Stentor SR1505 Viola Student II 16,5"

I decided to buy this as a first viola for myself, I have played the violin for years and wanted a viola that wasn't going to break the bank but wasn't completely awful.

The 2nd violin I had was a Stentor II and it took me through to a university audtion and got me a place, so I thought the same model but in a viola would be perfectly acceptable for me to get to grips with viola.

The viola itself and the case are great, but the bow isn't fantastic.

The viola is very good considering the price. WIthin a few days I changed the strings as the ones that ship with it are terrible, but this was expected, they have tuning instability, are harsh sounding and open C and G go flat if you press hard with the bow.

I was going to stick a set of Dominants on it, but my local music shop had none in stock and I was too impatient to wait for a delivery from Thomann, so I got another synthetic core string I had read about; D'Addario Zyex. They pair well with this viola, and the difference in sound between the factory strings and the Zyex is remarkable.

The bow isn't all that great. It maybe because I'm used to playing on my violin with a bow worth 5x the cost of this outifit, but its not very well balanced and the tightening mechanism in the frog is a bit stiff. Its useable, but I will be getting a new bow far before I upgrade the viola.

The case appears to be a foam case which is expected for the price, but it seems sturdy enough, it seems well made and their is enough space to fit a shoulder rest, some rosin, a cloth and other little bits. Being an oblong case, its easy to fit music in the lid.

Overall, this is a great outfit for students, adult beginners and even violinists wanting to take up viola like me. The viola on its own more than makes up for the lack-lustre bow.