Wood Violins Stingray SV-4

One mildly used red one left! The Stingray SV-4 will be back in late 2009 - and a five-string model is also in the works!!

Modeled on the previous custom-built Stingray, the SV-4 has the same edgy, modern design -- held upside down by the neck, the instrument looks like a battle-axe!
Overall build quality on the Stingray SV-4s is excellent, with beautiful, glassy finishes, in red sparkle and gloss black.

Tone is quite good for an instrument in this price range -- a little harsh on the high end, but you can roll of the treble at the preamp a bit to take the edge off. The output signal is quite strong, as befits an instrument so clearly designed for a rock player.

The Stingray SV-4 has an onboard preamp with a headphone jack, so it should be great for silent practice. The newer versions come modified by the folks at Wood Violins, with a 1/4" output jack screwed into the back of the instrument -- this seems to have eliminated nearly all of the popping and crackling problems we'd previously noted with the instrument.

On the latest round of Stingrays we've gotten, the stock strings have been better than before, especially in terms of pitch consistency (which was our biggest concern). We recommend upgrading the strings, preferably to D'addario Helicores or the excellent new Zyex Composites for a warmer, yet focused, tone, but it's no longer something that we think is absolutely mandatory on this instrument.

Includes a bow and case, headphones, instrument cable, rosin, and a Resonans shoulder pad. We highly recommend upgrading to a Wolf shoulder pad, either the Forte Secondo or (if you have a longer neck) a Forte Primo. The rubber surgical tubing that covers the feet of the Wolf pads grips the slightly-rounded, high-gloss sides of the Stingray much better than the harder feet of the Resonans, for a firm, stable grip. Kun shoulder rests are also currently using hard plastic for the feet, so they're not a great choice, for this instrument.

usually $599, this mildly used red one, with upgraded bridge and Dominant strings is $539 - CALL to order!