My FV-1 puts the spin on our Friday night garage band jams. I use a Fender Acustsonic JR with a guitar effects pedal with a preamp. Have used a mic tube preamp and realy adds to the depth and sonic perception. Great for playing feedback..picks up the whole band sound and recycles it into the PA system, it acts almost like a muted mic. Pro's are that it is sweet and simple and you can control with add ons like the pedal and preamp. My modeling pedal can make it sound like a harp or a sax or evan a fiddle. Simple is good in the long run for maintenance. Finish is nice and has held it's shine after 4-5 years of hard playing. Stays in tune well. Case is great. Con's are the bow was worthless, strings bad and needed replacement, but overall was playable out of the box. I also have had issues with the 1/4 plug in nut, it lossens up and will not stay tight. I use a 90 angle plug to put less stress on it. It's weight needs to get used to, but I find it is more heavy duty contruction than my normal fiddle and can handle the road better with less damage. I do not use the shoulder brace, very uncomfortable...but they all are.

Overall, good fiddle for the price...

I was 90% sure about this violin and after I got it I am now 100% sure. Don't let the price fool you. Sure, the bow sucks and the rosin really isn't the best but everything else I had no problem with. Really, it isn't that heavy. Or at least I don't think it is. I can hold it without any hands like you should be able to with a violin. But I wasn't impressed with the strings. They are very low quality. On a better note the sound unplugged doesn't bother me at all I think it sounds fine and of course plugged in it is even better. If you're looking for a good violin for the price I would suggest this one. I was over all very pleased with it and most of its accessories.

Right off the bat you will notice the heaviness of this violin. Violins by nature are meant to be light enough to be held without help from your left hand. I did not get that from this violin. Without realizing i was holding most of the violin;s weight with my left hand, making difficult passages almost impossible to play. The sound is raw, which is to be expected with ANY electric instrument. It is not designed to be played straight into a PA or headphones. Buy a preamp, some effect pedals, and even an acoustic amplifier to hear how the instrument is SUPPOSED to be hear. All in all, the sound is decent. It looks AMAZING, but it is constructed in a manner that allows proper violin playing. Save up some more $$$ and get a yamaha or a zeta.

For it's price, the violin is pretty good, but compared to others, it really can't hold its own. The violin feels and looks ok, but when plugged in, the sound really isn't all that great. I won't even comment on its unplugged sound, but hey, its an electric violin, its supposed to be plugged in. If you do get this violin, a preamp is definitely a must. Also, I would suggest not getting this and instead save up a couple more bucks and get the yamaha, its a better STARTER violin. Because if your considering this, your probably just coming into the world of amplified strings.

Not usually much of a Fender man, but this violin struck the perfect balance between cost, looks, and sound in the shop.

It looks a little strange, but its construction is solid and I found nothing to complain about. Seams are well sanded, pegs fit snug and don't loosen, and the tailpiece is real wood - a rare find on silents under 1k.

It's bearable unplugged, but it jacked in, it's very fine for its price. Obviously it ain't contending with a Zeta, but it's very rich and sweet, with a sobbing low G and a piercing E, just as a violin should have. The pickups are also PASSIVE - that means no batteries, a definite plus in my book. (Most electric violins require batteries for their preamps.)

The features are somewhat lacking as compared to other, even cheaper, violins - a single 1/4" output, a volume and a tone knob. Some electrics are known to have onboard EQs up to five bands, 2.5mm headphone jacks, line in jacks, what have you - but its simplicity doesn't harm its sound or feel.

Oh, yeah - feels great in the hands. The shoulder rest is a little hard, but is fully adjustable in height and angle.

The only complaints I have aren't even about the instrument - they're about the accessories. By far the most terrible bow and rosin I've ever had the misfortune to try and use. The included cable also didn't inspire a lot of confidence. But the case is solid!