10 Best Violins for Beginners, Starters, & Students

So you are searching for the best beginner violin? There are many different violin brands and models on the market right now, and it can be difficult to know which one is the best for you.

Here we have compiled a buying guide in order to assist you with your decision making along with our top ten choices of beginner violins you can choose from.

Top Picks: Best Beginner Violin Reviews

The Mendini MV500 violin is the best overall choice for a starter violin in terms of price and quality. The MV500 is a particularly lightweight violin, making it perfect for smaller beginner players who are just learning how to hold the instrument.

The Mendini MV500 is visually appealing with a Satin Antique varnish and a brown finish. This gives the instrument a slight edge over other violins of the same pricing. The violin’s back is made from maple wood, and the rest of the body is made from Spruce Wood. These are the most common materials used in violins due to the fact that they are lightweight and durable. You can be assured that the quality of the Mendini MV500 is of top quality for the price.

The ebony fittings are sleek and durable, meaning you won’t have any issues with your tuning pegs slipping and, as a result, your violin constantly be going out of tune.

The overall tone of the Mendini MV500 is deep and rich, so would be the best beginner violin for anyone searching for this particular sound. It makes it perfect for beginners as it will definitely help with your overall tone production in the beginning.

If you are looking for the best student violin that strikes a balance between price and quality then the Mendini MV500 would be a great choice for you. The rich, deep tone and lightweight body make it perfect for players who are just starting to hold the instrument and figure out the sound production.

We have chosen the Cecilio CVN-300 as a beginner focused violin that is suitable for those on a budget. Due to the fact that this violin comes with so many accessories and extras, you will not have to spend any additional cash on things you may need when purchasing your first violin. According to Cecilio Music (1):

As these instruments are designed specifically for students and beginner players, the Cecilio CVN-300 will be the most comfortable for beginner players. This beginner violin package will also provide you with a quality chromatic tuner, something which is fantastic for a beginner.

When you are just starting out learning the violin, it can be difficult to tune the instrument on your own. A tuner will give you the extra help you will need to tune your violin effectively. With a solid maple back and spruce wood top, the Cecilio CVN-300 has all the features that a good violin of decent quality has also.

If you are on the market for a good violin that will give you a great range of accessories for a budget price then the Cecilio CVN-300 would be a great choice for you. It is particularly great as a violin for beginner players as you will not have to worry about researching and figuring out what accessories you will need to begin your violin learning journey.

The Cecilio CVNAE is an acoustic/electric violin that we believe is the best value for money within the beginners violins listed here. As you get the best of both worlds (acoustic and electric), you will be saving money and the hassle should you need to purchase an electric violin down the line later.

The overall sound quality that is produced by the Cecilio CVNAE is fantastic, especially considering it is both acoustic and electric. This is one of the best features of the Cecilio CVNAE for beginners as it will definitely help to enhance your tone production in the beginning when you are still trying to figure it out.

The Cecilio CVNAE comes with an Antique Varnish finish and in a beautiful white color, so if you are searching for a violin that will help you stand out while you are on stage, this could be a great choice for you! The overall finish of this violin gives off the impression that it is much more expensive than it actually is.

The Cecilio CVNAE is perfect for anyone searching for beginner violins that will give them the option of an acoustic and electric setup. If you know you will be playing in a variety of settings, whether that is on stage with your band, or in a small string ensemble, the Cecilio CVNAE will give you the ability to do just that.

The Cremona SV-130 is one of the best beginner violins as it is specifically designed with beginner players in mind. With its lightweight design and overall natural tone production, the Cremona SV-130 will help any beginner player get to grips with the violin.

The Cremona SV-130 includes a solid maple back and sides, with a spruce top wood as most of the other violin brands mentioned in this article. The Cremona SV-130, however, has been built to ensure that the curvature of the fingerboard and the bridge height have been set up with a beginner player in mind.

These two elements are vital when it comes to learning the violin as they will make pressing down on the strings and moving up and down the fingerboard a lot easier.

Although the Cremona SV-130 is not the cheapest violin mentioned here, the price is still affordable for many.

This violin is great for anyone who is searching for one of the best student violins with beginner players in mind. The overall setup and price of the Cremona SV-130 make it a great choice for beginner players who are struggling to get to grips with the correct shoulder and hand postures. These instruments will certainly help anyone in the beginning stages of learning the violin.

The Mendini MV300 is a decent quality violin at a budget price. Using similar materials as the other instruments on this list, the Mendini MV300 includes a solid spruce top and maple back and sides. According to (2):

As has been mentioned, the Mendini MV300 really is a fantastic budget choice for any beginner violin and is one of the best to choose from if budget is a major concern for you.

Not only does the Mendini MV300 come in full size, but also in sizes as small as 1/16 and 1/32. This makes it the perfect beginner violin for small children. If your child is just starting to learn the violin they will need a very small instrument in the beginning and the Mendini MV300 will give you that option.

The Mendini MV300 was certainly not made for advanced or professional players in mind. The Mendini is a great student violin at a small budget. If you are searching for a violin for yourself or your child that is affordable and you won’t have to worry too much about it being damaged due to lack of knowledge around the instrument, then this could be a great choice for you.

Stentor is a popular violin brand for beginner players. Because of this popularity, you can be assured that you are getting a high quality violin with this instrument.

This particular violin is available in a 1/10 size, making it a perfect violin for beginners who are children. This size would be the most ideal for players at around 5 years old. This particular model is very lightweight, making it perfect for smaller children to hold without having aches or pains. This is a great benefit when your little ones are just starting out!

The fittings on the Stentor 1400 are made from Rosewood. Although this means that they are not as durable as the ebony fittings found on most other violins, Rosewood is still an excellent material to have. Rosewood is quite an oily wood, which makes it perfect for fingers to easily move up and down the fingerboard with no problems.

The Stentor 1400 is a great beginner violin for young players around 5 years old or older children that have a particularly small build. It is very lightweight, making it an ideal violin for children. As it is not considered an expensive instrument, it is a great choice for learners around this age as you will not have to worry too much if it becomes damaged.

The Cremona SV-175 is one of the best beginner violins at the highest quality for a somewhat affordable price. Because of this good quality, this particular violin is more expensive than the other instruments mentioned on this list. However, many would argue that paying the extra cash for this beginner violin is worth it.

This is a fantastic benefit for beginner players as anyone who has just started playing the violin will know, getting the right tone production is one of the most difficult tasks. Having a violin that will help you with this is definitely worth the money. A low quality violin will only make things much harder.

Due to the slightly higher price tag on the Cremona SV-175, this violin will be suited for those wanting to invest more cash into their violin for a beginner. This is the best starter violin in terms of quality and affordability, and may even suit those who still see themselves as beginner players but are looking to upgrade from their very first violin.

The Vangoa full size violin is one of the most popular student violins due to its fantastic price and reliability. Although it is certainly not the highest quality violin brand on the market, it is definitely a great choice for beginner players.

The solid spruce top and maple back sides ensure that this violin is reliable and durable, making it perfect for a beginner player who may not fully know the ins and outs of properly looking after an expensive violin.

Because of the cheap price of the Vangoa student violins, they are a popular choice for those who are just trying the violin out, and perhaps may not know if they wish to continue with the instrument long term. Having the security of knowing that you didn’t splash out too much cash makes it a great short term investment.

The added accessories such as the pickup and tuner ensure that you only need to make one initial purchase and you will have everything you could ever need to begin your journey into violin playing.

The Vangoa full size violin was made for those students who are on the market for a cheap instrument in which to initially try out violin learning without too much commitment. Perhaps you are sure you will continue with the violin but are simply looking for the most budget, but still relatively good quality, option. The Vangoa would also be a great pick for you too!

The Cecilio full size CVN-EAV+SR violin is another good quality choice for anyone on a budget. Coming from one of the most popular and reliable starter violin brands, Cecilio, you can be assured that this violin will be long-lasting, despite the low price tag.

The Cecilio CVN-EAV+SR violin features a solid spruce top and maple back and sides. Like many of the other violins mentioned here, these choices of woods will assist you with your tone production as a beginner player.

This violin comes with a choice of Satin Antique finish or Varnish Antique finish. The choice will depend on your personal preference, although these finishes will only enhance the sound production even further. For the low price that this Cecilio model is being sold for, you can do no wrong!

The Cecilio CVN-EAV+SR model was made for those who wish to purchase a violin from one of the most popular beginner violin brands, but for the cheapest possible price. This violin will give you most of the benefits you will get from the other more expensive Cecilio brands, but for less cash.

Paititi is certainly not the most famous of the violin brands out there, but this violin is a great choice for anyone on a budget looking for a decent quality purchase for a beginner violin.

The Paititi violin features a maple fingerboard and chinrest. Although most other violin brands will feature fittings that are ebony, maple is still a durable wood that is commonly used. The maple fingerboard will still make it easy for beginner players’ fingers to move up and down the fingerboard with ease.

Although this wouldn’t be our top choice among the budget best violins, the Paititi violin would be an excellent choice for players who are looking for an entire package of accessories along with their instruments.

If budget is your main concern, and you are searching for an option that will provide you with all the extra accessories with no added hassle or cost, then the Paititi would be a good choice for you. This violin certainly doesn’t have the high quality factor that many other instruments on this list have, but it would still make a good violin for an absolute beginner player.

Buying Guide

Here are some of the top considerations you should make before you purchase your first beginner violin.

Size

Violins come in a variety of sizes from a 1/32 size right up to a 4/4 (full size).

Playing on a violin that is the wrong size can cause serious technical issues and may also cause injuries in the player’s hands, shoulders, and back. You can choose the most appropriate size for you or your child easily. The player must hold the violin in the holding position (ie on their shoulder) and stretch out their left arm.

If the player’s hand can comfortably wrap around the scroll of the violin with a slight bend in their arm, then the violin is a good size for them. You should be able to judge whether the violin is too small or too big for the player using this method.

Bow

When purchasing your first violin you must make sure that you are purchasing an instrument with a decent quality bow also. Many do not realize that the quality of the bow is just as important as the quality of the violin.

Having a good quality bow will be vital in producing a great sound and ensuring that you are as comfortable as possible while playing. There are many different materials that the bow can be made from, the most common being Carbon Fibre and Brazilwood.

Carbon Fibre is generally more expensive, and thus, is not featured on this list for beginner players. Carbon Fibre bows are generally more suited for advanced and professional players.

Brazilwood is an extremely common material for violin bows. One of the main factors for this is because they are extremely cheap to produce and buy, making them an ideal choice for those who are just starting to learn the violin. Brazilwood is also very light so it won’t tire out your arms as much in the beginning!

Wood for the body

The most common materials that are made for the body of the violin are Spruce wood and Maple wood. Almost all of the violins mentioned in this list will feature these woods.

The type of wood used in a violin is very important as it deeply affects the quality of the sound produced. For this reason, violins can not be made with any type of wood.

Spruce wood and maple wood have been proven to enhance the sound production of the violin, meaning they are the most ideal materials to look for when you are searching for your new violin. (3)