Perfect for beginners
I am NOT a violin expert. I could not tell you what a good violin should look like if I was holding a Stradivarius in my hands. But one day I decided to buy a violin of my very own and start learning. So I spent a week looking at every electric violin on the internet that I could conceivably afford, and ended up choosing the Hidersine HEV-1.
It was impossible to find even one review of the HEV-1, but I decided to try my luck and buy one anyway.
This is what happened: everything that was advertised was delivered, and delivered fast. The violin was in good condition, and fully assembled (I was worried that it might be 'some assembly required', because I would have had no idea how to do that). The violin came with a bow, hard case, headphones, rosin, and cable, and definitely feels like good value for money.
The good things: the matching mother-of-pearl inlay on the tuning pegs, tailpiece, and bow is extremely satisfying, and the pattern in the finish is unique with a certain impress factor when you show it off (there is no finish on the back of the neck, but this is intentional). The cut-away body is similar to more expensive models, rather than being a number- or s-shaped design usually regarded as being more of a novelty. It is light-weight but definitely doesn't feel like a toy violin.
The not-so-good things: the rosin was not Hidersine brand, which surprised me because their brand is supposedly of very high quality. And the headphones were not the best quality, so I will likely replace them in the future. But the violin is loud enough that I don't really need headphones to practice anyway (don't be deceived by the description of a 'silent' electric violin - there is no such thing!). The finish on the chinrest is not 100%, and some of the brown wood on the underside can be seen, but it is not very noticeable and doesn't affect playability.
What you don't get: a tuner or metronome, so you will have to buy one of this or find an app/website to help you. Also I broke a string on my second day with it so I had to buy a new string on the spot, which was much more expensive than buying a set and waiting a few weeks for delivery, so I recommend buying replacement strings in advance. Otherwise this outfit is really effective on its own and you don't have to go around replacing the bridge or the strings to get started.
Satisfaction rating: Very satisfied.
Verified purchase: YesCondition: New