Antonio Giuliani Etude Violin Review: A Violin Teacher's Opinion

Antonio Giuliani Etude Violin Review

When it comes to buying a violin, I always recommend buying from a good, reputable string shop that specializes in bowed string instruments. If the store you’re buying from also sells things like soap or salt shakers, you probably want to move on!

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Kennedy Violins from members of Meadowlark Violin Studio who have purchased violins from them, so I was really excited to try out some of their instruments.

I ordered two violins from Kennedy: the Antonio Giuliani Etude and the Louis Carpini G2. For this review, I’ll focus on the Giuliani Etude, but if you want to know more about the Louis Carpini, click here.

A Mid-Range Beginner Violin

The Antonio Giuliani Etude is a mid-range beginner violin. It’s not the absolute cheapest beginner violin, and I think it represents that perfect sweet spot for beginners who want a little more in terms of sound and quality.

Adult beginners will especially do well in this price range because the improved sound offers more for a discerning ear.

This mid-level beginner price range is also great because it allows you to learn more advanced techniques. The quality of the wood and varnish is definitely a step up from your most basic beginner violin, and a huge step up from something like a VSO (violin-shaped object).

A Good Set-Up

When we talk about “set-up” we’re talking about making sure the violin is set-up for success. As in, do the pegs work? Do they turn smoothly? Is the bridge the correct height and curvature? Is the nut height and string spacing correct? Is the sound post set-up optimally? These are all things that should be checked over when a violin is shipped to you and it’s one of those things that you WON’T get when purchasing from a random music store on a site like Amazon.

You want a real luthier to check over all of these little details with set-up, and that’s what you get when ordering from a real violin shop like Kennedy.

All that to say, the basic set-up on the Antonio Giuliani Etude violin was great. No issues there!

Upgraded Strings and Bow

I opted for the upgraded Dominant strings, and that’s an upgrade I do recommend.

As a beginner, you’re probably not going to change your strings during that first year unless you’re playing a lot. Having better strings gives you a better start, with improved sound and response. It just allows you to get more out of the violin.

I also got the upgraded Giuliani Premier bow, and I’m really impressed with this little bow. It actually allows me to do some pretty advanced bow techniques.

One thing I love about this violin and bow combination is that it can handle more weight than your standard beginner violin. That means you can start learning the skill of relaxing more weight into the string.

I’m always telling students to add more weight. This is something beginner students can struggle with when they have a cheaply made violin. If they add more weight, the violin just maxes out and gives up. But the Etude and the Premier bow actually handle quite a bit of weight.

It also has good resonance. You can really hear the violin ring when those third fingers are in tune!

One Less Thing for Beginners to Worry About

Another thing I love about this outfit is that it comes with a pre-rosined bow. I got in touch with Kennedy Violins, and they told me that all of their bows included in outfits come pre-rosined.

This might not sound like a huge deal, but it really is helpful for a beginner.

You don’t have to worry about applying too much rosin with a pre-rosined bow!

Brand-new bows require a lot of rosin, and understanding how much rosin a bow needs is a skill that takes time and experience to develop. If you put too much rosin on, you can run into problems. If you don’t put enough on, you may constantly wonder whether the problem is you or the bow.

Add in a brand-new cake of rosin, even if you’ve already scratched up the surface, and it can all combine to make a frustrating experience. Especially when you just want to grab the bow and try out your new violin!

I love that the bows come pre-rosined to the right amount. It’s just one less thing you have to figure out as a brand-new beginner.

Is the Antonio Giuliani Etude a Good Beginner Violin?

I think this is a great violin for starting out. It will allow you to learn all the beginner and intermediate techniques without feeling like your instrument is holding you back.

Should You Upgrade the Pegs?

The Etude violin comes standard with good, working traditional pegs, but Kennedy Violins can install geared pegs on any violin you purchase. If you’re buying this violin for a child, or if you simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of tuning, geared pegs are an upgrade I highly recommend.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of geared pegs, check out my video comparing VSO pegs, traditional pegs, and geared pegs.

And if you’re curious about what you get when you spend more money on a violin, you might be interested in my review of the Louis Carpini violin or my video about what you get when you spend more money on a violin.