Which violin did you think sounded the best? 😄No matter which instrument you choose, you still gotta practice: tonicmusic.app/practice-together Don't be lonely, let's have fun and practice together!

@aayushh___

7 ай бұрын

I'll let you know in 4 hours 👍

@BlackViolinist_

7 ай бұрын

This is a good time I can manage the $340 violin now I don't own an instrument😢 9:31

@Cessna172G

7 ай бұрын

Love the video!

@bradingrao8496

7 ай бұрын

I'd also like to chat about a Tonic collaboration with the Association of Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss for students with hearing loss as well as would like to create a video with you about hearing conservation/protection for musicians to be included in the Tonic ecosystem.

@ACompassionateHeartSchool

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, Ray! ❤

Me: That sounds pretty good Him: Terrible Me: Terrible

@poisonedsponge8238

3 ай бұрын

i play the viola so i actually know what its supposed to sound like, what abt u?

@aethro

2 ай бұрын

@@poisonedsponge8238 probably the lamest flex I've ever seen

@totalwar1793

2 ай бұрын

Btw, it would sound a lot worse IRL than it would on screen. There's a... muddiness to the sound that's on the screen, but it's somewhat masked by the reverb.

@astrisprill696

2 ай бұрын

@@aethro how is that a flex?

@Nour-xo2lp

2 ай бұрын

Ok but i succeed at school and entered in the most reputed school of your country but decides to choose to go to oxford bc im a genius what avout you?😒@@poisonedsponge8238

The $39 clip shows that even a crap violin sounds beautiful in the hands of a professional, to the ears of an amateur. 😊

@dj_koen1265

7 ай бұрын

It sounded awful though Some of the other violins weren’t half as bad

@ghillies4life

7 ай бұрын

But to anyone with any musical training, it sounds like garbage

@alfsmith4936

7 ай бұрын

​@@dj_koen1265Yea.. But a country player could put a pickup on it and fill it with foam for live use..

@itsyaboiherman

4 ай бұрын

True

@wickster2121

2 ай бұрын

no...u can't polish a turd even with the best materials in the case of the green violin.

Ray, you could play a $20 snare drum and make it sound like a decent violin! 😀 Provided you used your own bow, of course. 😛

@AnnoyingBandKid

7 ай бұрын

So true...

@hayoolleeviolin9779

7 ай бұрын

He can probaly even do it without his bow

@TwoSetViolinEdits

7 ай бұрын

@@hayoolleeviolin9779you’d be surprised, bows make a major difference. Get it? Major = big Major key = brighter/happier

@gillian5871

7 ай бұрын

A great prove on how important the bow is

@vitakhan307

7 ай бұрын

😊😊

You can tell how happy Ray is every time he gets to talk about his Strad 🤭

@Furetto126

7 ай бұрын

the comment under here is a bot dont listen to it.

@tyfalma

7 ай бұрын

Is it his own Strad or is it lent to him?

@danielklempner4786

7 ай бұрын

The "Dolphin" Stradivarius is lent to him by the Nippon Music Foundation. It costs about 10 million dollars.@@tyfalma

@jbenoit1962

7 ай бұрын

Strads are owned by collectors - collectors being diversified investors worth more than a hundred million as a starting figure and going up exponentially from there. They "own" them but they tend to be lent out on permanent, super dooper well insured loan to Maestros like Rey for their lifetime. Thankfully the culture is that those instruments are to be showcased to the fullest extent and shared actively with the world. Rey would have no reason to buy one. If anything happened to this one he'd have his pick of several others. That's what happens when you're one of the best in the world.

@kishascape

6 ай бұрын

​@@jbenoit1962not true, some do own their own. Not all Stradivarius either. Some have the more Superior Maggini or Guarneri violins.

I fully agree with the 340$ violin, however, I think you might be getting a second-hand refurbished violin with a better sound only at a slightly higher price.

@ldkmelon

7 ай бұрын

I agree, although shopping refurbished can be more risky for those new to violin might not recognized how properly refurbished it is.

@donw3861

7 ай бұрын

Beware of the plastic violin....👹🤑🥸🙏👍😜

@name-hf2ht

5 ай бұрын

thing is, good violins don't really get cheaper just because they're second hand, sometimes on the contrary. it's just not how it works.

Sibelious on a $39 violin gives you chills for a different reason.

@blueishsio

7 ай бұрын

Halloween is coming up 😂

@AsinT.

2 ай бұрын

PTSD from your little sister playing?

Fun fact is a couple weeks before this video came out. I recommended the bunnel for one of my beginner Violin students... she got it last week and we agreed that it's a really nice instrument for the price! Imagine my surprise when I saw you review it!

I exclusively played on an $80 amazon violin for the first 7-8months of learning until I found out rentals were a thing! Of course I wish I would have switched earlier, but at the same time not sure I would have even started playing the violin if it weren’t for the easy and cheap amazon option to just try it out in the first instance, so super thankful for that 😊

@Exayevie

7 ай бұрын

I second this! I bought a $40 dollar violin just so I could see what it's like to hold and what you have to do to make a sound on it. I had never touched a violin, or known a single violinist, before that, so it was the only way I could get some tactile exposure to the instrument at all. I say it was worth it! I can't afford lessons right now (in terms of money or of time), but if/when I am ever ready I will upgrade. The $40 instrument was just what I needed to play and experiment and decide if I liked it or not.

@sfaballman6467

7 ай бұрын

@@Exayevie still though you can rent a much better instrument for a lot cheaper just to try it out for a month

@Azzne-

7 ай бұрын

Same actually

@Exayevie

7 ай бұрын

@@sfaballman6467 True, but if I buy it I can also hand it over to curious nieces and nephews for the same experience.

@inkuii

7 ай бұрын

Count yourself lucky. I play flute, but I exclusively used $80 amazon flutes for 7 years, and my band director had to pull me aside and tell me that my shitty instruments were hindering my performance for my parents to finally go and get me a rental instrument. It was as if my skill had improved overnight :')

I have the 340$ violin I was scared about what you’d say about it but I’m happy that you rated it good I’ve used it for about 3 months and it works good for a beginner!

@user-uc4vc9by3y

6 ай бұрын

What’s the brand,model and the size of this violin??

@Shadowborg

4 ай бұрын

​​@@user-uc4vc9by3yIt's a Bunnel Violin by Kennedy Violins. I believe it's the pupil model in 4/4 fullsize.

@-Elmimaru_

Ай бұрын

@@user-uc4vc9by3yI got the 3/4 but their other sizes idk really know the others

I wouldn't be surprised if the Amz product pages for some of those violins will soon say "played and endorsed by Ray Chen."

@Candy-lh2pq

7 ай бұрын

fr tho lol

@InXLsisDeo

6 ай бұрын

They legally couldn't, unless he accepts. Which probably means an endorsement contract.

The Bunnel violin is only $280 direct from Kennedy Violins the manufacturer. They also have clearance models with small imperfections or discontinued varnishes starting at $270. My kids are really young and will keep on growing out of small violins so I buy them from Kennedy Violins. Buying is already cheaper than rental and I don't have to worry about kids accidentally breaking an expensive rental.

@The_Real_Goodboy_Link

2 ай бұрын

Kennedy Violins is pretty great!

@Neptune_551

2 ай бұрын

I prefer mendini from cecilio but that's great!!!

Please play more of each one, especially the cheap ones! Very interesting video!

Maybe you can try using the bows provided to play your own violin? It will be a very interesting experiment on how the bow affects the quality

@Xarx42

7 ай бұрын

Hm, if you have a new bow with unused hair it takes some time until its played in. Doing this with every bow would be quite a tedious project.

@joewhang0514

6 ай бұрын

he will never use those crappy bows on his 10M strad LOL.

@kristintripp967

6 ай бұрын

Ha ha, yes, I just tried out a couple of violins at a shop this week and first used their bow to play them. Turned out the bow cost more than either of the violins did, lol. When I switched to my own $350 bow, there was a noticeable difference! Note to self - after upgrading the violin, then save to upgrade the bow. 😅

"this is the best thing you will ever have" to the green violin was personal.

I liked the sound of the 90 dollar and the 340 dollar ones the most Thank you for the cute and fun reviews!

You do know you can buy an old circa 1800 German violin for under 300 Euros? That’s what I bought and then got the top plate restored and hey presto I have a fantastic sounding violin that outperforms the cheaper modern day more expensive violins 😊

@adelaidefoster7320

7 ай бұрын

I have one like this I bought a few years ago for 450 already fixed by a luthier, but there are some cracks that will destroy it and the d string is so much louder than the other strings weirdly enough.

@MattinLapland

7 ай бұрын

@@adelaidefoster7320Mine had plenty of cracks but all fixed now. It had first been repaired in 1901 it’s a ‘well used’ violin! 🙈

@jimmierustler5607

7 ай бұрын

Factory violin you mean

@InXLsisDeo

6 ай бұрын

It's random though, plenty of old german violins of the 1800 were complete junk, according to a luthier who makes videos on KZread.

Ray, you really need to review the Fiddlershop Violins. They have violins I believe starting at 150 and they even have professional fine instruments as well. But the Fiddlershop series has all kinds of violins for beginners up up to advanced intermediate. And the quality is far better than what is available online for the same price if not less.

@LyndieZ

7 ай бұрын

Agreed! Fiddlershop violins have been on my list for a while and I’m having trouble finding reviewers who weren’t sent violins. Please do a fiddlershop review, Ray, thank you!!

@Bekindtopeople

7 ай бұрын

@@LyndieZ I tried a bunch of their violins and by far the best quality. I did an exhaustive search including trying violins from 4 local shops. I have playing Fiddlershop’s Concert violin, symphony violin, glassier carbon fiber violin, and several Holstein Bench violins! I own their Holstein bench Maggini special edition violin, and it’s sounds like a violin that usually costs double the price. They get their violins from the best workshops! By far the best place to buy a violin online ( or in person if you can get to their Florida store) especially when trying not to get ripped off.

When I started to learn the violin 3 years ago I bought a Stentor for 180€ online (a cheaper model than this). It did well for the very start but after 6 months I upgraded to a violin from the luthier, which was a huuge difference! When buying a cheap (old) violin online I would recommend giving a close look at the varnish. You can see quite easily if it's industrial varnish or not and that often tells a lot about the overall quality 🙃

@BMDviola05

7 ай бұрын

Same! Started on a Stentor viola and then got one from my local luthier, and it was unreal to me how much better it was!

@TwoSetViolinEdits

7 ай бұрын

I was 3 as well, when I started!

I like DZ strad's violins, they're not cheap instruments like the rest, a genuine violin maker based out of White Plains, NY, USA (you just happened to buy one of their cheaper instruments). Their Model 300 violins go for about $999, and they're beautiful instruments that I would recommend to anyone who wants a good instrument, and really just plays as a hobby. Furthermore, they have nicer options, and are more expensive. Their model 609 violin goes for about $2500. D.Z. Strad is the name of the maker, not intentionally named after Stradivari.

@kabarihendrick8015

2 ай бұрын

I was choosing between the DZ Strad and Cremona around the same price. I ended up going with the Cremona. It seemed the main difference around that price was the case quality.

The Cecilio instrument Ray tried looks like Cecilio's higher-end model. I agree with you that they’re “not bad”. They may need some adjustment at a local luthier, but their tone quality will often last through elementary or middle school. The Cecilio instruments that students generally bring in, however, are the lower tier "Mendini by Cecilio" model. They run about $85 and generally have a great deal of things wrong with them. It’ll cost anywhere from $100-$500 at a local luthier to get them into playable condition, depending on which maladies must be addressed, though not all luthiers will agree to work on them. Once adjusted, the tone is sometimes okay for elementary school, but at other times is so poor that the student will quit after a couple months. And so, why pay the money to get it adjusted when you could have paid that same money for a better instrument? So, parents - don’t buy a Cecilio! You might get lucky and have an okay instrument, but you’re more likely to have purchased disappointed.

@siddhaarthanad479

7 ай бұрын

I got the same Cecilo violin from Amazon. Maybe this violinnis getting more popular in Amazon recently? It's been sounding pretty decent for my level of playing so far

@francorodrigodequentino

6 ай бұрын

@@siddhaarthanad479yeah same here!! Mine is decent!

@OpinionatedAmateur

6 ай бұрын

Higher end range(Cecilio), Lower end range (Mendini). Both ranges made by Cecilio. The differences between the ranges are: quality of fittings, wood selection and type and I believe the varnish (for instance none of the Mendini range are hand varnished with "traditional" oil varnish.) i.e: The lowest in the Cecilio (cvn) range is better than the lowest in the Mendini (mv) range, the "best" in the Cecilio range is better than the "best" in the Mendini range. The best Mendini sounds better than a mid-range Cecilio. The higher up each range you go, the more time is spent on each instrument and the better the workmanship. If you do get a violin by Cecilio, do yourself a favour and change the strings asap, know that there are some horror stories on Amazon and don't bother with instruments lower in either range. Quality control is a weak point in the company more so lower down each of the ranges and even more so in the Mendini range. Don't buy blind (but that is good advice for any and all violins). Also, the bows tend to be enough to get you started on your hacking and not much more. The one Ray bought probably falls near the low-middle of the Cecilio range (I'm too lazy to check). If I was in the market for something in the Cecilio range I would get the cvn-700 and not consider anything any lower than the cvn-600. The cvn-600 is good and I GENUINELY like cvn-700 (and not only for a beginner, this'll take you VERY far on your musical journey), they are underrated as we tend to judge them as part of the overall range which is okay for what it is but definetly not great in the grand scheme of things. In the mendini range an mv500 or mv650 would be it, it sounds okay and actually looks quite pretty (not that it matters ... but it does😊) , I wouldn't stoop lower than that.

Thank you for reviewing Amazon violins. I'm a public school teacher and teach elementary strings. Although I advise my students not to buy their instruments on Amazon, inevitably I have several who do. It's helpful to know what is on the better end of decent.

Love these comparisons. As an audiologist and audio geek, I'd love to chat with you about some ways to make these comparisons more data driven and also accessible to musicians with hearing loss. Keep up the great work!

@wanyuhuang8802

7 ай бұрын

I wonder how well the performance will be, when getting to cross-validating data-driven rating and musician rating (i e., how well can algorithms potentially replace musicians' judgement?)

@bradingrao8496

7 ай бұрын

@@wanyuhuang8802 I'm not suggesting replacing musician opinions or creating algorithms. I'm talking about identifying ways that musicians with hearing loss can better understand the harmonic voice of an instrument to determine if it is compatible with their hearing and hearing assistive technology.

@wanyuhuang8802

7 ай бұрын

@@bradingrao8496 That's nice. I was thinking both musically & statistically just now.

340 sounded beautiful to my ears honestly, more so than the later violins

@dead3464

6 ай бұрын

Thats the violin i started with,is not the best one but it has a warm sound and is affordable for most of the people,definetely a nice option for begginers.

@unicornabomination

6 ай бұрын

​@@dead3464I started with a 120 dollar violin it was second hand but the actual sound was quite nice even for a complete beginner

You did put the bridges in some rather strange places, it is not uncommon for violins to ship with the bridge out, but it does risk the soundpost moving ... When fitting a bridge, the two small cut "V" marks on the inside of the F holes indicate the position of the centre of the bridge. Stentor Conservatoire sound pretty good when correctly set up. Just moving a bridge 1mm away from the soundpost can have a huge effect on the sound.

I love that you actually gave these instruments a good attempt rather than only focusing on how well they were made. It gives us a better understand on how a violin will sound based on the price and the fact that people wanna hear you play terrible violins just because they exist and will make for some fun and interestong content. I am sure you are insulted by these or more so Olaf is. Anyway keep up the good work.

I bought a black $150 CND Vangoa violin off Amazon. It came just hours before an online beginner bootcamp was about to start. Sound post was not in and worse, the E string was just flopping around! Took a while to find the peg in the case. I'm absolutely loving learning the violin so I do wish I had spent more money on a better instrument for the time being, I'll continue with my wimpy little monster for now. 😂

I don't play the violin but I listen to a lot of classical music. It calms my mind when I'm stressed. I've been listening to you for weeks and I'm still amazed by your performances every time I listen to it

I agree the Bunnell sounded pretty good , especially for the price and compared to the more expensive models. It would be nice to know what strings they are shipped with, and what you would change them too in a price range.

The people dancing to Canon at 6:50 absolutely murdered me 😂😂😂😂 I love it

@JosephLyre

2 ай бұрын

Then why are you still alive¿ 🤨🤨🤨🤨

Let's all take a minute to appreciate the fact that Ray went and bought all these. That takes guts. 👍👍

@hamzerpanzer

7 ай бұрын

Huh?

@joyceyang6976

7 ай бұрын

I wonder what Ray is going to do with all these violins? 🤣

@V_4_Versace

7 ай бұрын

Pretty sure Amazon has free returns lol

@nickiemcnichols5397

6 ай бұрын

@@V_4_Versaceit used to.

My second cello was from Amazon.. it was $400 and wasn’t good quality. The strings were very terrible. And then the cello had a strange smell (from Eastar). I think the neck was actually breaking 😂. My advice, invest and buy a student instrument. But Ray can still make any violin sound not like trash( like the cheapest one) I guess that’s b/c he is Ray

Great vid, Ray. For those who don't want to splash out before they commit, cheaper ones have their place though I went the rental route... I remember Brett & Eddy once said that if you can't afford to upgrade your violin, it's better to invest in a decent bow, et violà, these sounded better with yours!

If you want to try out the violin, DON`T BUY these instruments, RENT ONE! That`s what I did, gives you a decent instrument and professional advice from the luthier for much cheaper (mine was 18€ per month). If you stick to it, you can actually buy the instrument later and have your rent credited. Also more sustainable for the environment and you can support local businesses. And the best thing is that you can just give it back if you don't feel like pursuing it further, no instrument that you don`t use cluttering your space!

I have never seen a violinist play Canon in D by choice with a smile on their face

Il giglio, "the Florence flower" has 5 tips, while the flower on this bow is a french lily, very similar to the Florence lily but it has 3 tips. It also makes sense because bows were mainly made in France

I use a cecilio violin, it’s one of the best i’ve seen! Also with certain rosin, you have to crack a surface layer, you can use the tip of a bow or a coin to scratch it off. And on the Eastar violin, the markings are slightly you don’t have to get it tapped, just incase you’re buying for a beginner

If you still have them: I would love to hear Olaf's opinion about them. Are they well made or will they break in 3 days? Will they be expensive to maintain? Can Olaf get the toy to work? And what does the green one look like inside? Plastic or plywood? Maybe it would be a good home for an Australian hornet?

Useful content! Thank you Ray for being close to people! You are a great human! Still, wish you would show us some better instruments like up to 1500 - 2000...

Fantastic! Thanks for the review. I played violin in GRADE SCHOOL, some 50+ years ago. I have recently had a hankering to take it up again. I played piano for many years but stopped that, too. I am on the hunt for a decent violin so I can try to pick it back up again. This video was very inspiring!

Thanks for your expert analysis of various instruments. It helps me appreciate more the quality of the sound and how it might help young learners ‘warm up’ to the instruments.

Now I'm curious how much of the difference is the quality of the violin or the quality of the strings.

@MateHegyhati

7 ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly. When I started playing the cello, I bought a cheap one from China. Later, my teacher suggested me to buy better strings. Not something very expensive, just decent ones. (I think I bought Jargar) And they made a huge difference.

@whimsy-chan1188

7 ай бұрын

I had an eastar (not the same model here) and just changing the strings improved it so much.

Ray also reviewed $69 Glarry violin and compared it to Stradivarious. Ray's verdict: "Glarry is more than good enough for beginner and intermediate level". Glarry did extremely well for ultra cheap violin. I say Glarry violin is great for the money, much better than my old $250 used violin I got from professional violin shop decades ago.

I bought a violin in a traditional store that also has violas and cellos and the bow comes with rosin, it is tuned correctly and the bow already has rosin on it.

My first violin was a Mendini MV300 (similar to the Celilio, I think). As an adult learning violin, I had wanted something cheap enough that if I accidentally dropped it, it wouldn’t hurt my wallet too much. I wanted to get used to holding it and playing it without having something too expensive that would make me more anxious to handle. My current violin is also under $300 but at least my violin teacher thinks it’s okay/decent. Therefore it must be a true violin.

My violin was 40 dollars and ive been using it for quite a while. ive also played with it on stage . Even tho it is plywood and starting to bend i love cause we have been on quite a journey

I recommend the Cecilio to my students who aren't sure if they want to play and want to try it out for a few months. It does the job. But if they stick with it after the first 6 months or so, I recommend getting new stuff.

Raaaaaaaaaay sensei can you please do a video playing with the top 3?2? violins from this amazon haul. I'm very interested to hear how it'll fare playing different pieces!!

Watching you play the violins to test them, You can tell he loves music. You can tell he really cares about music. You Play Amazing!!

The $90 violin might be an OK choice for a beginner who is cash-strapped (assuming they could not rent a violin.) Beginners aren't giving it the workout that Ray did. They have to learn how to hold it, play scales, stuff like that, and the sound quality isn't the first priority. A person can always upgrade to the $340 violin after a while.

Not fair, I have both the Aliyes and the Cecilio violins from amazon (the acoustic electric version) and I really like them!

A Luthier is always the best choice. We have ones that sell intermediate hand crafted and already tuned violins made with true maple and ebony at 173$ and fancier ones at 267$ with the more aesthetically carved ones costing only 439$.

Loved the video, even though I wasn't planning to buy anything from Amazon this month :) Thanks and keep enjoying music and violins!

I can make any strad sounds like the green coloured violin

I was so happy that you reviewed the Aliyes violin because that is the brand that I bought, however I bought the $69 “designed for beginner” violin with the traditional stain color. I think mine sounds better than yours but I have upgraded the strings, bridge, better bow. I’ve also made some modifications (and I’ve posted a video) that help me to play with my neck issues. I would probably not do that to a more expensive instrument. I think this is a good violin for the first three months of playing and after that a player will want something better or else it just lives in the back of the closet. Often when I’m playing and something is not good I look at this violin and say “I think that was your fault not mine”. But for what I need right now it is fine.

@Idiomatick

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, the cheaper ones with better strings and bridge will probably all be fine. So long as it doesn't have structural problems like bad alignment, or a bad neck it should be fine. Maybe change tuning pegs too if you find it going out quickly. New bow maybe needed depending on your play style

BRO the “look up” at 12:45 😂😂😭😭

I’m 3 weeks into teaching myself and I’ve definitely hit a bit of a fatigue with practicing. The scales are really difficult because I have carpal tunnel but it’s nice to know my violin isn’t too bad for a beginner

@Eliz2011abc

7 ай бұрын

I had/still have (but not as bad) nerve damage on my right side which affected my hand (especially the pointing & middle finger). After I was no longer eligible for physical therapy, I came across a HALIPAX cold laser therapy watch. It's infrared and the nerves in my hand healed enough, from wearing it) that I've been able to resume practicing on the guitar. I also got an old ultrasound machine (intellect 230p) by Chattanooga. The ultrasound penetrates the tissue and promotes healing. I got both units from Unique Thrift store really inexpensively.

I was wondering why his apartment was so bare, then he pulled out that unnecessarily expensive violin and it all made sense.

I saw several review about cecilio and yes many of them said its good cheap violin they have many series violin..then I now now bunnel violin more good then cecilio with price bellow 500$. Thanks for your video..

I appreciate videos like these because not everyone has physical access to luthiers. And luthiers could sometimes be better communicators about the sort of price ranges they deal in at their specific stores. I’ve had to really push some to find out if it is worth me investing in the cost of travelling to see them. Seriously, what is the point if they carry no stock in my price range. I don’t understand what they think they will achieve beyond possibly upsetting someone who might be a future customer. It’s not like I would suddenly acquire more money on arrival having spent money on travel when I arrive to find everything they stock is over my budget. They say they won’t list inventory on their websites as it changes too frequently….but listing a price range they work with is totally achievable and others do this without drama and are helpful when prospective customers ring up. Thank goodness for this online community of Ray, Olaf etc feeding us more information so we’ve got far more to go on in this instrument buying minefield.

Thank you so much for this vid. You have single handedly inspired me to purchase a violin…not specifically with this video, but with your talent and amazing personality!! I’ll be going with a Davidson Explorer Series. Fingers crossed!!!!!

Replacing the strings for all these instruments with good strings is a must.

@Harmonikdiskorde

7 ай бұрын

Yes, if only not to cut up fingertips!

You can make anything make a sound with a $5,000-$20,000 bow.

I have a cecilio violin that I got for Christmas years ago and I'm glad it gets Ray Chans approval

the stentor is used Pirastro Tonica which is much louder than D-darrio Prelude string used at most of your testing violins

I recently bought the Cecilio Violin ($170) for my school orchestra, and I think your review was really helpful! Thank you so much for making this video!

@marypownell-styer2309

4 ай бұрын

I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.

@marypownell-styer2309

4 ай бұрын

I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.

@marypownell-styer2309

4 ай бұрын

I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.

@marypownell-styer2309

4 ай бұрын

I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.

@marypownell-styer2309

4 ай бұрын

I currently have the Cecilio. I changed the strings and it sounds so much better with the new strings.

Thanks Ray for taking time to make this fun video, I enjoyed watching it and wanted to share some of my own experience with various violin brands that may be of benefit to others. I have been refurbishing used violins as a hobby for the past few years. Here are the top violin brands and models that have great sound quality that I would recommend, in order of increasing set (violin, string, case, bow) prices from low to high: 1. Cremona SV-175/SV-200 ($300ish), 2. Southwest Strings' Klaus Mueller Etude ($400ish), 3. Shar's Franz Hoffmann Concert ($400ish), 4. Shar's Franz Hoffmann Maestro ($500ish), 5. Yamaha V-5 ($900ish). The increase in their prices does seem to correspond to better build quality in general. Avoid Mendini (owned by Cecilio) violins, they seem to not put enough effort in setting up their violins and end up requiring lots of work to make them playable.

I think thats the exact type of violin I got from amazon when started I few years ago, Ricard Bunnel G something, they are decent for beginners.

Gunnel also comes with a shoulder rest. It’s in a separate box.

That $90 violin was really shocking. I mean it was pretty legit and good for being less than 100.

Man whoever edits your videos has a great sense of humor, he/she makes me laugh so much 😂👌

i love watch9ng these types of videos about other instruments. i think the violin is beautiful even though i play rock music of guitars i rlly love them

Stentor is a great instrument to start playing the quality and the price are good. you just have to change the strings to get a warmer sound

Amazon about to flag your account after you return all these haha

editor-san, i see you! great edit!

I had an experience in the Elderly instrument (mostly guitar and banjo) once where I grabbed a bow (I was waiting while my son was trying banjos) and tried all the cheap instruments on the rack (probably 20). They all sounded good. Some sounded really good. Then I tried them all with another bow, and they all sounded like garbage. Naturally I bought the bow, and it still serves me well. I would love to hear these instruments with the bow that came with the mid-price (lol) instruments here.

I don't really play the violin, but like messing around with instruments and restoring here and there, its actually quite easy to find auctions and old shops selling fairly good sounding instruments for basically dirt cheap, got lucky and got a 7/8 scale old German made violin for just 20eur off a local auction, now waiting on strings to arrive and cleaned it up, gave it a bit of TLC and added some suitable oil on the fingerboard and it looks quite good for that, with the original strings sounded pretty decent. Hoping with the cleanup and new non rusty strings it should be pretty good.

Now we need to know how much value was added to them after you played them. Priceless duh

In the hands of Ray they actually don’t sound awful (well maybe a little awful) (better than i could do though)

I change nothing about my level of teceptivenesss towards each one. And with zero bias each time you play the STRAD it’s like right to the heart. It’s untouchable and what it should be.

I play a Stentor! It did not cost that much (even taking into account exchange rates and inflation), and I didn't buy it online, I got it from a music shop, but yeah it sounds exactly like the one you played! Very loud, not the most subtle sound, haha!

I personally have always had a stentor, and they aren’t that bad, especially if they’re cheaper! Mine was 290 bucks i think (beginner, 1/2) and I’ve used it for a while and I really like it! I would say its a good chap option for a beginner- cant say how it’s is with vibrato though, i find it hard to learn 😅

@crochetqueen6440

7 ай бұрын

everyone finds vibrato hard to learn lol, at least adult learners :P Stick with it, it does get more natural to do over time

Imagine Ray sending back the box with his precious bow in it x)

I got a Bunnel student violin to learn on. I really like it’s tone, and it doesn’t look bad. (It’s not shiny, I don’t like shiny violins,they look cheap). It was used, so the wood is already starting to open up. I’d like a nicer bow than the carbon fiber one that came with it though.

Many of the Stentor violins have their sound posts glued in place!!!!!!

He sounds so American until certain words where he sounds Australian lol

@___Alina___24

5 ай бұрын

He sounded so Aussie with two set violin 😂

If you can buy it slowly, you can buy it quickly.

@jizelf633

7 ай бұрын

💀

3:00 OH GHAaAaSH!

I’m an intermediate violinist. I think maybe I should buy the Bunnel violin like he said to play violin again. It’s not too expensive, it has a warm, smooth tone, and it’s not too loud like the $740 violin.

Some friends of mine only get the second hand free pianos off FB marketplace. They always told me pianos aren't worth paying for and bragged about how theirs was free and that it was a pretty decent piano. Now, I want to clarify that... if a second hand free piano is what someone can afford that is perfectly fine. These friends of mine liked free things which is also okay. I just didn't appreciate that they sometimes tried to make me feel stupid on spending money on my piano. After I tried their piano out.... it was not what I consider decent and I wouldn't take a piano like that even if it was free and paid for delivery to my house. Everyone has a diff price point instrument they can afford and we should respect it. For those who are using the super low priced instruments, it's okay... but just good to recognize that it probably wouldn't support good long term development and perhaps would be a barrier to learning more advanced techniques and musicality.

A very interesting video Ray. I thought the 340.00 violin was the best one. It had a richer sound than the others.

Thanks so much for this review! I have a cheap amazon violin and it's at the point where the G string won't hold a tune anymore. Time to upgrade!

I purchased the Bunnel before seeing this. It had peg holes that were slightly out of round and was untunable. So I took it to a violin maker (very old, very skilled) and had him set it up properly. As a complete beginner, I find it is so much easier to play, sounds even better. He adjusted string height with great precision, repositioned the sound post and adjusted the tailpiece by 2mm. Rebored the peg holes. It was about $200 to have it done, but well worth it. Kennedy Violins makes it, and they have a lot of really great videos online. When interacting with them, I realized everyone there plays the instrument. Not so in our one and only music store. The violin maker played the instrument and said the next step up would be in the 1200 range. Just want people to know about the Bunnel being set up with precision. It came as a surprise to me that the E string should be .35mm above the finger board. It arrived noticeably higher. I did also replace the strings with Tonikas.

i would like to watch a video about carbon fiber violins, too

Who would’ve thought that Ray reviewing VSOs is what my heart needed today.

I was tempted by the Cecilio and Dz Strad cellos for the price but in the end found a good luthier. I’m glad I did. 🎻🎻🎻

Thanks as always for the vid, I think I’ll just stay away from Amazon when buying an instrument😅

You are so good you can make a cheap violin sound like a million dollars

love the video, ray!

A most helpful video and delightfully done!