At Mendini By Cecilio®, music is our passion. For over 10 years, we have been providing high-quality yet affordable musical instruments to beginners and hobby musicians so they can fully explore their musical talents. Whether you’re looking to learn the violin, saxophone, drums, or any other instrument that stirs your soul, we have you covered.
Our Humble Beginnings
Mendini By Cecilio® started as a small family-owned business in 2008. Our founders, Cecilio and Mendini, were both musicians themselves who struggled to find quality beginner instruments that didn’t break the bank. They knew that price should not be a barrier to anyone inspired to pick up an instrument and learn to play music.
So Cecilio and Mendini began importing affordable musical instruments from manufacturers overseas. They focused on string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments targeted for students and hobbyists. Their goal was simple – make high-quality instruments accessible to all.
Word soon spread among music teachers and band directors about the new company offering sturdy beginner instruments at unbeatable prices. Orders started flooding in, and Mendini By Cecilio® rapidly expanded its catalog to over 10 different instrument families. However, we never lost sight of our founders’ original vision.
What We Offer
Today, Mendini By Cecilio continues to focus on beginner and intermediate musicians looking for quality gear at affordable prices. Our instruments and accessories include:
- Violins – Choose from full size 4/4 violins to smaller 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, and 1/10 sizes for children. All come packaged in a lightweight hard case with a lesson book, extra strings, and accessories.
- Woodwinds – We carry alto, tenor, and bari saxophones along with beginner clarinets and flutes. Our premium nickel-plated keys provide a professional look and feel.
- Brass – Our trumpet and trombone models feature stainless steel pistons and slides for smooth playability. We also offer French horn and baritone options. All come with a plush-lined nylon case.
- Percussion – Our percussion selection includes full acoustic drum sets, snare drums, electronic drum kits, xylophones, glockenspiels, and more. Experience quality sounds on a budget.
- Accessories – From cleaning kits to keep your instrument hygienic to folding music stands for easy transport, we offer all the accessories you need for successful practice sessions.
We believe cost should never limit someone’s access to quality musical instruments and their ability to develop their talents. That’s why we focus on value – not just being the cheapest on the market. All our instruments are backed by a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.
In-House Brands You Can Trust
While we started out sourcing instruments from various manufacturers, we quickly realized we could provide even better value by developing our own in-house brands.
Today, Mendini by Cecilio proudly owns and produces musical instruments and accessories under two different brands:
Mendini
The Mendini brand features our essential beginner instruments for new musicians. These core items cover all the basics you need to start lessons or join a school band or orchestra. Mendini instruments deliver quality construction, tone, and playability at the most affordable prices.
Cecilio
Cecilio instruments represent the next step up for advancing students and hobbyists. These instruments undergo extra select hand-craftsmanship and tuning to provide optimal sound, resonance, and durability. Cecilio clarinets, flutes, violin packages, and more provide excellent value for intermediate players.
No matter which of our in-house brands you choose, you can trust you are getting the most quality for the price. We stand behind all our products and offer hassle-free returns within 30 days.
Our Manufacturing Process
We design all our Mendini and Cecilio instruments in-house and work closely with select factories in China and India we have partnered with for over a decade. By keeping manufacturing overseas, we can provide professional-level instruments at the lowest prices by leveraging cost-effective labor.
However, we never cut corners on quality control. We closely monitor every step of the production process:
- Raw materials selection
- Tuning procedures
- Testing and inspection
- Packaging
We frequently visit our partner factories to ensure they meet our strict standards and treat employees ethically. While other brands markup instruments 4-5x their manufacturing cost, our direct model passes the savings on to you.
Supporting Young Musicians
At Mendini By Cecilio®, our mission goes beyond just selling musical instruments – we want to encourage a lifelong love of music. We actively support initiatives that provide access and music education to underserved youth.
Some of our recent projects include:
- Donating instruments to community music programs in low-income neighborhoods
- Sponsoring music competitions and recitals for school-age musicians
- Funding scholarships for summer music camps
- Providing instruments to school districts needing to expand their band and orchestra offerings
We hope that by putting an instrument in more kids’ hands today, we can inspire the next generation of talented musicians. Music education teaches so many valuable skills – perseverance, creativity, collaboration – that serve children far beyond the classroom.
Looking to the Future
For over 10 years, Mendini By Cecilio® has been the leading choice for beginner and step-up musical instruments. As we look to the future, here are just some of the ways we strive to innovate and improve:
- New technologies – We closely monitor emerging technologies that can enhance instrument sound quality, playability, and durability. Recent advances in 3D printing, carbon fiber, and electronics open up exciting possibilities!
- Expanded catalog – We currently offer over 10 instrument families but hope to expand into even more. From cherished classics like accordions and harmonica to exotic instruments like erhu and tabla, we endeavor to make our musical offerings as diverse as the students we serve.
- Enhanced ecommerce – Stay tuned for improved search and filtering options on our website, expanded customer content, and enhanced mobile shopping experience.
- Music community – We aim to build an online community allowing musicians to connect, support each other, and continue learning. Features like user profiles, mentoring opportunities, and instructional content create a hub for musical growth.
We sincerely appreciate you – our loyal customers – who have made this journey possible. Your passion for music inspires us daily. Together, let’s continue working to make musical education accessible to all.
