Best Cecilio Violin Guide 2022

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Lacey Jackson

Lacey began her musical career playing the piano and writing original songs to sing with her friends at a 4th-grade “graduation” ceremony. She's actively participated in school, community, and church choirs throughout her life. Music is her passion and she loves sharing that passion with you!

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Summary: This best Cecilio violin guide explains which Cecilio models are best for beginners through professional musicians. 

Buying a violin is a significant investment, and you want to make the right choice. If you are interested in the Cecilio brand, this best Cecilio violin guide will explain my top picks for beginners, intermediates, and advanced musicians. 

My Top Picks

• Cecilio CVN-200
• Cecilio CVN-500
• Cecilio CVN-600

I recommend the Cecilio CVN-300 for beginners through intermediate players and the CVN-600 model for professionals. Beginners who start with the second-best student model won’t have to buy a new violin for years to come, and intermediate players won’t need to upgrade until they start performing full-time. 

My selection criteria for this best Cecilio violin guide are quality of materials used, craftsmanship, and suitability for different musical skill levels. 

Cecilio makes a wide range of stringed instruments, including the violin. They produce handcrafted violins often accompanied by top-of-the-line bows suitable for beginners through professionals. 

• The beginner models come with all the accessories you need to get started right out of the box, so to speak. 
• The intermediate models have the same accessories and slightly higher quality wood.
• The professional models have aged wood and are suitable for orchestral needs, put through rigorous testing, and crafted from quality maple and spruce. 

Cecilio Models

While this best Cecilio violin guide will explain the top handful of makes and models crafted by Cecilio, if you are ever unsure about whether a particular violin (or another stringed instrument for that matter) matches your skills, you can refer to their number system. 

Cecilio makes it easy to determine the skill level associated with different instruments. They are often categorized by a set of letters followed by a set of numbers. The numbers typically start around 100 or 200, indicative of beginner or student instruments. From there, the models move through the 300’s, 400’s, 500’s, and 600’s for advanced professionals. 

Unique models like left-handed variations might have a number such as 320, which still refers to it as a middle-of-the-road instrument in terms of skill (appropriate for an intermediate student or advanced player). 

I love this system because it helps me find the makes and models for myself, my kids, and my students. Usually, the beginner levels have more sizes because they are meant for children through adults. In contrast, the advanced levels (think the 500’s and 600’s) are typically only full-sized (4/4) because they are intended for adults who have years of skill under their belt. 

Cecilio Sizes

You need to know which size to buy. This best Cecilio violin guide can give you a basic idea of which sizes are for what ages, but you should always measure the arm span for children to ensure the size is appropriate. 

You don’t have to do this for adults because adults use full-size 4/4 violin regardless of arm span. 

Cecilio makes eight sizes:

• 4/4 or full size
• ¾
• ½
• ¼
• ⅛
• 1/10
• 1/16
• 1/32

The last two are toy violins, so you won’t typically buy those. To measure a child, measure from their neck to the middle of their left-hand palm. This determines the best length of violin or size. Lengths are as follows:

Best Cecilio Violin for Beginners and Students

Cecilio CVN-200

Beginners of all ages can use the Cecilio CVN-200. This model is included in this best Cecilio violin guide because it comes in four sizes for children, teenagers, or adults. Music teachers highly recommend Cecilio violins because of their tonal quality, quality craftsmanship, and reliability. This violin comes with all the accessories you need to start, such as rosin, two Brazilwood bows with horsehair, a lesson book for beginners, a tuner, a shoulder rest, and a hard case in which to place it all. 

The sound is not as warm as higher quality models like the CVN-300 or CVN-500, but that’s perfectly fine for a beginner. 

Pros

• Comes in four sizes
• Has all the accessories a beginner needs
• Has a nickel-plated tuner, lesson book, hard case, rosin, and two Brazilwood bows. 

Cons

• Only has a natural varnish

Cecilio CVN-300

You might also move up a level to the Cecilio CVN-300 model. This one is similar to the CVN-200 but just one level higher. It has the same Maple back and sides with Spruce on top. There are accessories included like 2 Brazilwood bows with horsehair, rosin, and a simple case in which to store your accessories. You get more than just the book; you get a CD with lessons, so if you don’t want to pay for private lessons, you can start yourself or your child on these. 

This budget model is durable with a shiny varnish. It is very sturdy, too, exactly what a beginner needs to focus on violin bow position and technique. As a parent, I love these beginner student models because it is something affordable that I can get for my child without straining the family budget. This is particularly great when my child decides that they don’t want to play the violin anymore after three years. The tone is slightly warmer and more pronounced than the CVN-200 model, so it’s a good beginner/intermediate model. 

Pros

• Sound quality is excellent and perfect for beginners
• Warm notes
• Will last 3-4 years
• Comes with all the accessories a beginner needs

Cons

• There are no notches for strings
• The case is not the highest quality

Best Cecilio Violin for Intermediate Musicians

Cecilio CVN-500

Intermediate players who have played the violin for a few years should consider the Cecilio CVN-500. I love that they include a violin case with the kit. Their violin cases are sturdy, supportive, and have space to store the extra rosin, strings, and bridges. The CVN-500 is an excellent step up from the 300 models, with ebony fittings and a high-quality tone. The nickel-plated fine tuners give you more flexibility in tuning too. You can make adjustments to your violin and replace pieces here or there as your musical skills progress. 

Even though it comes with rosin, I highly recommend buying the rosin you like most. Violin rosin can have a significant impact on the tonal qualities you get. If you have a bow you already like, then using higher-quality rosin will help you highlight those characteristics. 

Pros

• It produces a sweet, round sound, made better with the suitable rosin
• Beautiful yellow varnish
• Comes with accessories like a chromatic tuner, spare D’Addario strings, and a lesson book

Cons

• The shoulder rest is relatively cheap and might need to be replaced
• The finish is not always evenly applied on the body of the instrument, particularly the back

Best Cecilio Violin for Advanced Musicians and Professionals

Cecilio CVN-600

As a professional, you want the high-quality Cecilio CVN-600. They use D’Addario strings, so whatever strings come with your instrument is high-quality synthetic, perfect for beginners, intermediate musicians, and professionals. 

I use this model as a soloist because it has dynamic and vibrant sounds that fill a large room. I love it in concert halls just as much as at home. 

This model is meant for advanced players whose technique is refined enough to notice the subtle differences in wood quality. The wood used for this model is the same as the others, Maple for the back and sides with Spruce on top, but the critical difference is that the wood for this model has been aged seven years. The entire violin has a hand-rubbed oil finish, ebony for the fingerboard, and inlaid purfling. 

It is strung with D’Addario prelude synthetic strings, which I love. What’s more, it comes with a hard case in which you can store the accessories you get like the lesson book, rosin, chromatic tuner, two Brazilwood bows, and shoulder rest. Inside the hard case is a hydrometer so you can measure the humidity and keep your violin at the perfect temperature. 

Pros

• The case that comes with it has a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels
• There are D’Addario Prelude strings included
• Beautiful design, hand-rubbed with an oil finish

Cons

• Fine tuners might need to be adjusted, especially for the E string

Best Cecilio Violin for Left-Handed Players

Cecilio CVN-320L

If you are left-handed, you need the Cecilio CVN-320L. This is part of their beginner/intermediate range of instruments. It produces a clean, warm sound that is even better once you apply rosin. 

I love any instrument that comes with all of the accessories I need. While this model does not have extra strings, it’s equipped with the D’Addario Prelude synthetic strings that come highly recommended. You also get a chromatic tuner to Brazil with bows, Mongolian horsehair, rosin cake, an extra bridge, and a hard case. 

The hard case makes it worth not getting extra strings because you can protect your instrument quickly, and rest assured that it won’t get banged or scuffed going to and from lessons. 

Pros

• Spruce top and maple body
• Weighs only 5 pounds
• Has accessories like a hard case, 2 Brazilwood bows, and rosin

Cons

• No extra strings

Best Cecilio Electric Violin

Cecilio CEVN-1Y Electric Silent Violin

The Cecilio CEVN-1Y Electric Silent Violin is the best option for anyone who wants to switch to an electric violin. There are left-handed and right-handed options from which to choose and lots of variation in the finish. I recommend sticking with an unpainted wood finish to produce a better sound. 

If you choose an electric violin, please be aware that while it is marketed as an “electric silent violin,” you should not choose it just to get your hands on a quiet instrument. Many people make the mistake of buying a silent, electric violin because they live in an apartment or have roommates, and they want to learn how to play on something that won’t make a lot of noise. 

These violins are not meant to be beginner violins on which you learn the technique. They might be silent, but that’s because they are intended to be amplified with electric equipment, and you won’t get the most out of your instrument if you don’t connect it appropriately. It simply won’t sound as good if you only listen to it through headphones. 

Pros

• Natural wood model is better for advanced players
• Comes with all the accessories you need to start, including headphones
• Works well with a carbon fiber bow too
• Uses D’Addario strings

Cons

• Painted models will muffle the sound
• Peg slippage happens with time

FAQ

Bottomline

I recommend the Cecilio CVN-300 for beginners through intermediate players and the CVN-600 model for professionals. Most intermediate and beginner players can get great use out of the CVN-300 without upgrading until they begin performing full-time. However, Cecilio makes a wide range of suitable violins no matter your level of expertise.

Looking for more interesting readings? Check out:

• Cecilio Electric Violin Review and Guide: Silent Practice Only!
• How to Find the Best Violin Tuner: My Best Expert Advice for Beginners
• How to Find the Best Violin Rosin: Buying Guidelines
• Violin Sizes Explained: All You Need to Know!