If you’ve ever shopped for an electric violin kit, added a pickup to your acoustic violin, or experimented with a violin amp, you know how confusing amplified tone can be.
Should you buy a silent violin, such as the Yamaha YEV? Is it better to buy an electric violin kit and amp, or to add a pickup to your favorite acoustic, or go all in with a fretted electric violin? Let’s break it down with help from my friend Matt Bell of the Electric Violin Shop.
Table of Contents
Electric Violin Options: Acoustic vs Pickup vs Solid Body
- Acoustic + Pickup: Great if you want to keep your main violin but need amplification. Removable violin pickups range from $100–$600, while bridge replacements can run higher.
- Silent Violin / Solid Body: Ideal for loud bands, worship teams, or rock shows. A good electric violin like the Yamaha YEV delivers clean tone and resists feedback.
- Microphone: Best natural sound, but impractical in noisy environments (drums, amplified bands).
👉 Pro tip: distortion sounds cleaner on a solid-body electric violin than on an acoustic with pickup.
Essential Gear for Electric Violinists
Think of your rig as four parts:
- Instrument → acoustic with pickup, silent violin, or solid body.
- Effects → delay, reverb, octave, wah, distortion.
- Looper (optional) → layer your sound live.
- Amplification → a dedicated electric violin amp or PA system.
Players searching for “electric violin and amp” often want a simple all-in-one setup. Start small: violin + pickup or kit, one effect pedal, and a portable amp. Basically, an electric violin kit and amp, including pickups and/or pedals.
Do Pickups Hurt Your Violin?
Some worry that adding a pickup will damage their instrument. In reality: no. A clamp-on pickup might change resonance slightly, but the audience hears what comes out of the amp—not your acoustic sound.
Electric Violin Cost Ranges
- Electric Violin Kits: $600–$1,000 (Yamaha silent violins, entry-level electric fiddles).
- Professional Electric Violins: $1,500+ (Jordan, NS Design, fretted electric violins).
- Pickups: $100–$600.
- Amps for Violin: $200–$1,000.
Searching for “electric violin near me” or comparing electric violin shops? Your safest bet is calling a specialist retailer like Electric Violin Shop, musicians who test this gear daily.
The “Cheating” Myth
Classical players sometimes claim electric violinists have it easy. But it’s not easier—it’s just different. The skill shifts from projection to groove, effects, and tone control.
Think of it like acoustic and electric violin being the piano vs. organ: different tools, both legitimate.
Final Thoughts
If you’re just starting, a violin set with a pickup or an entry-level electric violin kit will get you going. Add an electric violin kit and amp, and a couple of effects pedals, and you’ll be performance-ready.
And if you need help? Call the Electric Violin Shop team. They’ll walk you through your options—budget, genre, and performance setting.
👉 Grab more resources and free sheet music at christianhowes.com.
