I bought this recently due to the fact that I've always loved the sound of orchestra's, especially the strings section. It always sounded so majestic, regardless of the theme. I also enjoyed the softness a viola gave over a violin. I feel like a Viola is more of a behind-the-scenes instrument which, though almost unnoticeable, is a core instrument. I decided to take the initiative to learn, and I thought that this would be a perfect start.

Enough of me, more about the instrument!

The whole thing was a beauty from the box. The strings were slackened and the bridge placed to the side. A couple Youtube tutorials and a few articles helped me figure out how to actually place the bridge in the correct spot. Having a bit of an ear for musical notes, I was able to tune the instrument quickly enough. Blah Blah Blah rosin the bow blah blah and more. After setting it up, I noticed that the strings were off balance. The tailpiece was pointed toward the right rather than up perpendicular to the bridge. This isn't really something you can fix, but I was able to get over the strange appearance of the the off-centered strings. Additionally, the pegs tend to slip often. It was initially annoying trying to tune the viola and having the peg slip the moment I let go, but applying lots of pressure while tuning plus installing the strings correctly helped reduce the slipping greatly

As for how it sounds: It's amazing. At first it sounded a bit strange, but the more you play, the more you realize the beauty in it, and the better you play. It really is more than I could have expected for the price, even considering I'd never seen a viola previous to buying it! Sure, buying new strings and a better bow will improve the quality of the sound, but for the beginner (like myself), being able to at least hear the implication of what it is I'm trying to play is a dream come true.

For conclusion, I'd would 100% recommend this to a friend, or a stranger, or whoever else I might come in contact with. I give the four starts because of the misaligned tailpiece, but that is my personal problem, and I'm sure it won't happen to any of you contemplating buyers

This ended up a decent sounding Viola...but it took some work.

Here is the background information to evaluate my opinion. Played Viola for 40+ years, including string quartets, chamber orchestras, and other string groups.

The sound post had to be reset which I was able to do. The strings had a very whiney/ tinny sound at first that was improved some but adjusting the sound post slightly. The strings are terrible but were replaced with Dominant Strings and added a carbon fiber bow. ( all told the cost added $170). The results...totally worth it. The sound is much improved. Better than the orchestra viola my child was renting.

The case does everything it needs to do and has backpack straps that I wish my viola case had. It is very lightweight but keeps the dust off and hold everything.

So overall....

The resulting sound is a lovely beginner to early intermediate viola with good sound and none of the tinny sound.

The bow is terrible
the rosin is worse...seriously get a different rosin ( I recommend jade rosin- my preference)
The strings are bad
the sound post actually was knocked out upon arrival
The case isn't great but is good enough- wouldn't save the instrument if something heavy fell on it but otherwise is good enough-

I was worried about buying this in Amazon. The tuning pegs started to slip and I feared my suspicions were confirmed. Looked for a fix idea on YouTube. Restrung the strings properly. Works great.

This is not a professional viola, obviously. You're not paying for the expert craftsmanship and beautiful sound that you'd get from a 2k+ instrument. However, for the price, this is the way to go. I played viola for seven years, and played as first chair for two of those years. I went through a couple rental instruments and had a high-end viola in my last couple years. This is honestly much higher quality than the instruments I have rented, probably because it's not used. It's nowhere near a professional instrument, but it's great for what you're paying. I took some years off of orchestra and bought this to get back into it, and it's been great. Don't freak out if it doesn't stay in tune at first. It's been in storage, through temperature changes, and the postal service. It's going to have an adjustment period. Don't freak out when bow strings fall out, that's pretty normal. I'm honestly impressed.

The instrument itself is lovely and stays in tune surprisingly well. I'm an adult beginner on viola and was expecting a much less quality instrument, like the dreaded "orange" beginner stringed instruments you see. But the finish is lovely, the sound is pleasing (I have auditory issues with loud screechy sounds), and it's surprisingly easy to play with the factory strings. The case is what you'd expect on a budget instrument, but it's not too shabby.

My small gripe: there is a number marking on the fingerboard, I'm assuming a QC or inventory mark. A little spit and rubbing didn't take it off. Hopefully it's pencil and I can erase it.

My big gripe: the bow is absolutely horrible. The hair was strung so unevenly that even taught, there are VERY loose strands. The curve is so shallow that when loose the stick is still almost straight. There are a number of other issues with it that are even hard to put into words. When tightened to the point I'm worried it might break if I go tighter, the hairs still almost contact the stick when bowing. And as for it holding rosin, the cake it came with doesn't have a flat surface, so it you really have to work that much harder until it either wears down or you resurface the rosin yourself, then you can play maybe 5-10 minutes before you notice the hair losing grip on the strings. It might just be me being new to strings, or this bow is really as bad is it seems.

So overall, the instrument itself is well worth the price but get a better bow and maybe some better rosin.