hours 👍
This is a good time I can manage the $340 violin now I don't own an instrument😢 9:31
Love the video!
I'd also like to chat about a Tonic collaboration with the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss for students with hearing loss as well as would like to create a video with you about hearing conservation/protection for musicians to be included in the Tonic ecosystem.
Thanks, Ray! ❤
Me: That sounds pretty good
Him: Terrible
Me: Terrible
i play the viola so i actually know what its supposed to sound like, what abt u?
@@poisonedsponge8238 probably the lamest flex I've ever seen
Btw, it would sound a lot worse IRL than it would on screen. There's a... muddiness to the sound that's on the screen, but it's somewhat masked by the reverb.
@@aethro how is that a flex?
Ok but i succeed at school and entered in the most reputed school of your country but decides to choose to go to oxford bc im a genius what avout you?😒@@poisonedsponge8238
The $39 clip shows that even a crap violin sounds beautiful in the hands of a professional, to the ears of an amateur. 😊
It sounded awful though
Some of the other violins weren’t half as bad
But to anyone with any musical training, it sounds like garbage
@@dj_koen1265Yea.. But a country player could put a pickup on it and fill it with foam for live use..
True
no...u can't polish a turd even with the best materials in the case of the green violin.
I fully agree with the 340$ violin, however, I think you might be getting a second-hand refurbished violin with a better sound only at a slightly higher price.
I agree, although shopping refurbished can be more risky for those new to violin might not recognized how properly refurbished it is.
Beware of the plastic violin....👹🤑🥸🙏👍😜
thing is, good violins don't really get cheaper just because they're second hand, sometimes on the contrary. it's just not how it works.
Ray, you could play a $20 snare drum and make it sound like a decent violin! 😀 Provided you used your own bow, of course. 😛
So true...
He can probaly even do it without his bow
@@hayoolleeviolin9779you’d be surprised, bows make a major difference.
Get it?
Major = big
Major key = brighter/happier
A great prove on how important the bow is
😊😊
You can tell how happy Ray is every time he gets to talk about his Strad 🤭
the comment under here is a bot dont listen to it.
Is it his own Strad or is it lent to him?
The "Dolphin" Stradivarius is lent to him by the Nippon Music Foundation. It costs about 10 million dollars.@@tyfalma
Strads are owned by collectors - collectors being diversified investors worth more than a hundred million as a starting figure and going up exponentially from there. They "own" them but they tend to be lent out on permanent, super dooper well insured loan to Maestros like Rey for their lifetime. Thankfully the culture is that those instruments are to be showcased to the fullest extent and shared actively with the world. Rey would have no reason to buy one. If anything happened to this one he'd have his pick of several others. That's what happens when you're one of the best in the world.
@@jbenoit1962not true, some do own their own. Not all Stradivarius either. Some have the more Superior Maggini or Guarneri violins.
Fun fact is a couple weeks before this video came out. I recommended the bunnel for one of my beginner Violin students... she got it last week and we agreed that it's a really nice instrument for the price! Imagine my surprise when I saw you review it!
Sibelious on a $39 violin gives you chills for a different reason.
Halloween is coming up 😂
PTSD from your little sister playing?
I exclusively played on an $80 amazon violin for the first 7-8months of learning until I found out rentals were a thing! Of course I wish I would have switched earlier, but at the same time not sure I would have even started playing the violin if it weren’t for the easy and cheap amazon option to just try it out in the first instance, so super thankful for that 😊
I second this! I bought a $40 dollar violin just so I could see what it's like to hold and what you have to do to make a sound on it. I had never touched a violin, or known a single violinist, before that, so it was the only way I could get some tactile exposure to the instrument at all. I say it was worth it! I can't afford lessons right now (in terms of money or of time), but if/when I am ever ready I will upgrade. The $40 instrument was just what I needed to play and experiment and decide if I liked it or not.
@@Exayevie still though you can rent a much better instrument for a lot cheaper just to try it out for a month
Same actually
@@sfaballman6467 True, but if I buy it I can also hand it over to curious nieces and nephews for the same experience.
Count yourself lucky. I play flute, but I exclusively used $80 amazon flutes for 7 years, and my band director had to pull me aside and tell me that my shitty instruments were hindering my performance for my parents to finally go and get me a rental instrument.
It was as if my skill had improved overnight :')
I have the 340$ violin I was scared about what you’d say about it but I’m happy that you rated it good I’ve used it for about 3 months and it works good for a beginner!
What’s the brand,model and the size of this violin??
@@user-uc4vc9by3yIt's a Bunnel Violin by Kennedy Violins. I believe it's the pupil model in 4/4 fullsize.
@@user-uc4vc9by3yI got the 3/4 but their other sizes idk really know the others
The Bunnel violin is only $280 direct from Kennedy Violins the manufacturer. They also have clearance models with small imperfections or discontinued varnishes starting at $270. My kids are really young and will keep on growing out of small violins so I buy them from Kennedy Violins. Buying is already cheaper than rental and I don't have to worry about kids accidentally breaking an expensive rental.
Kennedy Violins is pretty great!
I prefer mendini from cecilio but that's great!!!
Please play more of each one, especially the cheap ones! Very interesting video!
I wouldn't be surprised if the Amz product pages for some of those violins will soon say "played and endorsed by Ray Chen."
fr tho lol
They legally couldn't, unless he accepts. Which probably means an endorsement contract.
"this is the best thing you will ever have" to the green violin was personal.
Maybe you can try using the bows provided to play your own violin? It will be a very interesting experiment on how the bow affects the quality
Hm, if you have a new bow with unused hair it takes some time until its played in. Doing this with every bow would be quite a tedious project.
he will never use those crappy bows on his 10M strad LOL.
Ha ha, yes, I just tried out a couple of violins at a shop this week and first used their bow to play them. Turned out the bow cost more than either of the violins did, lol. When I switched to my own $350 bow, there was a noticeable difference! Note to self - after upgrading the violin, then save to upgrade the bow. 😅
You do know you can buy an old circa 1800 German violin for under 300 Euros? That’s what I bought and then got the top plate restored and hey presto I have a fantastic sounding violin that outperforms the cheaper modern day more expensive violins 😊
I have one like this I bought a few years ago for 450 already fixed by a luthier, but there are some cracks that will destroy it and the d string is so much louder than the other strings weirdly enough.
@@adelaidefoster7320Mine had plenty of cracks but all fixed now. It had first been repaired in 1901 it’s a ‘well used’ violin! 🙈
Factory violin you mean
It's random though, plenty of old german violins of the 1800 were complete junk, according to a luthier who makes videos on UA-cam.
I liked the sound of the 90 dollar and the 340 dollar ones the most
Thank you for the cute and fun reviews!
When I started to learn the violin 3 years ago I bought a Stentor for 180€ online (a cheaper model than this). It did well for the very start but after 6 months I upgraded to a violin from the luthier, which was a huuge difference!
When buying a cheap (old) violin online I would recommend giving a close look at the varnish. You can see quite easily if it's industrial varnish or not and that often tells a lot about the overall quality 🙃
Same! Started on a Stentor viola and then got one from my local luthier, and it was unreal to me how much better it was!
I was 3 as well, when I started!
I don't play the violin but I listen to a lot of classical music. It calms my mind when I'm stressed. I've been listening to you for weeks and I'm still amazed by your performances every time I listen to it
Thank you for reviewing Amazon violins. I'm a public school teacher and teach elementary strings. Although I advise my students not to buy their instruments on Amazon, inevitably I have several who do. It's helpful to know what is on the better end of decent.
Love these comparisons. As an audiologist and audio geek, I'd love to chat with you about some ways to make these comparisons more data driven and also accessible to musicians with hearing loss. Keep up the great work!
I wonder how well the performance will be, when getting to cross-validating data-driven rating and musician rating (i e., how well can algorithms potentially replace musicians' judgement?)
@@wanyuhuang8802 I'm not suggesting replacing musician opinions or creating algorithms. I'm talking about identifying ways that musicians with hearing loss can better understand the harmonic voice of an instrument to determine if it is compatible with their hearing and hearing assistive technology.
@@bradingrao8496 That's nice. I was thinking both musically & statistically just now.
I like DZ strad's violins, they're not cheap instruments like the rest, a genuine violin maker based out of White Plains, NY, USA (you just happened to buy one of their cheaper instruments). Their Model 300 violins go for about $999, and they're beautiful instruments that I would recommend to anyone who wants a good instrument, and really just plays as a hobby. Furthermore, they have nicer options, and are more expensive. Their model 609 violin goes for about $2500.
D.Z. Strad is the name of the maker, not intentionally named after Stradivari.
I was choosing between the DZ Strad and Cremona around the same price. I ended up going with the Cremona. It seemed the main difference around that price was the case quality.
I agree the Bunnell sounded pretty good , especially for the price and compared to the more expensive models. It would be nice to know what strings they are shipped with, and what you would change them too in a price range.
Ray, you really need to review the Fiddlershop Violins. They have violins I believe starting at 150 and they even have professional fine instruments as well. But the Fiddlershop series has all kinds of violins for beginners up up to advanced intermediate. And the quality is far better than what is available online for the same price if not less.
Agreed! Fiddlershop violins have been on my list for a while and I’m having trouble finding reviewers who weren’t sent violins. Please do a fiddlershop review, Ray, thank you!!
@@LyndieZ I tried a bunch of their violins and by far the best quality. I did an exhaustive search including trying violins from 4 local shops. I have playing Fiddlershop’s Concert violin, symphony violin, glassier carbon fiber violin, and several Holstein Bench violins! I own their Holstein bench Maggini special edition violin, and it’s sounds like a violin that usually costs double the price. They get their violins from the best workshops! By far the best place to buy a violin online ( or in person if you can get to their Florida store) especially when trying not to get ripped off.
I love that you actually gave these instruments a good attempt rather than only focusing on how well they were made. It gives us a better understand on how a violin will sound based on the price and the fact that people wanna hear you play terrible violins just because they exist and will make for some fun and interestong content. I am sure you are insulted by these or more so Olaf is. Anyway keep up the good work.
The Cecilio instrument Ray tried looks like Cecilio's higher-end model. I agree with you that they’re “not bad”. They may need some adjustment at a local luthier, but their tone quality will often last through elementary or middle school.
The Cecilio instruments that students generally bring in, however, are the lower tier "Mendini by Cecilio" model. They run about $85 and generally have a great deal of things wrong with them. It’ll cost anywhere from $100-$500 at a local luthier to get them into playable condition, depending on which maladies must be addressed, though not all luthiers will agree to work on them. Once adjusted, the tone is sometimes okay for elementary school, but at other times is so poor that the student will quit after a couple months. And so, why pay the money to get it adjusted when you could have paid that same money for a better instrument?
So, parents - don’t buy a Cecilio! You might get lucky and have an okay instrument, but you’re more likely to have purchased disappointed.
I got the same Cecilo violin from Amazon. Maybe this violinnis getting more popular in Amazon recently? It's been sounding pretty decent for my level of playing so far
@@siddhaarthanad479yeah same here!! Mine is decent!
Higher end range(Cecilio), Lower end range (Mendini). Both ranges made by Cecilio. The differences between the ranges are: quality of fittings, wood selection and type and I believe the varnish (for instance none of the Mendini range are hand varnished with "traditional" oil varnish.) i.e: The lowest in the Cecilio (cvn) range is better than the lowest in the Mendini (mv) range, the "best" in the Cecilio range is better than the "best" in the Mendini range. The best Mendini sounds better than a mid-range Cecilio. The higher up each range you go, the more time is spent on each instrument and the better the workmanship. If you do get a violin by Cecilio, do yourself a favour and change the strings asap, know that there are some horror stories on Amazon and don't bother with instruments lower in either range. Quality control is a weak point in the company more so lower down each of the ranges and even more so in the Mendini range. Don't buy blind (but that is good advice for any and all violins). Also, the bows tend to be enough to get you started on your hacking and not much more.
The one Ray bought probably falls near the low-middle of the Cecilio range (I'm too lazy to check). If I was in the market for something in the Cecilio range I would get the cvn-700 and not consider anything any lower than the cvn-600. The cvn-600 is good and I GENUINELY like cvn-700 (and not only for a beginner, this'll take you VERY far on your musical journey), they are underrated as we tend to judge them as part of the overall range which is okay for what it is but definetly not great in the grand scheme of things. In the mendini range an mv500 or mv650 would be it, it sounds okay and actually looks quite pretty (not that it matters ... but it does😊) , I wouldn't stoop lower than that.
I bought a black $150 CND Vangoa violin off Amazon. It came just hours before an online beginner bootcamp was about to start. Sound post was not in and worse, the E string was just flopping around! Took a while to find the peg in the case. I'm absolutely loving learning the violin so I do wish I had spent more money on a better instrument for the time being, I'll continue with my wimpy little monster for now. 😂
340 sounded beautiful to my ears honestly, more so than the later violins
Thats the violin i started with,is not the best one but it has a warm sound and is affordable for most of the people,definetely a nice option for begginers.
@@dead3464I started with a 120 dollar violin it was second hand but the actual sound was quite nice even for a complete beginner
Il giglio, "the Florence flower" has 5 tips, while the flower on this bow is a french lily, very similar to the Florence lily but it has 3 tips. It also makes sense because bows were mainly made in France
You did put the bridges in some rather strange places, it is not uncommon for violins to ship with the bridge out, but it does risk the soundpost moving ... When fitting a bridge, the two small cut "V" marks on the inside of the F holes indicate the position of the centre of the bridge. Stentor Conservatoire sound pretty good when correctly set up. Just moving a bridge 1mm away from the soundpost can have a huge effect on the sound.
Great vid, Ray. For those who don't want to splash out before they commit, cheaper ones have their place though I went the rental route... I remember Brett & Eddy once said that if you can't afford to upgrade your violin, it's better to invest in a decent bow, et violà, these sounded better with yours!
Thanks for your expert analysis of various instruments. It helps me appreciate more the quality of the sound and how it might help young learners ‘warm up’ to the instruments.
Fantastic! Thanks for the review. I played violin in GRADE SCHOOL, some 50+ years ago. I have recently had a hankering to take it up again. I played piano for many years but stopped that, too. I am on the hunt for a decent violin so I can try to pick it back up again. This video was very inspiring!
A Luthier is always the best choice. We have ones that sell intermediate hand crafted and already tuned violins made with true maple and ebony at 173$ and fancier ones at 267$ with the more aesthetically carved ones costing only 439$.
I appreciate videos like these because not everyone has physical access to luthiers. And luthiers could sometimes be better communicators about the sort of price ranges they deal in at their specific stores. I’ve had to really push some to find out if it is worth me investing in the cost of travelling to see them. Seriously, what is the point if they carry no stock in my price range. I don’t understand what they think they will achieve beyond possibly upsetting someone who might be a future customer. It’s not like I would suddenly acquire more money on arrival having spent money on travel when I arrive to find everything they stock is over my budget. They say they won’t list inventory on their websites as it changes too frequently….but listing a price range they work with is totally achievable and others do this without drama and are helpful when prospective customers ring up.
Thank goodness for this online community of Ray, Olaf etc feeding us more information so we’ve got far more to go on in this instrument buying minefield.
Raaaaaaaaaay sensei can you please do a video playing with the top 3?2? violins from this amazon haul. I'm very interested to hear how it'll fare playing different pieces!!
the stentor is used Pirastro Tonica which is much louder than D-darrio Prelude string used at most of your testing violins
Watching you play the violins to test them, You can tell he loves music. You can tell he really cares about music. You Play Amazing!!
I was so happy that you reviewed the Aliyes violin because that is the brand that I bought, however I bought the $69 “designed for beginner” violin with the traditional stain color. I think mine sounds better than yours but I have upgraded the strings, bridge, better bow. I’ve also made some modifications (and I’ve posted a video) that help me to play with my neck issues. I would probably not do that to a more expensive instrument.
I think this is a good violin for the first three months of playing and after that a player will want something better or else it just lives in the back of the closet. Often when I’m playing and something is not good I look at this violin and say “I think that was your fault not mine”. But for what I need right now it is fine.
Yeah, the cheaper ones with better strings and bridge will probably all be fine. So long as it doesn't have structural problems like bad alignment, or a bad neck it should be fine. Maybe change tuning pegs too if you find it going out quickly. New bow maybe needed depending on your play style
Let's all take a minute to appreciate the fact that Ray went and bought all these. That takes guts. 👍👍
Huh?
I wonder what Ray is going to do with all these violins? 🤣
Pretty sure Amazon has free returns lol
@@V_4_Versaceit used to.
My violin was 40 dollars and ive been using it for quite a while.
ive also played with it on stage .
Even tho it is plywood and starting to bend i love cause we have been on quite a journey
My second cello was from Amazon.. it was $400 and wasn’t good quality. The strings were very terrible. And then the cello had a strange smell (from Eastar). I think the neck was actually breaking 😂. My advice, invest and buy a student instrument.
But Ray can still make any violin sound not like trash( like the cheapest one) I guess that’s b/c he is Ray
I think thats the exact type of violin I got from amazon when started I few years ago, Ricard Bunnel G something, they are decent for beginners.
I saw several review about cecilio and yes many of them said its good cheap violin they have many series violin..then I now now bunnel violin more good then cecilio with price bellow 500$. Thanks for your video..
I don't really play the violin, but like messing around with instruments and restoring here and there, its actually quite easy to find auctions and old shops selling fairly good sounding instruments for basically dirt cheap, got lucky and got a 7/8 scale old German made violin for just 20eur off a local auction, now waiting on strings to arrive and cleaned it up, gave it a bit of TLC and added some suitable oil on the fingerboard and it looks quite good for that, with the original strings sounded pretty decent. Hoping with the cleanup and new non rusty strings it should be pretty good.
i love watch9ng these types of videos about other instruments. i think the violin is beautiful even though i play rock music of guitars i rlly love them
Stentor is a great instrument to start playing the quality and the price are good. you just have to change the strings to get a warmer sound
Thank you so much for this vid. You have single handedly inspired me to purchase a violin…not specifically with this video, but with your talent and amazing personality!! I’ll be going with a Davidson Explorer Series. Fingers crossed!!!!!
Useful content! Thank you Ray for being close to people! You are a great human! Still, wish you would show us some better instruments like up to 1500 - 2000...
Thanks Ray for taking time to make this fun video, I enjoyed watching it and wanted to share some of my own experience with various violin brands that may be of benefit to others. I have been refurbishing used violins as a hobby for the past few years. Here are the top violin brands and models that have great sound quality that I would recommend, in order of increasing set (violin, string, case, bow) prices from low to high: 1. Cremona SV-175/SV-200 ($300ish), 2. Southwest Strings' Klaus Mueller Etude ($400ish), 3. Shar's Franz Hoffmann Concert ($400ish), 4. Shar's Franz Hoffmann Maestro ($500ish), 5. Yamaha V-5 ($900ish). The increase in their prices does seem to correspond to better build quality in general. Avoid Mendini (owned by Cecilio) violins, they seem to not put enough effort in setting up their violins and end up requiring lots of work to make them playable.
Thank you for the interesting video. I'd like to note that the quality of strings plays a very important role in a violin sound. One can make the sound of a violin warmer, richer, add bass or treble if one chooses the right set of strings. All cheap violins come with very low quality strings in order to make prices competitive.
Regarding a "misaligned bridge". Here is my lifehack for those who bought any cheap high-gloss violin: rosin a bow thoroughly and gently rub the bridge's legs on the hair-strings. Then place the bridge and it'll never move again.
I was given a gewa pure as they gave up on it ....
I want to glue my bridge on .. 3 tuning stages and it colapsed 3 times before tuned
The strings cutting into the bridge I'm ready to make a ebony one and replace whatever the white wood is (I tried hemping the smallest 2 with bagpipe hemp but it dulled the tone )
After playing guitar/bass, banjo,piano,whistles,flutes ,bagpipes and mandolin I thought this be no problem 😅 .. wrong.
This is definitely the hardest thing I've picked up ... hurdy gurdy was the other option but after this fretless thing I don't know .
Loved the video, even though I wasn't planning to buy anything from Amazon this month :) Thanks and keep enjoying music and violins!
If you still have them: I would love to hear Olaf's opinion about them. Are they well made or will they break in 3 days? Will they be expensive to maintain? Can Olaf get the toy to work? And what does the green one look like inside? Plastic or plywood? Maybe it would be a good home for an Australian hornet?
I’m 3 weeks into teaching myself and I’ve definitely hit a bit of a fatigue with practicing. The scales are really difficult because I have carpal tunnel but it’s nice to know my violin isn’t too bad for a beginner
I had/still have (but not as bad) nerve damage on my right side which affected my hand (especially the pointing & middle finger). After I was no longer eligible for physical therapy, I came across a HALIPAX cold laser therapy watch. It's infrared and the nerves in my hand healed enough, from wearing it) that I've been able to resume practicing on the guitar. I also got an old ultrasound machine (intellect 230p) by Chattanooga. The ultrasound penetrates the tissue and promotes healing.
I got both units from Unique Thrift store really inexpensively.
Ray also reviewed $69 Glarry violin and compared it to Stradivarious. Ray's verdict: "Glarry is more than good enough for beginner and intermediate level". Glarry did extremely well for ultra cheap violin. I say Glarry violin is great for the money, much better than my old $250 used violin I got from professional violin shop decades ago.
My first violin was a Mendini MV300 (similar to the Celilio, I think). As an adult learning violin, I had wanted something cheap enough that if I accidentally dropped it, it wouldn’t hurt my wallet too much. I wanted to get used to holding it and playing it without having something too expensive that would make me more anxious to handle.
My current violin is also under $300 but at least my violin teacher thinks it’s okay/decent. Therefore it must be a true violin.
I recommend the Cecilio to my students who aren't sure if they want to play and want to try it out for a few months. It does the job. But if they stick with it after the first 6 months or so, I recommend getting new stuff.
I purchased the Bunnel before seeing this. It had peg holes that were slightly out of round and was untunable. So I took it to a violin maker (very old, very skilled) and had him set it up properly. As a complete beginner, I find it is so much easier to play, sounds even better. He adjusted string height with great precision, repositioned the sound post and adjusted the tailpiece by 2mm. Rebored the peg holes. It was about $200 to have it done, but well worth it. Kennedy Violins makes it, and they have a lot of really great videos online. When interacting with them, I realized everyone there plays the instrument. Not so in our one and only music store. The violin maker played the instrument and said the next step up would be in the 1200 range. Just want people to know about the Bunnel being set up with precision. It came as a surprise to me that the E string should be .35mm above the finger board. It arrived noticeably higher. I did also replace the strings with Tonikas.
I bought a used 350 Euro Piccolo from a flute builder, it is really good given the price.
So rather buy refurbished than new from amazon.
I recently bought the Cecilio Violin ($170) for my school orchestra, and I think your review was really helpful! Thank you so much for making this video!
I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.
I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.
I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.
I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.
I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.
I play a Stentor! It did not cost that much (even taking into account exchange rates and inflation), and I didn't buy it online, I got it from a music shop, but yeah it sounds exactly like the one you played! Very loud, not the most subtle sound, haha!
I had an experience in the Elderly instrument (mostly guitar and banjo) once where I grabbed a bow (I was waiting while my son was trying banjos) and tried all the cheap instruments on the rack (probably 20). They all sounded good. Some sounded really good. Then I tried them all with another bow, and they all sounded like garbage. Naturally I bought the bow, and it still serves me well. I would love to hear these instruments with the bow that came with the mid-price (lol) instruments here.
I got a Bunnel student violin to learn on. I really like it’s tone, and it doesn’t look bad. (It’s not shiny, I don’t like shiny violins,they look cheap). It was used, so the wood is already starting to open up. I’d like a nicer bow than the carbon fiber one that came with it though.
Interesting how similar that stentor and my first stentor viola are in many aspects. When you mentioned the grain I had to smile. I noticed after a while that the grain on mine is painted on (as far as I can tell, the painted lines follow the natural grain, but it makes me wonder why they did that.)
Who would’ve thought that Ray reviewing VSOs is what my heart needed today.
I am watching this video instead of practicing.
It took me a long time to choose my first instrument. I tried a whole bunch of new ones in the store ranging from $200 - $2000 and I didn't like the sound of any of them. Then I saw a Luthier was selling one that he had reconditioned. It was a handmade viola from Czechoslovakia made in the 1980s. It was going for $1200NZ, which is about $700US. I loved the sound of it immediately and that's the one I use now. I'm still an absolute beginner but I'm really happy with my instrument. I think it's really important, especially when learning, to get an instrument that you like the sound of.
Not fair, I have both the Aliyes and the Cecilio violins from amazon (the acoustic electric version) and I really like them!
The people dancing to Canon at 6:50 absolutely murdered me 😂😂😂😂 I love it
Then why are you still alive¿ 🤨🤨🤨🤨
In terms of beginner/student violins, Cecilio is typically the one I tend to recommend for the solid quality:price ratio despite it pushing the budget a bit for some people and I’m glad that the violin got praise towards it
I was wondering why his apartment was so bare, then he pulled out that unnecessarily expensive violin and it all made sense.
I change nothing about my level of teceptivenesss towards each one. And with zero bias each time you play the STRAD it’s like right to the heart. It’s untouchable and what it should be.
I have never seen a violinist play Canon in D by choice with a smile on their face
I've got the Stentor Elyssia Viola. I love it. Rich , deep. It is loud. Quite difficult to really get MP
The $90 violin might be an OK choice for a beginner who is cash-strapped (assuming they could not rent a violin.) Beginners aren't giving it the workout that Ray did. They have to learn how to hold it, play scales, stuff like that, and the sound quality isn't the first priority. A person can always upgrade to the $340 violin after a while.
When I started again as an adult after a short time playing as a teen, I got a 100€ violin from the German Thomann shop. It was a really decent instrument to try it out again and see if I would stick with it. Would recomment it if you just want to try if violin is an instrument you want to learn.
Ray, it will be so interesting ir you try some of the violins of Fiddlershop, they have a lot of bench violins and they are becoming so popular in the USA for their high quality instruments!
Thank you for the review.
Are you willing to cover electric violins? The top 8, from the lowest price going up, like you did this clip?
Thanks so much for this review! I have a cheap amazon violin and it's at the point where the G string won't hold a tune anymore. Time to upgrade!
I'll buy that Bunnel off of you. I've been looking to get into violin after playing guitar and drums for 35 years. The ones on Amazon are way more expensive than what you mentioned.
Many of the Stentor violins have their sound posts glued in place!!!!!!
I’m an intermediate violinist. I think maybe I should buy the Bunnel violin like he said to play violin again. It’s not too expensive, it has a warm, smooth tone, and it’s not too loud like the $740 violin.
The 2nd violin, $90 1, is gorgeous-looking! 🤩😍
I have a cecilio violin that I got for Christmas years ago and I'm glad it gets Ray Chans approval
I personally have always had a stentor, and they aren’t that bad, especially if they’re cheaper! Mine was 290 bucks i think (beginner, 1/2) and I’ve used it for a while and I really like it! I would say its a good chap option for a beginner- cant say how it’s is with vibrato though, i find it hard to learn 😅
everyone finds vibrato hard to learn lol, at least adult learners :P Stick with it, it does get more natural to do over time
Thank you. This is so informative! Great job, fantastic reporting!🌻🌼🐝 Keep it up 🙌
15:17 also keeps the good instrument making alive. There's a high chance at least 3 or more of these (plastic toy at the start non included) are made on a CNC by a machine and highly likely that a lot of the parts in them are CNC cut without even so much a human hand involved. That's nice from a price perspective, you can make a CNC instrument. It's still the brain child of a human, but that doesn't feed the luthiers. Luthiers die off, you don't get instruments anymore. Always feed the luthiers.
editor-san, i see you! great edit!
With beginner instruments I recommend instruments that at least have these 2 qualities 1 a solid tone and 2 easy playability. I had my share of beginning string students quit after putting tons of effort into making their instrument sound good, but the instrument doesn't allow them to. Which is the downfall of buying a instrument online if they don't have a return policy I would suggest not purchasing it. There's also the factor of string quality many of the less expensive online instruments us tin strings or other cheaper material. While the majority of better student instruments will use D'Addario Prelude strings or Super Sensitive Red Label strings (even though there pretty rough on most instruments)
Rey said it at the end, It's always best to find a string instrument shop that has a trained luthier. You can touch an play them try different bows if you have a private teacher or are in a school orchestra they'll probably even accompany you if you ask them!
Three big warnings about these instruments. (Rough $ estimates in 2024 U.S. dollars and midwestern U.S. prices.)
For any of these instruments without an installed bridge, fitting and slotting a bridge can cost between $50-75 or more.
New strings are ALWAYS needed. D’Addario Prelude would be the least expensive (around $20) replacement option.
The bows in these kits are more likely to warp than kits bought from a violin shop. Even if the student takes care of the bow as instructed. A decent beginner bow (brazilwood or fiberglass) is $35-60.
Yes, Ray Chen sounds good on all these. He’s a professional. Also, you may not be able to tell the difference between these instruments when you hear your child practice but I’ve seen the frustration in the looks of many students as they’ve had to fight violins like these to get a good sound to come out. It only takes a few months for students to identify what a good violin sound is and decide whether or not they can make that sound happen. Beginners shouldn’t have to work hard for a good, characteristic sound. It’s hard enough to coordinate two limbs, fingers and eyes. Their hard work should go towards keeping good posture not fighting the instrument for a good sound.
It’s ok for parents to want the best deal and also be wary of music shops being higher in price compared to what you’ve shopped for on Amazon, but there’s real value in keeping your money local and trusting local experts too, especially if you want your child to not just play, but thrive playing an instrument.
Several years ago I got a Stentor they make for begginers, it is in the same case, Though. Not from amazon store, it was around 400€
Then I did not know about modernised pegs they make for couple of violins, mine always let go couple of strings and I am not carrying it to a lutier (they seem to be very expensive here, also did not have any instrument in my price range, music seems to be very gear snobby thing, what to for us people with 100 hobbies, I cant spend like it is my job...) , though have to tune it from loose every time...
Also did not know abou the gothic toyish violin, could have gotten it just for how it looks :)
love the video, ray!
Very nice video. I played as a Kid for a year, then came back a year ago at 39. Last year I watched videos like this and could not see the difference. Now I could! Maybe a stupid question but won't the quality of the strings play a role on the sound? I have a Stentor Student II wich is cheaper than the Stentor you presented but my teacher said was ok for the first Year or 2. But I am considering a better instrument now. 😀🎻
Ray: Very interesting review. I wonder what the quality of strings they came with did to the sound or if higher quality strings were put on and doing a 2nd review would change the sound of them or your opinion of them. :-)
I've never played a violin, but have plans at the beginning oftheyear. I'm looking for a reasonable & affordable violin. You truly helped me after watching this video. Thank you 😊 P.S. I love your work
I can make any strad sounds like the green coloured violin
the main reason why i sometimes lose the vigour in practicing is the quality of my instrument. having a better one would really make a huge difference, not just in the sound quality but also with the overall satisfaction. i am certain that I'll see actual significant improvement.
That $90 violin was really shocking.
I mean it was pretty legit and good for being less than 100.
While I do agree that the attitude and motivation is the most important part, the instrument can have a significant influence, especially if you are more experienced. I played for a long time with a relatively cheap bow (100 euro) and decided to upgrade to a professional bow for 1400 euro after my study programme (in engineering, not music). And the difference is absolutely crazy what the bow alone can change (not just the technical improvements, also the sound of the whole instrument). So at a certain point upgrading can be quite essential I would say, although I can very much understand that with those prices not everyone has the option to do so.
yeah, I think whenever funds allow ideal situation is to start with an intermediate instrument you can grow into, I think its better in the long run. Of course beginner level isntruments still have their place, especially if someone is still deciding if they want to commit as a long term passtime. No matter how nice a violin you buy its a waste of money if you end up not pursuing it to the level to enjoy it.
A most helpful video and delightfully done!