Electric Violins That Cost $2 Million Dollars: A Look Into The Hybrid Instrument

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The violin is an old, classical instrument that can be dated all the way back to sixteenth century Italy. Violins have been used for some time and are a staple in classical music. They play an integral role, the “concertmaster” is the second in command of the orchestra, right after the conductor, and they are always the leader of the violin section. However as times change, different genres of music saw different uses for the violin. What was originally used in classical music, is now also used in jazz, folk, baroque, and even rock and roll music. The popularization of the violin in contemporary music saw rise to a new kind of violin: the electric violin. We are going to take a few moments to look at the history of the electric violin, how it works, and some of the most expensive electric violins out there.

The electric violin is a modern, hybrid styled instrument that uses the foundation of a classical violin combined with the electrical components that are similar to an electric guitar. The combined result is a very powerful, and interesting sound that is somewhere between the two instruments. In theory, the electric violin is similar to the way an electric guitar works. Unlike normal violins, electric violins are made from an entire solid body, as opposed to being hollow.   Since electric violins have electric pickups, they do not need to be hollow to amplify their sound. Electric violins also have solid bodies as amplified hollow body violins create a lot of feedback due to the resonance that their bodies create. Additionally, since the violins do not need or use a hollow body, electric violin makers can make some very unique body shapes. Electric violins can use a variety of different types of electric pickups, the most popular being magnetic, piezoelectric, and electrodynamic pickups. The amplification of the electric violin works the same way as electric guitars do. The output of the violin is transferred through a wire into an amplifier system or a PA system. However as very few amplifiers exist for electric violins, most electric violin players use guitar amplifiers. Additionally given the nature of electric violins, players can also use electrical effects to modify the sound of their instruments much like guitar players. Distortion effect pedals are often used to make the violin sound aggressive and like a rock-driven guitar. Beginner electric violins can cost as low as $200 dollars, however professional quality electric violins start around $1,000 dollars.

The history of the electric violin is a bit hazy. Electrically amplified violins were used is some form as early as the 1920’s however its origins are not clear. That being said, jazz and blues musician Hezekiah Leroy Gordon Smith aka “Stuff Smith” is regarded by musical historians to be one of the first musicians to use amplified violins through the use of electric pickups. The company known as Electro Stringed Instrument Corporation is known to have produced some of the first electric violins back in the 1930’s and the 1940’s. Today electric violins are somewhat atypical, avant-garde instruments that are used in a variety of different genres. They do function well with guitar driven and rock and roll styled music, as the sound that they produce fits right in. There are a variety of musicians known for using the electric violin however the most prominent are Ben Lee and Linzi Stoppard, who are the violinists of the musical group FUSE. Oh, and they also use the most expensive electric violins.

Lee and Stoppard are well known electrical violin players that first started out on classical violins at a young age. Hailing from the United Kingdom these two met up to create their world famous violin rock band known as FUSE where they are known for their virtuosic playing. Since they play rock music, they chose to use electric violins, and some of the most expensive as well. Ben Lee is known as the “Worlds Fastest Electric Violin Player” according to the Guinness Book of World Records and also held the record for the “Fastest Violin Player” for some time as well too. Lee is so talented that he actually insured his fingers for $3 million dollars, in the event that anything were to happen to them.

The group is also known for using the most expensive electric violins. The jewelry Swarovski created violins for the duo. Each violin had 50,000 Swarovski crystals on them and they individually costed around $1.5 million dollars. However that was not enough for the duo. Bridge Instruments based out of the United Kingdom teamed up with jewelry designer Theo Fennell to create electric violins made from 24-karat gold. The violins also have ruby, sapphire, and diamonds located on the headstock. Since gold is so heavy, Bridge Instruments used kevlar and carbon fiber to create the body of the violin that was covered in gold to make the instruments lighter. These instruments are exclusive to Lee and Stoppard and cost around $2 million dollars, making them the most expensive in the world.

Photo from bridgeinstruments.co.uk

Written by Sebastian Hensiek

From Philadelphia, Sebastian is a fan of music, writing, art, and entertainment.