Franz Hoffmann™ Amadeus Viola Outfit - 16.5 inch

Overall - I strongly recommend this for beginners. I even could recommend this for intermediate players on a budget. Just replace the strings as soon as possible and you should be fine. Then, when you have the money replace the bow and bridge and you're
golden. Quick background - I played for 9 years in school, then graduated and had no instrument until 5 years later when I got this. That being said, I'm not exactly a beginner but here is my honest review. Sound quality - it's good for a beginner to learn
on for their first two or three years. The strings aren't the best, but since a beginner may be tuning their own strings I would recommend not having expensive ones since they may break. The bow gives a nice sound. The instrument produces a loud enough sound
but it is not a very rich sound. Strings- they're okay for a beginner. I recommend keeping them for the first couple years until the player gets tuning down. I replaced mine with some synthetic dominants which were much more responsive and had a better sound
quality. With the stock strings you may get more screeching and shifting sound quality. Bow- it has very good control. I liked it other than the fact that the amount of tension is controlled. I couldn't tighten it to the point I like. This is good for beginners
because they usually over toughen bows. My bow was a little warped but not too the point that it interferes. Build quality - the instrument is built very well. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell it was this inexpensive if I didn't buy it. Everything works
the way it should. I want to replace the bridge to a better quality one, that is my only complaint.

My son got his start playing the viola using a 14-inch version of this instrument in 7th grade and it was perfect for him. The finish on the instrument was so-so, but considering the price, it was still a great deal. I'm glad we purchased it.

I feel that this outfit was well worth the money. Not being an expert, I'm not sure what constitutes an excellent viola, but for a beginner like me, this is perfect. It looks beautiful and plays great (as far as I can tell). You cannot beat this type of quality for the price, especially for just starting out. I wish I had known about Shar prior to purchasing a cheap violin online. It is nothing compared to what I got from Shar and I would def do business with Shar again!