Cecilio CVA-400 Solidwood Viola with D'Addario Prelude Strings, Size 12-Inch

The Cecilio CVA-400 arrived promptly as indicated. Out of the box it's a gorgeous student instrument. It came already set up, required a bit of tuning otherwise perfect condition. You cannot beat this purchase for the beginning student or adult just starting out. An upgrade on the bow will be needed in the future but for now the bow that came with it will work very well, The case is lightweight, sturdy but not a hard case. All in all I am very well pleased with this choice. This is my second Cecilio instrument (flute is first) and I am extremely please with the quality of both instruments. I am suspicious of certain reviews from "band instructors" which I suspect to possibly be music store owners who do not want online retailers encroaching on their territory. Read those with a jaundiced eye. This was an excellent purchase and the right decision for me.10/11-16 - This addition is for those of you who wonder how it holds up after the initial purchase. I have now had this Viola for a while and my opinion of it has not changed. I have been taking lessons and my instructor was very impressed with this Viola and was absolutely surprised when I told him that I had purchased it on Amazon and for what price. It stays in tune and has a really good sound and also it just looks great. I have received a number of compliments on the look of this instrument. All in all, for those who are considering this as a student instrument, it was a really great purchase.8/1/17 - additional update: I have now had this Viola for a little over 1 year and continue to have great success with it. I have now upgraded the strings to D'addario Pro Arte strings. The strings that come with this viola last around one year before 1 or more start to have an "off" sound--not quite in tune with a bit of buzz. I would suggest, when purchasing this viola, that you take it to a luthier to have the bridge adjusted. I found out that my bridge was a bit to high. It was not quite the shape of a viola bridge, i.e, curved enough to decrease the effects of constant double stops (playing two strings at the same time due to both being at the same level). Beyond that issue, which i spent a while compensating for thus my suggestion to get that bridge looked at and taken care of immediately after purchase, I have had no other problems. Again my pegs are not slipping and the strings that came with it were perfect for a years worth of use. HTH.8/1/17 - My response to someone who had true concerns and criticism of Cecilio (Mass produced) instruments: "The Luthier did not say that the instrument was perfect and they absolutely understood that it was a cheap instrument. That being said what they meant that for the price their expectation was that it would be much worse off than it was. I've had mine for a year now and yes the bridge required adjustment and I have just changed strings (the originals lasted a year). With the bridge and strings changes it still (for a beginner) is not a bad instrument. Will I spend well over the price of the viola to make further adjustments to get it to sound like a Strad? No. When I get better and feel that I'm at a point where a much better instrument is required I will then purchase my second instrument from a Luthier. I do recognize the value of their expertise. That being said...if you are itching to start learning to play and you really cannot afford to buy or rent an instrument from a Luthier you may not go wrong with one of these instruments. From some of the reviews it might be a crap shoot.

am a very happy camper and truly could not be more pleased at the Cecilio CVA 400 Viola outfit that I purchased for myself for $140 @ Amazon (It sells for $170 at 3 other sites). I smiled and laughed with my first sounds because the open notes and scales did NOT screech on any string, like so many Viola’s in this economy price range! (Yes, I had to correct for flats and sharps while I relearned finger positions, but no screeching, and my cat only casually looked up from his nap – LOL). I received the Viola, extra bridge, D’Addario Prelude Strings (installed no extra set), sturdy case, Cecilio light rosin, a wood bow, and digital tuner w metronome. The bow that shipped with it functions fine for a beginner but I just upgraded to a carbon fiber bow and love the additional control.This is a great Viola that delivers the full, soothing, warm sound I wanted. This is not a $1500 or more instrument. It is a good student tool that should last through several years of service. The sound is dramatically improved by the option of having the D'Addario Prelude Strings installed as an upgrade for only $10 more than the Cecilio factory strings with a factory spare (The factory strings versions sell for $130). I read every review I could find on Amazon, other sites, YouTube etc. There seemed to be more complaints in the pre-2012 group than after. So maybe someone paid attention to the customers. I also wondered if the reviewers purchased from wholesale distributors and resellers rather than music stores with staff to assure the instrument was professionally set-up before shipment. I contacted the seller - KK Music store prior to purchase and was assured that one of their technicians would check the instrument and it would arrive in out-of-the-box, playable condition (after tuning of course). Excluding a cracked rosin, that is exactly what I received. I had already upgraded to Kaplan Premium dark rosin (about $12 locally) so there was no down time while waiting. I requested the replacement as a matter of principle for the defective item. (They promptly shipped a replacement dark rosin which I preferred, so I am still more than happy). I watched a few videos on opening a new Viola or Violin so had an idea of what to look for.I played Viola for about 6 or 7 years in public school and represented my school at the PA Music festivals, so I was a decent player a few decades ago. I wanted a solid beginner instrument, which could be resold or donated to a school if my “aging fingers and joints” elected not to cooperate. A Viola instructor at a local music store that has a collective group of over 600 clients, said she always disliked the factory strings on the Cecilio’s, so D'Addario Prelude Strings made a big difference for her.I highly recommend this Viola, iIF and ONLY IF purchased from a seller will professionally set it up before shipping. It seemed ridiculous to me that some reviewers had to pay locally out of pocket to have a bridge or sound post professionally installed.

I casually played the viola from middle school through college (piano was my main instrument), but I never had my own. Now, with the combination of Covid isolation and retirement, it seemed the right time to return to my roots. I am so pleased with this viola! It is beautiful, with a highly flamed maple back and fashionable boxwood pegs, chin rest, and tailpiece. The varnish is flawless. After rosining the bow for about six minutes, I discovered the instrument has a full, sweet sound, and the pegs are holding the tuning well. As some have noted, the bow wood is a little too straight with the hair not perfectly installed. This viola does have a high gloss finish, so fingerprints really show, but I love polishing it to keep it beautiful. The 16” instrument I have is possibly a little large for me (5’6”), but it is the size recommended to me by KK, and it does have a great tone that might be reduced with a smaller instrument. I’m not having difficulty playing individual strings, so to my mind, the bridge is just fine. I highly recommend this CVA-400 viola to anyone who wants to resume playing the instrument. The whole outfit is very nice!