i want it to be silent like an electric guitar, with a pickup for clear recording into my computer. If it has a weak signal it`s ok cause im ordering a pre-amp too.

im considering either a normal bow with electric violin strings and a magnetic pickup (just like an elec guitar),, however i dont know how silent this would be with that gigantic hallow body, id proly have to find a solid body violin or viola..

for example, i could just buy one of the "silent" violins (cant find a silent viola atm), hopefully with an extra string....

"#1. Bows come only with horsehair and then you put the rosin on the bow for the violin to make sound with a stroke of the string, duh!"
Who`d buy a bow that had no rosin on it? Are you not aware that a bow`s hair must be treated specially so that rosin `sticks` to it? A good bow should come at least rosined enough so when you pull the bow on the strings it makes a scratching noise.

"#2. The only difference between an electric violin and a regular violin is that an electric one, well is electric and directly plugs into the stereo system using the same horse haired bow."
No not at all. Electric violins are designed entirely differently than an acoustic. Thats why fancy ones have the sound post and f-holes totally omitted. You`d have to be an idiot to try and play a Concerto with an electric violin, because it would sound horrible. I love playing my electric, but i`d rather play acoustic any day (electrics are only for show and for if you are playing with other electric instruments)

"#3. Violins have only 4 strings, 5 stringed violins only existed hundreds of years ago and aren`t very practical to use today. Oh, and BOWS ARE SUPPOSE TO COME WITH HE VIOLIN that you are getting!"
Again, wrong. Originally violins had 3 strings, and the fourth was added to be more flexible during the Baroque period. And a bow shoudln`t `come` with the instrument... your supplier should offer you a selection of premium, quality bows to purchase WITH your violin... don`t accept handouts.

"#4. You don`t really need an electric violin for recording music on the computer, all you really need is a very small microphone that attaches to the bridge of a normal violin and to the computer."
It`s called an amp, and unless you want to put holes in your instrument for the amp and hopefully a small preamp, you DO need an electric violin for straight, MIDI recording.

"#5. Any stringed instrument that doesn`t use real horse hair on the bow is crap and will sound like crap."
Okay okay... i agree with you

But still, a synthetic hair bow isnt terrible...




Edited by Forum Admin at 04:53 on Saturday, April 19, 2003
Reason: Keep the tone civilised please]

uh, Daniel, I would advise you to be careful crossing Sean, he`s the current rooster in the coop and he doesn`t always appreciate those helpful little `hints`. (not that our esteemed advisor has a bad temper or anything... )
aw heck, just don`t go by `anonynous` any you`ll be just fine!

"#1. Bows come with zero rosin when you buy them, That`s why you have to buy the rosin and put it on the bow yourself.

"#2. I have heard people play everything on the electric violin.The only time I have ever seen anybody play a electric violin is when that person was in the same orchestra as me playing the solo.

"#3. And a bow shoudln`t `come` with the instrument... your supplier should offer you a selection of premium, quality bows to purchase WITH your violin... don`t accept handouts.

-Or atleats don`t accept plastic bows

"#4. I can also record anything with clarity on my $10 microphone.

**quote**Violins have only 4 strings, 5 stringed violins only existed hundreds of years ago and aren`t very practical to use today. Oh, and BOWS ARE SUPPOSE TO COME WITH HE VIOLIN that you are getting!!!!!!!!!


Not every violin in the world has a bow as a partner, the ones you`re talking about are probably those sets.

Not every violin has a bow? Gosh, it would be very boring plucking all the time.

^ sean, i meant that as in not every violin would come with a bow that was `made` for it if you know what im getting at

The only orchestra stringed instruments that never uses a bow is the harp and piano. On a guitar the bridge is straight and has no arch, which means that a stringed instrument with an arch like bridge is made for a bow.

In Texas many country musicians have been using five string violins for thiry or more years, however we do call them a fiddle. The fifth string is tune to a "C" note lower than the "G" string. You cannot play that low of a note on a standard violin.

Mike Gold

Sean really takes the biscuit.

It`s rare to find someone so rude, ignorant, opinionated and obtuse all at once.

Martain: Agreed

Ha, yah right, coming from a person that hasn`t said anything yet on the subject!

-Umm, fiddles are violins.

Now that it comes to my mind, all a 5 stringed violin (with a C-string) is a Viola. Since a violins lowest string is G, and a violas is a C then, the E string would just make it easier for violas to play high notes.

Fiddle music of all types (Bluegrass, Irish, English etc)makes use frequent of double stopping, i.e. simultaneously playing notes on two adjacent strings.

A 5 string fiddle (or a five string viola, which is a viola with top E string added) allows this, where a 4 srting instrument would be more limited.

I believe a five string instrument like this is always called a fiddle, not a violin, because it wouldn`t normally be used in a classical style.

Isn`t a 5 string fiddle and a 5 string viola therefore the same thing? Not quite, as the viola is built to favour the lower tones - it`ll play the E string, but it won`t be as resonant. Ditto the 5-string fiddle as regards the C string.

I have tried playing the violin(can already play guitar and sax)and made progress, but I am allergic to timber resins and end up with sinus problems and cracke skin from the rosin dust. Does anyone make a non rosined synthetic bow string? or some other type of rosin? I`m sure I`m not the only one with these types of problem.