A structure that keeps the natural feel of wood with an unobtrusive, minimalist design.
An instrument that combines functionality and playability to meet the diverse needs of musicians.
Honest
A sophisticated shape that gives the feeling of actual space and volume.
The design captures the graceful essence of violins.
Dual-View
A three-dimensional structure that looks beautiful on stage.
The smooth lines connecting the front and back inspire both the player and the audience with different silhouettes from each angle.
Inspiring
The essential elements of an acoustic violin are preserved to ensure comfortable playability.
By matching creative designs to players' diverse performing styles, Yamaha continues to deliver new possibilities for musical expression.
Keizo Tatsumi
Designer
Yamaha Design Laboratory
Remaking Playability and Appearance.
Yamaha’s YEV series displays innovative symmetry and proportions in its new electric violins. We strove for an instrument that could express a freer range of sound that includes classical music but also bridges genres, from jazz to rock music. The resulting design has eliminated the instrument's resonating body, yet it boasts great features suited to performers on stage and explores new territory for the violin.
The most prominent feature is the Möbius strip-inspired shape of the violin's frame. We used a trial-and-error approach to come up with a beautiful yet functional structure with a gently spiraling silhouette. Constructed using five layers of walnut, the YEV maintains the outer lines of an acoustic violin, which allows for a standard shoulder rest. The body connects solidly with the curving, three-dimensional frame for a sturdy yet flexible instrument. The body is arched, and the frame gracefully twists around it to create a feeling of tangible size and volume out of empty space.
We have put Yamaha's luthier expertise to good use, selecting the right maple center surrounded by five layers of mahogany and spruce, which give a good attack and natural sound tone. The natural color model uses the beauty of the wood to accent its appearance.
The locations of the chinrest, tailpiece, bridge, and both upper and lower bouts follow those of acoustic violins, so that musicians can perform without making any adjustments to their style to suit the instrument.
YEV’s natural wood will respond to your hands over time, and the instrument will come to reflect your style and performance history. We hope that countless players will enjoy many years of use with these violins and discover new styles of musical expression on stage and in all their performances.
