Chinese SONG Brand fiddle. I think it was created for BATMAN, or a Vampire.

[NewUser]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/264353568384

I want one, about to buy one, there are all over eBay. I like the Viola Crazy 1

They're cheap, I'm hoping someone here can advise me on upgrades for it.

Better preamp, I'm wondering if the JOYO JE-307 5-Band EQ (guitar) system would work? -or- Something similar if anyone could suggest it would be welcomed. It's hard to find stuff geared specifically for electric silent viola's.

Also wondering if I can ditch the wood pegs and replace them with some Graph Tech Ratio Tune-a-lele Ukulele Tuners?

I'm not really understanding the pickup on this thing, how it works or what to upgrade it with. I did find an Ebony bridge I thought would look better but want to keep the pickup hidden.

Also think I'm getting a harp style ebony bridge.

 

(( I don't know anything about these electric bowed silent instruments, any upgrade advice will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance. ))

 

P.S. Talking to some people around me, they want to know,

Question. Why do you want this?

Answer. I don't know.

 

Question. What are you going to do with it?

Answer. Play with it.

 

Question. Why not a Violin, nobody plays Viola?

 Answer. I don't care. 

 

Question. Why that one?

Answer. It looks cool.

 

Question. Why not a different brand, a better one?

Answer. I only like that one.

 

Question. Do you even know how to play a bowed instrument?

Answer. No. and so what.

 

   

[Dan Dare]

9 hours ago, NewUser said:

want one, about to buy one, there are all over eBay. I like the Viola Crazy 1

They're cheap, I'm hoping someone here can advise me on upgrades for it.

Better preamp, I'm wondering if the JOYO JE-307 5-Band EQ (guitar) system would work? -or- Something similar if anyone could suggest it would be welcomed. It's hard to find stuff geared specifically for electric silent viola's.

Also wondering if I can ditch the wood pegs and replace them with some Graph Tech Ratio Tune-a-lele Ukulele Tuners?

I'm not really understanding the pickup on this thing, how it works or what to upgrade it with. I did find an Ebony bridge I thought would look better but want to keep the pickup hidden.

Also think I'm getting a harp style ebony bridge.

 

I wouldn't recommend using a guitar preamp. The frequencies the eq is tuned to will likely not be ideal for a violin/viola.

 

I think you'll find ukulele tuners will be too long to fit in the pegbox of a violin/viola.

 

The pickup looks like the one on my Yamaha silent violin, which uses a conventional violin bridge that sits on a vibration sensing base.

 

Violin bridges are traditionally made from maple. Changing the wood for something more dense, hard and heavy, such as ebony, will affect the ability of the bridge to transmit vibration from the strings. Whether that will be for better or worse can only be found by experimentation. However, given that violin bridges have been made for hundreds of years, it's likely that it has been found that maple does the job best. Bridges are not drop-in replacements. They have to be fitted properly - cut/trimmed to height, thickness, etc. The come as blanks which are a little too large. Doing it right is a skilled job. If you want the bridge black, why not stain it?

[velvetkevorkian]

Questions I didn't know I needed answered: "What's the best viola for metal?"

[Newfoundfreedom]

Specially designed for Klingon classical music. 

[NewUser]

I just ordered one. 

[NewUser]

Seems to be the same pickup system used by Mark Woods.

 

[NewUser]

Can someone help me find one of those cable things that's on that woods violin?

Thanks in advance!

[pete.young]

Pickup looks like this to me: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003196228239.html?_randl_currency=GBP&_randl_shipto=GB&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=494-037-6276&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=17859472720&albag=&trgt=&crea=en1005003196228239&netw=x&device=c&albpg=&albpd=en1005003196228239&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4omaBhDqARIsADXULuUp1hGsKf2poaPNpt1tHPvTDmxQ3vEeJd_syUgm3DXUWBpmDk4afkQaAmtxEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_fcid=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=15a6422552a94fc88720a94ab69051a2&afSmartRedirect=y

 

It'll be a piezo transducer under the bridge feet, and the box probably includes a high-impedance (> 1MOhm) preamp. The cable on the Mark Wood violin looks like a right-angled  mini jack on one end and a 6mm socket on the other. You can probably get Studiospares to make one, or buy the bits if you can solder.

 

There's probably no point in replacing the friction pegs - you get all the fine adjustment you need on the tailpiece adjusters. Ebony bridge probably won't improve the sound, but with this it probably doesn't matter.

[chris_b]

On 08/10/2022 at 00:04, NewUser said:

 

You'd think they could have been more inspired when they came to design the headstock and tuners!!

[Nail Soup]

On 09/10/2022 at 18:00, chris_b said:

 

You'd think they could have been more inspired when they came to design the headstock and tuners!!

Totally… Could not have been too difficult to think of a pointy/batty theme for the head.

Looks like they just thought F it and stuck on a standard neck.

[NewUser]

They have several headstock/scroll options. Personally I like and choose traditional scroll. Also had frets added, and also got the ebony bridge I wanted. They sent me these photos after completing the build. Now comes the wait, shipping by cargo ship from China to the U.S.A. Probably be a month to get here, hope there's no problem with customs, tariffs, hidden taxes, etc.

[velvetkevorkian]

I'm quite impressed that they seem to have taken a 5 string, fretted viola in their stride.

[NewUser]

I thought frets would help me transition from bass guitar over to viola. I have no interest in using a bow anyway and intend to play pizzicato. Frets just make sense to me, finger taps, hammer ons - pull offs.

 

I'm plugging it in my bass amp, can't wait to hear it with ratt distortion and a tel ray wah.  Really hope this all works out.

[Rich]

[NewUser]

2 hours ago, Rich said:

 

It has shipped, going to be a long wait. Cargo boat from China to U.S.A. estimate delivery day is November 28th 

I would be interested in sharing the sounds I get from the instrument. 

[NewUser]

On 09/10/2022 at 11:05, pete.young said:

Pickup looks like this to me: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003196228239.html?_randl_currency=GBP&_randl_shipto=GB&src=google&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=494-037-6276&slnk=&plac=&mtctp=&albbt=Google_7_shopping&albagn=888888&isSmbAutoCall=false&needSmbHouyi=false&albcp=17859472720&albag=&trgt=&crea=en1005003196228239&netw=x&device=c&albpg=&albpd=en1005003196228239&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4omaBhDqARIsADXULuUp1hGsKf2poaPNpt1tHPvTDmxQ3vEeJd_syUgm3DXUWBpmDk4afkQaAmtxEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&aff_fcid=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&aff_fsk=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=aaf&sk=UneMJZVf&aff_trace_key=343f2b700285474da6227621918b0597-1665327653019-01938-UneMJZVf&terminal_id=15a6422552a94fc88720a94ab69051a2&afSmartRedirect=y

 

It'll be a piezo transducer under the bridge feet, and the box probably includes a high-impedance (> 1MOhm) preamp. The cable on the Mark Wood violin looks like a right-angled  mini jack on one end and a 6mm socket on the other. You can probably get Studiospares to make one, or buy the bits if you can solder.

 

There's probably no point in replacing the friction pegs - you get all the fine adjustment you need on the tailpiece adjusters. Ebony bridge probably won't improve the sound, but with this it probably doesn't matter.

 

I've been searching for a cable and found.

 

Hosa MHE-100.5 1/4" TRS to Right Angle 3.5 mm TRS Headphone Adaptor Cable, 6 Inch

 

Is that going to work for me?

Thanks in advance!

 

[BigRedX]

On 21/10/2022 at 21:30, NewUser said:

I thought frets would help me transition from bass guitar over to viola. I have no interest in using a bow anyway and intend to play pizzicato. Frets just make sense to me, finger taps, hammer ons - pull offs.

 

I'm plugging it in my bass amp, can't wait to hear it with ratt distortion and a tel ray wah.  Really hope this all works out.

 

My experience of various exotic stringed instruments is that the moment you stick them through any kind of distortion/overdrive deice they sound just like guitars. The only advantages you get is that if it's something with very different tuning intervals to a standard guitar, it then opens up possibilities for playing/writing parts that would normally be difficult to play.

 

I built myself a solid electric balalaika in the late 70s (it was a practice run for making my own electric guitar the following year). Musically there was very little I could do with it that wasn't sonically close enough to playing the same thing on my guitar.

[NewUser]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

My experience of various exotic stringed instruments is that the moment you stick them through any kind of distortion/overdrive deice they sound just like guitars. The only advantages you get is that if it's something with very different tuning intervals to a standard guitar, it then opens up possibilities for playing/writing parts that would normally be difficult to play.

 

I built myself a solid electric balalaika in the late 70s (it was a practice run for making my own electric guitar the following year). Musically there was very little I could do with it that wasn't sonically close enough to playing the same thing on my guitar.

Thank you, this is good news then because this was pretty much what I was hoping to get out of it.

[NewUser]

Would someone please give me e minor viola 5 string tab?

 

Some type of Persian Egyptian scale that goes well with e minor would be well appreciated too. 

 

E minor is so far the only scale I know how to play on bass.

 

Thank you in advance!

[NewUser]

It's here!

I love it and will never part with it.

Now I need to learn how to use it.

No promise but will do my best to get sound clips tomorrow.

[NewUser]

I just got this and have no training so forgive the sloppiness.

Plucking each string then bowing each string.

 

Clean

 

 

 Big Muff

 

 

Tel Ray in cocked position combined with Big Muff

 

 

Ratt wide open combined with Tel Ray in cocked position and Big Muff

 

 

The Ratt is connected to a Morley FX treadle so in this clip, no bowing or plucking, just jiggling the strings with fingertips, I'm pumping both the FX Ratt and the Tel Ray