This is actually based on an email I wrote to an orchestra colleague who wanted advice on getting into amplified violin, but I thought it might be generally useful to people.
There are two main considerations when considering an amplified violin. The sound you want and the volume you’ll be playing it at (which depends on the band usually).
If you want a sound like a good acoustic violin then there’s nothing quite like a good acoustic violin – with a good pickup. I’d recommend staying away from mounted microphones as they’re awkward to set up and pick up too much extra sound.
You can either get a separate pickup for an existing violin (depending on how keen you are to have extra thing bolted onto your lovely instrument, or if you have a spare) or get an ‘electro-acoustic’ violin – which is basically a normal acoustic violin with a built-in pickup. These work really well, and are generally a lot less hassle than adding a pickup to an existing violin – but more expensive of course, because you’re buying a new instrument. Bridge are one good maker of this type of violin.
I’m not much of an expert on pickups as I tend to prefer electric / electro-acoustic violins, but as general advice, pay as much as you can from a major maker. Cheap pickups can easily ruin a good violin sound.
Acoustic and electro-acoustic violins don’t handle loud playing very well (as you might have seen in my feedback video) so if you’re playing in small or loud venues then an electric is definitely better.
Full electric violins sound different from acoustic violins though. They tend to have a softer, darker sound, often more nasal which might not work too well for some types of music. They do work better when played through guitar effects though, mainly down to the reduced harmonics in the sound which can make guitar effects do odd things. And they do resist feedback much better. Solid body ones especially so.
The one exception to the ’soft’ electric sound is the new Violorama ‘Sycorax’ instrument which is nice a compromise between an acoustic and an electric in that it has a soundpost and bassbar but no resonant body. That makes it light, with a reasonable sound and decent resistance to feedback.
For weddings (which I was asked about in the email), I would probably recommend an electro-acoustic instrument or the Sycorax. They’ll work straight out of the case and will sound decent if you get a good one. But bear in mind that cheap electric (or electro-acoustic) violins sound as bad, or worse, than cheap acoustic violins. Imagine a £20 chinese factory instrument amplified loudly, and badly – not nice!
For amplification you need to get a good ‘clean’ amp. Generally NOT a guitar amp unless you have specific requirements. Guitar amps are mostly designed to overdrive and are usually very treble heavy which makes violins sound horribly harsh. Especially acoustic/electro-acoustic violins. The AERs are possibly the best of the bunch for this use. The ’60’ is small, powerful and will sit on top of microphone stand so it’s nearer your ears. If that looks too expensive then bass guitar amps or keyboard amps are also good choices. Acoustic guitar amps also tend to be quite clean, but can be big and heavy.
If you’re always playing in venues with a PA system and using an electro-acoustic instrument then you might be able to get away without an amp. The instrument will be loud enough under your left ear and hopefully (if you’re playing acoustic) the rest of the band not so loud that you might not need any extra monitoring. That’s a decision you need to make for yourself. Personally I always like to have an amp but some folk players seem quite happy to do without.
Another word on pickups. Most pickups need some sort of power to amplify the sound to a level that can go into an amplifier or PA system. That power can come from a battery in the unit or from the PA system or amplifier itself. My personal preference is for a battery in the pickup/violin and a guitar jack, but having the power external can reduce the weight if that’s an issue. Some electric violins, especially solid body ones, can be quite heavy.
If you want to play with effects then I strongly recommend a good electric. They will work better with the effects than an acoustic, there is less sound under your left ear that’s NOT got the effect on it so you can concentrate on what’s coming out of the amp and they will allow you to play louder and with distortions & compressors. For this you will, of course, need a self-powered instrument with a jack socket on it.
Think about getting a 5 string instrument. If you’re playing amplified there is really not much point in sticking with 4 strings unless you have a specific reason to do so. The flexibility of that extra 5th in the range is very well worth it in my opinion. More than that (6 & 7 string instruments are available) is very much down to personal preference and what sort of music you’ll be playing.
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