Cremona SV-500 Violin

I am a retired 71-year old, Certified Teacher and Professional Educator exploring the opportune possibility of learning to play violin for both personal pleasure and recreational relaxation purposes that can be obtained from the learning experience as a worthwhile constructive activity. This CREMONA 4/4 VIOLIN is an excellent purchase for both the superb quality and the reasonable price. I had seen a review of its performance details and components assembly specifications on the Web, and I decided to buy it. I do not regret this purchase. I am a brand-new beginner, and I knew nothing about playing violin. The manual that accompanied this instrument, issued by CREMONA for tuning, detailing of components, the structural arrangment of parts, and the care this instrument necessitates, were awesome information for practical applications that provided me with a good starting point. I then went on the WEB to watch videos on Violin playing techniques and on general information and more specific instructions about how to play the instrument, and discovered that CREMONA's informative provisions were correctly stated, without any conflicting deviations from practical standards for performing with strings instruments belonging to the Violin category. All in all, I am very satisfied with the price, the quality, the actual performance, the practical information provided, and the fidelity of sounded notes, for resonance of authentic tuning tones, as applicable for each specific string, sums of which, corresponding exactly to the tuning accuracy obtained from, and confirmed by, both chromatic electronic tuners and mouth-operated manual pitch-pipes. In sum, I would recommend this SV-500 CREMONA 4/4 Violin, without any dissimulation or pretense, as to its genuine excellent quality and true fidelity to authentic violin sounds, as well as, for its reflection of true tonality of musical notes when it's properly tuned for actual performance. If I may, I would like to suggest some needed improvements on ROSIN constitution and consistency, for achieving a greater degree of "clinging granulation" that would increase the degree of adhesion to the bow's hairs when the ROSIN is being applied. I found the ROSIN a little too dry and too hard, which makes it difficult, not only for residual fine-powdery granulation, but also, harder to gauge how much pressure is to be applied to the bow, when its hair is making contact with the ROSIN, so as to climax into optimum ROSIN grain retention by the bow's hair. Perhaps, a moderate modification of the ROSIN's constitutional chemistry, intending a minimum degree of "mollification" of the ROSIN's substance, yet, without bringing it to a "humid consistency" or to a "pasty constitution" akin to the softness of clay, might increase both the amount of ROSIN that clings to the bow's hair after lengthy application, and the facilitation of faster adhesion of the ROSIN's finely granulated excipients, as the bow is being rubbed against its surface, in order to, in the end, minimize the time needed for achieving the optimum level of ROSIN retention by the bow's hair. I certainly thank CREMONA for its excellent quality of workmanship, reasonable pricing, and authentic string instrument tonality and genuine fidelity in resonance, during actual performance. Sincerely, Leo *

When I saw this piece on Amazon I though this was kind of "meh" instrument. One of the many out there that is so hard to tell apart from the pictures.This instrument STANDS OUT high and above tons of other instruments.I have quite an experience in buying violins by now, as a parent who had to go through the process few times as the kids were growing and we needed new instruments. I know very well what the MANY music stores in my area carry and I know all there is to know about the price range.This violin at my local store would cost $2500. Because of the sound quality, because of the precision and the process and because of the wood. This is SOLID wood violin, it is beautifully crafted top bottom and inside out. If you know how complicated and tedious the violin making process is, you know how many things has to go right to end up with a beautiful instrument. If you don't... I highly recommend you to watch wonderful movie "Red Violin" that will make you cry but also will make you appreciate violins even more then you ever did. This wonderful movie shows the process of making one and then the many owners it changed through the ages.This violin feels very expensive, looks very expensive and sounds very expensive. There clearly was a lot of care put in the process of making it. It is not one of those run down the mill instruments but there is at least some of the process clearly involving hand making and the instrument has individual character unique look and feel because of the choice of the wood pieces that unlike the dry and soulless machine made violins that are made of some cheap engineered wood that feel and look like cheap plastic with some wood veneer.. this violin sets them far far far far back..This is a violin that is good enough for a professional musician.The violin comes with a beautiful case lined with high quality velour fabric that looks like traditional fabric of the past so it perfectly fits the character of the expensive instrument.The sound is divine! I don't play violin but my kids are pro, not only they attest to the quality of instrument and the great sound you can achieve but also their teachers were mesmerized and shocked at the price sticker that was so low comparing to the quality of this instrument.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT, TRY IT AND GET IT EVALUATED LOCALLY, YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS INSTRUMENT IS PRICED WELL BELOW THE ACTUAL VALUE.