VIOLIN HOOKED TO RADIO SET (Aug, 1933)
Filed under: Music — @ 2:04 am
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1933
| Buy on Ebay
Source: Popular Science ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1933
| Buy on Ebay
VIOLIN HOOKED TO RADIO SET
Stringed instruments without sounding boards, including violins, cellos, guitars, and ukuleles, have been devised by an eastern violin maker. Vibrations of the strings pass through the bridge to a magnetic pickup, resembling a microphone, that converts them into electric currents. These are amplified to operate a loudspeaker. At home the instruments may be plugged directly into the family radio. One of the new violins is illustrated above.
Looks like a Vulcan Harp.
Comment by jayessell — February 5, 2008 @ 9:16 am
Today’s “silent” electric violins (which aren’t at all silent, though certainly quieter than one with a soundboard) still work under the same principle! I didn’t realize the electric violin dated back to the 30s.
Comment by fluffy — February 5, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
Is this where Les Paul got his idea?
Comment by Wincey — February 6, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Wincey… you may rather ask if this is where A. Rickenbacker got his idea? Or got the maker of this violin the idea off Rickenbacker’s “frying pan”? (Look it up on Wikipedia…both were made in 1931)
Comment by G.Marconi — May 10, 2008 @ 5:14 pm