Electrifying Your Violin (or Viola)

When it comes to electrifying your violin, there are a lot of things to consider: styles of violin, transducers, pre-amps, amplifiers, analog-to-MIDI converters, effects processors ... the list goes on. Here's a guide to help sort through all the options and hopefully provide enough background that you can make the best decision.

Pickups

Microphones

Solid-Body Electric Violins

Selecting Strings for Your Electric Fiddle

Pickups

First - let's start with the basic technology behind electric violins, the transducer. A transducer, just so you know, is a device that converts one form of energy to another. In this case, we're converting sound to electricity.

Most pickups on the market use piezo transducers - crystals that respond to pressure or vibration by generating a minute electrical signal - although magnetic coil pickups, like you see on electric guitars, are another option. Keep in mind that piezo transducers are high-impedance devices, and connecting one directly to a low-impedance amplifier will result in a harsh, shrill sound. To get a richer, fuller tone, you'll want to use a pre-amp to match the impedance of the pickup with your sound system.

As you'll see below, pickups come in a variety of configurations. Some simply attach a transducer element to your bridge or wedge it in between the wing-slots of the bridge or under the feet, while others come with elements that have been embedded in the bridge, straight from the factory. Also, the number of piezo elements can range from a single element, to as many as two per string. Typically, the more piezo elements, the better the quality of pickup. Of course the price of the pickup goes up too.

LR Baggs

LR Baggs' violin pickup features a miniature vibration transducer cast right into the bridge. The transducer is designed to accept the tone-rich left/right movement of the bridge, reject feedback, eliminate scratchy nasal sounds, and trace the natural sound of the instrument. This pickup has been a popular pick for over ten years, it's relatively inexpensive, and a number of top pros -- including Alison Krauss, Michael Doucet, Darol Anger, Jean-Luc Ponty -- have endorsed it.

L.R. Baggs company claims that "stuck on" or "wedged in" pickups mute a violin's natural acoustic sound and provide inconsistent results. " ... it's selective admittance pattern is aligned so that the signal is generated as the bridge moves in a left-right motion (in response to the string vibrations). The transducer also rejects any impulse directed to the plane of the bridge, minimizing annoying finger squeaks, body noise and feedback. "

There are a couple of things to note with the LR Baggs pickup. The bridge comes stock from Aubert, and will need to be fitted to your violin. Unless you want to shape the bridge yourself, this will be an additional cost. Plus, the embedded piezo will makes it difficult to shape the bridge. Your luthier will most likely sand the bridge on the open side, leaving the piezo side untouched.

Also, for some reason, LR Baggs uses wire mesh instead of plastic to cover the wire connecting the piezo to the carpenter jack. Make sure the wire is carefully tucked under the tailpiece or it will buzz against the face of the violin when it vibrates.

Fishman v-200

The Fishman piezo-ceramic pickup mounts in the wing slot of the violin bridge with what Fishman calls a "Floating Mount System." This is essentially a "v" shaped piezo that wedges into the wingslot. Fishman claims they' have mad the device lightweight to minimize muting, however I find it hard to believe it doesn't have some impact on the side-to-side vibration of the bridge. The V-200 employs a carpenter-style jack, 1/4" output jack which mounts on the side of the instrument with chinrest-style hardware. An impedance-matching preamp is recommended, but not required.

I've found that piezzo-ceramic pickups that fit into the side slot of your bridge sound better on the left-hand side of the instrument (C or G string side). Placement under the A or E string seems to pick up the higher tones more, creating a harsh sound that you may have to fix with post-processing, and the lower tones have to be boosted.

The 1/4" Carpenter jack that comes with the v-200 (and several of the other pick-ups shown here) seems to be the most popular way to connect to an audio cable and fastens securely and safely to the side of your violin just like a chin-rest.

I've used the v-200 for years, and found it to be very reliable.

The v-200 sells for about $140. (Fishman Website)

Fishman v-100

The Fishman v-100 has a 1/8th inch connector that fastens to the tailpiece of the violin. Granted this might be a little less conspicuous than a carpenter jack, and a little lighter with the smaller diameter cable - but if you leave your 1/8-to-1/4 adapter cable at home the night of a gig, you're in trouble. I prefer the 1/4 carpenter jack that comes with most of the other transducers on the market, so I can just grab a 1/4" audio cable and go.

The one downside of the carpenter jack is that the standard version shipped for installation on violins is too small to mount on a full-sized viola. For that reason, the v-100 is a good choice if you plan to used it on a viola, or want to transfer it back and forth between a violin and viola.

Both the v-100 and v-200 can be installed at home and don't require the help of a luthier. Something to consider in the cost of the pickup, and in cases where you will want to remove and re-install the device multiple times.

The v-100 sells for about $100. (Fishman Website)

EPM AGT-200

The Canadian made EPM AGT-100 and AGT-200 is one of the least expensive pickups available, and can be used on a variety of acoustic instruments: guitar, violin, viola, cello, stand-up bass, banjo, mandolin..basicly if your instrument vibrates, the EPM will pick-up the vibrations. The downside, is that it relies on adhesive to hold the piezo against the instrument. Plus, sound transfer isn't as good through an adhesive contact, it can easily detach, and it might mark or dull the finish on your instrument.

The EPM AGT-200 comes with a 1/4" connector that hangs from your instrument on a leather flap - apparently designed to fit over a guitar strap-pin. Since the violin and viola don't have strap-pins, you'll have to improvize and hang it from somewhere else - possibly the chin-rest clamp.

I've seen claims that this is a $55 product, but believe you can find one on eBay for $10-20. (EPM Website)

Barbera ($300-$500)

Barberra builds entire bridge sets for violins, violas, cellos and upright bass that include separate dual piezo elements for each string. The standard model is designed for solid-body electrics and is very clunky in comparison with a standard violin bridge. You wouldn't want to use one of these on an acoustic violin, but since there's no sound chamber on a solid body, the muting effect this might have on an acoustic is irrelevant. Barberra opted to go a thicker bridge so that piezo elements could be placed beneath each string to provide better conversion to electronic signal.

A lighter hybrid version of the bridge is also available for use on electro-acoustic violins and has cutouts as well as interchangeable, self adjusting feet - a nice feature to have if you don't feel like carving the bridge to fit it to the curve of your violin.

Barbera Tranducers run from $300-$500. (Barbera Website)

Barcus-Berry

(Barcus-Berry Website)

Shadow SH3001 Quick Mount Violin Transducer (~$80)

Located in Hemhofen in Germany, Shadow Electronics has been a major pickup and preamp specialist for many years. Offering a comprehensive list of preamps, pickups, transducers and related accessories which in performance terms are second to none, Shadow’s considerable involvement in guitar technology means that the company has acquired extensive experience in related electronic design and guitar building. In addition, Shadow has always ensured a strident policy of working with musicians to determine exactly what is required and expected from their product range, reinforced by a parallel programme of development carried out in association with leading universities, consolidating Shadow’s reputation as a world leader in pickup technology.

K&K Sound Violinissimo (~$90)

Unique Three Pickup System
Designed for Violins and Violas
Includes External Jack
Authorized K&K Sound Dealer
This transducer system consists of three of pickup heads. The two larger heads are wedged between the violin's top and each bridge foot. The third smaller head is stuck into one wingslot of the bridge.

The position underneath the bridge's feet produces an extremely voluminous and smooth sound because the bridge applies vertical pressure to the piezo crystals. In this spot, the low frequencies and the sound elements of the violin's corpus are picked up. The pickup in the bridge's wingslot adds to the sound's brilliance. All three transducers together transmit a perfectly balanced violin sound. The exaggeration of the high-end frequencies, which are being jeopardized with other violin pickups, is eliminated directly at the sound source when using the Violinissimo.

The jack is attached to the string holder with a velcro-type adhesive system, which is distinctively stronger, more durable, and sturdier than standard Velcro. It can be opened and closed repeatedly without affecting the pickup transmission. Violinissimo has been designed for musicians who mainly want to amplify their instruments electronically and who wish to achieve an extraordinary natural sound without feedback.

Technical Information:
Bridge feet transducers:
Round 1/2"
Height: 1/32"

Impedance: High ohmic

Bridge wing transducer:
Rectangular 1/2" x 5/16"
Height: 1/32"

Jack: RCA female
Impedance: High ohmic
Length of the 3 Pickup connection wires: About 5"

Microphones

Another approach is to simply mic your instrument. Stand mics are inconvenient and limit your motion on stage, but fortunately, there are several portable mic systems on the market.

Fishman Concertmaster

The Concertmaster has a battery compartment, volume control, 1/4" output jack, and a seperate piezo input jack should you decide to use BOTH a piezo pickup (modified v-100) and the mic. Blending of the piezo and the mic is done with a built-in mic trim pot.

The Concertmaster sells for about $420.

(Fishman Website)

Solid Body Electric Violins

Another option is to buy a solid-body electric violin. More and more people are making them, and prices have come down considerably in the last few years. Aside from the "cool" factor, why would you buy a solid-body electric violin? Obviously, you could convert your acoustic to electro-acoustic for just a couple of hundred dollars.

Solid-body electrics are almost silent when they're not amplified, making them ideal for practicing when you have to be quiet. Hotel rooms, college dorms, airport terminals ...

And in many applified settings, feedback with acoustic violins can be a real problem. The face and back of the violin vibrate in phase with the surrounding noise, and at a high enough volume, the whole instrument will start to speak. I played with a violinist once, who had dealt with the problem by taking his violin apart and putting a chunk of appholtery foam inside. Solid-body electrics don't have this problem, so they're a good fit for rock concerts and other high-energy venues.

Plus, with the elimination of the sound chamber, makers of solid-body electrics are free to be wildly creative in their designs. Here are a few examples:

Zeta (Zeta Website)
Jordan The Jordan Electric is one of my favorites. Almost a work of art, with the graceful curves and countless finish options. Jordan has "re-arranged" the violin so the tuning hardware is closer to the chin, making the instrument considerably lighter and easier to handle.
Mark Wood Viper Violin Fretted or fretless, 6 string designs, schatten or barberra pickups ... the "flying V" rests on your shoulder and chest, eliminated the need for a chin-rest. (Mark Wood Website)
NS Design Designed by Ned Steinberger (NS Design Website)
Yamaha Silent Electric Four and five string models available. Built-in preamp with a 9V battery, separate pickups for each string, and a mini headphone jack for "silent" practice sessions. (Yamaha Website)
Epoch Electro-Acoustic An exception to this class of solid-body electrics. This electro-acoustic design is weather-proof, has a stong acoustic tone when applified, and has a reasonably good acoustic tone (on par with a student violin) when unplugged. (Epoch Website)
Harada's Violins from Japan (Harada's Website)

The selection of solid-bodied electrics continues to grow. With professional calibre pick-up systems available from Zeta, Barberra, and other manufacturers at affordable prices, luthiers are free from many of the technical limitations and can incorporate off-the-shelf parts into their own creative designs. Bowed Electricity, the Electric Violin Shop, and Google are good places to look to see what's currently out there.

Selecting Strings for Your Electric Violin

If you are using an acoustic violin with a pick-up (electro-acoustic) you can really use any string you like. You should experiment though, to see which type and brand works the best with your pick-up, pre-amp, effects processor and sound system. Each of these plays a role in the final tone produced with your violin and you may find that some strings are too harsh, or possibly to muddy for your setup. Also, don't feel that you have to use all one brand of string. I prefer Thomastik Dominant C,G, & D with a Jargar A on my acoustic viola, as the Dominant A is too harsh for my liking.

For solid body electric violins, all-metal strings (often called steel core strings) typically offer better response, pitch stability and volume. Steel core strings have a simple and bright sound, with few overtones, which works well with effects processors and analog to MIDI conversion - if you have plans to use your violin to control MIDI devices.

All-metal strings, often called steel core, have a simple, bright, and well-focused sound. Their advantage is very quick response, a stable pitch and volume. The "down-side" of the all-metal string is a thin or edgy quality to the sound with few overtones and no real complexity. Country, folk and jazz musicians often prefer steel strings for their volume and pure, direct sound. Thomastik – Ropecore has a dark, warm tone, and is recommended by Zeta for their electric violins, however they can sound a bit dull on some instruments.

(Feb 24th, 2006)