Fender FV-1 Violin
by admin on Feb.08, 2010, under News & reviews
Back in the late ’50s, Fender introduced the electric FV-1 violin. Like a blast from the past and more than 40 years later, Fender has re-created the stylish FV-1 violin!
The review unit, finished in high-quality black gloss, is sleek, wickedly cool and a hoot to play! Although it’s easy to imagine doing some serious fiddling with this instrument, its contemporary look lends well to the symphony hall or any stage performance.The FV-1 also comes in polar-white gloss.
Blending high-quality tone, playablity and features, the FV-1 is a solid number for violinists looking to jazz up their act. If you’ve always wanted a Zeta violin, but the prices discouraged you, keep reading!
If you’re an acoustic player looking for a reasonably priced, modern-looking electric violin, look no further than Fender’s FV-1. This full sized violin has a chambered body, set maple neck, solid spruce top with maple back and sides, ebony fingerboard and chin rest, tuners and special design piezo electric bridge with volume and tone controls.
A nice feature is that the violin includes a high-quality horsetail-hair bow and a specially made case (by Dae-Won in Korea, the factory who makes the violin). This complete outfit also includes a comfortably padded neck rest and rosin.
The only thing you’ll need is an amp. We used two different amps for our test: a portable and a standard Peavey. Both worked well with the violin. Fender also has introduced a new amp called the Acoustasonic, which they claim to be “the best little amp on the market”.
If you play the FV-1 without an amp, you may be disappointed by its metallic tone. Plug in an amp and the violin springs to life–a full-bodied tone which can sound like an acoustic or rock on with Fender quality! Just what this electric violin was intended to do!
Although an owner’s manual isn’t presently included with the violin, operating the FV-1 is pretty “plug-n-play”. Tuning the instrument was a bit of a challenge as some of the tuning pegs seemed extra stubborn. However, this seems to be a common problem with most brand-new instruments, acoustic or not.
Here are the testing notes on the Fender FV-1 from a high-school age violinist who helped me test this product:
Beautiful body!
Luscious interior and roomy, custom-made case (big enough to store sheet music)
Love at first sight reading!
Glossy appearance and high-quality sound
Excellent quality bow and supplies
Adjustable shoulder rest fits and helps you lean into your music—a lifesaver!
Easy to blend in, whether I play Mozart or bluegrass
Fender’s trusted reputation and experience is evident with this product
Bottom line: Although Fender will introduce a new, upgraded electric violin model in early 2000, the Fender FV-1 is an excellent pick in value and quality. Grab your rosin and bow–you’ll be fiddlin’ up a storm in style with this baby !