Then there are some technical considerations. I might suggest saving an extended range violin, with five, six or seven strings, until you’re ready to bring a second electric instrument home. For a first instrument, a regular four-string violin offers all you need. One of the big choices is the number of strings to go for. The one thing I’d say for sure about electric violins is they’re fun – so much fun Whichever material and design you prefer, it’s good if possible to try before you buy, so you can check out the instrument’s weight and balance, and make sure the fit is comfortable. Some models are fretted, adding another kind of visual appeal, while others offer a fretted-looking finish if you prefer playing on a regular smooth fingerboard. Acrylic designs have a space-age look and can be lighter and tougher. Wooden models have an aesthetic appeal similar to that of classic violins and, correspondingly, feel more organic and warm to the touch. Depending on how much personalisation you need, Yamaha’s factory-produced instruments and others are perfectly serviceable – and popular – but the handmade route is best if you want customisation possibilities. When choosing an electric instrument, a key factor to consider is how it is constructed, and whether it is handmade or produced in a factory. That’s the fun an electric violin can bring, but are they also sensible music making tools? I think all of the instruments mentioned here certainly are. Like the best noisy toys it goes super loud and impresses your friends, and that’s all before you’ve played a single tune. It doesn’t look like one of those normal ones everybody has at school. Imagine the dream violin you might unwrap at Christmas as a kid. The one thing I’d say for sure about electric violins is they’re fun – so much fun. You can practise using headphones without disturbing anyone around you.Effects processing lets you explore new sound worlds, and looping devices give you the power to layer bass-lines, chords and melodies on your own.You can extend the usual four-string range with instruments that boast five, six, seven or even eight strings.The wow factor of an electric violin can convey your individuality and personality and increase your stage presence.Electric instruments come in a range of radical shapes and dazzling colours.Using a robust electric violin preserves a valuable and delicate acoustic instrument from potential damage in hazardous workplaces.You can play in loud environments, for example with electric guitars, drums and brass.An electric violin has zero feedback at highly amplified sound levels.What are the advantages of an electric violin? There are many: My advice is to try out as many as you possibly can, either at a specialist music store like Moseley Violins in the UK and Electric Violin Shop in the US, or ask teachers, friends and colleagues if you can try theirs. But with so much choice, selecting an instrument might seem an impossible task. Witness the distinctive flying-V shaped Viper violin by Mark Wood, the fully MIDI synth-ready violins from Zeta, the exotic creations by mavericks like Australia’s David Guscott, and perhaps the most quintessential of futuristic violins – the 3DVarius, a 3D-printed premium electric violin from France. To supply such demand, incredible things are happening in the electric violin making universe. The trend for electric violins seems to have mushroomed in tandem with the growth of the internet and now there is a huge scene of electric violinists, many of whom are online performing pop and rock covers. In this article we’ll focus primarily on the full electric type.Ī culture around the electric violin has sprung up quite suddenly in the past 25 years. I find there is a use for each variant in professional life, depending on the musical setting. Step back further still and you can fit a standard violin with a microphone for extra volume. Indeed, we’ve been amplifying our violins throughout the history of jazz, popular and rock music in one way or another ever since Stuff Smith began experimenting with National pickup systems in the 1930s.Ī pure electric violin depends on an electric current to radiate sound, whereas an electro-acoustic instrument is a hybrid, retaining the traditional sound chamber of classic violins and working both plugged in or unplugged. Fortunately for us fiddle players each type shares the same core fundamentals of fingerboard, bridge and strings.Įlectric violins have been around for almost 100 years – even longer than the guitar variety. This article appears in the 2019 Accessories supplement, available with the June issueįor many, pitting classic violins against electric violins is like comparing fine dining with street food – both are tasty but very dissimilar.
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