Features:

  • Highest-rated violins on Amazon and #1-rated customer service in the U.S.
  • The only stringed instruments backed by a lifetime warranty and 45-day money-back guarantee.
  • Final assembly and setup performed by Kennedy Violins' professional luthiers in Washington State. Completely setup with no assembly required. Ready to play the moment you open the case!
  • Handcrafted with solid maple and spruce tonewoods, 100% genuine ebony fittings, and oil finish.
  • Clearance violins with the sound and quality of the Bunnel series offer extreme savings as a result of minor cosmetic imperfections that do not affect playability or sound in any way. Please note that the case interior colors vary.
Great for the price

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.

Very pleased so far

Very pleased so far. I purchased this violin for my 12 yr old daughter. It arrived promptly and in excellent condition. All I had to do was adjust the fine tuners slightly, and rosin up the bow. She has practiced on it twice, and I still have not needed to touch the pegs. Stays in tune. She loves the case because the straps allow her to wear as a backpack. The sound is much better than I thought it would be; it is very deep and loud when compared to my violin I have been playing for over 30 years. If you are considering making this purchase you should add it to your cart with confidence.

I love this thing

Heads up: This is my first violin, so don't take this as an expert opinion. That being said, I'm really pleased with this so far. The cosmetic defects are so minor as to be non-existent. I had to really inspect this thing to find them; the defects amounted to a touch of glue (?) where the body connects with the neck and some light scraping on the violin's bottom. These are so minor that they don't detract from the violin's beauty, I think. I've read a lot of reviews that say violins will fall out of tune when they're new, but so far I haven't had much trouble with this. The violin arrived with 2 strings still properly tuned and the other 2 only a half-step away from perfect. In 2 days of practice, I've only had to re-tune E once. I've been using the fine tuners, so I can't really speak to how well the pegs work. The case is beautiful. The description says the case colors may vary, and that's true. I saw an unboxing video on youtube where someone unboxed one with a gray case, however, I got brown. I love brown, so no problems there, but I straight up have no idea if the hygrometer is working. It's been on about 60 (in the normal range) since I got it. The bow isn't too bad, I really wish it came with a second one but whatever. The ferrule (the metal part where the hair meets the frog) is loose and can be slide partially up and down. I don't know if this is a problem or not, but it hasn't affected playing. The rosin is great, the extras are nice (strings, cleaning cloth, some weird little name tag), and the violin sounds good to me. I'm gonna play the crap out of this thing and update in 30 days if my opinion changes at all. Hopefully it doesn't, cause right now I really like this violin. Hope that's helpful.

Perfect for my 11 year old daughter!

This is the second violin I bought for my 11 year old daughter as a birthday gift. The first one I bought two years ago, was from other brand, very basic, not full size, it was okay for beginners, just getting familiar with this musical instrument. As she gets better with her skill, it's time to get a full size one, so I did some research. I ended up with this violin. WOW, it sounds much better and louder! And I don't have to tune it every time she uses it. It's a "Clearance" item, because the handle part has no paint. This is perfect for my daughter who needs an upgrade. This is truly what you get for what you paid (in good way). I'd highly recommended for anyone in my situation. UPDATE: After using a couple of times, the bow was fallen apart. I contacted their service via email with some pictures, I got prompt reply. And they sent me a replacement. The new bow is excellent!

Great customer service

The violin was great, I bought this for myself to learn how to play violin (at age 25)! But what really impressed me was the customer service at Kennedy. It's been three months, and I just realized the bridge wasn't cut properly; since I'm a total noob it would have never occurred to me that there was a problem, but I was having difficulties in lessons and said, I wish the strings weren't so close together. My instructor said, let me see your violin and we discovered the bridge problem. I immediately emailed Kennedy and received a prompt response and they fixed the issue with no problems, only required a picture of the bridge to be sure of the issue. I'm definitely impressed and recommend this company for any of your musical needs.

Impressed with the quality and the price

I bought this for my daughter who really wants to play the violin. She had been looking at some very expensive ones at music shops that i could not justify buying for a beginner. I did some research and online browsing and found this well reviewed model at an affordable price. She was very happy when this showed up and I was surprised at how nice everything looked and felt. She has been practicing for a week now and can play some basic tunes, and without having much to compare to, it sounds very nice. I would recommend this to anyone wanting something better than the cheapest thing they can find, while also not wanting to buy a top of the line violin for a beginner.

nice violin outfit 1/2 size

cant complain about this 1/2 size violin for the price. i went round and round about buying or renting. sure i could accumulate money for a full size instrument if i rent, but i figured i would buy this and donate it to my daughters school when she moves up a size. many parents just do not have the cash to buy or rent an instrument for their child. so i look at it as giving quite a few children over the years an opportunity to learn to make music. cant put a price tag on that. i just wish kennedy violins gave you the option of a glass bow for a little extra cash over the wood bow.

My Violin For The Next Three Years

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.

Buy this violin or else

I've had this violin for about three weeks now, and although that's not very long to write a thorough review of a product, I will attempt to get my experience down in a short Amazon review. I'm a college student that has never even touched a violin before I bought the Bunnel Basic, so I have no comparison to this violin in terms of build quality, but I can tell say that the sound on this violin is actually pretty nice. It has a beautiful resonance when you play open strings, and even my crude beginner bowing creates a pretty sound. The violin feels sturdy, although be careful with the tailpiece when using the fine tuners because you don't want to bend it too much. There seems to be some confusion as to whether this is a clearance Bunnel G2 or Bunnel Pupil, as even when I ordered it I had no idea. Mine is a Bunnel Pupil with a very small varnishing blemish, and it's for the most part hidden under the fingerboard, so I am very happy that I bought the clearance instead of spending the extra $40. The bow is alright. Again, I have no experience with violins or bows, but I can tell if something is poorly made or not. The bow I received is from Giuliani (along with the rosin), and it's held up well for these first few weeks so far. But still, the bow isn't anything special, and if you are expecting anything other than the most basic bow, then you need to either cough up some more cash or lower your standards. Also, my violin did not come with a shoulder rest, so don't expect one. I was delighted to find that my violin came with D'Addario Prelude strings already on the instrument. These strings are great for beginners, and they've held up well (although be prepared to tune them every twenty minutes for the first few weeks). The extra set of strings I believe are the Portland strings as advertised, although mine came in an unmarked plastic bag. The best surprise about this outfit is the case. It is sturdy, and I feel very safe putting my violin in it and walking around with it. There are two bow holders inside, a place for a shoulder rest, a compartment for your rosin, cloth, and extra strings, and even a built in hydrometer to keep the humidity in check. The case also comes with extra straps so you can wear it like a backpack, which I find very convenient since I also sometimes need to carry my saxophone around at the same time. I'm giving this violin five stars not because it's the best violin on Amazon, but because it is exactly what I needed at the perfect price. It may be just a simple beginner's violin, but it can always be upgraded with better strings, a new bow, or a sound post adjustment when needed. And if I ever get good at the violin, I'll buy a more expensive violin. But this violin is the one to buy for any beginner. P.S. I got this violin shipped from Washington state to Ohio, and everything was perfectly intact to play (although the pegs slipped during shipping, and tuning the first time was a trek).

Beautiful Violin--Excellent Customer Service

This is a beautiful violin and comes with everything you need to begin playing immediately. For the last year, I have had the desire to begin learning the violin. I had never even touched a violin, until I ordered and received my new violin from Kennedy. I first heard of Kennedy after perusing the Amazon website and was impressed with the number of positive reviews. On Amazon, I looked at both “Kennedy Bunnel Basic Clearance Violin” and the “Bunnel G2 Violin Outfit”. I didn’t know what the differences were, so I contacted Kennedy and asked. Here is their response: "The two instruments in question are both part of our student line of violins. The Bunnel Basic is actually a Bunnel G2 that has cosmetic flaws. Since we sell most of our instruments online we try to give our customers as much information as possible about the appearance of the instruments prior to purchase. If a G2 violin has any flaws in the appearance we downgrade it to the Bunnel Basic so that the customers are aware of the situation. Our Bunnel Pupil is of a similar style, but not quite the quality level of the Bunnel G2. If you are looking for a violin that has a great sound and don't mind some cosmetic issues, the Bunnel Basic is a fantastic deal.” I took their advice and bought the Bunnel Basic Clearance Violin. I couldn’t be happier! I looked at the Kennedy website for general information (lots of good info!), YouTube videos to begin learning the basics of playing, and I just had my second violin lesson with my violin teacher last night. If you’re a beginner—or if you’re not—don’t hesitate to buy your violin from Kennedy! I’m very happy that I did!

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