Violin
Yamaha EV-205
Price: 450 EUR – 450 EUR
Availability: 2/10 (Very rare)
A discontinued 5-string electric violin with a solid carved maple body and frame producing genuinely acoustic-like resonance, plus an onboard mixer letting a player balance each string's output independently.
About the Yamaha EV-205
The EV-205 uses solid, carved maple for both the body/frame and sound board - unlike a flat slab electric violin body, this carved construction is intended to give an acoustic-like resonance despite being a solid-body instrument. A sensor under each string reads vibration three-dimensionally, feeding an onboard mixer with an individual level control per string plus one master level control, letting a player balance a weak or overly loud string rather than accepting a single fixed pickup response across all strings.
As a 5-string model, it adds a low C string below the standard violin's G-D-A-E range, extending downward into viola territory for players who want that extra low range without switching instruments. A headphone jack and Silent Practice technology let it be played fully silently for practice, or run through an amp on stage; gear-type tuning heads and a genuine ebony fingerboard round out the build, powered by a single 9V battery.
Where to buy
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Reverb 450 EUR Best price View details
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Reverb 450 EUR View details
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Source: https://reverb.com/item/98648285-yamaha-ev-204-electric-violin-made-in-japan
Sound character of the Yamaha EV-205
As a true silent violin, the EV-205AM has no resonating wooden body - a slim frame holds the strings over a piezo bridge pickup, so virtually all of the tone comes from the pickup and onboard electronics rather than acoustic wood resonance, producing a clean, direct, almost sterile sound designed for headphone practice rather than natural projection.
Technical data for the Yamaha EV-205
| Body/Frame | Solid carved maple |
|---|---|
| Fretboard | Ebony |
| Strings | 5 (adds low C) |
| Electronics | Per-string mixer + master volume |
| Power | 9V battery |
The history of the Yamaha EV-205
The EV-205 has been discontinued by Yamaha, but remained notable during production for combining true 5-string range with per-string level control - a mixing feature uncommon even among other electric violins - aimed at players needing consistent tone across an extended range.
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