Please help me decide between these two violas for a beginner...?

Viola #1:

Yamaha AVA5 16.5" hand made, Top Solid hand-carved spruce, Back Solid hand-carved maple (2 pieces), Finish Hand brushed oil varnish,Bridge Aubert, Fingerboard Ebony.

Tailpiece Wittner with integrated tuners, Chinrest Rosewood.

Pegs Rosewood, Strings D'Addario Prelude. Cheap case, wood bow with authetic horse hair, cheap rosin.

Price: 400 euros (~550 U$)

Viola #2: No name 16.5", hand made, Top Solid hand-carved spruce, Back Solid hand-carved maple (2 pieces), Finish Hand brushed oil varnish,Bridge Aubert, Fingerboard Ebony, very good case with hydrometer and 4 bow slots, bow made of brazilian wood with real Mongolian horse hair, chinrest, tailpiece with integrated tuners, fingerboard and pegs of ebony, Aubert bridge, Thomistak Dominant strings.

Price: 560 euros (~750 U$)

Thanks a lot.

Please help me decide between these two violas for a beginner...?

I would have to hear them played but it sounds like the second one is a bit better. For a beginner it probably won't matter a whole lot. You can always trade or sell if the beginner decides to stick with the instrument and get a better one. Both are priced like beginning instruments.

Please help me decide between these two violas for a beginner...?

Take a look at this third option

http://www.chrisbsmusic.com/cremsva2viol...

* Hand-carved solid Spruce top

* Hand-carved solid Maple back, sides, neck and scroll

* Inlaid purfling

* Warm brown finish

* Ebony fingerboard

* Polished Ebony fittings and (4) finetuners

* LB-12 J. LaSalle Brazilwood bow and Ebony frog with genuine unbleached white horsehair

* VP-203 Cremona 3-star bridge

* C-3905 multi-ply wood hard-shell case; plush lined, nylon covered case

* Shop adjusted