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I'm looking to buy an inexpensive beginner violin, and after a ton of research to find the best deal, I found the Cecilio CVN 300 on amazon.com... but it doesn't ship to Canada.
I went ahead and searched for it elsewhere, and I found listings with nearly identical descriptions. But the CVN 300 in every other listing does NOT look the same as the original. The color does not look the same, and the reviews are much worse, so different that I find it very hard to believe it is really the same model. The listing I found did come with better strings, so I understand some of the difference is there, but the reviews completely contradicted each other.
The violin with amazing reviews on amazon.com:
ie=UTF8&qid=1407722684&sr=1-38&keywords=violin
The same model elsewhere:
ie=UTF8&qid=1407869194&sr=1-1&keywords=Cecilio+CVN+300
http://fiddlershop.com/instrum.....n-300.html
If anyone has an explanation for this, please help me out. Maybe they are indeed the same model but they sure do appear very different.
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its all about presentation. Those Amazon pictures are not to be trusted (think of the hamburger picture at the fast food joint) If you look at fiddlermans video about it, that is pretty close to what the finish will look like. If you plan to buy one I HIGHLY recommend you buy it from Pierre (fiddlerman) As everyone here that has dealt with him (me included) can tell you he will stand by what he sells and return'exchange it if youre not happy. And he'll answer the phone... good luck getting anything done with Amazon or Cecelio in a timely fashion
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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Interesting, I suppose its easy enough to get a different color depending on lighting or photo edits. I was surprised how different the reviews were, maybe this model isn't really as quality as I had believed. Time to start searching/saving money I suppose.
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Thanks Barry 
Niahc, Amazon has posted the wrong photos. Not different lighting. They get their photos from Cecilio. Just let us know if we can help you.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Oh, that makes sense. Glad I'm not crazy after all! Perhaps I'm too picky about finish and color, but I think I'm going to save up for something that isn't so shiny. The fiddlerman reviews are very helpful.
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Light and angle can make the same violin look like an assortment of different violins. And in my opinion, no pic ever really does justice to how an instrument looks in person.
Quality varies on violins in even the best circumstances. No two pieces of wood are alike, and even factory-made violins can vary a good bit in how well they are put together.
The problem with reviews is that you don't know if you'd agree with the reviewer on what sounds good.
There is a dark side to reviews as well. There are people making money writing reviews for products they never even actually touched. Some sellers will pay people to write positive reviews, and a seller's competitors may pay people to write reviews trashing a seller's product. No way to tell if it was written by a real customer unless you actually know the person who wrote the review. So you want to take any reviews you see posted somewhere with a grain of salt.
Pierre's video reviews are better to go by, since he actually is an honest guy and you get to hear and see the instrument a bit as well as hearing a professional player's thoughts on it.
In the end, the only thing that really matters is if *you* like the instrument you get.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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I don't blame you Niahc. That new spray like finish/look is less appealing for sure. On rare occasions we do payments, provided you own a credit card, and we take trade ins when upgrading. If you are interested, call Michael at Fiddlershop 954 530 5999 and tell him that I mentioned this. Also, we have a satisfaction guarantee. By no means am I trying to push you. Take your time. Just thought to mention some options.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Reviews can be a minefield for sure, especially for beginner instruments. I try to look at only very detailed reviews and ignore the ratings completely, I don't trust any review that says a $130 violin is perfect, but its hard to tell if it is good for its value, or if another similar priced violin is better. I just want to start off with a violin that will last me at least a few years. I'm still thinking of it, or if I want something better. When I decide I might try to call in and request one with the darkest wood possible since there is so much variation
Regulars
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Niahc said
Reviews can be a minefield for sure, especially for beginner instruments. I try to look at only very detailed reviews and ignore the ratings completely, I don't trust any review that says a $130 violin is perfect, but its hard to tell if it is good for its value, or if another similar priced violin is better. I just want to start off with a violin that will last me at least a few years. I'm still thinking of it, or if I want something better. When I decide I might try to call in and request one with the darkest wood possible since there is so much variation
heres a thread going on right here about someone who just bought one. Lots of pics and even a video
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
Honorary tenured advisor
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Niahc said
Reviews can be a minefield for sure, especially for beginner instruments. I try to look at only very detailed reviews and ignore the ratings completely, I don't trust any review that says a $130 violin is perfect, but its hard to tell if it is good for its value, or if another similar priced violin is better. I just want to start off with a violin that will last me at least a few years. I'm still thinking of it, or if I want something better. When I decide I might try to call in and request one with the darkest wood possible since there is so much variation
"I just want to start off with a violin that will last me at least a few years."
If that's the case, I would recommend spending a bit more and get at least the FM Concert violin. There are a number of us that have them and it's a good fiddle for the price and has the potential to last you for some good while. It comes with a really good case, nice carbon fiber bow, rosin, shoulder rest, decent strings, and is set up properly when it arrives. In the long run it's not much more for the FM Concert since it comes with all the extra goodies, but you get a better fiddle out of the deal as well -- IMO.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright
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