Franz Hoffmann™ Prelude Violin Outfit 1/2 size
Recommended for Beginners on a budget!
The Prelude is made with higher quality tonewood that will allow Beginners to advance further on their musical journey before trading up to another instrument.
Hand made by skilled artisans from aged maple and spruce tonewoods. Enhanced arching gives a warmer and more powerful sound; careful varnish application gives a clean and precise look that brings out the beauty of the wood; better quality pegs allow your young student to master the intricacies of tuning. In every way, our Prelude will exceed your expectations for a beginner's instrument - it will delight both parents and teachers and inspire your young student. Set-up with Overture Premium strings. Made in China, inspected in our Ann Arbor workshop. Available in 4/4 - 1/32 sizes.
Ratings & Reviews
pretty good for the price
As a beginning student, we didn't want to spend a lot on my daughter's first violin. This is a very good price and a reasonable quality. The cable holding the tailpiece broke almost immediately, which required quite a bit of my time to determine what had happened and to have the violin repaired and re-strung. And the bow warped after just a couple of months (maybe sooner but we didn't notice until it was about three months old). So it hasn't been hassle-free, but I suppose you get what you pay for.
Not as happy
Since I've purchased many Shar violins for my 4 kids, I'm submitting several reviews. In my review of the 1/8 and 1/4 size Preludes, I gave the violin 5 stars. It may have been the individual instrument that I received, but the 1/2 size Prelude didn't sound as good, and I'm only giving this 3 stars. We ended up upgrading to an Etude violin that we are very happy with.
decent violin but bow broke just after warranty ended
We purchased this violin in Aug 2014. The violin is good for the price, and a lot more economical than renting. However, we opened the case the other day and the bow had broken. The piece that holds the hair to the top of the bow had separated from the wood. Unfortunately it was just after the warrant period ended. The bow itself is only $30 for a replacement, but personally I would have preferred to pay a little more for a better bow.
Recommended!
This is the violin that I recommend to my students. It is a GREAT beginner violin (especially for kids needing fractional sizes). Plus, with Shar's great customer service, it just makes sense to order here. Have also played the Etude and Maestro violins, but wasn't as impressed considering the cost of those. If you want an inexpensive beginner violin, this is the way to go, and then upgrade to something better later on.