Customer Reviews

Mendini MV300 Satin Solid Wood Violin + Extra set of Strings, Shoulder Rest, Bow, Rosin & Case in 4/4 (Full Size)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Great violin? No. As nice as the ones the music stores rent for $25 a month, yes. Comes with tons of accessories that would cost you $30-40.
As a violin teacher, I like to have these on hand for cheap entry level instruments, or rent for $10/month. That way a student doesn't have to get into a year contract at a local music store if they aren't sure if they want to stick with it or not.
A great way to get started on the violin for VERY little money. After owning this violin for a year or so, the student can decide to invest in a nicer one, and pass this along to a sibling/friend/Craigslist.
Only disclaimer is: make sure you have someone who can setup a violin for you (the case with all violins, regardless of quality). They are NOT instruments that can be played right out of the box, and if you have a store do this for you, it's probably a $30-45 fee. Find a violin playing friend that will do it for free for you :)

I wrote this review for the person who knows nothing about violins at all:

This violin is of much higher quality than I ever imagined. It is not, of course, even a good violin by professional standards, but it is a very solid beginner's instrument. I bought it for myself, though I am not a violinist, but I have been playing guitar, bass, and keys for more than six years, and I have played violins before. My ex-girlfriend lent me her first violin when we were dating, and it was really, really horrible. This one is pretty close to her current violin, which was a pretty decent student model. I did a lot of research before buying this one, and I'm really glad I did. It is rated highly by violin teachers and other violinists, but very lowly by people who have no idea what they are talking about. I have read that a lot of violins under $100 don't even have a sound post, which is a crucial part of the violin and absolutely cannot be discarded. You're almost better off with a violin that has no neck. The bow you're playing with has a lot to do with the tone you will produce. I have been playing some simple melodies on this violin, and it is not difficult to produce decent tone on it with the bow it comes with. The only two problems that I have had with this package are the rosin and the shoulder rest. Both are absolutely terrible, but not very expensive to replace with better products. The rosin is round, chips very easily, and is extremely difficult to use. I bought "Super-Sensitive" rosin from the Musical String Co. which was only three dollars (and I bought it from a luthier shop in Costa Mesa). You're going to want a rectangular rosin set in wood, that makes it much easier to use. Then theres the horrible, horrible shoulder rest. I was completely incapable of properly holding the instrument using the shoulder rest it came with. I replaced that with an Everest shoulder rest for eighteen dollars, and it is very comfortable. The case it comes with is just fine; it is a hard case and has straps on the back so it can be worn as a backpack. The violin also comes with an extra set of strings, and an extra bridge (I believe violin bridges are made of balsa wood, but I know that they are very fragile) which is great for the beginner who may snap the bridge when trying to put it on. Also, it is not difficult to snap the strings when first tuning them (you have to do so very slowly and gently) so an extra set of strings is very handy for the beginner to keep on hand. You will notice some cosmetic damage to the violin, some very minor dents and scratches, but I have seen nothing major on mine that I did not expect on a $60 violin outfit. Also, if you look VERY closely, the neck on my violin is angled just slightly to the right. I'm sure there are other measurements on the violin that are far away from industry standards, but this model is close enough that it will not hinder a beginner's learning. It comes assembled (although the bridge and sound post might fall out in shipping, but that not a big problem) but you will almost certainly have to take the pegs out at put some rosin on them so they'll hold the strings at the right tension. If you try tuning it before that, the pegs will just roll back to their original positions (this is normal for all violins).

I rated this violin at 5 stars not because it is truely a five-star violin, but because for $60 (almost the cheapest violin I've ever seen) it is a really, really great package. It is definately good enough for any beginner to learn on, and if you're looking at a $60 violin, that must be what you're looking for.

Very good value for a starter violin. I set the bridge and tuned right up. Strings were in good shape. Strings will stretch initially so you retune periodically and due to changes in humidity.

Violin sounds pretty good. Very adequate.

Nice case, extra strings, bow is good. Rough up the rosin surface with sandpaper before applying to bow.

A great deal.

I bought this violin for my brother and it arrived yesterday. He is impressed with the quality, the extras, the appearance, the case of course and overall perfection of this well-rated and worthy of praise violin. Made him so happy to receive this wonderful violin. Thank you.

After receiving the shipment in absolutely perfect condition and on the exact day for my daughter's birthday, it was absolutely beautiful! I check it over for any imperfections and the only thing was a couple of broken hairs from the bow, otherwise, I did not see anything else. After that, it was kept in the case for about a week until my daughter's beginning class started. Yes, neither one of us has had any violin experience!

Okay, class day came and the instructor tried to tune the violin. She asked if I had it "set up" and I had no idea what she was talking about. She was able to tune all but one string fearing that the whole thing would break because it kept making this creaking and cracking sound when she turned the knob and said that it wouldn't stay. Then she told me if she broke it, it would cost me a couple hundred dollars to have it replaced! (Uh, no thank you!) She also said that the bridge was way too high.

I guess my next step is to go to a violin shop to see if they can "set it up" so that one string can tune and shorten the bridge. Other than that, there were no other problems with it. My daughter still can practice on it and it sounds great other than that one string (the thinnest one) that won't tune.

We have ordered and returned this item twice now. Hoping that the first violin was simply defective, we returned it and ordered a replacement. Sadly we have found that, once again, the fine tuner was defective on the 2nd violin as well. Returns and refunds are hassel free, but the product itself has been such a disappointment !!

I am the original novice and know next to nothing about violins. My daughter's violin teacher, however, has been playing the violin and teaching for over 20 years. I purchased this violin so that I could learn on it and help my daughter learn at the same time. When the violin teacher went to tune it, the nut was so soft that it grooved to the string and wouldn't tune. The strings that would tune didn't hold their tune very long at all. The tone on it is very tinny once you do get the strings tuned, and it is cheaply made.

The case does not have removable straps, so you had better be a small person if you want to actually put it over your shoulders. Other than that, the case is nice. The bow is cheap, but functional, and mine didn't come with a shoulder rest, so I can't comment on the quality of that one. I also didn't look at the rosin, so I don't know how that looks either.

This is not an instrument that can be used. It is more of a pretty decoration. The bridge installs but would need to be cut down so that it doesn't hold the strings so high that you pop a string holding it down for the notes. Overall, not worth the time, energy or hassle to purchase.

I returned it to Amazon and got a full refund. The store that provided it, however, didn't like that I had left them negative feedback and called me to remove the feedback. They basically said that since I had returned it I should remove the feedback. They didn't provide me any incentive to do so though, so I left it there.

Overall, don't buy this. The only thing you will learn is how to be frustrated and possibly hurt by a flying/popping string. If you are looking for a violin on Amazon, make sure you get one that is fulfilled by Amazon and you won't have any problems returning it if there is a problem. I absolutely love the customer service on Amazon and their willingness to make sure the customer is happy with their purchase. I can't say the same for the company (KK Music) that supplied the product.

I bought this for a friend who always wanted to play violin but never could afford one, the quality was surprisingly good considering how cheap it was, I helped her set it up (took 15 minutes max, just needed to get the bridge just right) and the only flaw I found was the horrible pegs that came with it, I had some spare rosewood ones in a drawer which fixed that small problem, as for the rest of the violin the furniture was workmanlike, not concert quality but serviceable for a student, the body was what really surprised me, for a mass produced student model it has a nice sound, I do believe that with nicer furniture, a better bridge, and strings I would not be ashamed to play this at a venue, how it will hold up over time is a open question but from what I can see of its internals it is well put together.
this brings me to my only real problem, as she never has played any instrument at all she makes this violin squeal like a pig, I am no good at teaching so I got her a few books and downloaded some vids from youtube for her to watch but still...
Her husband has forbidden her to bring the violin home till she can play so she comes over here to practice, which has led my neighbors to believe I am responsible for the sudden disappearance of several neighborhood cats (I think the noise chased em away) I am waiting for the call from the SPCA as I type this.

My granddaughters started learning on some child-sized versions of this violin. I play a little piano and clarinet and couldn't resist trying out their violins. I had so much fun with them that I decided to order a full size version. How could you go wrong for $59? Well I don't think you can. My copy (the body) is nicely made. True the fingerboard appears to be painted wood rather than ebony and true the fine tune adjusters don't work extremely well and true that the bridge (both of them that came with the kit) folded nearly in half when the violin was tuned but all that aside, this violin sounds very nice to my untrained ear and for a beginner is easy to play in terms of finger action on the strings. I've read complaints about problems with tuning and pegs slipping. I had that problem with the violin too at first. However, now after two weeks of use the violin's strings have stretched and for the past few days i can pull it out of its case without needing to do a complete retune. As for the bridge, I did have to order a new one. I did not order one from this seller. I spent $15 on an adjustable bridge. That solved the problem and greatly increased the violin's ability to stay in turn. Sound quality was also improved. So I guess with the bridge my new violin cost $74.00. Even at that, it's a great value and perfect if you don't want to invest a lot of money seeing whether you or your kids like playing. The case is great, you get an extra set of strings and as mentioned two bridges. You also get a shoulder rest that is cheaply made but works. I think the complainers are expecting perfection at this price or are impatient with the violin while it settles in being tuned. If you are not expecting a Stradivarius and you spend a little time (and a little extra money) you will realize this is a very good value.

Update 2-8-12: I've now had this violin for several months. I'm slowly teaching myself how to play and I'm still terrible. That being said, the violin continues to sound better. As of this date, I've purchased new strings (Dominant and Piastro for the the "E" string.) I have also purchased a new bow because the horse hair kept falling out of the one that came with the kit. With the adjustable bridge, mentioned above, and the new strings and new bow, this is a pretty nice instrument for $69 plus upgrades. I've had several good violinists play it and confirm that it has nice sound and is easy to play. With the new strings and bridge I have had very little problem keeping the violin in tune. I may upgrade to something else in the future, but in its souped up version, this is pretty decent for the money.

It appears there are some people who have had a bad experience with this violin package. Maybe they have expectations for this violin that are too great for a $60 violin, or maybe they have a legitimate complaint. I can't say for sure which it might be if not both, but for me personally I have had nothing but great things to say about this violin.

It arrived in perfect condition. No defects on the violin or any accessories, and it really is what I expected and wanted. It is a acceptable starter instrument. It is not a good instrument. A seasoned violinist will not look at this with admiration. Do not go into this purchase expecting anything more. That being said the one I received was in great shape, and sounds pretty good. I have literally played it for at least an hour a day nearly everyday since August when I bought it.

I will say, I am inexperienced I can't say for sure, that the sound seems a tad dull compared to fiddles I listen to in music. It's not a bad sound and maybe it is just something I've done wrong, but it is not as clear or as sweet sounding as I might like (especially the G and D sting). Maybe it's the strings or maybe it's the bow. That being said it is not a major problem, and still sounds pretty good.

As others have mentioned you may as well throw out the rosin it comes with when you get it, and make sure you order some rosin with your order if you buy this fiddle. The shoulder rest is pretty iffy also. It works... just barely. Though I would recommend going to a luthier and trying out some shoulder rests to get the right fit if you decide to buy a new one instead of buying one online.

The bow is decent. A stray hair or two may be broken when you get it. It's not really a big deal. Just nip em off with nail clippers. You should still have plenty left. Not much else to really say about that. It holds the rosin pretty well.

The strings that come with it get the job done. I still am using the second set that came with it. I broke the E string on the first set tuning it when I got it. Whoops. :x So be careful and tune all the strings up at the same time in small increments. This will also prevent the bridge from collapsing on you while tuning it up.

The case is solid and looks nice. Holds stuff well?

All in all this violin package is really a steal. (In a good way.) I can think of much worse things to spend $60 on and I have something that has and will provide me with literally hours and hours of entertainment mixed with a bit of frustration.

Keep in mind that this is no doubt a factory made violin as opposed to a hand crafted one and there are likely going to be some undesirables mixed in there. Maybe you'll get one of them... maybe you won't. I say give it a go however. If you get a bad one just return it, and if you are feeling lucky try again. For me it was worth it completely.