This is a good choice for a learner who isn't necessarily a conservatory candidate but wants a serious instrument that sounds good. It's nicely made. We followed the advice of online commentators and immediately changed the factory-supplied strings for something better (D'Addario Prelude, in or case). The result was a super-sounding violin, as all the family will testify - and teacher too. We did have to change something else - the chinpiece. Either the one supplied was slightly rogue or there is a slight design glitch - though it looks nice, the finish was rather sharp on one side, digging into the chin during a long lesson. Having done this we've got a really nice instrument with which its owner has bonded quickly!