Okay, this is a little premature, I got it today and haven't tuned it or brought it to my teacher for her to break it over my head, and I'm a total newbie, never played strings before besides guitar and... keyboard. No chance I could ever afford an "approved" one. The price is obviously unbelievable. However the case is hard and felted, and the construction is beautiful of wood, with plastic parts (neck guard). It's *very* lightweight. When I first saw it I thought it was too small to make Viola-bassey sounds and wondered if they sent me a violin by mistake.
But I'm writing about the immediate construction and first *sound*, timber, functionality (playability) of the instrument. I somehow managed to rosin my first bow adequately (my orchestral roommate tightened it when he came home because I forgot to). I had watched YouTube videos and read the scant instructions which tell you to wait and let your instructor guide you in your first setup. I held it (I'll definitely need a shoulder brace), and tried the lowest open string... my eyes opened wide. I had never produced a tone on a concert stringed instrument before. It was BEAUTIFUL. And totally bassey. Sounded exactly as it should (correct tuned pitch aside). I was actually amazed. I played all the strings open one at a time, likewise. Absolutely lovely instrument with a beautiful and fully resonate, bassey sound. Just like the YouTube videos. I tried some fingerings; okay, that'll take practice and a developed reach. But clearly it would play. If there's a problem of tuning, not holding pitch or cracking, I'll update my review. But I wouldn't hesitate to purchase this instrument if you're worried if it sounds good enough, esp. for the price. I hope my instructor doesn't break it over my head, I love it and will be sad. My first 4/4 cello by the same maker and store is on the way! :) My seller feedback:
Thrilled! Arrived early, unbroken, with hardcase and all accessories, and... plays! First time ever player, sounds wonderful! :) :) Thank you!
Update: Ok it's two hours before my first lesson. Tried to tune, string broke and the tuners generally won't hold. I should have had it set up before lesson day. I'm going to see if she knows a trick with rosin or such to make tuners stick. Otherwise I'll have to wait for a setup and it'll set my lesson back and may make it unaffordable depending. I'm not in the market for a more expensive instrument at this time. The sound of the box is still terrific and bow and rosin work fine. 4 stars and we'll see.
Update Update: My teacher took it walked around awhile while I was getting ready and handing it back to me said, "Why did you think it couldn't be tuned?!" :) I also got a shoulder rest and two packs of DiDarios. So back to Fine Instrument! :) but follow instructions and let your instructor do the setup the first time. You'll save a string. She understood it was inexpensive, knew the price, but had no problem working with it and is starting me on the Suzuki method :) I thought the tuners absolutely wouldn't hold, so see a pro before giving up!
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Mendini by Cecilio Solidwood Viola
KK Music Store
From the manufacturer
Mendini Viola
The Mendini viola has an impressive quality for the price, and is a remarkably affordable option for students who have never played the viola before and want to try it out for the first time. Here at Cecilio Musical Instruments, we understand that students have unique and diverse preferences. To better serve this diversity, our Mendini MA series of violas offers a wide variety of colors to choose from at exceptionally affordable prices. Both of our Mendini MA250 and Mendini MA350 violas have the same specifications and quality, but they differ in the type of finish used and the character of sound each one produces. The MA350 has a mellow and warm tone with a soft satin varnish finish to match, and the MA250 has a bright and vibrant tone and finish. Mendini viola includes a lightweight form fitting hard, a Brazilwood bow with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair, rosin, and a bridge making this package a great deal for beginners.
How to choose viola sizes
Our violas are available in 7 different sizes: 16.5", 16" (also known as full size), 15.5", 15", 14", 13" and 12". 16.5" viola is the biggest and 12" viola is the smallest. Most adults use 16" violas.
To measure what size viola best suits you, you need to know the length between your neck and the middle of your left-hand palm (when your hand is fully extended and raised perpendicular to your body, just like holding a violin). Most of the teachers prefer students to use the length from the neck to the wrist for measurement instead of the neck to mid-palm approach. The viola size determined by the neck/wrist approach would be the size that is more comfortable for students to hold. The viola size determined by the neck/mid-palm approach would be the biggest size students should use.
The following table lists the length of each viola size. Find your length using your preferred approach and use that to determine the size of viola to get.
From the brand
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Mendini by Cecilio’s easy to assemble, finely crafted instruments are perfect for students or new musicians just learning to play.
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Start your child’s musical journey with expertly-engineered violins and violas that provide orchestra-quality sound.
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Experience the rich tones of brass instruments crafted for powerful sound and smooth playing.
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Start jamming with our collection of colorful, student-level 3-piece and 5-piece drum sets.
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Compare with similar items
This Item  Mendini 16-Inch MA-Blue Solid Wood Viola with Case, Bow, Rosin, Bridge and Strings |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $76.39 | $109.99 | -7% $12.69 Typical: $13.69 | $399.00 | $16.99 | -20% $15.99 List: $19.99 |
| Delivery | Get it May 16 - 21 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| For beginners | ||||||
| Craftsmanship | ||||||
| Sold By | KK Music Store | ALiyes | ILSE MITCHELL | D Z Strad | STYDDI | Eno Music Co., LTD. |
| instrument | Violin | Violin | Viola | Violin | — | Cello, Violin |
| size | 16-in. | — | Full | 15.5" - size | For 15” – 16.5” Viola | Tuner |
| number of strings | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| operation mode | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| top material | Spruce | Spruce | Carbon Fiber | Spruce | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) | Plastic |
| back material | Maple | Maple | sponge | Maple | sponges | Basswood |
| string material | — | Stainless Steel | Alloy Steel | Prelude String | — | — |
| finish type | Varnish | Painted | Brushed | Lacquered | — | — |
Reviews with images
Beautiful!
Very good for a beginner’s viola. Absolutely beautiful— there’s a little bit of a sparkle about the blue color and I love it!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
Original feedback:
This Viola worked ok while it’s working but it just didn’t last. With under 5 months about 2x a week usage, under normal conditions/environment, the back of the Viola is already cracked right through the middle as shown in the picture. I sent customer support a message about it and waiting to hear back. It’s supposed to have 1 year warranty against manufacture defects so I’ll see if I can get a replacement.
Size: 15-in.Color: Natural VarnishVerified Purchase
1 star for quality, 5 star for customer service
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
3/22/23 Update: While the Viola is not made very well but Customer Service was great. They got back to me fairly quickly and sent me a shipping label right away to ship back the broken viola once I sent them the photos and video to show the broken part. I recommend keeping the shipping box for at least a year because I threw mine away and I had a hard time finding a box that fits the viola to ship back. I also got the replacement after about a week and the replacement luckily is working fine for now. I guess for the price, you can't expect too much out of it.Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
Original feedback:
This Viola worked ok while it’s working but it just didn’t last. With under 5 months about 2x a week usage, under normal conditions/environment, the back of the Viola is already cracked right through the middle as shown in the picture. I sent customer support a message about it and waiting to hear back. It’s supposed to have 1 year warranty against manufacture defects so I’ll see if I can get a replacement.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Chris Z-D
Crested Malteases.. of now on my Arc Family retired animal line-up
Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2024Andie
Great beginner instrument
Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2021Size: 15-in.Color: Satin AntiqueVerified Purchase
Alejandro Nava
Buena compra
Reviewed in Mexico on September 5, 2020Size: 14-in.Color: Natural VarnishVerified Purchase
Was ist das denn?
Ok, wenn man nur mal einfach eine Viola testen will
Reviewed in Germany on November 11, 2017Size: 16-in.Color: BlueVerified Purchase
