From Stephane Grappelli to Sherlock Holmes, we’ve all loved and admired the violin. But where do you start if you want to try learning this instrument?
In this article, we look at the best ones for the novice.
At a Glance: The Best Violins For Beginners
- Fiddlerman OB1 Violin Outfit (4/4) (Editor’s Pick)
- Cecilio CVN-100 Solid Wood Student Violin (4/4)
- Mugig Violin 4/4 Full Size, Solid Wood Violin Kit (Budget Option)
- Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 (Full) Size
- Kinglos 4/4 White Blue Flower Colored Ebony Fitted Solid Wood Violin Kit
Product Round-up & Reviews – Best Violin for Beginners
Fiddlerman OB1 Violin Outfit (4/4)
This violin comes as a full outfit with a case, quality bow, shoulder rest and rosin. It has an ebony fingerboard, comes readily set up and it easy to tune and to play. This is a popular choice and a beautiful sounding instrument, which has been hand-crafted from maple and has a solid spruce top.
PROS
- Comes as a full outfit – including case, bow, shoulder rest and rosin
- Includes D’Addario Strings
- Ebony Fingerboard, maple solid spruce top
CONS
- Less budget friendly than other beginner violins
- Ebony might not be as high quality as higher end violins
- Doesn’t include the ability to play!
Cecilio CVN-100 Solid Wood Student Violin (4/4)
This violin is the only one in the list to include a maple, rather than ebony fingerboard. Maple doesn’t generally last as long as ebony, but is still acceptable for a fretboard and was commonly use for violins in the baroque period.
The violin has a high quality, hand carved and solid spruce top, and includes all of the accessories you need to get started! Including a lesson book with CD and DVD!
PROS
- Hand carved, solid spruce top
- Includes tuner, hard case, bow, and more.
- Very budget friendly
CONS
- Maple fingerboard
- Doesn’t hold tuning too well
- May need some adjusting
Mugig Violin 4/4 Full Size, Solid Wood Violin Kit
This extremely budget friendly violin has a long lasting ebony fingerboard, includes extra strings and is made of maple – which produces the best resonance for a violin.
It is hand-carved, with a spruce top and includes a high quality bow – with genuine horsehair.
PROS
- Ebony fingerboard
- Very budget friendly
- Comes with extra strings
CONS
- Needs assembling
- Can be tricky to tune
- Lower quality than higher end violins
Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 (Full) Size
This handcrafted, maple violin has an ebony fretboard and comes with everything you need to get started!As well as arriving set up and ready to play, it has a Brazilwood bow, rosin and high quality D’Addario strings, along with the instrument.It has a spruce top, rather than the preferred solid spruce top, but it still sounds very good and is a popular choice amongst beginners.
PROS
- D’addario strings
- Comes set up
- Ebony fingerboard
CONS
- Less budget friendly than other starter violins
- Spruce top
- Can be tricky to tune
Kinglos 4/4 White Blue Flower Colored Ebony Fitted Solid Wood Violin Kit
This original looking violin will appeal to the more ‘individual’ player.It has an ebony fingerboard, a hand-carved maple, body and back with a solid spruce top, and offers superior acoustical properties.However, it is the originality of the design that stands out! This blue, flowery violin will make fiddling even more fun! However, if you intend on joining an orchestra, you might not be too popular with the conductor…
PROS
- Ebony fingerboard
- Handcrafted, solid spruce top
- Original design
CONS
- Design may be unsuitable for orchestral playing
- Takes a while to get in tune
- As per, it doesn’t come with the ability to play.
Summary
If you’re looking for an easy to use, reasonably priced, decent quality violin, then my number one choice is the Fiddlerman OB1 Violin Outfit. With its solid spruce top for extra resonance and sumptuous ebony fingerboard, it comes readily set up and it easy to tune and to play. It also comes packed to the hilt with all the extras you’ll need – shoulder rest, bow, rosin, etc – making it ideal for the beginner.
If you’re looking for a budget option when considering a beginners violin then our recommendation is the Mugig Violin 4/4 Full Size, Solid Wood Violin Kit is our top pick.
Image Credits:
Featured image source: Shunichi kouroki / CC BY-SA 2.0
Roz is a music teacher and our go-to person for anything music theory! When she’s not teaching or writing for Zing, Roz writes and plays in alternative/ psyche /art rock band The Roz Bruce Infusion.
