Let me preface this review by saying, this is written after a frustrating and enlightening few hours tuning my new instrument, on the same day I received it. Was ironically heading out the door when it was delivered.
I purchased the purple finished viola. Visually, looks great. Not much different from the viola I had in elementary & middle school. Aside from being purple, if you're unsure about color options, you'll fit right in with one of the wood vanish colors. I haven't played much since I dropped the viola. [idiom] Saw this was on sale, I have amazon prime so the price was probably better than what non prime members pay. For under 100 bucks I was pretty enticed, so I went ahead and bought one.
A non-musically trained person might take one look at the bow and decide that the piece is crap. Yes and no. This is not as high quality as a 500 - 1000 or so instrument. There can be no debating that. But even with a high end instrument, (especially if it is shipped) your bow WILL have some loose hairs. Just cut them back at the tips carefully, this is normal. Not an indication of defect or poor quality. That said, as far as my semi-amateur eyes can tell, this is just as good. And it's great for beginners, BECAUSE BEGINNERS TEND TO WRECK THEIR INSTRUMENT IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. Not true of everyone, but a slightly lower tier instrument is in my opinion a better investment especially for beginners. If it gets destroyed, or it's used for 2 years and abandoned. That's several hundred dollars "saved."
As far as the tuning. I'VE NOTICED A LOT OF NEGATIVE REVIEWS. Mostly around the change of seasons. I'm assuming most of these reviews come from north america. Thing is, when the humidity changes, (it gets cold outside and thus people run their heaters) it changes the moisture levels of the wood in the instrument. It is entirely possible that some people received an instrument that didn't meet quality standards for one reason or another... But this seems unlikely, given the volume of negative reviews. It seems that these people didn't know how or had little patience in tuning their instrument. I spent at leas 2 hours tuning mine, not even fine tuning pray mind. Towards the end I was getting frustrated, and was tempted to call the piece crap and send it back. Bit more time and research led to better awareness and a nearly perfect pitch.
Based on my impressions, I'd recommend this to any beginner or aspiring musician. It's a very solid entry level instrument, but tuning and care lead this to be a FINE ART. Something most people seem not to have patience for. I'll update this review in a few months should any of my feelings change significantly, else some material defect becomes apparent. I WOULD RECOMMEND however, a bit of time spent on YouTube and the internet researching the instrument. This is NOT A TOY and should respected. Like I said, string instruments are a fine art, the internet has lifetimes of experience and free information. Use it. Learn. Grow.
Mendini 13-Inch MA250 Varnish Solid Wood Viola with Case, Bow, Rosin, Bridge and Strings
4 | 1,695 ratings
Price: 86.99
Last update: 01-04-2025
About this item
Size 13" natural varnish viola
Hand-carved solid spruce top with maple back & sides
Maple fingerboard, pegs, and chin rest with an alloy tailpiece with four integrated fine tuners
Includes: lightweight hard case, a Brazilwood bow with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair, rosin, and bridge
1 Year Warranty Against Manufacturer's Defects
Hand-carved solid spruce top with maple back & sides
Maple fingerboard, pegs, and chin rest with an alloy tailpiece with four integrated fine tuners
Includes: lightweight hard case, a Brazilwood bow with unbleached genuine Mongolian horsehair, rosin, and bridge
1 Year Warranty Against Manufacturer's Defects
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Mendini 13-Inch MA250 Varnish Solid Wood Viola with Case, Bow, Rosin, Bridge and Strings
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Top reviews from the United States
CongenialVirusGreat instrument, affordable, don't call it a violin.
MattGreat quality instrument for a great price!
Mother of Four AKA - SuperWomanDecent for a starter viola
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