Cecilio CVA-400 16.5-Inch Solid Wood Flamed Viola

This is a great viola for anyone. For beginners it offers a cheap way to get into the string section. It has a sturdy fingerboard and a deep, rich tone. When played next to a $1,600 viola here in my town, they were indistinguishable. This viola is also great for the violist who has been playing for years on borrowed or rented instruments. It really is a concert ready viola. For the price, there is nothing better. Also just as a side note, this is the prettiest viola I have seen. It has a rich almost buttery color compared to so many dark brown violas. Worth your money. You won’t regret buying it, you’ll just regret you hadn’t done it sooner.

I played viola from age 6 through 18 and then, for whatever foolish reason, stopped playing for 20 years. When my daughter started playing cello, I decided to get a viola so we could play duets. The cost of this instrument is the same as three months of renting, so I took the plunge.Almost two months later, I'm quite impressed. No one will mistake this for a professional's performance instrument, but it is a very playable instrument with a good sound. For the money, you really can't beat it. The case and extra strings are a really nice touch. I recommend downloading a free tuning app and check out some online videos on how to tune a stringed instrument, or bring it to a music shop, when tuning it the first time.PROs - Good sound, better than you'd expect for an instrument this affordable. Very playable with an ebony finger board.CONs - The A and D strings sound like, well, cheap strings. Once they wear out, I'll replace them with better ones. The bow is usable, but just. I'll probably upgrade in a few months.I've read here in the reviews and in some online forums that people dismiss this instrument out of hand because it's made in China. This put a smile on my face, as I'm old enough to remember a time when people said Japanese manufacturers could never make a good string instrument. I'm sure their children would love to play a Yamaha now.Bottom line - once you get this set up, playing it is enjoyable, both for you and anyone listening. It's a good value, in my opinion.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure about this at first. I knew nothing about violas and did research on Cecilio. Cecilio seems to be a solid company. This is a perfect starter model. It is definitely a student model but it is just right for what we needed. I didn't know if my son would stick with this or not so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. He is happy and we are looking for earplugs.

very bad

I got this as a birthday gift for a loved one and after a few days of use they are still very happy with it. This was a great bundle for the price.

Love it

Very nice. I'm very pleased.

I will need to spend some playing time but the delivery service was spot on