There are millions of people in the world that have probably played the violin at some point in their lives. The violin is indeed perhaps one of the most beautiful instruments in the world. It hasn’t changed much in the past 300 years. But recently a modified version of the instrument has been released (by recently we do mean 10 years). A new era in violin playing has arisen with the advent of the electric violin. So today , I have decided to share my insight with you about two different models That I simply adore. One is a traditional violin in the sense that its a wooden bodied, wooden bridged violin. I have tuned this one myself hundreds of times and it still works like a charm, the pegs are a bit worn , but the quality of the instrument is still unique. The second is a more recent purchase: an electric violin. This will be an unbiased comparison of pros and cons. I wont tell which one I prefer (although I’m kind of a traditionalist :0 )
The first violin is the traditional Vif BV750 4/4 made of a fine maple wood lined with an oak liner and a reenforced pine bridge. The strings are made of a fine stainless steel. Now this instrument is simply stunning for personal use. Not only is it stunning to look at, sturdy to the touch and cheap, but it’s also of fine craftsmanship. This instrument feels and sounds like it would cost at least 1000$ more than what it’s actually worth. Tuning it is easy, and the violin in general is perfect for anyone willing to dish out 400$ to make their life more exiting. If we where ranking it on a scale of 1-5, this would receive a solid 5. We where also surprised at the fact that it weighs less than 10 British pounds which, for it’s sturdy complexion, is very light. Lets move on to the pros and cons of this standard violin:
Pros:
- Looks nice
- Feels great, very sturdy and the bridge wont pop when you “over-tune” the violin string by string
- Sounds great -what would you expect
- - The bow is of very fine quality. The horsehair doesn’t frizz and is lubricated with something to make it a bit more resistant to humidity
- Its compact. You will learn that the electric violin cant be played “on the go”
Cons:
- The sound reverberation comes from the traditional method: ie the sound is distorted in an upwards manner due to the fact that the vibration holes are carved upwards. This is a huge disadvantage if you plan on recording yourself playing the violin.
- The pegs get worn out. The amount of friction between the pegs and neck eventually lubricate the pegs and cause them to slip. This is nothing that a bit of peg dope cant fix.
Pros
- The violin is perfect for soloists (because you can use amps and equalizers)
- The violin is ranked 5/5 amongst any electric violin in sound quality. You would expect something like this to cost 2k$(US) and up.
- It looks sexy! Yes, the colour scheme just works, it brings the sort of mystique you would expect in an electric guitar to the violin world.
- Its very light compared to a traditional violin.
- The bow that comes with it has a very fine carbon tip
Cons
- The hair on the bow feels cheap. It tends to frizz unless you clean the rosin from the bow on a daily basis
- Its not an acustic instrument so you cant play it without an amp (although there are electric acoustic violins)
- The strings that came with it where of inferior quality (we replaced them)
Altogether, both are amazing. If you want to play for a larger crowd, go electric to amplify the sound accordingly. If you want a cheaper violin that sounds great, go with the traditional acoustic.
/li
