No, not at all. I bought Brenda one of these for Christmas. Until now, all we've found were practice fiddles. This one however, amplifies well and can be used for regular gigs.
Sounds fine to us but it's hard to tell with my PA in a small room as opposed to a hall.
I had already found that page and Fujiyama's site is still under construction.
Can't seem to find any reviews on the Internet.
So I'm asking.
Comes with one of those very nice foam cases, by the way, which fits a regular fiddle.