ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yamaha Corporation of America, Band and Orchestral Division, announces the availability of its third generation of Silent Instruments with the Winter NAMM 2008 debut of the new SV-150K Concert Select Silent Practice™ Plus Violin.

SV-150K Concert Select Silent Practice™ Plus Violin

The success of Yamaha's previous practice instruments sets the stage for the third generation in the evolution of Silent String Instruments, offering players at all levels the most sophisticated features for Silent Practice. Violinists will find an easy transition from the traditional instrument as they discover a multitude of features that will support their playing skills. The new SV-150K Silent Electric Practice Plus Violin takes Silent Practice to an entirely new level with a built-in tuner, metronome and more than 20 processed effects including reverb, distortion and vibrato. An SD card port makes it possible to play along with your favorite recorded music in MP3 format.

"In 1997, Yamaha released the first Silent Practice™ instrument, which was widely accepted by players," states Ken Dattmore, Marketing Manager, Yamaha Strings. "As demand for the product has grown, so has the need for a broader range of features and, as always, Yamaha recognized and reacted to this demand."

Human inventiveness is clearly evident in the design of Yamaha's uniquely sculpted violin. Lightweight and comfortable, this strikingly stylish instrument allows musicians to put on a pair of headphones and enjoy the glorious tone of a concert quality violin in a choice of expansive, simulated performance environments – while creating very little external sound. Yamaha has achieved this technological feat by eliminating the internal amplification cavity, which has been present on traditional acoustic violins.

"The new SV-150K is the only instrument on the market that can take Silent Practice to a technological level that no other product can match," adds Dattmore. "The new on-board features will provide students and professionals with the ultimate instrument for Silent Practice."

The first generation Yamaha Silent Electric Violin was prominently featured on the cover of the December 1998 issue of Popular Science, when it was awarded the "Best of What's New" by the publication, which is the world's largest science and technology magazine. This special issue illustrated developing new technologies and the Yamaha Silent Electric Violin stood above thousands of products and technologies evaluated by the editorial staff.

The new SV-150K will be available July 2008.

For more information on the Yamaha Concert Select Silent Practice Plus Violin Model SV-150K, visit Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division at Winter NAMM 2008 in the Marquis Ballroom in the Anaheim Marriott Hotel; write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/band.