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The fiddle reviews database is here to help educate people before they purchase an instrument. Of course, this is not meant to be a substitute for playing the instrument yourself!
215 reviews in the archive.
Where Purchased: Ebay (WillsRealDeals)
Year Purchased: 2007
Price Paid: 153.00 ($US)
Sound is a definite upgrade from the $45 chinese special I started with. Fiddle is louder and also has a much warmer tone. Have heard the tone of Morgan Monroe fiddles described as "brittle" which I would agree with. This is not a fiddle that "violinists" (even students) or hardcore bluegrass types would find pleasing to the ear. Myself, I tend to play old time fiddle tunes and folk music so I like it just fine. Rating is based on music I like to play.
Sound Rating: 8
Fiddle was NOT set up when it arrived. The sound post was standing (thank goodness) but it was shipped with the bridge floating in the case and the half installed strings and crappy fine tuners flailing about. I restrung the fiddle, set the bridge, doped and set the pegs, installed one fine tuner on the E (included). This was a back stock or factory second fiddle that had been sitting around somewhere and also needed some cleaning of dust etc. The bridge was fitted to the belly pretty well and is cut for fiddling (somewhat flat with a very low dip to the high E). If set up is a major concern or if you were buying an expensive intrument I would not recomend this seller.
Setup Rating: 1
Appearance is interesting. The shape is a Chanot style body with NO corners just smooth curves all around. Chanot was considered an amateure fiddle maker and developed this style in the early 19th c. in an attempt to make an "original" fiddle design. He claimed the shape was accousticly superior although old books on european fiddle makers say this "muffleled" the tone. Looks neat to me and I like that its unusual. Has a light satin finish which gives it a nice old time look to my eye. This is the lowest end of the Bean Blossom line so the tone woods are sturdy but with little or no flaming etc. The grain of the spruce and the purfing look pretty nice though. Ebony finger board had a slight split near the nut which i filled when I cleaned and set it up and is now nearly invisible (this was a factory 2nd i believe). Scroll is pretty attractive for factory work. Fittings are boxwood and give the fiddle an overall pleasing look, at least to me. Didnt buy this fiddle for looks, but I was pretty happy with its appearance.
Appearance Rating: 8
Boxwood fittings all seem pretty sturdy with no flaws or cracks. Ebony fingerboard seems fitted well and even with the slight crack mentioned above is solid enough. Nut is also ebony and doesnt seem to be wearing too fast. Finish is light but seems pretty durable. Overall a decent sturdy beginners instrument.
Reliability Rating: 9
Fiddle is discontinued from Morgan Monroe, but i do have a warrenty card wich i just sent in which claims a 10yr gurantee against defect etc. Have not had to contact MM. WillsRealDeals ( the ebay seller) were easy to contact and offered a 7 day return policy. Didnt represent all of the little nicks etc on this fiddle in their ad, but did include a nice set of fine tuners and a new set of strings with the basic fiddle package. The price was reasonable (nearly $100 less the any advertised price for this fiddle I saw) so i forgive any little faults.
Customer Service: 5
Really like the Boxwood pegs, tailpiece, chinrest. Mostly just my own preference. I like the feel of the Neck and action, as well as the finish. These are similar to the pricier MV-400 fiddle still available from Morgan Monroe under that name. The seller also included 4 wittner long arm fine tuners of which i installed only one. Overall, the components are pretty nice. Again, sturdy beginers fare or maybe even a cut above.
Components Rating: 9
Overall I Dig this Fiddle. It has a nice appearance and a warm old timey sound. The feel of the neck, action, and the finish were similar to the MV-400 still available from Morgan Monroe that I played in some shops. The higher end fiddle was a little louder, a little heavier, maybe a little better response, and about $300 more. They also used to produce a higher end version of the Bean Blossom fiddle that was about the same price as the MV-400 but with the same shape as the bv-100 with fancier flamed tone woods and a few extras for about the same as the MV-400. All the Bean Blossom Fiddles have since been discontinued. Overall I really enjoy the feel and sound of this instrument. I like the unusual shape and the nice fittings etc. I was looking for a step up from the junker I started with at a reasonable price and this fit the bill just perfect. If it were stolen or destroyed I would only hope I could find something as descent for the money.
Overall Rating: 8
