The Best Cremona Violins
Cremona violins are some of the best in the world. They are known for their superior sound and craftsmanship. They make some fantastic, affordable violin models, but there are so many to choose from it’s hard to decide which one would suit you best. This blog post will provide a list of the best Cremona violins to help you narrow things down.
Quick Picks: The Best Cremona Violins
Product Name | Product image | Check Price |
|---|---|---|
Cremona SV-500 Premier Artiste |  | |
Cremona SV-75 Premier Novice |  | |
Cremona SV-130 Premier Novice |  | |
Cremona SV-1500 Master Series |  |
The Best 5 Cremona Violins
1. Cremona SV-500 Premier Artiste
The Strings Magazine has reviewed the SV-500 as “a good choice for anyone looking for a first or second violin.” The complete review can be found in the Video and Product Details PDF file below.
The best tone quality for an advanced student is found in Cremona’s most popular violin. This violin produces a great sound. It also comes with a lightweight oblong rigid foam case with four bow holders and a hygrometer.
The Cremona SV-500 is one of the best violins in 2023. This model would be perfect for beginners, advanced students, or any violinist who loves trying new instruments.
Body & Neck
The spruce top on this violin is very pretty and has a warm varnish. Like all Cremona violins, its body has been hand-carved and expertly crafted.
The varnish on this violin is nice and shiny. But it’s not a thick lacquer. Some of the newer, really glossy violins you see on the market tend to have quite a tinny sound. It is great to see that Cremona puts some extra love and attention into their violins.
Bow & Hardware
The SV-500 has genuine ebony fittings. This means that the fittings are durable. Ebony pegs hold your violin’s tuning well, so if you’re looking to spend a little extra on your violin, look for one like this that has excellent fittings.
Some people like fixed fine-tuners, while others prefer to use the fine-tuners on the instrument. Most students rely on fine-tuners to get the right sound, so you probably like them! Composite tailpieces are also lighter than ebony tailpieces, so having fixed fine-tuners probably makes the violin lighter overall!
This Cremona model comes with a brazilwood bow. It’s not the best one I’ve ever used, but it’s still a good student bow.
Sound
The SV-500 is a great violin for students. Given its price, it has an incredible tone and sounds much better than you would expect it to. This violin also has a lot of volume and resonance. It’s one of the most beautiful student violins I’ve ever heard.
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, swiss ebony fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario prelude strings, swiss ebony tuning pegs, and fixed fine-tuners
- Bow: Brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight composite tailpiece, swiss ebony chinrest
2. Cremona SV-75 Premier Novice
Every Cremona student violin comes with Prelude strings. These strings are the educator’s preferred choice for students.
The hardwood pegs and lightweight composite tailpiece with 4 smooth fine tuners make it easy to tune your violin.
This is a great beginner’s violin: The Cremona SV-75 is perfect for classical or folk players. It’s affordable and well-crafted.
Body & Neck
The SV-75 and the SV-500 have different appearances because of the varnish and spruce grain. The spruce top on the SV-75 doesn’t have as defined grain, and it looks more vintage.
This violin is a good choice if you’re looking for something that doesn’t have a beautifully flamed back. It has a retro-looking varnish that some people might like. It also has a maple neck, which is strong and sturdy.
Bow & Hardware
When you have a smaller budget, you might have to compromise on the hardware for your violin. This means that you might not get ebony fittings and settle for standard hardwood fittings.
The SV-75 has fittings that look like ebony and a composite tailpiece. The tuning pegs and fingerboard might not be as durable as ebony ones, but that’s okay because beginners usually need to upgrade their violins quite soon after starting. So it’s good to buy a cheaper one at first.
Sound
This violin is cheap, but it sounds great. It doesn’t sound as mellow or warm as the SV-500, but it has a beautiful voice. It’s a little brighter than the other one, and it doesn’t have as much resonance, but it’s a great beginner violin!
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, darkened rosewood fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario prelude strings, darkened rosewood tuning pegs, and fixed fine-tuners
- Bow: Brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Case: Lightweight semi-shaped foam with two bow holders
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight composite tailpiece, darkened rosewood chinrest
3. Cremona SV-130 Premier Novice
Cremona’s top-selling violin for more than 10 years is the perfect choice for a beginner.
Every Cremona student violin comes with Prelude strings. These are strings that are often recommended for students.
The SV-130 is a great beginner violin. If you don’t mind spending a little extra, this violin is for you! It’s more durable than other models, so it’s perfect for beginners.
Body & Neck
The SV-130 has an oiled neck. This makes it easier to change hand positions when playing between the strings. This is a good feature if you are not a beginner and want a violin that will help you play better.
These violins have the same features, except for the oiled neck. They both look vintage and have a spruce top.
Bow & Hardware
This violin has solid ebony fittings. That means its resonance and volume are better, and it is also more durable. This is a great option for your first violin if you are an adult beginner.
You don’t need to upgrade your violin as quickly as young beginners do. This is because you will not grow as fast as they do.
Sound
This violin sounds great! It has a smooth voice, and the transitions between strings sound beautiful. The ebony fittings give it resonance, making the learning experience more enjoyable.
You can feel the vibrations from the violin more, which will help you to better teach your ear.
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, ebony fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario Prelude strings, ebony tuning pegs, and fixed fine-tuners
- Bow: Brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight composite tailpiece, ebony chinrest
4. Cremona SV-1500 Master Series
This is an extra-choice, 100+-year-old, hand-carved, and graduated, solid spruce top.
It’s a one-piece, handcrafted top made of superb, deeply carved solid maple. It’s built of excellent solid maple on the back and sides.
Body & Neck
The Cremona SV-1500 is a really beautiful violin. It’s not too expensive, especially for a high-end violin. Spruce is one of the reasons why it is so pricey.
This spruce top has been around for over 100 years. It is hand-carved, and the F-holes are delicate. It also has a real ebony fingerboard.
Bow & Hardware
When it comes to high-end violins, ebony is not the best material to use. Boxwood is a more expensive and almost as strong material. Ebony fittings usually get all the praise, but boxwood is certainly not inferior.
The SV-1500 has a nice, curved tailpiece with one fine-tuner on the E string.
Sound
The SV-1500 sounds amazing! It’s very warm and resonant, and it sings out with lots of volumes.
This violin sounds good! It’s worth trying out if you can afford it. It has Anton Breton VNS-150 Perlon strings. This is why it sounds so silky!
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, genuine ebony fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario prelude strings, boxwood tuning pegs, and one fine-tuner on the E string
- Bow: J. LaSalle LB-17 brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight boxwood tailpiece, boxwood chinrest
5. Cremona SV-1220 Maestro
A hand-carved top made from select spruce wood will give your instrument clarity and volume.
The hand-carved and graduated select solid maple back, sides, and neck emphasize the sound and attack.
Body & Neck
This violin is great for folk players. It has a spruce top, and it is much more affordable than the SV-1500. The only other main difference between the two models on the body is the maple flaming. The SV-1220’S back isn’t quite as highly flamed as the SV-1500’s back.
The SV-1220 is completely hand-carved, and its neck is oiled for great playability!
Bow & Hardware
One big difference between this violin and 1500 is the fittings. The pegs don’t have any fancy carvings, but we can let them off because it only has one fine-tuner on the E string. This will help to minimize that pesky buzzing noise fine-tuners tend to make.
The SV-1220 is a less expensive version of 1500. It still comes with a well-balanced bow and makes from J. LaSalle LB-17 brazilwood.
Sound
This Cremona violin has a mellow and warm sound but with a touch of edge. It’s still smooth and not too bright – it’s just right. Honestly, it sounds pretty soulful!
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, genuine ebony fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario prelude strings, boxwood tuning pegs, and one fine-tuner on the E string
- Bow: J. LaSalle LB-17 brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight boxwood tailpiece, boxwood chinrest
6. Cremona SV-100 Premier Novice
- All Cremona student violins come with Prelude strings, which are educators’ preferred strings for students.
- This violin comes with rosewood pegs that are properly fitted and a lightweight composite tailpiece that makes it easy to tune.
Body & Neck
This violin is for everyone, but it might be a good choice for your first violin. It is very similar to the other novice violins, except it has a different varnish. It has a beautiful hand-carved spruce top and is lightweight.
The SV-100 is lighter than the 130. It is only 0.8 pounds! You may be wondering if a few ounces make a difference, but it does. Your arm will be able to tell the difference.
Bow & Hardware
As long as you take care of your violin, its fingerboard shouldn’t warp. Rosewood fingerboards can make the violin sound a bit different than other types of wood, but it’s not a big deal if you’re just starting.
The SV-100 is the same price as (or more expensive than) the SV-130. This violin is a good option, but you would get more for your money if you bought the SV-130 instead.
Sound
This violin sounds similar to the Cremona SV-75. It sounds sweet and lively, but it doesn’t have great resonance or projection. The SV-75 has a lovely voice, but it’s just a little too bright for my taste.
Spec Summary
- Body Material: Spruce top, maple sides, and back
- Neck & Fingerboard Material: Maple neck, darkened rosewood fingerboard
- Strings & Tuners: D’Addario prelude strings, darkened rosewood tuning pegs, and fixed fine-tuners
- Bow: Brazilwood bow with unbleached Mongolian horsehair
- Nut & Saddle Material: Ebony
- Bridge: Maple
- Tailpiece & Chinrest: Lightweight composite tailpiece, darkened rosewood chinrest
Best Cremona Violin Reviews
What is a Cremona violin? Well, you’ve probably heard of a Stradivarius. Maybe one of your favorite professional string players uses a Guarneri, or an Amati. They’re all from the same city in Italy.
Cremona is where the modern violin was first created and became popular.
Cremona SV-600 Premier Artist Violin Outfit
Any violin player wants a high quality instrument that sounds great and is durable. This violin is the best choice because it is handcrafted by a skilled luthier.
This piece is made of the best quality spruce and maple. The wood is close-grained and has a beautiful flamed pattern. Each element of the design was crafted to create the best possible tone.
Thi violin has neat inlaid purfling that is meant to protect the edges of the instrument. It also has a beautiful orange varnish finish that is applied by hand.
This instrument delivers a rich and even tone across all four strings. Plus, the fingerboard and trimmings are made from high-quality Swiss-style ebony.
The product package is finished with a balanced fiber carbon bow. You can easily take the violin with you to your lessons or gigs using the oblong case which is lightweight and made from foam.
Pros
Cons
Cremona SV-175 Premier Student Violin Outfit
If you are looking for a good student violin, the SV-175 is a great choice. It’s been the best-selling violin for students for the last 30 years. The front is made from spruce, the back and sides from maple and all the fittings except for the tailpiece are made from ebony.
The spruce wood on the instrument will help it sound the best it can, while the maple and ebony will keep it looking beautiful and durable for years. Another detail that makes a big difference is that the instrument comes with improved Prelude strings made by D’Addario, which is a preferred choice for students.
The hand carving and inlaid purfling on this violin not only make it more beautiful but also help improve its tone so that beginners and intermediates can feel proud to play it.
Pros
Cons
Cremona SV-200 Premier Student Violin Outfit
If you want a violin that looks traditional and elegant, this is the perfect one for you. It has everything you need.
The violin has a unique classical look because it has a flamed maple body with a translucent red finish. It is also suitable for all types of musicians, from beginners to advanced players.
The violin meets all the necessary quality requirements, and the manufacturing includes high-grade ebony fittings. Plus, the ebony pegs feature an excellent fitting.
This violin looks great and it sounds incredible too. The instrument is hand carved and the body is made of solid maple.
This product package includes an oblong violin case that has a built-in hygrometer. This way, you can easily carry and store your violin in complete safety.
Pros
Cons
Cremona SV-150 Premier Student Violin Outfit
The SV-150 model is hand-carved from scratch and is made with select solid tonewoods. This means that a lot of care and time was put into the instrument. It might be surprised that despite all this, the price is still low.
If you are looking for an instrument that is both good value and high quality, the SV-150 is a great choice. The tailpiece, chin rest, and bridge have all been carefully implemented to help the instrument sound great and also look elegant, which is not usually found on less expensive models.
The violin comes with a case that is designed specifically for it. The case is lightweight and durable, which helps to protect the sensitive violin from damage if it is dropped or hit.
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions About Cremona Violin
The Cremona line of violins is a fantastic choice because they are less expensive yet have a nice sound and are sturdy. With the beginner student series, you can progress to more expensive models as you gain skills.
Cremona is a brand of musical instruments owned and distributed by Saga Musical Instruments. They’ve honed the brand into a market leader in student violins, cellos, and violas. Prelude strings are included with all current models (or higher level).
Violins and violas created by the Amati family and their students in Cremona during the 16th and 18th centuries have made the city famous. In Palazzo dell’Arte, a museum is dedicated to the historic stringed instruments made by Guarneri, Antonio Stradivari, and the School of Violin and Viola Makers.
Cremona was named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site in 2012 because of its skillful violin-making techniques. These techniques have been improved and assembled year after year without any industrial material. Cremona’s violins are all handmade.
Cremona is the place where violins were first made. More than one hundred workshops make violins and other stringed instruments here. This violin-making tradition started in the 16th century, and it is still going strong today. Some of the best violin makers, like Antonio Stradivari and Niccolò Amati, came from this city.
There are many different types of violins, and each manufacturer makes them in different sizes and styles. Some of the more popular manufacturers are Bellafina, Cremona, and Yamaha.
Cremona, in northern Italy, has more than 100 workshops that make violins and other stringed instruments for musicians all over the world. This tradition of great violin-makers began with Antonio Stradivari and Nicolo Amati.
The woods used to make a violin include spruce for the top, willow for the internal blocks and linings, and maple for the back, ribs, and neck. Other people think that the wood might have been treated with different minerals before and after it was made into a violin.
The Amati family was a group of Italian violin makers who lived in Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. They were considered just as important as the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins made by Nicolò Amati are worth around $600,000.
Higher-priced violins are usually better instruments than lower-priced violins. Generally, high-end German trade violins are still good instruments and worth more money if they are in good condition.
Antonio Stradivari was a famous violin maker who lived in Cremona, Italy. He started making bowed string instruments by hand in the 16th century.
Some Chinese violin makers are becoming well-known for making high-quality and affordable instruments for students. However, they are also making fine instruments for more advanced and professional players.
For more information about the features to consider when choosing the best violin, click here.
