I took the risk only because Amazon has a pretty good return

As with any instrument purchase, always make sure you have a qualified string instructor or luthier inspect a violin purchased online, and make sure the items is covered by a reasonable return policy.

Nevertheless, thanks to Amazon's Customer Service and Representative, violin was returned via UPS in less than 2 hours of receiving with free return label.

I had read great reviews on the Stentor 2/1500 but at the time couldn't justify the cost, and spent $60 on a Mendini MV200.....and regretted it almost immediately

Great value and size

Great value for this instrument

Very good value.

The sound is great, and the instrument is also very beautiful.

The finish is very beautiful and it produces a decent sound

This violin is very easy to use and has a clean mellow sound.

The letter "S" and logo on the bridge and tailpiece is kinda obnoxious and the G string snapped in the first month

E string sounds horrible so I will be replacing the strings as I would like to start learning more of the higher notes

My child was thrilled to have such a nice instrument and the case is great and seems very strong and protective

The Stentor 1500 4/4 violin is a great learning instrument for our 12 year old.

The letter "S" and logo on the bridge and tailpiece is kinda obnoxious and the G string snapped in the first month

The Stentor 1500 (aka Student II) is a fine instrument.

The sound is great, and the instrument is also very beautiful.

My child was thrilled to have such a nice instrument and the case is great and seems very strong and protective

Perhaps the one weakness is the violin does not have a hard case nor come with extra strings or bridges

The case was an added bonus, but it was also made very nice and seems to protect the violin

The letter "S" and logo on the bridge and tailpiece is kinda obnoxious and the G string snapped in the first month

The case is a good serviceable one, protects the violin well and has room for accessories.

So while a new case might be recommended, this is a great beginner's violin, fantastic for those just trying out in violin, and pretty decent for those that are on a tight budget, yet definitely want to play.

Cheap beginner violins are notorious for screeching--particularly on the E-string.

I was a little frustrated that the bridge and the fingerboard were not lined up properly when I received it, and I recommend upgrading the strings, but beyond that, it's a nice beginner's violin.

The bow has good quality but the rosin is cheap, however it works good for the bow; and the case is formidable, very good and solid, with a pocket for your shoulder rest

I have been playing violin for about 2 years now, and I believe that Stentor violins are okay for beginners, but when I got mine, there were a couple of problems with it; the G string was frayed, the quality of the strings, especially the E string, was not that good, and the bridge was not properly placed and it was not correctly shaped either

Ok, so I've seen a few reviews on here saying that there's poor peg quality and that they just slip back into place

I'm a little more observant of defects, but in any case, this violin's quality isn't reliable.

I live in a south american country and believe it or not, violins are as expensive as they get and they are not good quality, so I feel relieved and happy to have this thing with me everyday I self-teach myself

The finish is not bad, (though it is a bit too glossy for my liking) the only spot that doesn't look like great is the fingerboard, you can see where the paint went on a little heavy and had dripped

The letter "S" and logo on the bridge and tailpiece is kinda obnoxious and the G string snapped in the first month

The instrument is beautiful, excellent finish, good tone

The finish is very beautiful and it produces a decent sound

It may be that this cheap wooden bow will warp later on and deteriorate over time--but right now it does a very good job!

Inside the violin case, the bow came loose, the resin was shattered and pieces were everywhere

This violin is all right for a student violin and has a nice tone; however, the bow came warped

I changed stings, bow and rosin then fine for beginners.

The case is also of high quality; the bow was basic, but fine for a beginner