Electric violin advice

Subject: Electric violin advice
From: GUEST,Jane of 'ull
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 12:19 AM

I saw an electric violin for sale (new) the other day for £69. I thought these were usually quite expensive? Whats the usual price for a half decent one? I played one once and to be honest I didn't like the feel of the neck, it was too rubbery. I'm not keen on the look of them but I hear they're much better for playing live as acoustic violins are hard to mike up?

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 12:21 AM

Don't buy it.

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: oggie
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:36 AM

Same rule applies as with any instrument, you get what you pay for!

Steve

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: GUEST,Sarah, Barnsley
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 06:43 AM

There are lots of reviews and general advise on Eletric fiddles on www.fiddleforum.com http://www.fiddleforum.com   I own a 4 string Bridge which has a neck and fingerboard just like an acoustic (I did have to save up for a long time!) It's great - it has active circuitry so it plugs straight into the mixing desk for gigs.
personally I wouldn't spend less than £400 on an electric fiddle, £69 is ok for mucking about with, but i think you would find out it's limitations very quickly.

Sarah

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: BanjoRay
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 10:24 AM

I bought a cheap electric fiddle which is great for practising quietly at home through headphones without disturbing the neighbours. If you want it for performing, forget it.
IMHO I don't think any electric fiddle ever sounds as good as a real one, even with a crap P.A.
Ray

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 10:30 AM

If you want it to sound ELECTRIC an acoustic one won't do!

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: Jim Lad
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 11:24 AM

The Electric Fiddle is set up exactly like the Acoustic is for plugging in. That is to say that the pick up is in the bridge so the sound is not really much different from any other violin that is plugged in.
They are much heavier however and any fiddle less than $1000 Canadian will give you bow sounds when amped. A deep rubbing sound each time the bow changes direction.
I gave my wife a Fujiyama for Christmas and she has yet to spend some time with it but we did try it out on my P.A. and were both surprised by the quality/richness of the sound.

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: Stringsinger
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 12:25 PM

Check out Mark Wood. A Barbera pickup is the best in my opinion.

It's great for playing jazz.

Frank

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: ThreeSheds
Date: 27 Jan 08 - 04:15 PM

Jane if youre in 'ull this chap isnt too far away so

Have a word with Colin

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: fiddler
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 03:23 AM

I'm afraid I can add nothing other than you get what you pay for and each has it's uses and lmitations.

I never use my birdge 4 string for American reels they sound better on an amplified wooden one.

However - Sweet georgia Brown and a few other tunes I would always use the Bridge, there is so much more you can put in to the music.

I've played the Cheaper stick type instruments and frankly I would onuy have the wooden fiddle if I had not discovered the bridge. I now expect lots of stick owners to jump all over me.

Like lots of things with fidles it is a very personal feel that you know when it is right for you and what you can do with it.

Ray is right about practice, though I still use my wooden one for that.

For 69 buy it if you don't like it sell it.

Andy

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: Grab
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 09:52 AM

I'm perfectly happy with the ultra-cheap "Uyea Instruments" one I got off eBay for about £40 including postage.

Downsides: The bow that comes with it was a PoS so make sure you buy another one and keep the other for a spare, and the cable that came with it was crap too. Also the pegs aren't that well seated, so you might need to use sandpaper round the pegs to get the holes to match the peg taper. And the bridge takes a little while to stand properly on the pickup, which makes it tricky initially to get it strung.

Upsides: It sounds perfectly OK through an amp - like a guitar pickup, a violin pickup will never sound perfectly acoustic, but a bit of EQ will take the piezo edge off it just fine, same as with the guitar pickup. The setup is great - the string action and string spacing are set properly and the bridge arch is just right as well. It's also got decent volume and tone unplugged, so you don't need headphones for personal practise. (If you want a fully silent one for practise, this might be a downside.) Batteries last forever. And if (perish the thought) anything does happen to it on stage, £40 for a replacement is not a big deal.

Sure, if I'd spent £400 instead of £40, I'd have a better instrument - no question about it. But there's no way that instrument would be 10 times better than what I've got.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Electric violin advice
From: GUEST,BAZZ
Date: 28 Jan 08 - 03:19 PM

You wont go far wrong with the Bridge models mentioned above.