Bunnel Pupil Violin Outfit Review

If you’ve got a budding violinist in the family, you know how expensive these instruments can be. One solution is to get a beginner violin, but with those, you obviously sacrifice quality.

The Bunnel Pupil Violin from Kennedy Violin might be the perfect solution. It is the perfect compromise between quality and price.

It is a little less expensive than other violins in the category, despite being higher quality, because it has some cosmetic flaws. They do not impact the sound and playability at all.

It is definitely a stronger and more solid instrument than most similarly priced instruments, but as a pupil violin meant for beginners, it costs a lot less than more professional models.

Bunnel Pupil Violin Overview

When purchasing a violin the type of wood and other material used in construction is very important, since low-quality material can lead to a flawed sound. Bunnel violins, even the entry level models, are handcrafted from solid maple and spruce tone woods of exceptional quality.

The materials used by Kennedy Violins in their beginner models are not top-of-the-line, but they are still solid in quality and construction and you pay a lot less. Everything is made from 100% genuine ebony, with a rich oil finish, which is a great value for the price.

This specific model is one the best entry-level violins that Kennedy Violins has and one of the best beginners violins out there. It costs a bit less than other similar instruments, but that is because of the cosmetic flaws. The company also has some of the highest rated violins on Amazon and it is rated number one in costumer service in the U.S.

The Bunnel Pupil Violin comes in multiple sizes: 1/16, 1/10, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4. It has a lifetime warranty on the instrument’s material and construction and a one year warranty on the case and all accessories.

With this violin, you get a durable, high-grade Brazil wood bow, inlaid purfling, four independent fine tuners, a Kennedy oblong violin case with a light blue or amber interior or a Kennedy Guardian violin case with a black interior, a contoured shoulder cushion for 1/10 to 1/16 sizes, pre-installed steel-core D’Addario Prelude Strings and four independent stainless steel fine tuners on an ebony tailpiece or four professional quality built-in fine tuners on a composite tailpiece.

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Pupil Violin Pros and Cons

Pros

One of this violin’s biggest selling points is the fact that it comes with a free setup,which means you can play straight out of the box. That said you can see in the cons section below that some costumers complained that some extra tuning was needed.

It comes with a lifetime warranty on the instrument and a one-year warranty on all accessories. You also get a 45-day money back guarantee. Along with the instrument and the case, it also ships with a free starter pack with a 3/4 to 4/4 Portland Classic shoulder rest or a 1/8 to 1/2 Portland Acoustical shoulder rest, as well as an Intro to Violin book.

The violin is hand-made and carved from solid spruce and maple tone woods. It has a 100% ebony fingerboard, pegs and fittings and a custom-fit, hand-carved maple bridge. It features 100% natural ebony fittings, including the polished fingerboard and pegs and a satin oil finish.

The bow is an official Giuliani Brazil wood bow with high-grade Mongolian horse hair, silver winding and a half-mounted, 100% ebony frog.

Cons

This particular violin doesn’t have many cons, but the main one would definitely be the cosmetic flaws. They do not have any impact on the sound or the way you play it, but some people do not like their instrument having any flaws. For a beginner, it shouldn’t matter, though.

To us, the biggest disadvantage is actually the Bunnel Premiere Clearance Violin. It only costs slightly more than this model, but is a better instrument. It also has minor cosmetic flaws, which serve to drastically lower the price. You are much better off paying a little more and getting that one over this one.

That being said, costumers show a great satisfaction with this model but be warned: even though the company says on its website that the Pupil Violin comes ready to play right out of the box, that may not always be true. Some customers reported that additional tuning was needed. There have also been a small number of complaints about weak strings (though costumer service was ready to help in those cases).

Bunnel Pupil Violin Review Conclusion and Rating

On Amazon, costumer reviews are highly favorable, with strong positive feedback on the sound quality, the material and construction and Kennedy Violin’s after purchase support.

If you are looking for a beginner violin that is well-made and won’t have to replaced in a few months, the Bunnel Pupil Violin is a great choice. It may have some minor cosmetic flaws, but they affect nothing. It will last a long time and you won’t get you frustrated when playing it. It scores a Musicaroo rating of 4.5 out of 5.