Meet 3Dvarius, the electric violin that looks like a glitch in the Matrix
3D printed instrument looks like it’s come through a wormhole from the future
What… what is that?
It’s a violin!
It looks like a ghost violin. And they’re playing dance music on it in the video. Have I gone mad? Did I take the red pill and wake up in an alternate 2016?
Nope. This is an electric violin. More specifically, someone’s been mad enough to take a Stradivarius violin (which is to violinists like a Gibson Les Paul is to a guitarist), and reimagine it as a strange but awesome 3D-printed spectacle with a single-piece body.
I see. Er, why?
Because it’s resulted in a unique and brilliant instrument. Its weight is perfectly balanced, and doesn’t get in the way of the musician. (In fact, because the centre of gravity is closer to the shoulder, it’s supposed to lessen the chances of tendonitis in regular players.)
Sound control is reportedly superb, with “optimal sound-wave flow throughout the instrument”. The sound sensor is so good that there’s no pre-amp, and the jack cable’s near the bridge, to eradicate latency and avoid radio disruptions. Plus, let’s face it, the thing just looks really cool.
I suddenly really want a violin.
We agree. If ever there’s an instrument likely to release your inner Nigel Kennedy, Vanessa-Mae or (to actually add a classical reference and make us look vaguely intellectual) Vivaldi, it’s the 3Dvarius.
How can I get one?
Following the white rabbit and learning Kung Fu is sadly not enough. You’ll need to back this beauty on Kickstarter for, er, €6,299.
My enthusiasm just dwindled a touch.
We thought it might. But if you still want the 3Dvarius to exist, you can instead lob €15 their way for a CD, or, better, spend €149 on a 3Dvarius one-third scale miniature, and pretend you’re a classical-music-loving giant stuck in The Matrix.
Craig Grannell
Contributor