Electric violin

An electric violin is simply a violin with an electronic signal output. The term can refer to an acoustic violin with an electric pickup of some type, but usually refers to a dedicated electronic instrument.

Related Topics:
Violin - Pickup

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Many instruments have a solid body, which helps to prevent feedback from the resonances of the hollow body under high amplification on stage. The timbre of an acoustic violin is created directly because of these resonances, however, so an electric violin has a much more "raw", "sharp" sound than an acoustic, depending on how the signal is picked up. They typically have a non-traditional, minimalistic design to keep weight down.

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They are often seen as "experimental" instruments, being less established than electric guitar or bass. Hence, there are many variations on the standard design, such as frets, extra strings, machine heads, "baritone" strings that sound an octave lower than normal, sympathetic strings, and more, without even going into the many electronic effects used to shape the raw sound to suit the player's preference.

Related Topics:
Fret - Machine head - Baritone - Sympathetic strings

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It is much more common for an electric violin to have 5 or 6 strings than an acoustic instrument. The typically solid body also accommodates the tension caused by extra strings without stressing the instrument too much. Extra strings are usually a low C string for 5 strings, and a low C and high B or low F for 6, and a low C, F and B-flat (or high B) for 7.

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Electric violin signals usually pass through electronic processing, in the same way as an electric guitar, to achieve a desired sound. This could include delay, reverb, chorus, distortion, or other effects.

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