Man, I wish you guys would get some bass guitars at some point.

Just got the Retro Fire black bundle during the woot-off. Only paid $74.99! Deal of the century!!! Take that suckas!

I bought the orange Retro Fire last time. Quality is what you would expect from a beginner guitar. The hardware feels cheap and some of the plating on one of the bridge saddles actually peeled off. The electronics are wired well, though the cavity is barely shielded. The finish however is VERY nice. It's a very pretty guitar and has actually gotten a few compliments. All in all it would make a good first guitar.

The reason I got it though was for modding! I tore out the cheap sounding no-brand pickups for some tasty GFS lipstick pickups. That and a new graphite nut, bridge, and proper shielding. Now this thing can practically sing anything from the smoothest jazz to the raunchiest rock & roll.

I bought one of the Peavey electrics from you guys (just for the super-portable amp). Love the amp and gave the guitar to a friend who is just learning to play... he loves it!

Now, I'd personally appreciate seeing some cheap acoustic guitars on here...

How is the violin quality?

Can anyone offer feedback on the quality of the Kona vs. the Peavey?

lilly1975 wrote:How is the violin quality?

Note that I am not familiar with this specific brand / package. But that said, violins in this price range are fine for a young person's first violin, especially if you're not certain if their interest will last or if they're careless. Better that they break something cheap. The sound won't be great but it's fine for your first steps.

For someone who is planning to study violin long-term you'll want to avoid this. A good violin will last *forever* with proper care, so if your target audience is in that category you'd best be served putting your money elsewhere. If you can't afford to buy a good violin, they can be rented for very reasonable rates.

Also, I wouldn't rely on video instruction for playing the violin. It's important to have a real teacher helping you, especially with posture and proper fingering positions. Improper posture can make learning difficult at best; long term bad posture can result in physical injury over time. Even long-time professional musicians can get lasting muscle pain.

KermodeBear wrote:Note that I am not familiar with this specific brand / package. But that said, violins in this price range are fine for a young person's first violin, especially if you're not certain if their interest will last or if they're careless. Better that they break something cheap. The sound won't be great but it's fine for your first steps.

For someone who is planning to study violin long-term you'll want to avoid this. A good violin will last *forever* with proper care, so if your target audience is in that category you'd best be served putting your money elsewhere. If you can't afford to buy a good violin, they can be rented for very reasonable rates.

Also, I wouldn't rely on video instruction for playing the violin. It's important to have a real teacher helping you, especially with posture and proper fingering positions. Improper posture can make learning difficult at best; long term bad posture can result in physical injury over time. Even long-time professional musicians can get lasting muscle pain.

I agree with this as a long time viola player.

If you're an adult who just wants to try it out I would recommend renting a violin from a local shop (or online if such a service exists) and signing up for a lesson or two with a professional teacher.

That will give you a better idea of how you like it without instilling any terrible habits from not having any professional feedback.

I learned to hold my instrument just slightly wrong, and 16 years later I am still struggling with this bad habit.

As far as what is in the package...
Violin - this will come with rental obviously
Bow - this should also come with rental
Rosin - this is very inexpensive and one block will last you a very long time
Soft Storage Bag - rentals will most likely come with a hard case, which is better
(2) Spare Fine-Tuners and E-strings - as long as you let your teacher get the instrument tuned and everything, you should not need these. If you do happen to break a string, cheap E-strings are very inexpensive. There is no reason you need "spare" fine tuners.
Digital Tuner with Battery - you can get this from an iPhone or Android app for free, surprisingly accurate
Violin for Dummies Book - just... no.

Also note that I believe this is a full size 4/4 violin. It will be too big for a small child. It will be an okay size for a larger child. I used this size viola (14") as a 12 year old.