I bought this for my nine-year old niece who, after playing around with my Hugh Tracey kalimbas expressed an interest. As with other reviewers I was quite pleasantly surprised. The quality of this instrument is quite comparable to the Hugh Tracey treble, at less than 1/3 the cost. You can find cheaper kalimbas in the $10-$30 range, but most of them are poorly made, and little better than toys. This, on the other hand, is a real musical instrument. The build is solid, the wood smooth and nicely finished, and the tines are well-shaped and chrome finished. The hardware is basically the same as that used on Hugh Tracey instruments. The tone is bright and rich, and the expression holes on the back side make special effects easy. This is one of those instruments that is quite appropriate for everyone from beginners to pros. A newbie can easily be picking out a tune on one of these in a few minutes, but with some dedication, advanced players will find the instrument lends itself to complexities limited only by their imagination. Especially nice with this package are the little extras that come with it: a hardshell case (these can be hard to find separately); a tuning hammer; polishing cloth; and note-indicator stickers for the tines, if you are so inclined. Really, you're not going to find better for this price. Recommended.

Have to say I wasn't expecting much for this, but this guitar stand is much heavier duty than it looks. The push button lock works perfect, the guitar fits perfect, and everything is padded well. Nothing bad to say about it. Excellent stand.

Good quality and stable! No assembly required.

I'm in love with this thing and I can't put it down. Ever since it arrived I keep picking out tunes on it, and playing with it constantly. It's beautiful, it sounds great, and it's incredibly portable. I see myself playing with this for a long time and even trying to get good at it. I highly recommend it, it's even better than I thought it would be.

For the price it's awesome! It's the perfect for my beginner children ages 10 and 14. The case isn't the greatest but it's ok until you find what you need.

I have a six year old daughter, so getting her to practice is very hard. She loves this violin, so she'll practice without arguing.

I bought this for my girlfriend for Valentines, and she loves it. It’s not difficult to learn.

For the price, this is a great student violin. The package comes well equipped with a case, bow, shoulder rest, rosin, extra strings and an extra bridge.