An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument intentionally made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body. It can also refer to a violin fitted with an electric pickup of some type, although "amplified violin" or "electro-acoustic violin" are more accurate then.
Front, back and headstock detail of a Leo Fender's Electric Violin
A traditional acoustic violin and a modern electronic violin from Marc Capuano
Acoustic-electric violin bridge with piezoelectric element inlay
Ed Alleyne-Johnson playing an electric violin
The violin, colloquially known as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino piccolo and the pochette, but these are virtually unused. Most violins have a hollow wooden body, and commonly have four strings, usually tuned in perfect fifths with notes G3, D4, A4, E5, and are most commonly played by drawing a bow across the strings. The violin can also be played by plucking the strings with the fingers (pizzicato) and, in specialized cases, by striking the strings with the wooden side of the bow.
The cupola of Madonna dei Miracoli in Saronno, Italy, with angels playing violin, viola, and cello, dates from 1535 and is one of the earliest depictions of the violin family.
1658 Baroque violin by Jacob Stainer
The construction of a violin
Closeup of a violin tailpiece, with a fleur-de-lis