Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 1/2 Size Clearance By Kennedy Violins - Carrying Case and Accessories Included - Solid Maple Wood and Ebony Fittings RB300

This is a very nice little outfit. It is great for a beginning student!We purchased a 1/4 size. My daughter is finishing her first year of Suzuki (over halfway through Book 1). Her first violin has been a 1/8 Helmke--which was inexpensive, but high enough quality for lessons after we replaced the bow and strings (both were horrible though the Helmke violin itself has been nice). I decided to buy this now so I didn't have to worry about finding a new instrument over the summer, and she'd have time to transition into the new size over the fall.I've had a few violins myself including a Palatino and a couple Romanian instruments. This is the first Kennedy we are trying out. So far we are pretty pleased with the quality for the price—definitely not a VSO. My daughter's teacher gave it her stamp of approval.It was very well packaged in double boxes with lots of padding. It came with a check list of things that were looked over before it came to us and information about Kennedy Violins.The bow was much nicer than what I was expecting. The hair and grip stay put. My daughter's teacher said it has a nice balance. I will still a second bow as I always like us to have two on hand. The strings are Preludes which sound nice (though they require a little more regular tuning than the Helicores we've started using). They are perfect to use over the summer and would be fine for lessons, too. It came with backup strings, too, and rosin.After I first tuned it, the violin sounded a little nasal. I believe this is because it had been packed with anti-moisture packets so the wood was probably drier than normal. After we let it sit out for a couple days, it sounded much deeper. I has better sound than the Helmke--definitely louder and clearer. The pegs are surprisingly easy to turn compared to a number of other violins I've tuned. This concerned me as I worried they'd slip, but they seem to stay put very well. The case has lots of storage space, and has many options for carrying it (handle, shoulder strap, or backpack). A nice little surprise was discovering a shoulder rest was included.The violin's finish appears a little darker than the picture and this gives it an even more unique appearance. My daughter (with the help of her wonderfully imaginative teacher) has decided to name it "Chocolate" for this reason. I think "Chocolate" is going to be a lovely instrument for my daughter to graduate Book 1 with next fall. :)

I just received my Bunnel pupil violin and was very surprised at the quality of everything from Kennedy Violins. The box that it came in had a security seal and was heavy weight white cardboard with color printing. The printed materials in the case were all very high quality and professionally created. The instrument itself was perfect, as was the bow and all of it was higher quality than I expected. I have tuned it and it is holding its pitch well, and the tone of the instrument is very pleasing. I'm just an intermediate violin player, but I can't tell that this instrument sounds much different from a multi-thousand dollar violin. The case is also high quality and came with a nice soft cover to place over the violin in the case. Excellence is the best word to describe Kennedy Violins.

*I will add to review after a few months have passed including any instructor comments* We received this violin this week for our 10 year old who will be playing the violin starting in September. I researched violins online and in stores. The local shop had a great program and quality violin but it cost more than I wanted to spend when I am not sure he will stick with it. At 1/3 of the cost I was able to order a violin package online. What I loved about this violin were the package deal, reviews and service. This Bunnel Violin shipped and packaged beautifully. The case seems to be of a good quality including a humidity guage. There is lots of case space and straps for carrying. The package came with the violin, case, a shoulder rest, extra strings, rosin, cleaning cloth and case tag. Information about care, registering and warrantying the violin is also included . The violin appears to be in great condition with no defects. As other reviews have mentioned the pegs are plastic but to be expected for an affordable violin. Kennedy also has a warranty of 1 year for all issues regarding defects along with a limited lifetime warranty on the craftmanship. They also have a trade in/upgrade program that applies to all their violins despite being sold in another state. Information card that came in package informs about Kennedy instructional YouTube videos and phone number for tuning help.The violin appears to be set up and tuned, however we will have his instructor confirm when school starts since our son is the first violinist in our family. Over all this violin is a great value for a beginner violinist! Update to review 10/1/17 * Kennedy violins also has a sign up to recieve a packet with a folder, music and an additional case tag. The first set of strings we had the D string break in the first week of use. His teacher used the extra strings to repair. Currently we are having an issue with the E string having a twang and we are investigating will further update once we determine the cause.