From Mild to Wild

Electric Violin

Did you know electric violins have been in use since the 1920s? Built from Kevlar, glass, and carbon fibers (rather than the traditional wood), these instruments and their “raw” sound are ideal for rock, pop, and jazz music. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_violin)

David Pratt, violin instructor at Harris Academy of the Arts, began playing the electric violin around age 13. He was interested in playing in bands and other nontraditional violin settings in which the electric violin, and its ability to be amplified (without the issue of feedback), fit well with the other instruments. He was also interested in being able to alter the sound of his violin, much like one can on the guitar. Now, five strings (traditional violins have four!) and an amplifier later, this Fritz Kreisler and classical music fan has the best of both worlds.

According to David, the ability to electronically alter the sound lends the electric violin to jazz and rock music. “I like to improvise over rock riffs,” says David. “I also enjoy streaming instrumental versions of popular songs onto a multi-track recorder, and then replacing what would have been the vocal track with violin improvisation.”

While equipment can be pricey, it is possible to find a quality “rig” (or set up) at a reasonable cost. David has found using a keyboard amp provides multiple options. “For instance, I like to amplify my electric violin with a keyboard amp that has a multi-channel mixer built into it, so I can stream music, add a drum machine, add a bass guitarist, add a vocalist, and play violin, simultaneously or in any combination while controlling the volume of all inputs.”

More information about purchasing an electric violin and equipment follows (provided by David, unless otherwise indicated). If all this technical talk is just mumbo jumbo to you, David is happy to answer any questions on the topic. Contact Harris Academy of the Arts at 402.423.7121 to ask your questions. Curiosity is welcome!

More From David:

What equipment is needed to play the electric violin?
For some electric violins, such as the Yamaha Silent Electric Violins, the only equipment needed is the violin, the bow, and a pair of headphones.

“If your only intention is silent practice, than a set of headphones will be sufficient, provided your instrument has a headphone jack.  If not, you will need some other device, such as an amp or effects processor that does have a headphone jack, which will then require a cable. If you want to be heard by others, you will need an amplifier, or the ability to connect to a PA (Public Address) system through a soundboard.  This will require at least one cable.” (www.electricviolinshop.com/blog/resources/faq/#amp)

Can I use my regular bow?  Strings?  Rosin? 
“Yes, yes and yes! Electric instruments use normal strings under normal tension. Therefore, any traditional horsehair bow and rosin combo will work. That said, there is tremendous variation in bow quality, which will affect your tone and technique greatly.” (www.electricviolinshop.com/blog/resources/faq/#bow)

What kind of investment is it to purchase an electric violin?
“Cost can be significantly reduced by shopping online, on Craigslist, on Ebay, or elsewhere. Multi-effects units are generally far cheaper than buying individual units and hooking them together. Multi-effects units dramatically simplify setups. For about $1000, one could find a basic electric violin, an amplifier, and a preamp/multi-effects processor. One may even be able to do this for $500.”

Anything else you'd like to share?
Guitar amps, and guitar effects are optimized for guitarists, who dominate the market for these items. Guitar amps exaggerate mid-range frequencies and many guitar effects make the violin sound harsh and brittle without significant adjustment.  There are violin amplifiers on the market, but I would be wary of these, because they do not yet have the same economies of scale as the keyboard or guitar variety and one may well end up paying a premium for sound quality that can be obtained through already available products (such as a keyboard amplifier).