YEV105BL Electric Violin, Black, 5 String

The YEV provides a great sound with minimal configuration on my end. I had been using a bridge pick up on an acoustic instrument, and just plugged this in instead and played. It is super lightweight and fits just fine in a regular full-size violin case. As a fiddler/violinist and playing viola many years ago, it plays like a "normal" violin. The five-string variant adds the viola's familiar lower fifth. I didn't require much practice to adapt to the five string version, though the fingerboard is a bit wider. If you're an improv player, this extra lower range can help simplify finger patterns playing in some keys, while also giving you a great warm range for background filler. It took a bit of effort to adjust a new shoulder rest to the weird ribbon-like body. I had trouble with it falling off due to the angled feet not seating flush against the instrument body, so I had to extend the rest's width and then bend the feet in to grab it. Works great now, but that took a bit of of experimentation. If you're using in-ears, you won't hear the instrument much (if at all). I could hear it via bone conduction by really clamping down on it, but just make sure to turn yourself up enough. Overall, a great instrument that I feel comfortable with on stage.

This is my first and only violin. I'm a guitarist who has always wanted an electric violin, for the beautiful, expressive, sounds they can produce. This instrument is certainly challenging, and it's a whole different world for me. I'm slowly making progress, and although I can not yet say that I'm a "violinist"; I do know and appreciate "tonality". This instrument played through a tiny, solid state, practice amp, sounds rich, fat, and simply beautiful. The 5 strings undoubtedly make it more difficult to master than a traditional 4 string, since the strings are placed closer together. I realized that "going in", but I love having the bigger, gorgeous, lower range available. Once it "clicks" for me, and I actually work on the tone through my (too) many guitar amps, the sound will no doubt be glorious. If you're an accomplished player, and have a reason to go "electric", buy it. You deserve it.

just played for my church and the yamaha yev 105 sounds so much better and richer than my prior electric violin. definitely worth making this purchase. not to mention it’s lightweight and very comfortable even without a shoulder rest:)

1 star

I love having the 5 strings and they sound so warm and not cheap. Had a swagg violin with a preamp built in that wasn't as loud and not even close to warm and beautiful sounding as this.