Re: [LAU] Electrical violin?

On Wed Jun 3 2015, Len Ovens wrote:
> I saw this one:
>
> http://www.kkmusicstore.com/cecilio-cevn1bk-black-metallic-size-44-34-or-12-electric-silent-violin-in-style-1-case-lesson-book-w-dvd-bow-more-p-377.html?zenid=94d12e24dd5f843574fb1e5d7700acf2

I have one of these, for the very reason that I can practice on it when
the wife and kid are in bed. It's not silent, but quite a bit quieter
than an acoustic violin with a practice mute.

What you should know if you're considering something like this: when I
received this, the strings were too high for it to be easily playable
(even the Chinese can't make a violin for this price and pay someone to
set it up properly.) I spent about three hours lowering the bridge and
reshaping the nut so it would play well. A professional luthier might
do the same for you for $60-100. I also spent $20 on a new Wittner
tailpiece so I'd have fine tuners that would turn easily. I then put
an old set of synthetic-core strings on it, as I prefer those to the
steel ones it came with. I'm now really happy with it as a
quiet-practice violin.

But I never plug it in. One reviewer on Amazon said it sounded like a
sewing machine, and as soon as I tried it (through the headphones or an
amp), I knew what they were talking about. Every time you change bow
direction, there's a thump, and the sound from the strings is kind of
thin, so as you're playing it's wheee-thump-thump-thump-thump.

So you get what you pay for. I'd expect to spend $600 or more for an
electric that arrives well set up and sounds halfway decent. Check out
the Yamaha Silent Violins--I though even the low-end model was fairly
decent.

HTH,

-Sean
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Received on Thu Jun 4 12:15:01 2015