Choosing an instrument to turn your focus on is quite overwhelming, especially if you have lots of choices to choose from. When you visit a shop, you’ll see that there is a wide array of violins ranging from acoustic to electric and then acoustic-electric. Since acoustic violins have been here for ages, let’s take our attention to the electric and acoustic-electric violins.
If you’re confused on which one of these instruments is the best for you, we have narrowed down some comparisons and pros and cons of each instrument for you to ponder on. We hope this will help you to choose the best electric violin or acoustic-electric violin depending on what suits you at the end.
Acoustic-Electric Violin vs Electric Violin
Comparing the two might take us a long way, and so we will distinguish them using the two factors, which users and buyers typically consider.
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Sound
An acoustic-electric violin’s sound is distinguishable by its authentic and resonant-sounding tone rather than the acoustic. It can produce this rich sound due to the wider body of the violin, which is made to amplify the produced sounds intensely. You’ll also get less feedback with acoustic-electric violins. On the other hand, sounds that electric violins produce are purely electric and without an acoustic touch.
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Size and weight
The weight of acoustic-electric violins usually starts from 3.95 pounds, while an electric violin is considerably lighter than this with only 1.30 pounds. The size also varies because acoustic-electrics have rough shapes that you might find challenging. If you want a violin in the default size, you can have an electric violin instead. Note that it will still depend on the brand or model you’ll choose.
Pros and cons of each instrument
For the acoustic-electric violin, it has the following pros and cons.
Pros
- You can experience lesser feedback issues.
- You can enjoy a two-way play of both electric and acoustic violin.
- It has an ideal balance of tones due to its technology.
Cons
- There might be blended sounds due to their dual purpose.
- It is an expensive investment.
Meanwhile, the electric violins have the following:
Pros
- It is quieter to play with its silent practice feature using headphones.
- The amplification and recording are easier.
- There’s no blended sound of acoustic and electric.
Cons
- It is not suitable for beginners due to its complexity.
- The muted sound feature of it isn’t ideal for practice.
Key takeaways
Choosing the right type of violin lies in your hand. This is because you know very well what your capabilities are and how far you can go in playing the instrument. Both acoustic-electric and electric violins have their complexities, which might be hard for beginners to cope with. If you’re just learning to play the violin, an acoustic-electric isn’t for you. You can either go with an acoustic first and then slowly transcend to electric violin. Once you have mastered playing the basic violin, you can immediately turn to the next level. Likewise, you need to consider your finances because these instruments aren’t cheap. You might want to invest in something expensive that can stand the test of time rather than those featured in low price but come in low grade. You’ll only waste your time, effort, and money by doing so
