Andy Chase

http://www.fiddlerwoman.com/id99.htm

The general theme I am sensing (and my own experience is no exception) is that you are in for a no-frills experience if you decide to buy one of these instruments.  You should have no illusions that you are getting something that will be ready to play out-of-the-box, and as Beverley Conrad states in her post, you may wind up paying a lot more in setup and accessories (new bow, shoulder rest, etc.) than you might have anticipated.

I’m optimistic, though; I’m fully aware of the potential shortcomings of my cheapo devil’s box, and I’ve played enough music on enough different instruments that I think I’ll be able to tell if the wall I hit is due to being a newbie, or to having an unplayable instrument.