Best Violin Reviews & Best Violin Brands For Sale
Did you know that having the best violin can also make you a better violinist? You already know a skilled player can bring out the best in the instrument, but the opposite also occurs. Having a quality violin will allow you to produce the best sound possible with less effort so you can focus on the music.
Good instruments allow you to develop much more naturally whereas violins of less quality can hinder the playability and make development much harder.
Here you can find details on the best violin brands, reviews on beginner, intermediate and professional violins, an electric violin guide and much more. This site provides you with a wealth of information to help you make an informed decision before purchasing a violin for you or your child.
Our Top Recommended Violins
| Model | Level | Review |
|---|---|---|
Stentor 1500 Violin  | Beginner | Our Review |
Cremona SV-500 Premier Artist Violin | Beginner | Our Review |
Knilling 114VN Sebastian Violin | Beginner | Our Review |
Scott Cao 3/4 Violin  | Intermediate | Our Review |
Johannes Kohr K500  | Intermediate | Our Review |
Louis Carpini G2 Violin | Intermediate | Our Review |
Yamaha Model 5 Violin  | Professional | Our Review |
D Z Strad Maestro Old Spruce Stradi Violin  | Professional | Our Review |
Snow SV400 Violin  | Professional | Our Review |
Best Violin Reviews
The violin is the classic acoustic instrument. It produces a unique sound, not only among our world’s musical instruments but within the string family it belongs to. It’s sweet tone has a rich history dating back many centuries. Today, you still here it in the wide range of Classical and orchestral music as well as modern genres which incorporate it into bluegrass and country as well as pop and classical-crossover/new age music. Popular solo artists of today include orchestral violinist/conductor André Rieu and Josua Bell, as well as many other pop new age artists that you’ll see filling up various YouTube channels and PBS music specials.
The sound of the violin is like a poem. It’s often characterized as “divine”. Of course the violin takes practice to play with efficiency and to master a consistent production of sound.The very first note you attempt to play will sound much different than the violins you’ve heard on your speakers or in concerts. It will sound like you are just scratching. The violin as an instrument has some of the most unnatural ways of holding and playing and can certainly be a tricky task until you learn it well. With patience and persistence, the awkwardness eventually becomes more natural as the violin becomes more a part of you.
As you get started and learn more about the violin, you’ll become aware that it’s an instrument that requires much care and maintenance. Just take a good look at how a violinist meticulously cares for their instrument. You can see the attention they give to their violin, from handling and carrying to tuning and playing.
Once you start playing the violin, you’ll notice the appreciation from fellow musicians, band and orchestra members, and your friends and your family too. You’ll become a part of a sophisticated musician community. You and your violin will virtually bond together as you practice, take lessons, and of course attend and play in orchestra and ensemble events. First things first, you’ll need to choose your violin to begin with. And we’ve got you covered with our 5 reviews for the best violin for beginners available on the market today.
Best Violin for Beginners
1. Stentor 1500 Violin Review
Stentor is one of the best student violin brands, and the Stentor 1500 model is a wonderful instrument for beginner players. This model produces good sound, is easy to play and is often recommended by violin instructors as the best student violin.
It is hand-crafted with a fine-grained solid spruce top, a solid maple back and full ebony fittings. It features a hardwood chin rest, nylon tailpiece loop, red label strings and an alloy tailpiece with four tuners.
For its price, this model is one of the best violins for beginners with its quality and build. Those with little experience may find it difficult to set up the bridge or tune the instrument, but experienced players should find it easy.
It is a resonant instrument that stays tuned much better as compared to other inexpensive models in this price rage. It also comes with numerous accessories, including a horsehair bow with ebony frog, rosin and a lightweight case.
2. Cremona SV-500 Premier Artist Violin Review
This particular model was recommended by Strings Magazine as a good choice for a first or second violin. It boasts superior sound, playability and workmanship that is impressive for its price.
For the violin beginner or the advanced student, it presents a remarkable tonal quality. This model is the most popular of the brand’s beginner violins because of its sound in relation to its price. It produces warm tones that are resonant and balanced.
The model is constructed of solid maple and hand-carved solid spruce with a red-brown varnish. It features Swiss-style ebony fittings and an ebony fingerboard with a lightweight tailpiece for easier tuning. It comes with a Stradivarius-style chin rest, deluxe Brazilwood bow and oblong case.
3. Knilling 114VN Sebastian London Violin Review
These instruments are made with superior materials and craftsmanship with quality components in order to ensure excellent sound quality, easy tuning and practical playability. As a good violin for beginners, the Knilling 114VN model is an affordable instrument that can be tuned easily enough, even by new players.
The violin is fully carved and graduated for a superb tone, and it features an even grain spruce top, solid carved maple back and maple neck, scroll and ribs. Its pegs, fingerboard and saddle are made of ebony, and it features built-in tuners and D’Addario Prelude steel-core strings.
The best beginner violin should be easy to set up and play, and this model includes a genuine white horsehair Brazilwood bow with ebony frog and rosin. It also features a shaped case with a zippered cover, fully lined interior with a matching blanket, two bow holders and an accessory compartment.
4. Cecilio CVN-500 Solidwood Ebony Violin Review
Its fingerboard, pegs, tailpiece and chin rest are made of ebony, and its fine tuners are nickel-plated. Users appreciate the quality of the fine tuners and the strings as the model tunes very well for a student violin.
Aside from tuning, this beginner’s violin requires no other setup. The bridge is already placed correctly, the tuners are wound and the string height is just right. Buyers also appreciate the fingerboard and the ease of playability.
The Cecilio CVN-500 is one of the best starter violins for serious players, and it comes with a Cecilio chromatic tuner, lesson book and metronome. Also included are the rosin cake, extra bridge, shoulder rest, hard case and two Brazilwood bows with unbleached Mongolian horsehair.
5. Mendini MV500 Solid Wood Violin Review
This model is one of the most impressive student violins in terms of appearance, and it rivals the looks of more advanced string instruments. The unit arrives set up with the bridge in place. It eventually opens its sound over time after initial use, and it can stay in tune for weeks.
As one of the best beginner violins to buy, the MV500 comes included with the Cecilio 92D string tuner with a metronome, two Brazilwood bows with unbleached Mongolian horsehair, two bridges, rosin cake, additional strings, a shoulder rest and a lightweight hard case.
Best Intermediate Violin Reviews
1. Scott Cao 3/4 Violin Review
This model is fully-carved with a hand-painted varnish. It features a spruce top with an ebony fingerboard, chin rest and pegs. The tailpiece has fine tuners built in, and the violin comes with Thomastik Dominant strings installed.
It is one of Scott Cao’s best intermediate violins in terms of sound quality, and the sound only improves over time to match close to that of a high-quality full size model.
It is very easy to play, especially for adults with smaller hands that struggle with 4/4 violins. The outfit comes with a Brazilwood bow and a carrying case.
2. Johannes Kohr K500 Violin Review
Johannes Kohr violins are some of the finest student instruments from around the world. The K500 violin model is a professionally crafted and easily playable intermediate violin. This model is a best-seller in the industry likely because this popular violin is known for its impressive tone.
It features a flamed maple back with a hand-crafted and hand-varnished glossy red-brown body. Its sides are made of maple with a solid spruce top and solid ebony fittings.
In addition to its beautiful appearance, the sound in the lower strings is rich and dark while the higher tones are sweet and mellow.
The Kohr K500 outfit comes with a Brazilwood natural horsehair bow, shaped hard shell case, rosin cake and Dominant strings. Even when upgrading to a more advanced violin, the K500 makes a very nice instrument to keep as a backup.
3. Louis Carpini G2 Violin Review
Even long-time players and instructors are impressed with the G2 and approve of them as intermediate violins for developing players.
The Carpini G2 model is strung with professional steel-core D’Addario Prelude Strings to produce a warmer and more refined sound, and this rich sound resonates fully across all tones.
The violin is made from solid hand-carved maple and spruce with genuine ebony fittings. It features a hand-rubbed oil-based finish with a warm red-brown color. The unit includes a hand-crafted Aubert bridge that is customized to fit each instrument.
The model comes included with a high-quality bow and rosin. It is one of the best instruments for its price point to offer such quality, detail, durability and fine craftsmanship.
4. Ricard Bunnel G1 Violin Reivew
The Bunnel G1 is the most popular violin from the brand, and it makes an excellent model for intermediate to advanced students. It features professional upgrades from the Bunnel G2 model, and professionals describe its sound as sweet and strong.
The G1 performs very well projecting its sound, and it comes with proof in the form of a checklist and date of the professional set-up performed before packaging.
This model is made from solid hand-carved maple and spruce with fittings made of ebony, and it has a rich, dark oil-based finish.
Bunnel violins come with a custom fitted French Aubert bridge, and the bridge height is properly adjusted for easy playability. It also features pegs and fine tuners that are easy to turn. The unit comes with a bow, Kaplan dark rosin and D’Addario Prelude strings installed with an extra set.
5. Cremona SV-600 Premier Artist Violin
Strings Magazine described the Cremona SV-600 as having an enhanced feel and tone, and the instrument delivers more than enough for advanced students in terms of tone quality and looks. The well-designed violin is also lightweight and easy to set up.
The SV-600 is hand-carved from the best tonewoods to produce an exceptional tone with remarkable carrying power.
With its Dominant strings, the beautifully-designed instrument produces a tone that is powerful yet clear and sweet. It is constructed of highly flamed maple and hand-carved solid spruce. It is finished with a rich hand-applied red-orange varnish.
The unit features Swiss-style ebony fittings with an ebony fingerboard. The model features a Stradivarius-style chin rest, deluxe Brazilwood bow and oblong case.
Best Professional Violin Reviews
1. Yamaha Model 5 Violin Review
The quality of the workmanship for the Yamaha Model 5 is superior, and it virtually lacks flaws or imperfections of any kind. The violin is easy and smooth to play, and it produces a sweet and mellow sound.
Though it is referred to by some as a “student instrument” it has the quality that advanced players would expect for their own needs.
The Yamaha 5 is made with a solid carved spruce top, solid carved maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard, rosewood tuning pegs, rosewood chin rest and tailpiece.
It features four fine tuners and comes with Prelude strings. The unit comes included with a lightweight cordura-covered case, Brazilwood bow and rosin.
2. D Z Strad Maestro Old Spruce Stradi Violin Review
It produces a sophisticated sound that opens with color and depth, and it possesses a powerful and full voice. The tone of this model is remarkable, and it certainly stands out as a huge improvement for those accustomed to starter models.
The quality of the violin also helps learning players progress much more easily. This professional violin is meant for those players that are serious about continuing to play violin for years to come.
The model is made with aged European tonewoods including naturally seasoned spruce from the Italian Alps. It is 100 percent hand-made and is oil-varnished by hand.
The model features a hand-carved tailpiece, chin rest and pegs, and it comes with high-quality accessories. The outfit includes a Bricks Pilot case, rosin, carbon fiber bow and Pernambuco wood bow.
3. Snow SV400 Violin Review
Even professional violinists are sometimes stunned by the great sound of this well-made instrument. It has an even and powerful tone along with an attractive appearance. The SV400 is made with an Italian spruce top and deep enhanced-flame maple back.
It features quality ebony pegs that are precisely fitted