Wood Violins
Wood Violins is the brainchild of Mark Wood. Performer, educator, composer, designer, and entrepreneur, Mark is probably the single busiest guy in the electric violin world. Through his appearances with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and his own Mark Wood Band, as well as his work as a featured soloist with major recording artists, Mark is something of a pied piper for the electric violin, raising the visibility of electric bowed instruments everywhere he goes.
With his Electrify Your Strings program, Mark is reaching out to younger players in the schools who are sometimes less aware of the potential of the electric violin. By taking the violin outside of its traditional role and putting it on an equal footing with the electric guitar, Mark is getting the next generation of string players fired up about their instruments, and keeping them excited about playing violin, viola, and cello.
The latest excitement to come out of Wood Violins is both their first production-model instrument and their first offering for the entry-level market. Manufactured abroad to Mark's specifications, the new Stingray SV-4 is an electric violin package for the player on a budget. Originally available in four-string only, in either gloss black or red sparkle, the SV-4 represented a great value -- an electric violin with built-in preamp, basic case and bow, headphones, cable, rosin, and shoulder pad, for only $599. The instrument is currently undergoing design changes for a re-launch in 2009 -- and a five-string version is also in the works!!
Wood Violins' custom electric violins come in three flavors, the Stingray, the Sabre, and the Viper -- and a custom Viper viola is also available. The custom Stingrays and Sabres are available in four and five-string versions, while the Viper can be ordered in four, five, six, or even seven-string variations! On four and five-string models, violin and viola versions can be built with a choice of either the Schatten Designs single-transducer bridge (at no charge) or, for a little more money, a Barbera Transducer Systems multi-element transducer bridge, which yields a stronger and richer output signal. On six and seven-string models, only the Barbera bridges are offered.
The Viper is by far the most popular of the offerings from Wood Violins. With a shape that immediately recalls the classic "flying V" electric guitars, there can be no doubt that this electric violin was designed with rock in mind. At the same time, it offers a great "clean" tone to folks playing country or Celtic in louder groups who need to ramp up the volume without worrying about feedback.
Whether or not the shape and design of the instrument itself fits your style, there's no question that the patented chest support system is a stroke of genius. Giving the violinist unprecedented mobility and freeing the player from the tyranny of chin rest and shoulder pad, this system has given their music back to a number of violinists who suffered from range-of-motion injuries that prevented them from playing a traditional violin.
For the cellist, Wood Violins offers the custom Cobra electric cellos. These instruments are available in four, five, and six-string models, all equipped with the Barbera Transducer Systems bridge. Tone is incredibly rich, warm, and full -- the Barbera bridges really shine in the lower registers, and these cellos sound amazing.
They're played with a shoulder-support system similar to a modified bass drum carrier. Thus, you can play seated, if you're a traditionalist, but you can also run around on stage, playing as you go. The Cobra is all about giving cellists the freedom to express themselves, whether it's freedom of movement, or the freedom to venture down into the bass range with a five or six-string cello.
We generally try to keep at least one fretless five-string Viper and one fretted six-string Viper in-stock, and frequently have as many as four Vipers in at one time. Since all of these instruments are custom-made, and our inventory turns over fairly rapidly, call us to ensure availability. We also often have at least one Cobra cello available for purchase.
As with all of our makers, Electric Violin Shop can special-order a custom-built Viper, Sabre, or Stingray, or Cobra cello to your exact specifications. A fifty per cent deposit secures your order, and the balance is due when Wood Violins delivers the instrument to us. Please be aware that build time on these custom instruments is typically between sixteen and twenty weeks, and sometimes even longer, if their shop is backed up with existing orders.