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Hermann Luger CV300 submitted 12/10/2011
Submitter	hayesdt (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Barr's Fiddle Shop, Galax, VA
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	approx. $289 for outfit historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	Excellent tone and volume for Old Time music. I am extremely satisfied with its tone and volume as compared with three other fiddles/violins I have. It's the best of the bunch, and one of the others I'm using is an Eastman VL200, clearly an intermediate model, and this Luger exceeds that instrument both in terms of richness of tone (absent the brash, overly bright tone one usually finds on beginner models) and volume; it can be very loud. The lower-level Luger brazilwood bow that came with the outfit is superior to any other bow I own -- much better than the ones, even a carbon-fiber, that came with my other fiddles. Those fiddles sound better and louder when played with the Luger bow as well. Typical soft case with well supported sides, back, and top.
Sound Rating	10
Setup	Excellent setup. Action is good, bridge (which I don't believe was flattened / shaped for fiddle) is excellent, steel strings which case with the instrument are good -- no complaints about the setup at all.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	Beautiful, smooth matte / satin finish, very much unlike the cheap glossy finishes one often finds on beginner student or lower-level intermediate violins.
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	Hardware seems sturdy enough. I would certainly use this reliable instrument for a gig.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	The store where it was purchased -- Barr's Fiddle Shop -- has always been extremely helpful and friendly toward me when I have talked with them. I am confident that if there ever were a problem I was having with the instrument, Barr's would take all necessary steps to insure my complete satisfaction.
Customer Service	10
Components	Parts do not seem cheap at all. Eventually, out of a preference for doing some cross tuning, I'll probably go to Perfection Pegs. Also, when the strings that came with the instrument reach the end of their life, I'll probably go with Zyex or another synthetic string set.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	I seriously will probably buy a second CV300 (one to keep in standard, another for cross tuning), even though I've been considering a a CV500 as well. I actually prefer the matte / finish. In addition, I now use this violin / fiddle as the standard I'm using to measure the quality of tone of any of my other fiddles or others I may look at in the future.
Overall Rating	10

Fengshifen Old Maestro Guarneri submitted 11/30/2011
Submitter	Forest (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Ebay
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	Good tone and volume, mellow and responsive.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	Not set up, the bridge was filed/sanded to fit the top plate. I set pre-filed soundpost.
Setup Rating	8
Appearance	Attractive, antiqued oil finish, no finish on the neck, just slight amount of stain there. The scrolls are very well carved. The neck sets at the right angle to the body.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	Well made hardware, pegs, maple bridge, and boxwood or ebony tailpiece. The finish is thin, but well applied. Violin is built to last, time will tell.
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	Fast shipping, no direct communication attempted. 1 year warranty.
Customer Service	9
Components	Nice case and Rosewood bow included, along with rosin and strap for case.
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	Seems to be a great value for the money. Hand carved, solid, seasoned woods are used. Well constructed and good attention to detail. These violins sound very good, with a mellow, even tone.
Overall Rating	9

Old German violin Old German Violin submitted 11/28/2011
Submitter	slavansn (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Corilon Violins
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	Don't Remember (bought USED) historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	Bright - just right sound
Sound Rating	10
Setup	Everything was done perfectly
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	Perfect condition for 100 years old violin
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	Yes it looks that it will last for a very lobg time
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	Perfect - nothing to complain about
Customer Service	10
Components	Not applicable
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	As I wrote in my previous review :”Now we are looking for a full size one which we are sure we will find with "Corilon Violins" help soon.” Weel -we just received full size German 100 years old violin with beautiful sound from “Corilon Violins” – thank you very much Dr. Annette Roeben.
Overall Rating	10

Corilon violins Antique violin with mature sound 19th century submitted 11/18/2011
Submitter	vanezcha (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Corilon
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	1080 ($US)
Sound	Warm, clear, strong, mature sounds. The sounds are very clear! For instance if I play a wrong D note on A string, I won't get a good, strong sound, I will get a bad sound (the richness of the sound won't come out) and I'll directly know that it's wrong, without any doubt!
Sound Rating	8
Setup	well, the fiddle was out of tune when I got it, which is obvious as I can tune it up. The pirastro strings were okay, but I've changed them for Thomastik Dominant Aluminium, but it's not because the previous strings were bad, but because I wanted to try out different strings set. The fiddle is easy to make setup changes, the pegs are easy to tune up and they stay good (they don't slide)
Setup Rating	8
Appearance	Elegant and delicately cut soundholes and the transparent, honey-colored varnish covering the two-part and very regular spruce top as well as the one-piece back of maple feature the attractive optical appearance. the wood is in good quality, there are few traces here and there, but it's obvious for an antique violins like the one I've purchased.
Appearance Rating	8
Reliability	well, the fingerboard seems it won't last longer. I meant I've just been playing this fiddle for a few days and I already see traces which make me realize that the fingerboard uses alternative wood. But, back in the 19th century, corilon luthier had told me that at that time, people used alternative wood for the fingerboard for inexpensive violin. I only dislike the fingerboard, but overall, the violin is in good condition and it produces excellent sounds!
Reliability Rating	6
Customer Service	They are very friendly and helpful so far.
Customer Service	8
Components
Components Rating	not rated
Overall Comments	Excellent violin, helpful luthier, delivered in a good condition
Overall Rating	8

Corilon violins 3/4 French violin submitted 10/24/2011
Submitter	slavansn (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Corilon violins
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	Don't Remember (bought USED) historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	Rich/Full/Loud and Bright sound
Sound Rating	10
Setup	Violin was easy to make setup changes.
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	There are no any appearance flaws
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	It will last for many years to come
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	Corilon violins were very helphull - answering any of ours queries
Customer Service	10
Components	There were no weak or cheap parts.
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	We were having some difficulties finding ¾ quality violin down here – so we started looking on the Internet and stumbled upon on "Corilon Violins" web-site – that provided plenty of choice to choose from alongside with sound samples for each instruments and very good descriptions. We asked few questions which were answered very quickly and professionally and few weeks later we got our violin. Now we are looking for a full size one which we are sure we will find with "Corilon Violins" help soon.
Overall Rating	10

Richard Bunnel G2 G2 submitted 10/6/2011
Submitter	velicia (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Kennedy Violins
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	The sound is rich and clear. The violin is easy to make a variety of tunes.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	The outfit was setup and well tuned. I just had to take it out the case and play.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	The out fit was beautiful. The wood is very appealing and the ebony pegs are nice. The violin is very well made.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	The strings are good quality. I was surprised that backup strings was included in the outfit, The oil finish makes it look more appealing than the orange like violin that my 5 year old rental.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	Marie was very helpful. She answered any questions I had. All of Kennedy's violins come with a life time warranty.
Customer Service	10
Components	The case is beautiful. I was very surprised with the added accessories besides the bow,violin,and rosin.
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	I would recommend Kennedy Violins to everyone and will purchase my next violin from this company.
Overall Rating	9

Louis Carpini G-3 submitted 8/20/2011
Submitter	linic99 (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Kennedy Violins
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	363 ($US)
Sound	As a newbie to fiddling, I was looking for a violin in my price range that still sounded great. I realize that shopping online is not always the best idea, I found the website to be really informative and what impressed me was the ability to compare the sound of several violins online. Although there were more expensive violins available, I thought the Carpini had just the sound I wanted for fiddling bluegrass, country or cajun music.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	Kennedy Violins always take the time to properly set up their violins and so far, I have not had to change the setup. The fiddle action is comfortable and easy to play.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	The fiddle is even more beautiful than the pictures or videos showed. It has solid maple back and sides and a solid spruce top. It's trimmed in African ebony. The fiddle is flawless.
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	Haven't had the fiddle long enough to comment on reliablilty, but it surely looks well put together.
Reliability Rating	not rated
Customer Service	The violin arrived in perfect shape and the Kennedy Violins people gave me a call to make sure I was satisfied with my purchase. Warranty is 45 days, money back if not completely satisfied.
Customer Service	10
Components	The fiddle included fine adjustment screws, which I appreciate.
Components Rating	not rated
Overall Comments
Overall Rating	10

Silver Creek Model 5 submitted 1/16/2011
Submitter	Reverend_fiddler (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Ithaca Guitar Works
Year Purchased	2011
Price Paid	395 ($US) (bought USED)
Sound	My Silver Creek has a very deep, rich sound. Excellent sustain, though not a lot of projection. It has kind of an old-timey sound to it. Reminds me of my grandfathers fiddle.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	This violin was used and set up well. I didn't have to make any adjustments to the bridge, etc.
Setup Rating	8
Appearance	The violin has a flamed maple neck/sides and flamed back. Nicely carved scroll. Top is medium grain spruce (not tightly grained). Finish is satin. Not much shine here.
Appearance Rating	8
Reliability	Ebony pegs, finger board, chin rest, fine tuners on all strings. This is my backup violin and should serve me well when needed. I bought it to take to practice and on vacation so I could leave my performing violin at home.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	I bought this used and it was on consignment. There was no mention of a warranty. If it needed a repair in the future, I would do it myself.
Customer Service	8
Components	My model 5 came with a (foam core) hard case, built in hygrometer, 3 bows, Kun chin rest, wrap around pickup and rosin.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	This violin was a great deal for the money. It doesn't appear to have been played much if at all. I love the sound of it, though it wouldn't be suitable for a large concert hall unless amplified. It has just enough volume for my church (typical large barn type building from the late 1800's) I bought it as a backup/practice fiddle and it's great for that purpose. Money well spent.
Overall Rating	9

Jurgen klier Guarneri del Gesu Copy Cremona Italy 1740 submitted 9/16/2010
Submitter	Mike8b140 (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Cavallo's Omaha NE
Year Purchased	2010
Price Paid	1350. ($US)
Sound	This fiddle is easy to play and is quite loud, with a bright, sweet tone with many over tones. Its an impressive intermediate level fiddle suitable for fiddle competions and local/regional performances.
Sound Rating	not rated
Setup	This violin was carved in Mendendorf, Germany then shipped to the US where it was accustically optimized and hand rubbed with spirit varnish then forwarded on to Cavallo's in Omaha, Nebraska where Alex and his staff did a traditional fiddle set-up. I chose to have it fitted with rosewood pegs and chin rest, Whittner fine tuners and Vision Strings.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	This fiddle was antiqued and hand rubbed with sprit varnish to give it an aged and well used look. The double purfling is beautiful. The finish is thin and some what unsmooth and the fiddle appears as though to have spent its last 50 years in the Appalachia Mountains playing Bluegrass.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	I specifically chose an instrument that was built by an old world violin maker who has their own stock of aged tone woods, its been blocked and graduated. I also chose what I believe to be the best quality fittings and fully expect this fiddle will continue to perform well and get better with age.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	Customer Service provided by Cavallo's was SUPERB! I spoke personally with Alex Ross (Owner) and he helped me plan the set-up. The fiddle came exactly set-up as requested. The instrument was shipped UPS ground and was prepared and boxed perfectly and arrived on time and without any problems. I might also add, Cavallo's has a written policy which allows their customers who have purchased a violin from them, a 100% trade-in allowance towards a furture violin upgrade. A GREAT SERVICE FEATURE!
Customer Service	10
Components	I feel this is the best built, sounding and set-up fiddle I could find for the amount of money I spent. So far, I'm completely satisfied and wouldn't change anything on this instrument.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	A wonderful instrument well built by an old world violin maker and set up using the best available fittings at no additional cost. Craftmanship is superb and the sound is exactly what I was looking for in an intermediate level fiddle. Dealing with Cavallo's was a joy and I will use them for all of my future fiddle needs.
Overall Rating	10

Fender Fender FV3 submitted 6/15/2010
Submitter	FenderViolinist (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Fret Mill Music
Year Purchased	2010
Price Paid	900.00 ($US)
Sound	Clean rich sound, every note has character
Sound Rating	10
Setup	the set up was and is perfect. the walnut bridge is great.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	looks great. the shoulder rest works good. very comfortable
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	pegs are tight, fine tuners on tailpiece work great.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	Fret Mill Music in Roanoke VA. is the best, A Big Thank You to Ken.
Customer Service	10
Components	the case is the best I have ever seen, hard shell with cloth cover.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	this is worth every bit what you pay. a very nice violin. It should cost over 2 grand, but you can get this model for $800.00
Overall Rating	10

Eastman eastman vl105 submitted 4/30/2010
Submitter	Tommys dad (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Classified
Year Purchased	2010
Price Paid	589 ($US)
Sound	Fast Old Time and Scottish Tunes. Bright sound not real loud but still breaking in. Has good resonance. Sounds as full as more expensive model three times the price.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	Set up from Eastman as a fiddle. I would recommend changing the tail piece. Fine tuners detract form the look and sound. Comes with a very light bow good for fast tunes but a little weak for long notes.
Setup Rating	8
Appearance	Very pretty back. Front has nice red grain. Fair finish in the "F" holes few noticeable flaws. Chin rest wasn't centered.
Appearance Rating	7
Reliability	Hardware is pretty basic. Finish a little thin probably will wear quick. Sturdy enough not to need a spare. I would bring a spare bow.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	Lifetime Eastman warranty. Haven't dealt with the company but they have a good reputation.
Customer Service	10
Components	The tail piece has fine tuners that look a little cheap.
Components Rating	7
Overall Comments	Great moderately priced fiddle. Advanced fiddle with good sound. After a year of playing it sounds like scottish pipes I love it!
Overall Rating	10

Cremona SV225 submitted 2/4/2010
Submitter	jtafaro (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Fiddle Barn
Year Purchased	2009
Price Paid	300 ($US)
Sound	I have it set up with Helicore strings with a dark sound. It has opened up a lot since I got it but it is still maturing. I like the dark sound and it plays the high notes very brightly.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	The fiddle had no dope on the pegs. The strings were Anton Breton perlons. I threw them away and put a set of Helicores on it. I changed the bridge to a higher one. Then I used Hidersine peg dope on the pegs and now they move nicely
Setup Rating	5
Appearance	The finish is a semigloss. It isn't shaded and doesn''t show fingerprints. There weren't any flaws scratches or cracks. There was no custom inlay work.
Appearance Rating	8
Reliability	I think it is a very reliable fiddle ad cold be used on stage without a backup. I don't tink the finish will wear off. It's basically a top of the line student fiddle and is built for that purpose.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	The seller was very nice but the lady I spoke to wasn't an expert on fiddles and couldn't help me with questions. I can't complain about their service. I havent had any reason to have it repaired so I don't know about warranty.
Customer Service	7
Components	The only cheap parts were the strings. The rating is on the strings not the fiddle. The components are ebony with a Witner tailpiece.
Components Rating	4
Overall Comments	Overall I was pleased and would buy it again from the Fiddle Barn. Here is the Youtube URL I made reviewing the fiddle. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL9T5LsqbUA
Overall Rating	8

Cecilio CVN- 500 submitted 12/12/2009
Submitter	Darrell Hooper (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	k&k Music
Year Purchased	2006
Price Paid	120 ($US)
Sound	I Have started playing fiddle 3 years ago and so far it's been great. I put new strings on and adjusted the bridge for fiddle style. I'm good enough to jam with now and got compliments on the loud sound but not my ability to play!
Sound Rating	8
Setup	Set up was good, action good. Stays in tune. My daughter had a 1/4 size then 1/2 size cvn-100 and the same. No problems!
Setup Rating	8
Appearance	Check them out on the web. there are pictures and everything. just google k&k music. I have one small appearance flaw on the back but doesn't bother me or the sound. After all I got a good price on it.
Appearance Rating	8
Reliability	Hardware, finish, everything is good. Very dependable and will not fall apart.
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	No repair was necessary. Check the web sight for warranty
Customer Service	9
Components	Cheep strings. Everything elce good
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	Good fiddles.
Overall Rating	9

Liuxi by Yitamusic T20 (MV7000) submitted 9/18/2009
Submitter	tonyelder (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	eBay Store
Year Purchased	2009
Price Paid	433 ($US)
Sound	Please understand - I am new to fiddles, so – for what its worth - I am very please with my purchase. I perform with a guitar and sing in 2 bands (both have had fiddles through the years) and as a solo artist. So, I've heard a lot of fiddles played. But this is a new instrument and it is my first fiddle – and I’m just starting to really try and learn the instrument. So, I personally don't have anything to compare it to. But to my uneducated ears the tone is as good as any fiddle I've heard played, it doesn’t seem to be quiet as loud as others - but that may be me. Then again – it took about 2 years for my Martin D-18 Authentic to “wake up and sing” – and she’s still getting better. This fiddle has a very rich and deep tone and still has clean highs that are not shrill - not cheap sounding at all. You can feel the instrument vibrate when you play.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	I was concerned about the set up and took it immediately to Jon Osnes to have him give it the once over and fix whatever was needed to be done. He commented that the bridge appeared to be good quality maple and was cut about as well as it could be cut, and did not need to be modified. The action is excellent. He change the strings to Helicores and replaced the tailpiece with a Wittner tailpiece with fine tuners. The sound post was in the correct position and didn't need to be moved. The pegs only needed a slight dressing to operate a little smooter, but the fit was good.
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	It has a beautiful hand rubbed dark stained varnish finish, definitely not sprayed. No high gloss here, and not flat. Rich satin finish. There are a few places where a picky shopper could point to as "flaws" but IMO they are not. To me, they lend themselves as evidence to the fact that this is a handmade instrument. None of the mentioned will ever affect the quality of sound - and is not in places where parts are fitted together to suggest a possible future problem or faillure. This particular fiddle is (according to all that I have read and received) a handmade violin made with 200 yr old spruce top with beautiful curly maple sides and back that has been seasoned for over 12 years. Inside is fully lined with 4 corner blocks - no glue squeeze out. Clean.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	The pegs are carved with accent rings and button crown at the tip. One of the rings was not fitted tight end to stay in place without a spot of glue. I had Jon take care of this for me while he had it on the bench. He said the other 3 did not need anything. Nothing looks or feels cheap about it. I hope to have the opportunity to "gig" with it one day!
Reliability Rating	9
Customer Service	I did upgrade the case after the prucahse and had to correspond with them a few times by email. Each inquiry was promptly answered and very friendly. I don't expect any issues, but I do have confidence if there are any - these folks will take care of me. They have an eBay rating of 100% with almost 12,000 transactions! They must be doing something right.
Customer Service	10
Components	The fiddle came with a bow, rosin, and very light weight case. Jon had no compliants about the bow, but suggested - since this was a new bow - to get a rosin that he knew would be a good quality rosin to use. The case seems to be as good as any - and very light, with plenty of room for storage. And - as I said - John did replace the strings. Did they need to be replaced? If you want to get the best tone, you get strings you know will give you the best chance of getting the most tone out of the instrument. The violin came with a signed certificate from the maker / builder that records all details of the individual instrument build, including all dimensions and pictorial record (Front, back, sides, etc) One comment that Jon made - while looking directly at me with a grin - that really made me feel good about my purchase - "This violin is worth a lot more than what you paid for it." I never told him what I paid for it. But he knows it was made in China and I that I bought it on eBay. FWIW
Components Rating	9
Overall Comments	As I said earlier - I do perform with other instruments. And I also fancy myself as a beginner luthier (hobby). So I am familiar with what goes into making a quality instrument and the difference between the tone of a poorly made instrument and a good one. Having said that - I'm not at a playing level to perform with the fiddle, but I will not be ashamed to pull this out to play in any situation. This will probably be the fiddle I play for a long time. I purpose to write an update to this review in the future, just to see if my opinion changes any with experience. I'll say again, this is a beautiful sounding and good looking instrument. I can't believe the price I paid. I'm very fortunate and very, very pleased (today). For my first fiddle - I don't think I could have done better. If something happened and I lost the fiddle - I would replace it with another in a heart beat.
Overall Rating	10

Song Tie Ji violin submitted 4/12/2009
Submitter	greybeardd (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	from maker
Year Purchased	2008
Price Paid	400 ($CDN) historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	Once the cheap strings were replaced with Helicore medium, the tone showed it's self to be deep and dark but sweet over all. Not alot of volume but it can be heard in a session and is perfect for Celtic and Cape Breton small ensembles. Bass end is resonant and dark and treble is a bit plaintive and sweet. I'm still trying to find an "e" string i like. Playing in third position (something i rarely do) the tone gets muffled an muddy but that's probably me. When played with a puck style mute, it has a wonderful, rich, romantic smokiness thats great for jazz or for accompanying singer/guitar.
Sound Rating	7
Setup	the set up was good... just a smidgen low. Remedied when fitted with a harder Aubert bridge a few months after purchase. (trying to get a bit more volume) One problem did crop up about five months in; in mid winter the strings began to buzz due to some slight heaving of the finger board. (we had an unusually dry winter this year ) I had to take a scraper and carve a few thousandths more relief about two thirds down the neck and the fingerboard now appears to have stabilized.
Setup Rating	7
Appearance	This particular model (what Song calls the Professional ) is made of spectacular birds-eye maple for the back (single piece) and sides and neck. it's finished with a dark amber brown satin coating that shows up wonderful golden highlight on the flame. The top is a very dense grained spruce. everyone who sees it is amazed with the figure of the back. the carving is exceptional given how difficult it must have been to work with such hard, erratic grain. Over all, the craftsmanship seems thorough and shows the skill of the maker. It has a nice deep re-curve and prominent edging and the purfling and bee stings are very well executed. The fiddle does have a certain rough and ready, almost rustic quality in some of the carving, (due to the curly maple, no doubt ) but it shows it is clearly hand made and adds to the charm and beauty, IMHO One unusual thing though... This instrument seems to have been torched prior to finishing. the fiddle had a strong wood smoke smell when i first got it and the wood does show evidence of having been scorched about the C boughts to produce an aged appearance. I don't know if this is a common technique with luthiers but the effect is attractive non the less
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	Aside from the problem with the fingerboard mentioned above, This is a very solid and well put together instrument. i have no doubt it will hold up to years of use.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	I bought this instrument from a friend who had contacted Song Chung Co, about a possible distribution deal here in Canada. Mr.Song sold this instrument to him at a discount for appraisal and then he offered it to me at a reasonable mark up. My friend says the maker was very good about answering questions and was prompt when answering e-mails. Because of the nature of the acquisition, I don't think there is a warranty on this particular instrument but i understand Song Chung Co, does offer competitive service and warranties (The guy who sold it to me is a luthier, though, so I've got that going for me)
Customer Service	7
Components	Components are of good quality. The tail piece, chin rest and pegs and pin are all of ebony and all have lovely French Eye inlays. The bridge was a bit soft for this instrument but was nicely finished carved showing skill and care of the maker. Again, only the fingerboard, tho real ebony, was made from a "bad" piece of wood.
Components Rating	8
Overall Comments	Overall I'm quite happy with this fiddle. I've been playing fiddle for only about a year now and bought this one after I had been playing a China-box, e-bay special for about 5 months. I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. It's clear that the ranks of good makers in small shops in China are growing now and they are ready to compete with the European factories.
Overall Rating	7

Mr. Ma (China) Student model submitted 4/6/2009
Submitter	echord (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Musicstorema (Ebay store)
Year Purchased	2009
Price Paid	117 ($US)
Sound	In my never ending quest to find the perfect cheap fiddle (see my review of Song Tie Ji student fiddle elsewhere) I purchased this $69.00 job (plus $48 shipping) directly from the maker (or so the listing claimed) in China. I play old time fiddle (and probably not all that well, my neighbors might say), so I don't require professional tone, though I do appreciate it. This instrument does pretty darn well, I think, especially if the original strings are upgraded. Reasonally loud and mellow, evenly balanced and altogether pleasant. Sounds nearly as good as my older German Bergonzi model, though a somewhat thinner bass tone. Overall, I like it very much...way better than many student instruments I've played that cost a lot more. As with the Song Tie Ji student model, this fiddle has a tone that I think would encourage a beginner to continue playing, something you probably couldn't say about most inexpensive student grade violins now on the market.
Sound Rating	7
Setup	Set up was perfect, although I did lower the strings at the bridge as I like them rather low and with wider spacing. As a student instrument, however, this fiddle could be easily played as it came.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	The antique finish was partly what attracted me to this instrument. It's quite beautiful, though with some minor surface flaws (seems to me some dust settled on it before the varnish was fully dried, but a very minor point). Edges are rubbed out to give an antique look, very well done. Flaming (which curiously did not show up in the listing photos) is very broad on the back and sides and most attractive. Purfling appears to be inlayed, though it is often obscured by the dark bourbon colored varnish. Altogether, it is a very attractive instrument. I particularly like that it is not buried under multiple layers of shiney "resin" varnish like so many inexpensive student violins.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	Since this violin is fully lined and blocked and has decent tone, I don't think I'd be ashamed to play it in public, though being a student level instrument, I doubt many professionals would make it their first choice. Might make a decent backup, though, and suitable for cross tuning (which is what I'll probably use it for). I'm only guessing at its long term reliability, of course, but I can't see anything that would cause me concern.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	Excellent communication with the maker, Mr. Ma, and fast shipping. He actually responds to inquiries and seems eager to be helpful.
Customer Service	10
Components	One of the more interesting features of this fiddle is the mother of pearl position marker inlays on the fingerboard (there are 8 of them). I don't know how useful this would be to a beginner, but it is attractive. The fingerboard is quite nice and appears to be ebony, though I can't be sure. The maker did not indicate the wood used in the fittings. Chin rest and tail piece are a bit rough, though functional. I can't determine the type of wood. Suffice it to say they are black and reasonally well fitted. One area of criticism, however is the bow. The one provided is oddly a 3/4 size, which doesn't bother me --.in fact, I rather prefer that size -- however, it is badly warped, made from indeterminate wood substance, and completely worthless. This is certainly an area this maker needs to upgrade, particularly as he listed it as a violin "set." I suspect he would replace it, if asked, but the shipping cost of returning it makes that a waste of time. I have other bows. For the price I paid for this fiddle, it is hard to complain about any of it.
Components Rating	6
Overall Comments	Overall, I was very satisified with this instrument and wouldn't hesitate to purchase another from these folks. Quality is good, shipping fast and price darn near highway robbery on my part. Other more expensive models look to be very nice also, though of course, I haven't tried them.
Overall Rating	9

Song Tie Ji violin submitted 4/5/2009
Submitter	echord (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	ebay store
Year Purchased	2009
Price Paid	$117.00 ($US)
Sound	I play only old time and own several fiddles, ranging from a 100 year old German Bergoni model to a couple of new Asian junkers, but I'm always looking to amuse myself with a new one at rock bottom prices (this is what happens when you live alone). Saw these folks listing on Ebay and was impressed at the price and look of their instruments, so I decided to send 'em 69 bucks for their cheapest model (plus 48 shipping) and see what I got, figuring at worst I can salvage the neck and fittings to make another cigar box fiddle, or just resale it on Ebay. When it arrived (in a remarkable 6 days, including a week end, btw) I was greatly impressed. This 69 buck fiddle sounds better than my antique German (especially after fitting it with a decent set of Prelude steel strings). I know tone is subjective, but I am definitely impressed with the balance and ease of playing of this thing. Perlman probably won't want to trade me his Strad for it any time soon, but for a student grade fiddle, it's remarkable...a bit edgy at first, as I think most new fiddles are, but it seems to be developing well the more I play it. The tone suits old time perfectly, I think. Suffice to say I like it a lot.
Sound Rating	8
Setup	Action was perfectly set to standard violin specs, which means a beginner could probably start out right away, but to me it meant I had to lower the bridge and spread the strings a bit, as I prefer. But I have to do that with any fiddle I've played. Maybe I've just got big fingers, but the narrow spacing and high action of pre-setup fiddles gives me trouble and makes playing hard for me in standard tuning, impossible in cross tuning. Lowering the bridge also seem to mellow the tone slightly. I like the strings quite low, about 1/8 inch off the fingerboard. Unlike most fiddles I've tried, the nut was perfectly regulated and required no alteration.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	Tone aside, what really amazed me was the workmanship and appearance of this instrument. Excellent tight flaming on back and sides, matte varnish, inlayed purfling, hand cut ebony chin rest (obviously fitted to this instrument, not just taken off the shelf), nice ebony fingerboard and tail piece. Nice extra touches also, like mother-of-pearl inlays on tail piece, tuning pegs and button. Pegs work great and the appearance altogether rivals instruments costing hundreds more. It's also fully lined and blocked, btw, which I've never seen on a cheap Chinese violin.Obviously, Mr. Song is a craftsman. If he does this for a 69 dollar fiddle, what must his $5000 model be like. I can only dream.
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	I don't play professionally, so that probably makes my rating in this catagory useless. But if I did, I don't think I'd have any concern about using this instrument, as well made as it appears to be. All the fittings are very good ebony.
Reliability Rating	8
Customer Service	As impressive as the fiddle is, the service, communication and speed of delivery was even more so. First rate folks at Song Chung Violin Co.
Customer Service	10
Components	Another bonus was the bow supplied with the violin -- not the usual worthless stick supplied with most student grade instruments, but rather an excellent octagonal wood bow, finished just as nicely as the violin. Weight about 68 grams, a little on the heavy side for my taste, but very useful for my cross tuned fiddles. I liked the whole deal so well, I purchased a carbon fiber bow from these folks for 40 bucks (plus shipping) and love it. Beautifull black finish, perfect balance and 60 grams weight.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	I certainly would recommend this company for an excellent, well made inexpensive instrument. I can't personally vouch for their other stuff, but I'm betting it's all first rate. These folk obviously take pride in their products and I suspect that applies to all price ranges.
Overall Rating	10

Cremona SV-200 submitted 2/7/2009
Submitter	cremona40 (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Don't Remember
Year Purchased	2004
Price Paid	Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	This fiddle has a very good tone and has a good ying-yang to it.
Sound Rating	9
Setup	This fiddle was setup very well when I got it.
Setup Rating	10
Appearance	This fiddle has an okay appearance. Pretty much looks like all the other fiddles, but all I care about is the sound.
Appearance Rating	9
Reliability	I think this fiddle will last for years.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	Never dealt with Cremona.
Customer Service	not rated
Components	Nothing needs to be upgraded.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	I got this fiddle as a birthday present back in 2004. I haven't played it too much, but I am seriously thinking about playing it a lot now. I think this is a good fiddle for beginners.
Overall Rating	9

Canadian Violin Co. Copy of Stradivarious 1717 submitted 1/25/2009
Submitter	TU4A (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	Sallie Gooden @ eBay
Year Purchased	2009
Price Paid	80 ($US)
Sound	Loud, but glass sound. Changing soundpost position, replacement bridge and strings do some help, but sill narrow dynamic range in sound.
Sound Rating	not rated
Setup	Changed the pegs required (originally not fully inserted to the holes). Recommended to use the pegs from 1/2 size violin. Reinstalled sounpost and installed new bridge and strings to improve sound quality. Changed tailpease to carbon fiber with 4 integrated fine tuners.
Setup Rating	5
Appearance	Beatiful nice flamed back and accurate top. Varnishing is modern, not antique. Painted lines around the edges, not inlaying. The main problem is fingerboard - it's black painted rosewood, not ebony; the problem is it has deep shipworm dents and while trying to polish it I got white spots.
Appearance Rating	5
Reliability	It still not good even for backup. Planning to reglue new fingerboard and try to use special carving bridge with less weight to improve glass sound.
Reliability Rating	3
Customer Service	The one week return policy is not enought to understand that it is a problem to improve this beatiful flamed back instrument, and as the shipping charges is 30% of the price there is no sense to return it and lost this money.
Customer Service	10
Components	Fingerboard, Pegs, Stings, Bridge, Soundpost and Tailpeace should be upgraded.
Components Rating	1
Overall Comments	Not recommended. Some cheap China instruments will be better in sound. (It was the mistake that I tryed to get good sound on this nice one peace flamed back and loud, but glass sounding violin.)
Overall Rating	2

Song Tie Ji violin submitted 12/29/2008
Submitter	JackWoods (see all reviews from this person)
Where Purchased	On the web
Year Purchased	2008
Price Paid	Don't Remember historic exchange rates / currency converter
Sound	I have bought three instruments from the Song Chung Musical Instrument Co.LTD of China. It seems the Chinese have arrived. Some are allowed to behave like capitalists. As for their Luthier skills many companies have sent us thousands of no-name fiddles that are much improved from the old painted-perfling junk they have sent us in the past. When I found the Song Chung listings on the web my mouth fell open. These were obviously made by folks that had studied the art for a long time. They also had access to some lovely woods that were properly cured and cared for. I had always wanted a viola so when I found a 16 1/2" one with a price tag that said it must be a second, I could not resist it. It did have a few minor flaws that I thought must be the reason for the low price. It has a voice that will fill a room. the complementary resonance was good to super in all but one note. The F on the 4th string was dead. I have fixed that with a different string and have a lovely sounding piece. This all made me want a nice violin too. That arrived a few weeks ago. My playing improves as I enjoy the therapeutic sounds. I have just ordered a 15" viola which will be the highest priced unit so far. I am fully confident It will be as beautiful as the last two. I'm reluctant to rate sound here. Sound is subjective. It also needs to be considered with playability. One number does not tell all. Suffice it to say, So far I am delighted !
Sound Rating	not rated
Setup	Set up is done! Unless you demand an action that is right on the fingerboard, just play. I lowered mine just a bit.
Setup Rating	9
Appearance	Mostly breath taking. Even with the minor flaws. The last two fiddles look like they might even be made from the same Maple tree. It would have been a shame to cut that tree into rifle stocks. :-)
Appearance Rating	10
Reliability	Keep a set of strings with you.
Reliability Rating	10
Customer Service	I don't get things repaired or am I interested in warranties. If I want to I can send the fiddles back for a refund. My contact with these folks tells me they would be heartbroken if I was not satisfied with something. The leased of my worries is customer relations with Song Chung.
Customer Service	10
Components	I hate all black ebony. I was glad to see fine fittings with just a little grain interest showing. The real deal.
Components Rating	10
Overall Comments	The prices I have paid for all three is just short of theft on my part. The disparity in our moneys and lifestyle make this possible for now. Take advantage asap. Stolen? I'd be heartbroken and furious. They are all individuals. I'd try to replace from the same maker and hope to find equal quality for a price I could afford. You might be able to tell.... I like 'em. Questions? I'd like to visit their shop. I'd love to play one of their high priced fiddles. Hard to do from this distance. :-) Complementary resonance and playability are close to or better than my best two German fiddles of years ago. If you up for buying a fiddle at a low price that you have never heard make a sound ..... this is the maker. :-) Good Luck. One rating number will not help here either. I liked these people and I love their workmanship. I don't care where they live, I know where to go for a fiddle should I ever need another.
Overall Rating	not rated

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