10 Best Violin Brands for Intermediate Players

If you are searching for the best intermediate violin for yourself or your child and are confused as to where to start, look no further.

We have compiled an extensive guide to help you with this decision making. With our top ten choices of violins and a buying guide on the top tips of what you should consider before making your purchase, you have everything you need right here!

Top Picks: 10 Best Intermediate Violin Reviews

Mendini is one of the best violin brands for intermediate players. Not only are they affordable violins, but they are of very high quality also. The Mendini MV500 is the perfect instrument for any intermediate player looking to strike a balance between affordability and quality.

The Mendini is made from Spruce and maple wood. As has been mentioned before, these are very popular woods among violins. The instrument is extremely lightweight, so it is perfect for intermediate violin players who are still getting to grips with holding the violin for long periods of time.

In fact, when you consider the price, the sound that is produced by the Mendini MV500 is amazing. This would be a great benefit to anyone trying to improve their tone production.

The Mendini MV500 is a fantastic intermediate violin which is perfect for players that are looking to strike the balance between high quality and an affordable price. Although the Mendini MV500 is not the cheapest instrument on this list, it is also certainly not overly expensive. When you consider the price and everything you get with this instrument, including a fantastic sound, then the Mendini MV500 is one of the best overall choices to make.

The Cecilio CVN-300 is one of the best intermediate violin choices you could make. Not only is Cecilio one of the top and most popular violin brands on the market for beginner and intermediate players, but this particular model is also being sold at a very affordable price.

The Cecilio CVN-300 model will already come strung with D’addario Prelude strings, which means you are already getting some of the highest quality strings on your new violin.

The Cecilio CVN-300 comes complete with 2x Brazilwood bows. Any professional or intermediate violin player should have an extra bow in their case so they are always prepared for any emergencies. Bows are extremely delicate objects and quite often they can break and players are left without a bow during their rehearsal!

In fact, this particular violin model is perfect for anyone searching for a good quality violin as part of an entire package. The Cecilio CVN-300 includes all the accessories you could need to get started with your new instrument. If you are hoping to make one easy purchase and receive all the accessories you would need for your violin, then this is a great package for you!

The Johannes Kohr K500 is an extremely popular model among intermediate players. Not only is this one of the most premium and best intermediate violins you can choose from, but it looks fantastic and the price is also not too high. In fact, many would argue that for what you get with the Johannes Kohr K500 violin, the price is extremely reasonable.

As the Howard Core Company has mentioned (1), the Johannes Kohr K500’s standard is fantastic. You will be stuck to find a better quality violin for this price!

This full size model would be perfect for anyone looking for the best violin for intermediate players. The fine tuners have been set up on this violin to truly suit players who are still trying to master the art of tuning their violin to perfection.

This high quality instrument is renowned for its highly impressive tone. Any violin players who are just moving onto intermediate violins will certainly notice the difference in tone between the Johannes Kohr K500 and any other violin on the market for this price.

The Johannes Kohr K500 is the best violin for intermediate players who are looking for the highest quality of instrument with a premium price tag attached. Although many professionals certainly pay a lot more for their violins, the Johannes Kohr K500 is still considered an expensive instrument for intermediate players. Because of this, it would better suit a violinist who is serious about progressing in playing.

The Cecilio CVNAE is definitely the best violin to choose if you are searching for a high quality intermediate violin that will give you the best of both worlds - electric and acoustic.

This hand carved instrument not only looks fantastic on stage, but it sounds fantastic too. The high quality tone controls, aux input and output, and woods ensure that the Cecilio CVNAE’s sound production is of the same standard as the other, more expensive, acoustic models listed here today.

The CVNAE is one of the most popular models sold by Cecilio. Not only is it an incredibly affordable violin, especially given that you can choose between acoustic or electric settings, but it comes equipped with all the extra accessories you could ever need or want. So you will not have to spend extra cash or time searching for anything else when you purchase the Cecilio CVNAE!

If you are in the market for an electro-acoustic violin that definitely won’t break the bank, then check out the Cecilio CVNAE violin. Perhaps you are simply thinking of moving on to electric violin and you aren’t completely sure if you are ready to let go of your acoustic instrument. Then the Cecilio CVNAE gives you the best of both! You can decide whether you wish to play acoustic or electric with this particular violin.

The Kinglos violin is the perfect, hand crafted instrument for anyone looking to stand out from the crowd!

The Kinglos violin certainly has a very unique take on the traditional violin look, with its crazy blue and white flower pattern painted onto the body of the instrument. Although this finish may look very different, the woods used to build the Kinglos violin are of the same material as most other violins on the market. With solid maple wood back and sides and a spruce top, the Kinglos violin is just as high quality as the other instruments mentioned on this list.

Included in this package is everything you could need if you are purchasing a new violin. From an extra bridge to rosin and shoulder rest, you will not need to think about making any other purchases if you decide on the Kinglos violin. This is great for anyone hoping to make a quick and easy decision!

Overall, the sound production on the Kinglos is of good quality, and you certainly will not be lacking in tone or sound quality because of the designs painted onto the varnish of the Kinglos violins.

The Kinglos violins are the best violins for those who are looking to stand out in orchestra and have a violin that is completely different from anyone else’s. Perhaps you are a soloist hoping to bring a bit of life to your performances, or perhaps you play violin in an alternative band and want to help distinguish your violin from the more ‘traditional’ or classical style. Whatever your reasoning, the Kinglos violin will definitely help you look unique on stage!

The Scott Cao Violins are the perfect intermediate violins for anyone looking for the best quality at an affordable price. Although the price of the Scoot Cao may not seem affordable to some, when you factor in the high quality of the instrument, it is definitely worth spending the extra cash on the Scott Cao STV017.

As has been mentioned by Fiddlerman (2), the Scott Cao STV017 violin produces a beautiful tone that is strong enough to ensure that even solo violinists can perform with this instrument on stage with an orchestra and have no problems with sound projection.

Scott Cao is popular among violin brands and is known as a quality instrument maker. With quality woods, ebony fittings, and Thomastik Dominant strings included, the STV017 really does have the highest quality in each of its features. This high quality of features only adds to the tone and sound that the violin can produce.

The Scott Cao STV017 is the perfect choice for anyone looking for the best quality violin at the most affordable price. With its amazing tone production and overall strong sound projection, the STV017 would be a fantastic choice for soloists who are performing to large scale audiences in large venues. At this price, it is surprising the level of sound quality that is produced from the STV017.

Although Yamaha may not be the most popular out of all the violin brands, they are still a fantastic company and their musical instruments are some of the best at affordable prices!

The Yamaha V3 makes for a great choice for beginner or intermediate violin players. The body is made from Spruce wood, a reliable and common wood for most violins, while the handcrafted body has been built to the highest quality, ensuring that you will not be disappointed by this instrument!

The sound production released from the Yamaha V3 is ideal for intermediate violins and would suit anyone looking for a bright and clear tone. This would work particularly well in a large scale symphony orchestra.

The Yamaha V3 has been fitted with particularly easy-to-use tuning pegs and fine tuners. With the beginner or intermediate player in mind, Yamaha has ensured that tuning up this particular instrument will be as easy as possible. This is a fantastic feature for intermediate players who are still trying to find their feet with the tricky task of violin tuning!

This particular violin model would suit an intermediate player who is looking for a violin of great quality and that is within a mid-range budget bracket. Although it is certainly not the cheapest violin mentioned on the list here, it is definitely worth paying a bit extra for the added security of the Yamaha branding and the reliability of the instrument.

The Stentor 1500 violin is a fantastic intermediate violin for a very affordable price. It is a great balance of quality and affordability!

The Stentor 1500 is a good quality violin given that the back and sides are made from solid maple and the top is made from spruce wood. These are the most common woods used in violin making, so you can be assured that the build of the Stentor is up to the standard of the other violins on this list.

The overall sound production of the Stentor 1500 is great when considering the price of this instrument. Usually, on cheaper violin models, the strings can start to ‘squeak’ once you move higher up the fretboard and into higher note registers. However, you will not find this with the Stentor, and you will find that you can move up and down the fretboard comfortably with no effect on the overall sound quality!

The deep red, varnish finish on the Stentor 1500 is another great feature as it gives the instrument a more expensive look. So, even though this violin could be considered a budget instrument, it certainly won’t look like one!

If you’re on the market for a budget violin that will still give you everything you need for a beginner intermediate or mid-range intermediate player, then the Stentor 1500 could be a great choice for you. It perfectly balances budget and quality and would make a great choice for anyone looking for a quality violin for a few years.

This violin is 100% hand crafted and oil varnished by one of the most common violin brands on the market right now. The body is made from maple wood, the top made from spruce wood, and all the fittings are ebony. These high quality materials ensure that not only is the Paititi violin durable, it will also give off a fantastic sound.

This instrument is a great choice for those looking for a quick and easy purchase. The Paititi PTVNSH300 comes complete with all the accessories you could need, meaning you will not have to spend extra money or time searching for them!

Not only this, but the Paititi is one of the most affordable violins on the list here, which means you will not have to break the bank in order to purchase this particular violin!

The Paititi PTVNSH300 violin is the perfect choice for intermediate players that are also young. Perhaps your child is moving onto the intermediate violin level but still needs the instrument in a smaller size.

Then the Paititi PTVNSH300 is the perfect choice for you! This particular model would make a great choice for any learners who are hoping to move on to another violin in the next few years.

Cremona is one of the most common violin brands for beginner and intermediate players. The Cremona SV 500 is one of their most popular models due to its affordability and good quality.

The Cremona SV 500 is available in four sizes, making it an ideal choice for smaller hands who do not wish to purchase a full size violin just yet!

The beautiful varnish finish and the hand carved wood along the sides and the back of the Cremona SV 500 give this instrument a fantastic look, making it seem much more expensive than it actually is. If you’re looking for an affordable instrument that looks like one of the best violins, then the Cremona SV could be the one for you!

The maple and spruce wood ensure that the Cremona is of high quality, and the prelude strings that are included will give you one of the best playing experiences you can get for a violin of this price.

Although the tone on the Cremona SV is certainly not the best you could find, for this price it is of great quality. The thing that makes the Cremona SV stand out is its sound projection. This makes it a great instrument for budding soloists who need a loud violin that can be played in venues and in front of large audiences! If you are a training violinist planning to make appearances on stage then check out the Cremona model.

Buying Guide

Now that you have seen our top ten choices for the best intermediate violin, you will no doubt be much better prepared to make a decision. However, you may still be confused as to what you should be looking for. Below we have included a short buying guide of our top things that, we believe, you should consider before purchasing your violin.

Materials of the violin

The materials of the violin are the most important consideration to make and the best way to tell if the instrument is of high quality or not. You may have noticed that we have not mentioned any violins on this list here that are made from materials other than Spruce wood or Maple wood. This is because not only are these the most common materials for violins to be made of, but they are also the best woods to ensure that the instrument is of high quality, produces an excellent tone, and is highly durable.

We highly recommend only purchasing an intermediate violin made from Spruce wood and Maple wood. The fittings, such as the tuning pegs and the chin rest, should ideally be ebony also.

Sizing of the violin

Choosing the most appropriate size of the violin is vital in ensuring that you are choosing the best violin for you and your playing level. Violins come in many different sizes and it is important that you understand what size you need for your body before you finalize your purchase.

It is a common mistake to purchase a violin for an intermediate player in full size. As many believe that intermediate players should be moving onto ‘an adult’ sized violin, many players end up purchasing an instrument that is far too large for them. If your child is particularly advanced and is moving up levels in violin playing quickly, be careful that you do not choose too large of an instrument for them too soon.

To check if the size of the instrument is correct, place the player’s hand around the scroll at the top of the violin. If there is a slight bend in the arm then it is the correct size. If the arm is completely stretched while doing this, then the instrument is too large and you need to move down a size.

Extra Accessories

If you are searching for a violin for an intermediate player then it is also vital that you are looking for extra accessories that you will need to make your playing a lot more comfortable. A high quality shoulder rest is one of these necessary additions.

A shoulder rest will provide you with the utmost comfort, especially now as you will be moving further up the fingerboard and into the higher registers. A shoulder rest will help ‘close’ the large gap between your shoulder and the violin, meaning that you can play very high notes much more comfortably. It is vital that you look into purchasing a shoulder rest as a necessary addition to your new instrument (3).