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'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.
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.
Bunnel is very nice, I just looked it up to buy however in Australia via Amazon Australia and it’s priced at $950 Australian dollars😮 which is getting pricey for me
Fun fact is a couple weeks before this video came out. I recommended the bunnel for one of my beginner Violin students... she got it last week and we agreed that it's a really nice instrument for the price! Imagine my surprise when I saw you review it!
Btw, it would sound a lot worse IRL than it would on screen. There's a... muddiness to the sound that's on the screen, but it's somewhat masked by the reverb.
Ok but i succeed at school and entered in the most reputed school of your country but decides to choose to go to oxford bc im a genius what avout you?😒@@poisonedsponge8238
Strads are owned by collectors - collectors being diversified investors worth more than a hundred million as a starting figure and going up exponentially from there. They "own" them but they tend to be lent out on permanent, super dooper well insured loan to Maestros like Rey for their lifetime. Thankfully the culture is that those instruments are to be showcased to the fullest extent and shared actively with the world. Rey would have no reason to buy one. If anything happened to this one he'd have his pick of several others. That's what happens when you're one of the best in the world.
I have the 340$ 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!
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.
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.
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 :')
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. 😅
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.
Though Bunnel and DZ Strad are available on Amazon, they are sold by violin shops, meaning that a luthier has inspected them before listing, so they’re certainly better than other options. However, considering we don’t know how long they've been stored in temperature- and humidity-unknown warehouses, it's probably better to buy directly from each shop's online store. Having to set up the bridge yourself can be quite challenging, as making fine adjustments, like fixing any floating feet, isn’t something an amateur can easily handle. Therefore, if you absolutely can’t go to a shop in person, it’s best to choose an online option from a reputable violin shop, like Fiddlershop, DZ Strad, or Kennedy.
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 🙃
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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
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. 😂
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!
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
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.
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.
I use a cecilio violin, it’s one of the best i’ve seen! Also with certain rosin, you have to crack a surface layer, you can use the tip of a bow or a coin to scratch it off. And on the Eastar violin, the markings are slightly you don’t have to get it tapped, just incase you’re buying for a beginner
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
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
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 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
If you want to try out the violin, DON`T BUY these instruments, RENT ONE! That`s what I did, gives you a decent instrument and professional advice from the luthier for much cheaper (mine was 18€ per month). If you stick to it, you can actually buy the instrument later and have your rent credited. Also more sustainable for the environment and you can support local businesses. And the best thing is that you can just give it back if you don't feel like pursuing it further, no instrument that you don`t use cluttering your space!
I played violin for 18 months on a £50 violin I bought from Argos. I had to get a shoulder rest and a set of strings and a friend of mine put the bridge in for me. I started lessons. I switched to Clarinet on the advice of a physical therapist because of an old wrist injury which was actively flaring. I snapped my D string once and my mother said it was lucky it wasn't the G string LOL. I lasted 18 months on Violin. I've been playing clarinet since 2017. I'm grade 3 for clarinet and music theory. Even though it's kind of sore on my bad wrist, I can still do a 'good' bow hand.
I wish he'd give more reason as to why it sounds like trash to him, because all I can tell is that one is softer (the $90 one), and the other is screechier and louder (the $130 one). Would that be his reason? We wouldn't know exactly because his critique is just like "that's trash". I would want more intellectual reasoning behind the feelings for these critiquings.
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 $700US. I loved the sound of it immediately and that's the one I use now. I'm still an absolute beginner but I'm really happy with my instrument. I think it's really important, especially when learning, to get an instrument that you like the sound of.
I saw several review about cecilio and yes many of them said its good cheap violin they have many series violin..then I now now bunnel violin more good then cecilio with price bellow 500$. Thanks for your video..
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$.
Some friends of mine only get the second hand free pianos off FB marketplace. They always told me pianos aren't worth paying for and bragged about how theirs was free and that it was a pretty decent piano. Now, I want to clarify that... if a second hand free piano is what someone can afford that is perfectly fine. These friends of mine liked free things which is also okay. I just didn't appreciate that they sometimes tried to make me feel stupid on spending money on my piano. After I tried their piano out.... it was not what I consider decent and I wouldn't take a piano like that even if it was free and paid for delivery to my house. Everyone has a diff price point instrument they can afford and we should respect it. For those who are using the super low priced instruments, it's okay... but just good to recognize that it probably wouldn't support good long term development and perhaps would be a barrier to learning more advanced techniques and musicality.
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.
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
My thoughts exactly. When I started playing the cello, I bought a cheap one from China. Later, my teacher suggested me to buy better strings. Not something very expensive, just decent ones. (I think I bought Jargar) And they made a huge difference.
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.
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 bought an electric guitar set for cheap on amazon recently and now I love playing and have goals for when I can buy a better guitar/amp. Instruments are generally an expensive hobby/skill to get into especially because its difficult to tell if you have an aptitude for it or even enjoy actually playing it. Don't expect magic, but I do think they have a place (as long as they're not actually crap 😄)
At least in the U.S., you can get much better quality instruments from reputable violin shops (Shar, etc.) for the same price ($350 on up) and they are properly set up. Assemble your own instrument is a bad idea. This is a fun video and it's cool to see how Ray can make a log sing, but as a teacher, trying to get these instruments to stay in tune long enough for a 30 minute lessons is a huge headache, not to mention the extra tinny sound from these instruments.
I got one on a whim as an adult beginner. I googled local violin shop and found one down the street, Shar Music. lol I stopped by and challenged her to sell me one in 30 minutes because I had only 40 minutes to spare. She played 8 and I picked my favorite. I still love it to this day, tuned up by a luthier and of course I have a far nicer bow now. I was so lucky.
Yeah, I did see their labeling on one of the boxes. I would rather parents/students go through the shops themselves rather than Amazon. It's easy to be enticed by the "too good to be true" prices of VSO if you don't actually know what to watch out for. @scabbedwings6548
The 340$ violin is from Prelude if I’m not mistaken and they make pretty decent instruments. In my music class in high school some of the better clarinet players have prelude instruments!
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.
thank you Mr.Ray Chen i'm a beginners 7th grader in orchestra and you encourage me to practice everyday and i have a concert on the 15th of October and i'm pretty nervous i know everybody in the comments is like who cares? but i'm just sharing my feelings about coming into the world of orchestra.
2:18 I normally say "Even on the cheapest instrument, he still sounds better than anything I could do 😭" but with this violin, I guess even I could have a chance :D
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.
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 😅
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!!
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!
I think one problem with tonic is that there is no physical interaction with the other players. I found that when I am interacting with other players, I am more motivated because we can collab and play along side with each other.
I would love to play the violin again, it has been years, my current violin is way too small for me, my first violin was very big, and my violin teacher retired years ago. Now this video inspires me to play violin, maybe I could use an app instead of a teacher because violin lessons with a teacher are so expensive, it took me months to officially be a beginner violinist.
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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 $340 violin now I don't own an instrument😢 9:31
Love the video!
I'd also like to chat about a Tonic collaboration with the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss for students with hearing loss as well as would like to create a video with you about hearing conservation/protection for musicians to be included in the Tonic ecosystem.
Thanks, Ray! ❤
I fully agree with the 340$ 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.
Or maybe they got rid of it because it doesn't hold tune or worse!@name-hf2ht
Bunnel is very nice, I just looked it up to buy however in Australia via Amazon Australia and it’s priced at $950 Australian dollars😮 which is getting pricey for me
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!
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.
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
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.
Sibelious on a $39 violin gives you chills for a different reason.
Halloween is coming up 😂
PTSD from your little sister playing?
I have the 340$ 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??
@@이주영-l8yIt's a Bunnel Violin by Kennedy Violins. I believe it's the pupil model in 4/4 fullsize.
@@이주영-l8yI 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!!!
I live thus comment! These every level instruments are life savers for those who don’t have the means to pay a lot but still want to learn.
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 :')
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
😊😊
"this is the best thing you will ever have" to the green violin was personal.
Please play more of each one, especially the cheap ones! Very interesting video!
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. 😅
I liked the sound of the 90 dollar and the 340 dollar ones the most
Thank you for the cute and fun reviews!
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.
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
Though Bunnel and DZ Strad are available on Amazon, they are sold by violin shops, meaning that a luthier has inspected them before listing, so they’re certainly better than other options. However, considering we don’t know how long they've been stored in temperature- and humidity-unknown warehouses, it's probably better to buy directly from each shop's online store.
Having to set up the bridge yourself can be quite challenging, as making fine adjustments, like fixing any floating feet, isn’t something an amateur can easily handle. Therefore, if you absolutely can’t go to a shop in person, it’s best to choose an online option from a reputable violin shop, like Fiddlershop, DZ Strad, or Kennedy.
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!
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.
@@Ingraomusic That's nice. I was thinking both musically & statistically just now.
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.
yes
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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 TH-cam.
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
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. 😂
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!
I was wondering why his apartment was so bare, then he pulled out that unnecessarily expensive violin and it all made sense.
8:14 blud was about to play jingle bells
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.
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.
@@OpinionatedAmateur agreed. i bought an mv500 because looks matter and it's the prettiest box sold by cecilio.
@@siddhaarthanad479 Is that the CVN 300 or 500? I think there is a CVN-600 as well. Trying to find that Cecilio one he was playing.
I have never seen a violinist play Canon in D by choice with a smile on their face
For the memes
I loved playing this song haha!
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.
The people dancing to Canon at 6:50 absolutely murdered me 😂😂😂😂 I love it
Then why are you still alive¿ 🤨🤨🤨🤨
@@JosephLyrehe is joking
I use a cecilio violin, it’s one of the best i’ve seen! Also with certain rosin, you have to crack a surface layer, you can use the tip of a bow or a coin to scratch it off. And on the Eastar violin, the markings are slightly you don’t have to get it tapped, just incase you’re buying for a beginner
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
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
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 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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
For the $39 violin you’re supposed To sand the Rosen
Yea
Yeah
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...
3:00 OH GHAaAaSH!
The Eastar didn't really get a fair chance. If you look close at 5:13, you can see that the bridge was about a half inch too close to the fingerboard.
If you want to try out the violin, DON`T BUY these instruments, RENT ONE! That`s what I did, gives you a decent instrument and professional advice from the luthier for much cheaper (mine was 18€ per month). If you stick to it, you can actually buy the instrument later and have your rent credited. Also more sustainable for the environment and you can support local businesses. And the best thing is that you can just give it back if you don't feel like pursuing it further, no instrument that you don`t use cluttering your space!
18£ only!?
@@pipcarspots With repair included and discount on new strings!
Renting doesn't exist over here, always love (hate) seeing that get recommended lol.
Renting a real one is even more expensive then buying a real one
I played violin for 18 months on a £50 violin I bought from Argos. I had to get a shoulder rest and a set of strings and a friend of mine put the bridge in for me. I started lessons. I switched to Clarinet on the advice of a physical therapist because of an old wrist injury which was actively flaring.
I snapped my D string once and my mother said it was lucky it wasn't the G string LOL.
I lasted 18 months on Violin. I've been playing clarinet since 2017. I'm grade 3 for clarinet and music theory. Even though it's kind of sore on my bad wrist, I can still do a 'good' bow hand.
I wish he'd give more reason as to why it sounds like trash to him, because all I can tell is that one is softer (the $90 one), and the other is screechier and louder (the $130 one). Would that be his reason? We wouldn't know exactly because his critique is just like "that's trash". I would want more intellectual reasoning behind the feelings for these critiquings.
Replacing the strings for all these instruments with good strings is a must.
Yes, if only not to cut up fingertips!
That $90 violin was really shocking.
I mean it was pretty legit and good for being less than 100.
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 $700US. I loved the sound of it immediately and that's the one I use now. I'm still an absolute beginner but I'm really happy with my instrument. I think it's really important, especially when learning, to get an instrument that you like the sound of.
I saw several review about cecilio and yes many of them said its good cheap violin they have many series violin..then I now now bunnel violin more good then cecilio with price bellow 500$. Thanks for your video..
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$.
Some friends of mine only get the second hand free pianos off FB marketplace. They always told me pianos aren't worth paying for and bragged about how theirs was free and that it was a pretty decent piano. Now, I want to clarify that... if a second hand free piano is what someone can afford that is perfectly fine. These friends of mine liked free things which is also okay. I just didn't appreciate that they sometimes tried to make me feel stupid on spending money on my piano. After I tried their piano out.... it was not what I consider decent and I wouldn't take a piano like that even if it was free and paid for delivery to my house.
Everyone has a diff price point instrument they can afford and we should respect it. For those who are using the super low priced instruments, it's okay... but just good to recognize that it probably wouldn't support good long term development and perhaps would be a barrier to learning more advanced techniques and musicality.
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.
Your apology to emo violin is hilarious!! Also, you could play a potato and make it sound amazing!!
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
Now I'm curious how much of the difference is the quality of the violin or the quality of the strings.
My thoughts exactly. When I started playing the cello, I bought a cheap one from China. Later, my teacher suggested me to buy better strings. Not something very expensive, just decent ones. (I think I bought Jargar) And they made a huge difference.
I had an eastar (not the same model here) and just changing the strings improved it so much.
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.
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 bought an electric guitar set for cheap on amazon recently and now I love playing and have goals for when I can buy a better guitar/amp. Instruments are generally an expensive hobby/skill to get into especially because its difficult to tell if you have an aptitude for it or even enjoy actually playing it. Don't expect magic, but I do think they have a place (as long as they're not actually crap 😄)
At least in the U.S., you can get much better quality instruments from reputable violin shops (Shar, etc.) for the same price ($350 on up) and they are properly set up. Assemble your own instrument is a bad idea. This is a fun video and it's cool to see how Ray can make a log sing, but as a teacher, trying to get these instruments to stay in tune long enough for a 30 minute lessons is a huge headache, not to mention the extra tinny sound from these instruments.
I got one on a whim as an adult beginner. I googled local violin shop and found one down the street, Shar Music. lol I stopped by and challenged her to sell me one in 30 minutes because I had only 40 minutes to spare. She played 8 and I picked my favorite. I still love it to this day, tuned up by a luthier and of course I have a far nicer bow now. I was so lucky.
One violin that he played is from a reputable shop, Kennedy Violins.
Yeah, I did see their labeling on one of the boxes. I would rather parents/students go through the shops themselves rather than Amazon. It's easy to be enticed by the "too good to be true" prices of VSO if you don't actually know what to watch out for. @scabbedwings6548
Who would’ve thought that Ray reviewing VSOs is what my heart needed today.
Man whoever edits your videos has a great sense of humor, he/she makes me laugh so much 😂👌
The 340$ violin is from Prelude if I’m not mistaken and they make pretty decent instruments. In my music class in high school some of the better clarinet players have prelude instruments!
I can make any strad sounds like the green coloured violin
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.
editor-san, i see you! great edit!
No way, the last violin is no bad!!!😮
Now we need to know how much value was added to them after you played them. Priceless duh
thank you Mr.Ray Chen i'm a beginners 7th grader in orchestra and you encourage me to practice everyday and i have a concert on the 15th of October and i'm pretty nervous i know everybody in the comments is like who cares? but i'm just sharing my feelings about coming into the world of orchestra.
Not fair, I have both the Aliyes and the Cecilio violins from amazon (the acoustic electric version) and I really like them!
My school violin is the $170 one, and I can confirm that it’s actually good, also the tail piece of mine is actually aligned.
2:18 I normally say "Even on the cheapest instrument, he still sounds better than anything I could do
😭" but with this violin, I guess even I could have a chance :D
your face on the 90$ violin when the bow was not rosined got me laughing
Imagine Ray sending back the box with his precious bow in it x)
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.
In the hands of Ray they actually don’t sound awful (well maybe a little awful) (better than i could do though)
I got the Cecilio violin. Best thing about it is that it’s a left handed violin that didn’t cost over $1000
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
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!!
You can make anything make a sound with a $5,000-$20,000 bow.
6:50 the goofy background and the goofy smile🤣😂😆😂🤣😂
A very interesting video Ray. I thought the 340.00 violin was the best one. It had a richer sound than the others.
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!
Amazon about to flag your account after you return all these haha
I think one problem with tonic is that there is no physical interaction with the other players. I found that when I am interacting with other players, I am more motivated because we can collab and play along side with each other.
You are so good you can make a cheap violin sound like a million dollars
I would love to play the violin again, it has been years, my current violin is way too small for me, my first violin was very big, and my violin teacher retired years ago. Now this video inspires me to play violin, maybe I could use an app instead of a teacher because violin lessons with a teacher are so expensive, it took me months to officially be a beginner violinist.