I love music, but have never played the violin. So I decided to take the plunge (at 52 yrs. young), and did some research on what to look for. Now I didn't want to spend a fortune starting off, but wanted a violin to learn on and grow with for a few years. Many forums and websites later, my search came across Kennedy Violins, which not only offered a lovely selection of violins for all level of musicians, but unparalleled customer service. It was those two reasons why I decided on this purchase, and I couldn't be happier!

The shipping was fast (thanks to Amazon prime), and it was packaged/protected very well. Everything was included as stated, including a really nice luggage tag. The case is very sturdy and comes with a attachable shoulder strap too. The violin itself was absolutely beautiful, and couldn't find anything wrong with it, thus paying the "clearance" price for a great looking instrument.

Now again, I'm a "from the get go" absolute beginner, but I also know what sounds decent and this instrument doesn't disappoint. With lots of correct practice and guidance, I'm looking forward to making sweet sounds with this purchase.

Thank you again, and happy playing!

When I received this violin the rosin was broken as if it had been dropped on cement. The hygrometer had been knock out of place inside the case. I just do not know if the violin we damage without taking it to a luthier. The packing was better than average. I have seen the way Amazon pack a violin and wonder how it every got to the customer in one piece.
The violin itself was as listed. It is set-up and ready to play. I tune it and was ready to play in a short time. Of course the string were new and had to be return several times. I lift it over night and I was amaze how little the string were out of tune. The bow is not the best but will do. A good bow will cost hundreds more then the violin itself. The case is strong as the rosin was so badly damage inside the case. I must have been dropped or thrown very hard by UPS. Also David Kennedy name is on the case and a hard plastic luggage tage which is included. This is a excellent student violin.
I'm going to send the violin back as I do not know if the violin was damage internally by UPS. I think I will call David Kennedy and ask for their advise before returning it, as we have no certified luthier in my city. Oh was have music shop with repair shop. But taking a violin to them is like taking a Ferrari to your local garage.
Buying a violin on line is like walking in a swamp at night. But, it seem that Kennedy is not your average vendor on-line.

Let me start out by saying my wife is an experienced (15+ years) violin teacher and has played violin for most of her life. We bought this violin for our 8 year old son since he outgrew the 1/4 size Bunnel Pupil. We were looking for another Bunnel Pupil, but it wasn't available at the time in 1/2 size.

This Bunnel Premier violin outfit is a great value and one my wife will be recommending to new students. It is a clear upgrade in sound over the Pupil, and the finish is a little nicer. For being a clearance item, I don't see any more than a tiny nick in the finish.

The violin itself sounds great for a student violin and the fit and finish is nearly perfect. It is very beautiful, and the setup done by Kennedy was very good. The action was perfect, the bridge fit well, and the strings were mostly in tune.

The rest of the outfit is definitely lower quality than the violin, but nothing is junk. The bow is good. The case is a solid. The oblong style is nice to fit music in the side pocket. The rosin is fine. The shoulder rest is much better than the one we got in the Pupil, which broke on us. This one should last fine.

Overall, what you get in this outfit is impressive, the violin being the most impressive. My wife when she first played it to tune it for my son was immediately impressed (for the price). We still are happy with the 1/4 Pupil for our younger son, but the Premier is probably worth the upgrade, since it is only a few dollars more.

For a $200 violin I really couldn't ask for anything more. This is an excellent sounding beginner and intermediate violin. Don't get too excited though, because eventually your student will have to be upgraded if he or she sticks with it longer than 3 or 4 years. I can't imagine any high school orchestra or beyond really wanting this instrument in the mix.

As far as any defects go, I really had to hunt to find anything wrong with this one. I uploaded a picture of the only flaw on the instrument that I could find and truthfully for a beginner violin a little ding is not going to matter that much since it will get dinged up anyway. It comes with a nice hard shell case and everything else it was stated to have included with it arrived also. The case even has a shoulder strap for ease of transport which I didn't realize was going to come with it, so that was a bonus.

The strings that come with it are kind of junky though, and I think I'm going to be replacing those very soon. I'm having a really hard time keeping it in tune, which is a common problem with new violins and new strings anyway, but usually you don't have to work this hard to tune up an instrument (and keep it in tune, which is the big problem. I tune the A string then the D and G, and by the time I come back to the A to tune the E, the A is out of tune again). I'm just attributing that to poor quality strings and am assuming, like all new instruments with brand new strings, that it will eventually stay in tune. But, like I said, for the price, having to upgrade the strings is a very small thing. Upgraded strings will also make this violin sound even better, so that's just a bonus.

Frankly, I myself started out on a $79 violin that was gotten from eBay 20 years ago, and it had pretty much the worst tone a violin could have. So for this one to have only cost $200 and have the same tone as my next violin, which was a $600 violin, well, that's just another really big bonus. Of course if the instrument never does actually keep its tune I'll have to be coming back to reevaluate this review, but I sincerely doubt that I will have a long-term problem with it.

Based on function, sound quality and value, this is a great instrument. Do other violins sound better - of course. Are other violins easier to play - of course. Can you get better sound and ease of play in other violins at this price - definitely not. We have four violins in the house. We have the Cecilio beginner violin made famous on YouTube, which cost $109. We have this violin, which is a discounted Bunnel model and which was $199. We also have the Fiddlerman Apprentice Violin Outfit, which was $330. Lastly I have a hundred year old German violin that is worth maybe $3,500.

The violin itself is very attractive. It is a nice darker wood with a smooth oiled finish that is easy on the hands and the neck is responsive. It takes a little more effort to play than the Fiddlerman but it costs $130 less. The case is great, except for the seller's logo. The strings will get you through six months to a year of playing. The construction is basic. The wood is quality, with a very good sound, and a nice responsive tone. You can draw long, deep chords and notes with good bow technique. No complaints at all.

My evaluation of the violins is this. It is all about budget. The German violin was bought at a flea market for $65 and I actually assumed it was not a good instrument and bought the Fiddlerman and Cecilio without even having the German model assessed by a luthier (would have cost $150 and I did not think I would get a good result).

If you only have enough money to rent a violin, but want the benefits of ownership, buy the Cecilio. If you can already play or are a little more committed and have a few more dollars to spend, get the Bunnel. If you play very well or if you have outgrown your Bunnel or Cecilio and want a violin you can keep for years, but are still on a budget, get the Fiddlerman Apprentice. OR - if you have a little more money to spend at any level of play, start with the Fiddlerman and keep it until you can get a performance quality violin at triple the cost.

The biggest drawback with this Bunnel is the bow. Fortunately, I'm into carbon fiber and I just bought a carbon fiber bow to use with all the violins and it is head and shoulders better than just about any bow I've used. Granted, I'm just a third year player, but the first thing you'll need to upgrade and the easiest thing to upgrade that will improve your playing is your bow and your strings. If you're a good player and on a budget, get this Bunnel and a new bow and strings and you won't need to get another violin for maybe three years.

To get a violin that plays better than the Fiddlerman you'll have to spend a whole lot more than $330. In fact, it plays nearly as well as my newly configured German violin, for which I did end up spending money with a luthier.

If you just want to play around and learn for fun, the Cecilio is probably good enough to keep you interested and play along with your kids or a piano or cello once in a while. If you play well and have no budget at all, the Bunnel is your best choice. It's not great, but it is very, very good and you'll be pressed to find a violin that will play better if you are a violinist with less than five years of playing. Or if you are in that five year or under category and have more than $200 and less than $500 to spend, get the Apprentice and spend money on a better bow and better strings.