Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(0 votes) 
Member
Offline
Hello,
I am a couple of months away from ordering an electric violin, and I have been doing a lot of research to prepare myself. However, there is one suggestion I keep seeing, with an explanation that I haven't found yet: everyone says that you need to set up the violin first, and that it shouldn't be played as-is out of the box. For the life of me, I can't find an article or thread explaining exactly what is done during that setup. Could anyone please enlighten me?
Thanks,
Halzen
King
Offline
What model/brand e-violin are you considering? Solid body or an amplified acoustic?
The big issue is usually sound post adjustments but a solid body electric has no sound post.
Also, the e-violin bridge may fit into a pre-molded slot.
The e-violin is typically just easier to work with.
Your amps and pre-amps may require more attention however. They will become the sound of the violin.
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
Honorary tenured advisor
Regulars
Offline
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t.....uR_P2slm6w
With the exception of how oten the speaker touches the bow hair (which should be never), here's a pretty-good explanation of what to expect with an acoustic for reference.
Regulars
Offline
I would like to add a few comments to setting up the violin that were not talked about in the video. When you take out the bridge use a lead pencil in the string grooved for lubricant for the strings. Other things are if the E string has a small plastic tube on it, you want that tube to be between the bridge and the string. If the bridge has an ebony insert there is no need for the plastic tube. When putting rosin on a bow for the first time the rosin will be all nice and shinny new. take a little sand paper or knife and just scratch the rosin this will only need to be done on a new cake of rosin. Keep a good eye on the bridge when tightening the strings. The bridge can easily fall foward if not readjusted as you tune.
Member
Offline
Wow, thanks for all of the quick responses.
The violin I'm purchasing is a Cecilio CEVN-1, which is a solid-body electric: m=ACPGV300K93D
It's the same as the electric violins that Fiddlerman has given away in the past. It just seems to be the best option around for the money.
Honorary advisor
Regulars
Offline
yea it looks like a white version of the electric that FM gave away! Um I don't know what you mean by set up. I check mine out of the box and it was already set up for me so I played it straight away and had no issues 
King
Offline
That's one of the things l like about electrics. Not nearly as fussy as acoustic. Of course, it seems standard for people to want to change strings but I personally don't know if that is needed. My electric came with Helicores which is pretty common. But the real set-up on an electric is in the amplifiers. (My amps all together have 10 knobs I can turn to vary the sound which is certainly an overkill but shows how the "violin" is not so critical as in the case of a true acoustic.)
(PS Can the chin rest be changed on the CEVN-1 ?
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
Member
Offline
Oliver said:
Can the chin rest be changed on the CEVN-1 ?
Looking at the pictures, I see the same attachments on the CEVN's chinrest as I have on any other violin I've picked up. Therefore, I'd guess that you can change it out just fine.
Pro advisor
Regulars
Offline
Yep, you can change them just fine...
Member
Offline
Hello everyone, this is my first post and I hope it helps.
My sources are from the Electricviolinshop.com techs, a few other violin repairmen, and my own personal experience.
The "setting up" of a violin I have been told is reference to several maintenance/modifications done to any violin after unboxing and before playing.
The first being replacing the strings the violin came with. While doing this one would check that the angle/position of the bridge is correct for the sound you want. (I have compared the angle of bridges on acoustic vs electric and have come to the personal conclusion that the best sound comes from mirroring the acoustic bridge angle.)
I was told repeatedly that I might want to have a violin tech perform this modification but I have adjusted a number of acoustic bridges so the electric violin didn't make me nervous.
After that the last few steps vary from person to person and are almost personal preferences. Those being: using graphite to lube the finger board, protecting the bridge from the E string, rosining up your bow(as Kevin M. already mentioned), stretching the strings(although this occurs during normal use of the violin, no sense not playing when one can just re-tune as the strings stretch), and adjusting or modifying the pegs so they don't move(peg dope/peg drops or you can push them deeper into their mounts just be careful not to crack the wood).
I have done all these modifications on a Cecilio CEVN 4W I just purchased and while I do notice a difference in sound I do not feel that the "out of the box" sound is bad either.
I hope this answers some questions.
"The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." (Mewtwo, Pokemon the First Movie)
Wisdom can come from anywhere, make sure you use both ears to listen for it.
Offline
Thanks for the post KAKulow,
Welcome to Fiddlerman.com 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Pro advisor
Regulars
Offline
Welcome KAKulow and I agree with your post. No need to have a tech position the bridge that is something we all need to learn from the get go. I think using graphite to lube the fingerboard is overkill. I actually never heard of that and I have been playing guitars with ebony fretboards for 30 + years.
Regulars
Offline
I think he was talking about lubing the slots in the bridge and the nut and not the fingerboard.
Pro advisor
Regulars
Offline
Right on, that makes more sense to me 
Member
Offline
Thanks for the warm welcome all. Actually it was both. My apologies for my lack of communication. I have known quite a number of odd string players/repairmen that swear by graphiting the "string paths?"(correct me if I used the wrong term) creates a sweeter sound. I have sat and tried to hear the difference but I couldn't hear it.
Those same musicians swear by using chalk with their rosin for their bow. "Chalk protects the horse hair," they tell me. Also that coating one's strings with wax on all but the parts that their fingers and bow touches will increase the strings life three fold.
The graphite sounded the most credible since it did not affect the sound of the violin and a little extra protection never hurt. However the chalk and wax sounded ridiculous.
"The circumstances of ones birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." (Mewtwo, Pokemon the First Movie)
Wisdom can come from anywhere, make sure you use both ears to listen for it.
Offline
KAKulow said:
......The graphite sounded the most credible since it did not affect the sound of the violin and a little extra protection never hurt. However the chalk and wax sounded ridiculous.
I've never tried the chalk or the wax either. Haven't even heard about it. You learn something everyday.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
1 Guest(s)
Mouse
tonyluo
ELCBK
