The Luis & Clark violin surpassed all my expectations in sound quality; acoustically the violin has the power to fill a hall, while not being too penetrating for a small room. This superb violin has strength and balance from top to bottom, lots of volume while remaining easy on the ear. It is visually stunning and feels great to play. Being a folk musician, I seldom use higher positions – however the tonal clarity and feel of this instrument almost tells me where to put my fingers. When on stage using a small, attached microphone – it simply works better than anything I have tried previously. Overall this instrument has opened up opportunities to improve and enjoy playing. I was lucky to find Cardiff Violins to import the violin from America so I could try it before buying – they have a wonderful shop, friendly people and have set up the violin beautifully.