Why would you want a silent violin? If you prefer to practice without disturbing anyone else, a silent violin is the perfect investment. Simply plug in your headphones and only you can hear the music. You can’t do that with an acoustic or amplified electric instrument. Let’s take a look at two top silent electric violins from Yamaha to see which one will be the best for you.
Yamaha SV-130 Series Silent Electric Violin – Instrument Only
The Yamaha SV-130 is called the “original concert select” silent violin. It has built-in reverb settings so that you can enjoy the sound of playing on stage when you practice in your room. It also has a specially-made Kun shoulder rest that comes with no other Yamaha silent violin models.
It’s hard to believe this beautiful instrument isn’t something out of a sci-fi movie. It’s also impressive how good it sounds, either with headphones or through an amplifier. Take the time to test it if you can, or at least listen to a sample.
While the chin rest, side body, and tailpiece are made of molded plastic, the neck is built from maple and the body from spruce. The fingerboard and pegs are ebony. There is one piezo pickup and no microphone, so there’s never any feedback.
The controls available on the SV-130 are the master volume, the line-in volume, and reverb type select. You can find all these on the bottom of the instrument. Since it’s an electric violin, it requires power to operate, but it can run off as little as two AA batteries or the AC adapter.
When you want to practice a piece, you can plug in an mp3 or CD player through the AUX IN port to listen to accompaniment. Although the SV-130 doesn’t come with its own bow, you can use any standard bow, even carbon composite instead of wood.
More features of the Yamaha SV-130 silent violin:
- Instrument only, no accessories
- Comes with Kessler steel core strings
Yamaha SV-200 Silent Electric Pearl White 4/4 Violin
The Yamaha SV-200 silent violin is made to feel even more like an acoustic violin than the SV-130 does. When you hold the maple neck in your hand, you’ll notice it has a surface finish that feels very realistic. The spruce body with oversized frame, ebony fingerboard, and ebony tuning pegs add to the illusion that you’re holding a regular violin. But this is no ordinary instrument.
Besides the realistic feel, the SV-200 sounds almost like an acoustic violin. You can adjust the equalizer on the instrument itself without needing to use an amp or depend on other outside controls. You’ll never need to be concerned with feedback since there is no microphone. And if you prefer to use external sound equipment, you can override the violin’s settings.
The controls are on the bottom side of the violin. You can use them to manage the volume, the equalizer mode, and the equalizer itself. The two piezo pickups are underneath the legs of the bridge. They are quite sensitive so the violin reflects the nuances in your playing style just like an acoustic instrument would. The floating tailpiece also contributes to the clear tone from the strings.
The Line Out jack is in a new place so that you can place the cord over your shoulder while you play. And if you prefer to use your own shoulder or chin rest, the larger frame on the SV-200 will most likely accommodate it.
More features of the Yamaha SV-200 silent violin:
- Requires one 9V battery to operate
- Alkaline battery will last for about 12 hours of playing time
- E string has a fine tuner
- Weighs 1 pound 6 ounces
Recommendation
If you’re shopping for a silent violin, both of these models from Yamaha have quality features and good sound. Beginning players may want a silent violin to practice without disturbing others, but keep in mind that it’s hard to judge how an acoustic violin will sound in a performance environment if you’ve only ever played electric violins while wearing headphones.
The SV-130 has concert select sound-reverb effects that will make you think you’re playing on stage. It runs off two AA batteries and comes with a specially-made rest.
The SV-200 feels and sounds a bit more like an acoustic violin and has a built-in equalizer. You can use just about any rest you prefer with it. It runs off a 9V battery.
Click here to purchase Yamaha SV-130 on Amazon.com!
Click here to purchase Yamaha SV-200 on Amazon.com!