My son has been playing violin for years and he recently received this as a Christmas gift. The violin itself is great! We have had no problems at all. His instructor (a professional musician) is also impressed with the quality of the instrument considering the low cost. The amp leaves a little to be desired. I think he will save up and purchase a high quality one.
At one point the violin stopped playing through the amp. The amp worked with other things so we called Kennedy Violins and got a return call within an hour. Zach walked me through several troubleshooting techniques and was patient and kind. The whole time he was reassuring that if nothing worked, they would be happy to send a replacement. Turns out the issue was user error- violin battery was drained (duh!) and no replacement was necessary. The fact that they are 3000 miles from us but still willing to do whatever it takes to right the situation will keep us as loyal customers! I've read the bad reviews and none of those apply to us. We've had only a positive experience with the instrument and the customer service.

Bought this violin to learn - hopefully without driving everyone in the house crazy. With headphone plugged in you can hear it in the next room when the house is quiet. If someone is watching TV at normal volume in the next room, the sound level is acceptable.

Several reviews criticized the headphones; they're not high end, but are acceptable. The case is much nicer than expected. The bow is decent. The violin itself isn't professional grade, but is much better than most beginner's violins I looked at. The strings weren't fabulous, but for the price, they were not bad.

I ordered this violin from Kennedy largely because the reviews said the supplier was good about having it arrive with strings in place and the bridge installed at the proper angle. They did not disappoint.

This is an excellent buy for a beginner.

When you order also order peg drops, an inexpensive digital tuner, and some medium grade strings.

It's absolutely beautiful! My son has been playing for about two years now and he loves it. The entire package is so obviously quality. Thank you so so much! As far as the visual defect I have no idea what it possibly could be it's beautiful

It's great quality but when I received it a string was broke straight out of the package

I bought this item after having tried a $60 model (I know) with a fingerboard that wasn't even on straight. I wanted a "silent" instrument for practice that would be quieter than a muted acoustic to save my hearing and my sanity, since I am new to the violin (am conservatory-trained pianist). I opted to skip the Cecilio-range violins ($140 or so) because they seem to have similar construction issues and went straight to the Bunnel. The craftsmanship is solid on this violin--everything is aligned, the wood feels like wood (you'd be amazed what passes for "wood"), everything plays as it should. It is heavier than an acoustic for sure even without a battery. Kennedy strings the violin and even rosins up the bow for you so it truly is ready to play straight out of the box. I have snapped strings in hot weather before, so I would wait a day or two before tuning the strings up all the way, especially the E string. The bow is quite nice and is probably the best part of this outfit. The case is light (hygrometer a nice plus) and will do just fine if you are not traveling worldwide or a zillion times a day. You should change the strings (and even the bridge) to whatever suits your fancy the best, and that will be true no matter what instrument you buy. I repeat, this will be true no matter what instrument you buy. You may want a more slanted bridge if you are an absolute beginner; this one is quite flat and will challenge your bowing skills. Honestly, I am not fond of the Prelude strings but I am a hopeless snob. I would NOT invest in Evah Pirazzi strings for this, but Alphayue strings are $20 or so for a set and have been getting rave reviews for their sound. The sound level is comparable to, not quieter than, a muted acoustic. I put a rubber mute on it and that makes me a very happy camper. The amp--I don't see why I would use it. Either invest in a bigger amp or just use headphones. Personally, I think it plays loud enough not to need headphones. It won't disturb your neighbors, but it might disturb you, lol! Am a classical music professional, just so you know.
This is my second purchase from Kennedy Violins, and they do seem to go out of their way to make you happy. The shipping carton has a seal on it so you know if anything might be damaged in transit. They have support hotlines for every conceivable issue, so I feel like they have my back should something go wrong. But nothing has...