A Look at the Electric Violin

An electric violin is an amplified violin that sends out ahigh-pitched squealing noises to come out of the
signal through an electrical pickup device. There areamplifier.
several different models of electric violins. Some areMost electric violins have a solid body design. The solid
standard acoustic violins with an electric pickup addedbody keeps the instrument from feeding back. Also,
to the bridge. Other types of electric violins areany necessary electrical equipment, such as any wiring
designed differently and only work properly whenor batteries, is housed in the body. Since the electric
plugged in. Electric violins are often used to playviolin is a relatively new invention, it has no standard
different types of music than standard acoustic violins.body shape or design, and makers are free to
The pickups of electric violins are important. Sinceexperiment and invent new ways of designing the
electric violin strings are usually made of metal, eitherinstrument.
magnetic or piezoelectric pickups are used to transmitElectric violins are usually used in different situations
the sound to the amplifier. This system is similar to thethan acoustic violins. An electric violin is viewed as an
way electric guitars work.experimental instrument and is not found in classical or
Some people add an electric pickup to a standardtraditional music, but is often used in avant-garde music.
acoustic violin so that it's signal can be transmitted toGuitar effects like reverb, chorus, and distortion can be
an amplifier. The problem with putting a pickup on anused to give the electric violin a unique, otherworldly
acoustic violin is that acoustic violins have a hollowsound.
wooden body that can create feedback when it isElectric violins are unique instruments with a sound all
played electrically. The resonance of the soundtheir own. Electric violins are perfect for musicians and
vibrating in the violin's body interferes with the soundcomposers who want to have their own individual
made by the strings and can cause annoying,sound.