@mccrackle58 and others.  You may have two (and possibly three) issues with your cecilio electric violin.  All of them are easy fixes.

1.  Cecilio strings leave a lot to be desired, but there is no need to spend a lot of money on a set of strings.  I have used the fiddlerman store brand of perlon core strings which I like very much, and currently use Chinese for-tune strings.  If you like a brighter tone, d’addario student priced steel core strings work well.  

2.  The makers of that violin are very haphazard when it comes to the type of fastener used to secure the plastic bridge mount which can lead to issues with the piezo pickup.  Loosen the strings and remove the bridge (remember orientation of bridge so you can put it back the same way).  The screws should be counter sunk into the plastic and should be level with the top surface of the plastic.  If you have round tops or other protrusions, correct the screws or simply remove them.

3.  The piezo pickup laying on top of the plastic bridge mount only produces sound along half of its length.  That half should be under the bass foot of the bridge.  With the bridge off and with the instrument’s amp on, listen through head phones as you “scratch” the length of the piezo pickup with a small screwdriver or similar.  If the active area of the pickup is on the treble side of the bridge, carefully lift from plastic holder and reverse orientation.  If this is your problem (and it likely is), the bulk of the tin issue will immediately go away.

I think that you will find how wonderful that cheap violin can be.  I have spent some time making “purse from sow’s ear” improvements on it, but the above are the biggest bang for the buck.  You might want to consider getting a better bow and rosin, since the Cecilio offerings in that department rank similarly to their strings.  Regards.