Stentor1542 4/4 4-String Violin

My small son started to take violin lessons when he was 3 years old and is now seven, and has outgrown the original 1/8 size violin we purchased for him to begin on. So after doing a bit of research and speaking with my son's violin teacher and other violinists at music stores, I was recommended to take a look at the Stentor Student II (1500 series) violin or the Cremona SV 150 or 175 models. I ended up purchasing the Stentor because it seems like more care is paid to the actual construction of the violin and the quality of the wood used and ebony parts is of a higher level than the Cremona. It also appears that Cremona is putting more of their effort into their case construction rather than the actual violin. I was not entirely sure I was making the best decision but I figured with Amazon's warranty at my back, if anything was off I could simply return it and order the Cremona.I ordered the Stentor 1500 and it came about three days later from Amazon with no problems. I set it aside until my son's instructor (who is also a full time professional first string violinist in the city orchestra) could look at it and tune it for him correctly. (I unfortunately do not play yet) Upon looking at the violin closely later in the week, my son's instructor said that he was fairly surprised at the higher quality of the violin. He said the ebony fingerboard and pegs and the composite tailpiece all appeared to be of high quality. He thought the wood construction was extremely good for a violin under $500 and he liked that they included the Red Label strings which he said were a good inclusion for intermediate learners. (my small son is still a beginning intermediate player and is at the beginning of the third Suzuki book)He began to tune the strings and then would play for a few seconds and then did some more tuning. This continued for about 30 minutes until he said things were decent for that day (new strings can take several days or weeks to fully stretch) and then he began to play some Mozart and Bach. He said that the Stentor 1500 has medium "projection" meaning that people in a concert hall could hear it fairly well and said he was fairly impressed by the quality of the sound in comparison to the reasonable price. He then noted that the bow was real Brazilwood and said that was an excellent choice for an intermediate level instrument. He also said the violin would be more than fine for my small son until he grows older and can move to a full size (4/4) violin.I can also say that the quality of the case, the rosin and the carrying strap are more than adequate. The quality of the case in particular is fairly high and is strong enough to hopefully withstand any abuse that a six year old boy can deal to it. Any time you buy an instrument, you never know how it will hold up six months or two years later but I will come back and update this review periodically. So far though, we are all pleasantly surprised by the high quality construction and sound of this Stentor II 1500 series violin. Five stars so far!Fall 2017 Update - (18 months later) - This Stentor 1500 is still going strong and holds it's tuning very well. My son's other instructors in the city youth orchestra have commented on the Stentor and indicated that the sound was good (especially considering the price). My small son has managed to take good care of it so far (fingers crossed) and the instrument continues to play delightfully. Still five stars!

I always wanted to learn the violin, and never had the chance. But even at my age, and when I found an opportunity to get it, after lots of research in my country and online (including here in Amazon) finally I decided for the Stentor II student violin... And I don't have words to describe that I hit the jackpot in my decision.This instrument is great; amoung tons of chinese brands and products, you can feel the quality of this one. It is solid, the makes are good and the material is what they describe. It is one of the most expensive from its category, but believe me it worths any penny. It has been helping me to learn at home in the free time. The strings are not the best but you can always get better quality strings like Dominant's, but before you spend that money the ones it comes with can help you to understand and practice the basics. When you can already play better, you can change them and the sound will be infinite better.Almost 7 months and I am starting to practice and play "Nearer my god to thee". Takes time, you need to be patience, but slowly you will see the results.The bow has good quality but the rosin is cheap, however it works good for the bow; and the case is formidable, very good and solid, with a pocket for your shoulder rest.What else you need beside what the pack offers? Basically you'll need a violin mute (to avoid your neighbors kill you, it has a strong voice), a shoulder rest (if your neck is large), a tuner (The're many cheap here in Amazon), and a couple of soft flannels, one to clean the violin after each rehearsal and one for your neck to avoid get scratched by the violin's button and chin rest bracket.Beside that, the looks it has is stunning, any person I showed it to him/her, that person falls in love with it.Edit: Added a couple of pics of mine, for those asking about the color. It is not as red as the promotional pics shows; it is kinda light brown, but still a beauty piece.

Will return this because never tunes up, first day I'm using it I don't think the product is in it's proper form. Been playing guitar for 12 years, organ for 5 years and wanted to give a shot at violin and it's driving me crazy feels like the string is gonna rip and injure me. Don't recommend it for sure. Maybe the one that I've got has problems idk, didn't like it at all.

First off, there are a quite a few reviews saying that the strings do not stay in tune. WHEN A NEW VIOLIN IS PURCHASED, THE STRINGS WON'T STAY IN TUNE. The strings are new and will stretch at first, and will need to be retuned every few minutes for a while. Maybe first 24 hours of playing.But beyond that, this is a pretty good violin. The finish is very beautiful and it produces a decent sound. The bridge isn't fantastic, but it doesn't affect the sound too much. And with a GOOD, REPUTABLE music store nearby, it can be fixed.The violin comes with a bow, okay case, and some rosin.The case comes with two straps and there are three "U" shaped clips on the case so there are many ways it can be worn. There is also a handle on the front so it can be held as well. The inside is fairly cushy, so a hard bump may damage the violin some, and you must, MUST be careful taking out the bow, since the hairs have (twice) gotten caught in the clip and had to be cut since they were so damaged. So while a new case might be recommended, this is a great beginner's violin, fantastic for those just trying out in violin, and pretty decent for those that are on a tight budget, yet definitely want to play.