{"id":1092,"date":"2007-12-28T13:00:58","date_gmt":"2007-12-28T03:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lostbiro.com\/blog\/?p=1092"},"modified":"2008-08-31T08:28:19","modified_gmt":"2008-08-30T22:28:19","slug":"five-string-acoustic-electric-violin-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lostbiro.com\/blog\/?p=1092","title":{"rendered":"Five string acoustic-electric violin – review"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Lindo five string ‘hammerhead’ acoustic\/electric violin emerged from its wrapping I knew this was going to be a special Christmas \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"five<\/p>\n

\"five<\/p>\n

The first thing that struck me was the excellent finish on the instrument. That, and the sensible placement of parts – the amplifier lead jack is well placed for the lead to go over the left shoulder, although the headphone socket is underneath – but not obtrusive when playing.<\/p>\n

So what is it like to play?<\/strong>
\nI was relieved that my wolf shoulder rest fitted perfectly without a tendency to fall off, making the instrument nice and secure feeling. It is well balanced with the heavier electrics close to the chest – it is very comfortable to play. <\/p>\n

The big difference is that with five strings running down a standard fingerboard, the placement is close together – something I addressed quickly, if partially, by moving the strings across the bridge a little. The bridge curvature is good allowing good note separation, although I need to get used to slightly different bow positions to avoid playing the wrong string.<\/p>\n

The low C rings well despite its relatively low tension and even acoustically it is not much quieter than a fully acoustic instrument. The hollow body gives good resonance and is a long way from the ‘cigar box’ sound of some electric instruments. <\/p>\n

My first impression is that with a little getting used to this will be a very versatile instrument, allowing good crossover into the deeper part of the sound spectrum. And for a small band this will enable great mid-range fill-ins on songs and some versatility on tune variations. I do have a viola but it’s good to be able to play the low viola stuff without having to adjust my finger position from the violin. As a result I will be able to be more versatile on stage without having to change instruments.<\/p>\n

I love playing slow airs on this fiddle making good use of the low strings. <\/p>\n

The electrics<\/strong>
\nThe electrics are good with the low strings sounding clean and crisp through a Behringer mixer\/pre-amp and Roland cube amp, although I did boost the bass a little and clipped some off the treble. Through the supplied headphones the C string fills out beautifully. Either way there was little hum from the electrics. The integrated pick-ups means that there is nothing clamped on. And the volume and tone knobs are in easy reach.<\/p>\n

\"five<\/p>\n

What’s in the box<\/strong> <\/p>\n