Ricard Bunnel G2 Violin Outfit 1/8 Size - Carrying Case and Accessories Included - Solid Maple Wood and Ebony Fittings By Kennedy Violins

To be quite honest, I am not an expert violinist. I bought this violin to self-learn on, so I might not have the most advanced feedback. Violin: I believe that this violin is of great quality, and I believe also that Kennedy Violins takes the time to put passion and love into every one of their violins to make sure that it is perfect for the customer from this experience. When I first played the violin, it had to be tuned which is totally normal and fine. After the tuning, I played a few notes, and it has a high quality sound to it. The ebony fingerboard was beautiful, and the staining on the violin did not rub or fade. It makes it look glossy and new. The strings are on the violin when it came already and came with an extra pack of strings just in case one of the strings breaks or multiple break. The bridge came intact and stood in the right position. The pegs also fit into the holes really well. This package also comes with a nice cloth to wipe the violin down and clean it (and even instructions on how to clean your violin). Tuner: It is a clip on tuner, but I find it more useful just to hold it up next to the violin (that is my style of tuning). It is alright in its accuracy. It helped me tune my violin before I learned to tune by ear which is quite helpful. It comes with a battery and is easily to manipulate. There are also different settings on the tuner so you might have to turn to the violin setting when you first use it. Bow: It is high quality horsehair, and does not look stringy in the least. It was smooth and the wood is nicely made with no sharp edges. With rosin, the bow moved smoothly along the strings and did not "stutter." Shoulder rest: It works perfectly, it might not be comfortable for some shoulders because everyone is different, but it helps me rest the violin without hurting my shoulder. Rosin: Like I said before, I am definitely not an expert in this, but it did not make the bow or strings dirty or sticky/slimy. It helped the bow move along the strings nicely and not "stutter" as I said before. Intro to Violin Book: It actually helped me a lot to read this book because I just started and I did not know the basics of fingering or holding the actual bow correctly. It even has beginner and some intermediate songs that you can play inside. It also shows the basics of notation (which I already knew). It is a very helpful guide even for tuning. Case: It is a nice and hard case so the violin will not get smashed or ruined. There is one compartment to put rosin and other things inside, a spot for the violin which also includes a velcro hold in place latch. It also includes a bow holder on the top which is nice because it gently holds the bow. The case also has a built in moisture gauge which is nice to look at and see if you need to lessen the moisture inside. It also includes straps so that you can turn the case into a backpack. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone starting out on the violin!

I am very happy I purchased this violin. When I started playing, I bought a Stentor II, and I was horribly disappointed. I had a horrible time just trying to push the strings down to the fingerboard. They were so stiff. I took some good advice and bought a slightly more expensive violin--my Bunnel--and even my teacher said my playing was as different as night and day with this violin. I could push the strings down a lot more easily, the sound is rich and projects well, the E string is a bit squeaky, but I haven't upgraded the strings, which I want to do. I am going to put Dominant strings on so that I can get the sound quality I want from the E string. I had a fairly easy time getting the pegs to stay put when I tuned it. I rarely need the pegs now. I use the fine tuners more often, since the violin holds its tune for several days, usually. I upgraded the shoulder rest and bought a Kun. I'd highly recommend Kun shoulder rests. It makes playing so much more comfortable. The violin is very pretty, if you are concerned about aesthetics. The scroll looks nice, the varnish is smooth. The ebony finger board looks great. This violin apparently won the second place spot in 2018 for best violins--the only one that was better was almost double the cost of this one, and it's clearly for professionals, which I am not. If you are or know a student of violin, you can't really beat this. I would discourage you from buying any violin under 200 dollars. I grant you: spending thousands of dollars on a violin that you may or may not play long-term is not advisable, but if you can afford this violin, this violin will stick with you through beginning and intermediate stages of playing. If you make it beyond intermediate, then it might be time to upgrade if you want to. But I would not recommend buying cheap violins online. Spend some extra money and get the very best one you can afford. This one is worth every dime I spent on it. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thankful that I dropped the extra money on this instrument. it has transformed my playing.

I don't normally leave reviews, but I'm so glad I purchased this violin from this company. Everything about the packaging and little extras says this company cares and is top notch. The violin itself is a beautiful instrument with a wonderful tone and worth every penny. The included case is first rate. Good companies try to deliver a bit of "wow" and these folks certainly succeeded -- and then some! Everything about this purchase has been absolutely first rate. I bought a cheaper violin years ago and learned how to play it, but was never happy with the quality of the instrument. I decided to upgrade (a little bit!) and settled on this Bunnel G2 after doing a lot of research. It's an excellent choice for beginners to intermediate students. The company put their phone number in several spots in case anything was not quite right; I'm quite sure they would have handled any problem in a satisfactory way. The box itself was taped shut with a warning not to accept delivery if it was opened or damaged in any way, which means you can purchase a delicate instrument like this and be assured it will arrive safely and in good shape.

My bow had bad hairs. I reached out to the seller and the company the bow is named after. Neither replied. I ended up buying a second bow. Just find a local shop. For a little bit more money, I could have purchased a nicer violin from a local vendor.

Very nice violin to start! Love the wood finish and it gives a sense of quality, not some cheap plastics. Everything comes ready in the package, no assembly necessary. At some point we feel the urge to get a shoulder rest and ordered one from Amazon, only to realize that a much better one is right there in the neglected white box. The shoulder rest is sturdy and the length control is a slider, much better than those with only a couple positions to change between. It also come with some replacement strings! I did broke the E string the day I realize there’s replacement x’D it’s such a relief I can fix it right away. The tuner is okay, it works though not as fast, as some tuner app I’m using, and that can be expected. There’s also a tutorial book, I’ve already followed some YouTube video so haven’t check that yet. The sound is pretty nice so far, wasn’t a pro but the practicing session is enjoyable once you make the sound right. It sounds so beautiful! I feel so happy about my decision to get a quality violin, it potentially saves a lot of headache, and the nice sound and good experience can likely keep me going. One last thing I do need to purchase myself is a violin mute. My friend and I practiced happily for a few weeks, and one day, our roomies couldn’t stand it anymore and stated they hate the repeating sound TAT I already practice with doors and windows closed, I tried to move my bow as gently possible, but the sound feels very uncomfortable. Now that I learn there’s some magical thing called violin mute! Not sure if that would be our savior, but if it is helpful as the name suggests, I wish the bundle would have it included too. With only five bucks, it can probably save an ignorant self-taught beginners like myself from some possible dramas :D

This is a really beautiful instrument actually. I received it surprisingly in tune, with no issues with the construction of it, etc. The finish is gorgeous, but I noticed on the back that the neck was left unpainted and whoever had brushed on the varnish just left brush strokes hanging there. It looked sloppy and figured it was an accident, so I emailed them, and they got back to me the next day saying it's supposed to be like that. I know the finish on the back is usually lighter, and sometimes unpainted, but this actually looks like someone forgot to paint a section. But whatever - the instrument sounds nice and I haven't even learned how to make anything but a squawk come out of it, so nobody is going to be seeing the back of my violin neck except for me anytime soon, so who cares. I haven't started lessons yet so I can't really speak for the quality of the bow, etc., but it seems fine. I have a higher quality clip-on tuner that I use for my banjo, so I'm using that instead of the one they sent, but I'm sure that's okay as well. They sent an extra pack of strings and an actually gorgeous case. I looked around their website as I was searching for an email address so I could whine about the neck issue, and it seems like this is a really nice little shop that puts a lot of care into what they do. They even wrote and self-published the little book they send. They even put two little hard candies into the bag they send with the care instructions. I felt like such a jerk for complaining to them!

I played the violin as a kid but gave up after a year and a half as I could no longer handle the increasing homework load at the music school I attended and the regular school. After 16 years I decided to learn to play the violin again. The first violin I ordered was one of those cheaper types - for around $60. It served the purpose and did help me get started with playing the instrument; however, after two months I felt I needed a better quality violin as the horrible squeaky sounds produced by my first instrument made my practice sessions almost unbearable. After doing some research and reading numerous positive reviews of Kennedy violins, I ordered their Ricard Bunnel G2. As others have mentioned in their reviews. when I received the violin, I could immediately see the difference between my old instrument and the new one. It had a beautiful dark brown finish, pegs that actually stayed in place and a nice set of strings. I was already impressed but when I started to play the violin, I fell totally in love with it as the sounds it makes were magnificent. The outfit itself was remarkably good, too. Besides a well-made light bow and a spacious case, It also included an extra set of strings, a wooden shoulder rest with a beautiful velvet bag for storing it, a tuner, a good-quality large rosin, a cloth for wiping the violin and an introductory book for beginning violinists. I am extremely happy with the purchase and I enjoy every minute of playing my new beautiful violin.

Before purchasing this outfit I had purchased the Stentor 1500. The Stentor sounded bad but I assumed it was just me playing badly. When I received the G2, my wife was not aware that I had received a new violin and she came into the room saying "Wow what did you do!? You sound so much better!" That is how obvious the difference in quality between the two violins was. One of the main things I noticed between the two was the finish of the violin. The Stentor had a thick furniture lacquer finish while this one has an oil finish so the violin looks and feels like quality not some cheap toy. I ended up returning the Stentor and keeping the G2. The case and accessories are also GREAT! Nothing cheap here. The shoulder rest is fully adjustable just like the popular KUN shoulder rest. The tuner is nice and the case it amazing! Even if I bought a new, more expensive violin, I would probably put it in the G2's case because of how nice and sturdy it is. As for the Kennedy Violin customer service... I had an issue with the bow and within an hour of emailing their support, they replied and shipped me a new one! Amazing service! If you are a beginner and in the market for a violin, spend the extra $100 and get this. TRUST ME! It also comes with a "book" that at first I thought would just be throw away but it ended up containing a lot of very useful and concise information.