YAMAHA Silent Series SV-250 Electric Violin

UPDATE: Change the strings!
This Yamaha SV-250 comes to you with D’addario Zyex strings pre-installed. I assumed since Zyex strings are good quality strings that Yamaha choose them because they were a good match to the performance of the violin. Now that I have played those strings out and changed them, I can tell you that it might not be the case for everyone. I installed Larsen Virtuoso strings on mine, and the difference is very noticeable. I get far more dynamic range (much more expressive pianissimos and more forceful fortes), better color on vibrato, and a much wider variety of tonal qualities with different bowing techniques. Overall the sound is richer with an more responsive “acoustic” feel to them. This is exactly what I was looking for in a silent violin. Perhaps if you are interested in playing ‘new’ violin, or need a more cutting but level sound it might be useful to stick with the Zyex or go to Helicores for more volume, but I love these Larsen Virtuosos on this instrument. I can get lost playing and go on for hours with this set up.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I have played the violin for over 10 years and currently live an apartment with thin walls. I was looking for an instrument that would take the place of my primary acoustic instrument without me noticing too much. This instrument fits the bill perfectly. I purchased mine at a local violin shop where I also played the SV130, SV150, and SV255. I also have experience with the Cecilio CEVN electric violin.

Within the SV line, I would say the SV250 is the closest facsimile to a quality acoustic violin. The sound it still noticeably “electronic” even with the dual bridge/body pick-ups which sets the SV250 apart. The quality of that sound is still very very good, and the playing experience is comparable to a “step-up” violin. Considering that step-up violins cost around $3000-$5000, this is a relative bargain. Of course, most people will look at the price tag and wonder about all those $100 Cecilios or the other violins in the Yamaha SV range. I’ll cover the other violins in the SV range first, then talk about the Cecilios. The SV255 is a 5-string SV250. If you’ve got the chop to play a violin plus a lower C-string to give you viola range as well –fantastic!

The SV150 has the outboard control box like this one so the weight and balance are very much like an acoustic, but the 250 is designed for performance and facilitates being plugged into a mixer or effects pedals. The control box as a whole bunch of outputs and no effects or bells and whistles, just a quality dry output. The SV150 is designed for practice and only has a 1/8 inch headphone jack on the control box, but the control box has all sorts of sound effects, an mp3 player that can play your songs and difference speeds, a tuner, and a metronome. The SV250 has that extra pickup in the body, and it is also made of better woods for a resonating instrument: it has a spruce top and a flamed maple back –just like a good acoustic violin. The SV150 is entirely maple and has only sparkly or solid finishes. This make a subtle but noticeable difference in tone, and for looks (which are very important!) the look of the SV250 makes you think of an acoustic violin, and not in an unpleasant way. It’s quite a beautiful instrument to look at. Are the differences worth the extra $600? It depends. If you just want a good practice violin with excellent sound that offers all the special bells and whistles an electric violin can offer, go for the SV150. If you want quality sound for the stage or an instrument to replace your acoustic, get the SV250. My two niggles are there is no extra input jack on the SV250 control box (Yamaha appears to have been VERY insistent on the SV150=practice SV250=performance divide) so I can’t pipe my own back up tracks into the 250 while I’m practicing) and the chin rest is built into the instrument and doesn’t fit me too well so it’s a little uncomfortable for me but I can’t change it to a more comfortable one.

Now onto the entry level stuff. The internet is crawling with these Cecilio violins, and rightfully so; they are surprisingly good for the rock bottom price. I had to send my original order back for quality control issues (defect in finger board, hissing and popping from the amp), but eventually you wind up with a serviceable one. So you start with a $100 violin kit, you must upgrade the strings chuck the bow and order a useable one (a $70 carbon bow from fiddlerman works great), dope the pegs, sand and crown the bridge, lubricate and secure the fine tuners, lubricate the contact points on the nut with graphite, and possibly do some soldering on the electronics. Good strings=$50, new bow=$70, and 1-3 hours of your time for set-up means your $100 violin is actually a $300 violin. Compare that to a SV130 which is around $700-800 dollars. You already get a serviceable set of strings and the set-up done for you, plus the SV130 has FAR better electronics and workmanship. Sound-wise, the signal coming out of the Yamaha is both clearer -less hissing and humming, and goes through more processing through the onboard amp so the sound is smoother and easier to listen to (think about how many hours you would spend playing on and listening to the sound of your instrument and how much a step up in sound quality over those many many hours is worth to you). You also get a built-in mp3 player in on the SV130. If you can afford it, a Yamaha is worth the extra money. If you can’t afford it, make sure you have a friend with experience with violins around to help you, and the Cecilio is an excellent bargain. Just don’t expect anything to work right out of the box, and you will need to set aside some of your budget for new strings and a better bow.

If you’re familiar with electric guitars, these electric violins map on quality-wise very well for what you pay. The Cecilio kits have much the same qualities as one of those Squire beginner kits they carry with the entry level guitar, amp, and cables they carry at big box stores. All the Yamaha practice models run the range in between, and the SV250 is like a nice semi-hollow body guitar in the $1500-$2000 price range.

We bought this instrument in November. It seemed to work but was a little finicky from the outset. By March it completely stopped working. We reached out to Yamaha for support and after some diagnosis they informed us it was broken and would need to be serviced under the 5 year warranty. Then, much to our surprise, they informed us that the instrument had been “sold by an unauthorized reseller” and was therefore “void of warranty.” They claimed that GJG Audio USA has been told not to sell, that they have asked Amazon to not allow them to sell on Amazon to US customers, and that they persist. GJG Audio has been 0% helpful in addressing the issue, and so far Amazon has not been helpful with getting a resolution either.

While the circumstances are confusing, after review it appears the responsibility rests with GJG Audio USA and Amazon. With nearly $2,000 at stake, their fraudulent activity here is serious. They have profited from selling a misrepresented and warrantless product without any mention of the voided state of warranty coverage nor warning that they are operating as an unauthorized reseller of Yamaha products to US consumers.