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Ready to start playing the violin or fiddle?
Looking for the best beginner instruments out there?
Picking the best violins or fiddles for beginners can be tricky. There are a lot of great options on the market. Luckily, we’re here to help. On this page, we’ve assembled a full list of the best beginner and student fiddles and violins on the market today.
While you may need to budget wisely when buying a violin or fiddle, it’s also important to find an instrument that has the quality you need. While we’ve listed the best professional violins elsewhere, each of the instruments below is great for student players. These violins will offer a superior mix of both quality and affordability.
Keep in mind that buying an electric violin is also an option, especially if you want to play modern genres with your instrument. However, below we’ll keep our focus on traditional acoustic fiddles and violins.
Below is our list of the very best violins and fiddles for beginners that are on the market today.
Best Violins and Best Fiddles – Quick View
| Image | Model | Summary | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cecilio CVN-300 Solid wood Ebony Fitted Violin | This is our top pick of violins for beginners and for good reason. It simply offers the best bang for the buck and has everything a beginner player is going to need to get started. | Check Price on Amazon |  |
 | Stentor Student I Violin 1400 Series | This violin lies in the mid-range of student violins made by Stentor and includes a lot of high-quality features, considering its affordable price range. | | |
 | Mendini 4/4 MV500+92D Flamed 1-Piece Back Solid Wood Violin | A well-designed violin that leaves little to be desired for the student violinist, and all at a very affordable price. It’s truly one of the best violins for beginners on the market today. | | |
 | Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Violin | This fiddle/violin has been built well and offers a lightweight feel and select tonewoods which help contribute to its clear, resonant tone. | | |
 | Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 (Full) Size | The Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 is simply a great sounding violin and offers the beautiful tone and resonance a beginner needs as they grow with the instrument. | |
1. Cecilio CVN-300 Solid Wood Ebony Fitted Violin
The Cecilio CVN-300 Solid Wood Ebony Fitted Violin is our top choice for beginning fiddle and violin players and has a lot to offer. This instrument is part of the Cecilio beginner line and is known for its high-quality feel, sound, and craftsmanship. The fiddle/violin is available in 4/4, 3/4, 1/4, and 1/2 sizes.
The instrument is one of the best violins out there. It offers an excellent combination of price and quality and is well worth the money you would spend to get it. The CVN-300 boasts a spruce top along with a maple neck, back, and sides, and has a great look. There’s also some beautiful ebony displayed in the fingerboard, the pegs, and the instrument’s chin rest. The fiddle also has antique varnish and inlaid purfling which look and feel great.
This violin package also comes with some great additions such as two Brazilwood bows, a lightweight hard case, and several more accessories a beginner or intermediate player can make use of.
Overall, this is our top pick of violins for beginners and for good reason. It simply offers the best bang for the buck and has everything a beginner player is going to need to get started. This instrument may just be the best beginner violin on the market today.
2. Stentor Student I Violin 1400 Series
While Stentor provides a lot of options for student players, the Stentor Student I Violin 1400 Series is our top choice. It lies in the mid-range of student violins made by Stentor. The violin is an affordable choice that includes a lot of high-quality features, considering its price range. It comes in several great sizes.
The violin features solid spruce and maple build. The instrument offers players a killer sound and a tone that resonates well due to the great craftsmanship. The violin also has blackened rosewood fittings that complete the package and provide a lot of comfort to a player. This student violin has a great looking hand finish.
The fiddle package comes with nearly anything you’ll need as a beginner. The package includes a great bow, rosin, a soft integral cover. It also comes with a well-made carrying case to keep your violin safe at all times.
Overall, the Stentor Student I Violin 1400 Series is a really wonderful fiddle that provides an all-around good value for beginner fiddlers and violinists.
3. Mendini 4/4 MV500+92D Flamed 1-Piece Back Solid Wood Violin
The Mendini 4/4 MV500+92D Flamed 1-Piece Back Solid Wood Violin is another great violin/fiddle choice that is sure to please the aspiring violinist.
The instrument features excellent craftsmanship and high-quality construction. This instrument’s quality sound and resonant tone will amaze you. The Mendini MV500 provides a lot of value for its very reasonable price.
This Mendini violin comes packaged with a hard case. Two Brazil Wood bows, two bridges, rosin, and an adjustable shoulder rest are also included. The violin has 4 fine tuners that are detachable, an Ebony fingerboard, pegs chin rest, and tailpiece.
It has a gorgeous, high-quality design and a great feel. This attractively designed instrument features solid hand-carved spruce on the top. It also has a great looking varnish finish and inlaid purfling. The fiddle has a 1-piece maple back, sides and neck.
This well-made violin is just a step above all of the other beginner Mendini models, meaning you can grow with it for several years even as you become a more advanced player.
Overall, this is a great beginner instrument that leaves little to be desired for the student violinist, and all at a very affordable price. It’s truly one of the best violins for beginners on the market today.
4. Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Violin
The Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Violin is another excellent choice if you’re looking for a decent student violin. While this fiddle has its drawbacks and isn’t perfectly made, for a beginner, the Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Violin offers pretty good value and just about anything a beginner will need.
First of all, the violin has a nice, resonant sound. The instrument has been built well and is very lightweight and also features select tonewoods to help contribute to a good tone.
The build of this instrument is pretty nice as well. The fiddle features a lightweight composite tailpiece along with 4 fine tuners that make tuning a breeze. The fiddle also features an ebony fingerboard, Swiss-style ebony pegs, and fittings, and a hand-carved body made of solid spruce and maple.
The SV-175 also includes a package that will have just about anything a beginner could want. This Cremona violin has been packaged with high-quality Prelude strings along with a carrying case. Like the instrument itself, the included case is also fairly lightweight, while also providing adequate protection for any student’s needs.
Overall, the Cremona SV-175 violin leaves little to be desired for a student player and is one of the best violins around. If you’re ready to get started with the instrument, this is definitely one you’ll want to consider.
5. Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 (Full) Size
The Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 (Full) Size is another great beginner instrument that stands out above the other options. A little extra care was taken with the design of this violin. While this is one of the more expensive beginner options out there, the price is still manageable, and the truth is, it’s also well worth it.
The Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit 4/4 is simply a great sounding violin and offers the beautiful tone and worthy resonance a beginner needs as they grow with the instrument.
A few things make this fiddle stand out from other typical beginner violins and fiddles. This instrument features a custom fit maple bridge, which is well-built. Another thing that sets this violin apart is the instrument’s oil-based finish. Cheaper violins usually have a not-as-appealing lacquer instead.
Like the other instruments on this list, this Bunnel violin also comes with a pretty nice package of accessories which includes a nice case along with two bows. However, this package isn’t quite as complete as some of the fiddle packages listed above.
Overall, this violin is one of the best violins out there. If you have a bit more money to spend and want to get a beginner instrument that will grow along with you, this may be the one to purchase. It’s truly one of the best beginner violins around.
Final Thoughts
While there are many more violins and fiddles on the market, you can’t go wrong with the instruments listed above. Each of the above options has a killer sound, a great build, and everything a beginner player will need. If you want to make sure you get started out right and have an instrument that will make learning as simple and easy as possible, you’ll want to choose one of the violins on the list above.
Looking for a banjo instead? Check out our list of the best banjos for beginners now.
Hi, I’m Harrison! I created this website to help musicians navigate the ins and outs of their craft and to help them choose new instruments and gear to add to their collection. I have 15 years of experience as a guitarist and singer and have also played many other instruments throughout the years including the bass guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.