My name is Jens Elfving, and I couldn’t find the electric violin I wanted, so I teamed up with violin maker Sten Styrélius and built it. Based on a 1713 Stradivarius, Elvari looks, feels, and responds like a violin should.
Who is it for?
If you’re an adventurous violinist who wants natural violin tone, professional playability, and the freedom to…
✅ Plug into an acoustic amplifier or PA, add some reverb, and crank up the volume, like Yalira, who plays a lot (!) of outside wedding gigs: instagram.com/elegantfiddle
✅ Have fun and be creative with effect pedals, and take your Elvari sound to the next level with our FREE Elvari HX template that will save you YEARS of tweaking sound (more information below).
✅ Practise acoustically anytime, anywhere without disturbing anyone. It doesn’t matter if it’s early morning or late at night, if you’re at home or in a hotel room. When inspiration strikes – you can play.
… it’s for you!
Natural violin tone starts at the source.
Elvari has a unique pickup system with a tone plate made from fine Alpine spruce. The tone plate shapes the vibrations from the bridge before they reach the pickup. This helps preserve the instrument’s natural character and delivers a balanced sound across the full range.
Plug in, turn up, and get a powerful, natural violin tone – without starting with the hard, raw sound you may have experienced from other electric violins.
Seamless transition from your acoustic violin.
Every Elvari is handcrafted in Stockholm and professionally set up. We pay particular attention to the details that determine whether an electric violin feels effortless or frustrating: string spacing, neck width, fingerboard curvature, bridge, and overall setup.
So you can spend your practice time making music – not trying to compensate for a badly designed instrument.
Ready to reserve your Elvari?
✅ 10% deposit.
✅ Secure your place in our production schedule, and we’ll begin crafting your instrument specifically for you.
✅ Return within 14 days of delivery if you are not 100% satisfied. Our terms.
€2,938
People kept asking for a 5-String…
So we went back to the drawing board and made the necessary adjustments to make it easy to play. As a classically trained violinist, I was honestly sceptical at first, but let me tell you a secret… Having a C-string is SO much fun! 🔥
Adding a fifth string sounds great on paper. But if the neck is too wide, the strings are badly spaced, or the fingerboard isn’t properly shaped, the design makes it difficult to reach the C-string – you’ll spend your time fighting the instrument.
We’ve paid attention to those details so you can: Reach lower. Shift freely. Play cello and viola parts. Explore new fingerings. Add an octave pedal. Go places a 4-string violin can’t. And because the violin is designed specifically for having 5 strings, that extra range doesn’t come at the expense of playability.
Ready to reserve your 5-String Elvari?
✅ 10% deposit.
✅ Secure your place in our production schedule, and we’ll begin crafting your instrument specifically for you.
✅ Return within 14 days of delivery if you are not 100% satisfied. Our terms.
€3,397
Hermetically sealed and airtight secret…
Most electric violins pick up the bridge vibration directly. Elvari does something different. The vibrations of the bridge are instead sent down to and interact with, a tone plate made from fine Alpine spruce.
The tone plate acts as the top plate of an acoustic violin. The tone plate is carefully tuned and attenuated in relation to the body in order to minimize the handling noises which otherwise occur easily when handling an electric violin. Our unique pickup system thus has an acoustic part that picks up and processes the vibrations before they move on to the amplifier.
The tone plate is hermetically sealed and airtight. We’ve tested it in extreme temperatures, from +60°C to -20°C, and it continued to work perfectly. We’ve also subjected it to extremely humid environments, both hot and cold, for many years without a single issue.
More violin, please!
Plug into any instrument-level input. Elvari delivers a strong signal without active electronics or batteries inside the instrument.
Explore effect pedals, amplifiers, PA systems, and other music gear with a powerful signal and natural violin tone – without starting with the hard, raw sound you may have experienced from other electric violins.
The Elvari also gives you an easily accessible, “invisible” volume control – no need to fight feedback or unwanted handling noise from the violin body. And because the pickup system is built into the instrument, there’s no pickup or microphone to attach – and no cable hanging from your fragile acoustic violin.
Less violin, please!
The Elvari is much quieter than an acoustic violin, so you can practice without disturbing anyone.
Even without amplification, the instrument has a resonant, dynamic tone and a familiar feel and response. This makes the Elvari an excellent “silent” practice violin.
But how does it feel?
At only ~500 grams, the Elvari feels just like an acoustic violin – or even lighter – because its balance point is much closer to the shoulder.
Electric Violin Shop did an in-depth comparison and found that the weight at the scroll was actually 10 grams lighter on the Elvari than on the acoustic violin.
Watch the full video here: How Heavy Is An Electric Violin?
Despite its lightweight design, the Elvari is more robust and far less sensitive to changes in climate and humidity than an acoustic violin.
Use your own shoulder and chin rest for the fit and playing position you’re already accustomed to.
Fun & easy to play.
Our electric violins are handcrafted in Sweden. We can therefore ensure that each instrument has professional playability.
The custom violin setup and the familiar shape, based on Stradivarius 1713, make the transition from your acoustic violin seamless.
Wireless violin = total freedom on stage.
The unique placement of the output jack hides the wireless transmitter and puts the weight where it should be – on your shoulder.
The placement also means that the weight of an instrument cable ends up in the right place.
Wireless systems also have the added benefit of making your Elvari active – if you need this. There are many good ones on the market, but the best one we have tried, by far, is the Fishman AirLock.
Profanity Safe™
Our pickup system does only pick up vibrations – no airborne sounds. This despite the fact that the Elvari has an acoustic component built into the tone plate.
P.S. Profanity Safe™ in Swedish is Svordomssäker™ 🇸🇪 Try saying that three times in a row…
Elvari was born out of disappointment.
Elvari started as a master’s project at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 2012. I was disappointed with the electric violins on the market and decided to make a better electric violin focusing on professional playability. The project got a perfect score, and the prototype was later sold to Aalborg University.
In 2013, Jens contacted violin maker Sten Styrélius in Stockholm, who, in cooperation with a jazz violinist in 1997, had developed an electric violin focusing on natural violin tone. The violin had a unique pickup system with a tone plate made from fine Alpine spruce… Sounds familiar?
1 + 1 = 3
The two concepts complemented each other perfectly. Both the playability and the tone were improved further, and after several prototypes and countless revisions, their new design was finally ready to meet Stradivari and the rest of the world…
The embarrassing reason you might not need a fancy Acoustic IR pedal to take your Elvari sound to the next level.
Acoustic IR (Impulse Response) pedals are marketed to “restore the missing body” of an acoustic violin.
In the summer of 2025, I went to Trondheim, Norway, to record Electric Violin Concerto – The Instrument of Transformation with the professional string orchestra Trondheimsolistene. The Norwegian composer Tormod Tvete Vik and I funded this project with our own hard-earned cash, so there was a lot at stake.
I wanted to be fancy, so I used a fancy IR pedal and did something embarrassing: After a whole day of recording, I realized that the pedal was off! 🤯
At first I felt so stupid, but on the sound check the next day, I was amazed to discover that I actually liked the sound much better this way – without that fancy IR pedal! I took it as a reminder to always listen with my ears, not with my eyes, my cash, or marketing hype.
Do this instead…
This will save you YEARS of tweaking sound.
If you want to take your Elvari violin sound to the next level, use this FREE template:
When you open the ZIP archive, you will get an hlx file that you simply import to your hardware or software – DONE. This will save you YEARS of tweaking sound so that you can focus on what’s important – making music!
P.S. Compatible with the following Line 6 Helix and Helix Stadium family of hardware pedals and software:
✅ HX Stomp & HX Stomp XL
✅ Helix LT & Helix Floor
✅ Helix Stadium Floor & Helix Stadium XL Floor
✅ Helix Native Software
✅ Helix Stadium Native Software
Electric Violin Shop has done a quick comparative test of 26 electric violins.
Elvari is the eighth violin and starts at 4:50. Which one do you like the best?
Electric Violin Shop has also made a review of Elvari:
“Shorts”-video featuring Elvari:
FAQ
The violin is a perfect acoustic design – not a perfect electric design. Attaching a pickup will turn any violin, even a Stradivarius, into a mediocre electro-acoustic with constant risk of feedback and unwanted handling noises from the violin body. Many violinists are also hesitant to attach mic and cable to their fragile acoustic instruments.
Experiment! Any amplifier or PA system with an instrument-level input will work. Do not connect Elvari to amplifiers that are made specifically for electric guitar as they usually cannot reproduce Elvari’s output signal correctly. A full-range amplifier for acoustic instruments is required to give Elvari’s tone justice. We have found that the Boss AC-22LX on the “AB” (Air Feel) setting sounds great and surprisingly loud. This affordable amp weighs only 8 lb & 14 oz (4 kg) and can be battery-powered. It also has stereo line outs so that you can connect directly to other amplifiers or a mixer when you play at larger venues.
Another option is the Roland Mobile Cube. It doesn’t provide as much amplification as the Boss, but it offers a very nice sound quality and works excellently in smaller settings. It also has some effects. It’s a very cost-effective and easily transportable alternative (weighs only 5 lb & 9 oz, or 2.5 kg).
If you look closely at the tone plate you can clearly see a little countersink. This is where the bridge should stand. Just like with an acoustic violin it is important to regularly check that the bridge is standing up straight (not tilting forward or backward) for optimal tone quality.
In Stockholm or Västerås. Contact us for more information.
You can plug Elvari into any instrument-level input. The standard 1 megohm impedance of these inputs will give you a nice, rich sound.
VERY little can go wrong, but let’s think this through:
What if my bridge breaks?
✅ Any violin luthier can make a new bridge because the pickup is NOT integrated into the bridge. Just bring the broken bridge to your luthier as a template.
The 4-string Elvari uses a modified standard prefabricated bridge. The 5-string Elvari has a bridge specially designed for the instrument.
What if something happens with the volume potentiometer?
✅ The volume pot is easily replaceable. Any electric guitar maker can open the instrument with a No. 10 hex key and replace it with another volume pot of the same value.
We use a conductive plastic potentiometer, which offers lower electrical noise and longer life than a traditional carbon pot. It is rated for 100,000 cycles according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
What if something breaks INSIDE the pickup system?
✅ It’s virtually impossible because it’s a completely closed system – hermetically sealed and airtight. We’ve tested it in extreme temperatures, from +60°C to -20°C, and it continued to work perfectly. We’ve also subjected it to extremely humid environments, both hot and cold, for many years without a single issue.
What if the violin body breaks?
✅ Any violin maker should be able to repair it for you. It’s built like an acoustic violin – but more robust.
What if I play without passion?
❌ That’s inexcusable! We’ll tell Beethoven…
Yes, the Elvari is much quieter than an acoustic violin, so you can practice without disturbing anyone. Even without amplification, the instrument has a resonant, dynamic tone and a familiar feel and response. This makes the Elvari an excellent “silent” practice violin.
Shipping is free within the EU/EES.
Elvari is passive but still outputs a powerful signal. Active electric violins can interfere with electronics in wireless systems. In addition, heavy 9V batteries are needed which must be replaced before each concert. The built-in passive electronics in Elvari mean more reliability, and reliability is priceless in a live context. Wireless systems have an added advantage in that they make your Elvari active – if you need this.
Yes. We recommend good-quality synthetic strings or steel strings based on your own preferences. No strings specially made for electrical violins should be used on Elvari. The tone plate and the bridge need the pressure from ordinary violin strings to work well.
Feel free to experiment with different effect pedals for electric guitar. It is a matter of personal preference. We like the Line 6 Helix family of products.
Normally around 6 months. The expected delivery time will be specified on your invoice.
We have been in business since 2013, and we’ve worked with Electric Violin Shop since 2021. They have made several Youtube videos featuring Elvari. The electric violin world is VERY small. We cannot afford to screw over any customer – it would quickly destroy our reputation.