Category Archives: blog


Leo Fender’s Electric Violin at 65

February 14 2022 No comment a personal study ©2022, Benedict Heaney, Deltaviolin Any real, lasting future of bowed strings will include exploration and development of Leo Fender’s Electric Violin. I am convinced. When first presented in the late 1950s, the Violin profession didn’t take to it. Quite effectively it was written off completely and that seemed fine. Now however, considering [...] Continue Reading

Electric Violin, Electric Violinist

December 14 2021 No comment

There, I might as well just say it, I’ve written the “History of the Bowed Electric String“. It places Electric Violin in Music, as a Musical Instrument naturally evolved along the Violin Family, and finds it totally new preparing the way for today’s emerging Digital Violin. Violin Makers, Violinists & audiences cheer, there’s room for […]

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Another Fender First, but came just about Last!

April 06 2018 No comment Leo Fender’s first production model Electric Violin clearly never caught on. This particular “Fender First“ vanished with little trace in 1958 Original Fender Sales Catalogue 1958-1959 (pg.12), shows the production model with "ebony" fingerboard Bob Wills didn’t take to it, nor did just about any of the other violinists said to have tried it at [...] Continue Reading

Paganini Galás Akoluthic

April 13 2017 No comment

The Paganini-Galás Akoluthic – researched & written by Ben Heaney (2011, revised 2017) First published by Delta Violin Ltd. 13 April 2017 ©2017, Delta Violin Ltd. All Rights Reserved   This article came about as a result of public invitation by Gorgon Magazine: to make a contribution towards a monograph celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Diamanda […]

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The Oldest Electric Violin In Active Service?

April 08 2017 No comment

  Fender Electric Violins Gathering Positive Attention… In the fast-growing field of the electrified bowed string there is now a voice that has been missing for much of the past six decades. Such positive reactions to it raise serious questions prompting a totally new perspective on today’s market. Deltaviolin is proud and excited to be spear-heading the unveiling […]

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Electric Violin Usage

January 20 2017 No comment

Exploring the artistic merits of electric violin Contributions Appendix Read the main article here: Turning Up The Volume ©November 2015 – March 2018, Ben Heaney Responses were given to the same four questions by the following electric violinists (hyperlinks to artist websites): Tracy Silverman (TS); Spencer C Yeh (SCY); Lindsey Stirling via PA, Jennifer Fletcher (LS); […]

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Turning Up The Volume!

January 20 2017 No comment

Turning Up The Volume! ©September 2015 – January 2017, Ben Heaney.    “The electric violin is an impressively powerful instrument … a whole new orchestral equipment which the traditionalists will curse but which will undoubtedly allow future composers to give us unforeseen masterpieces, using unsuspected elements of emotions.” – Emile Vuillermoz, L’Illustration (12 April, 1930)[1] […]

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Black Spot Book “Every Home Should Have One!”

November 24 2016 No comment

Thank you for your interest in Deltaviolin’s Black Spot Book, recently described by Master of the Queen’s Music, Dame Judith Weir as “a unique and very enjoyable musical game/composition/brain trainer.” And going further to state “Every home should have one!” With copies of the luxurious hand-finished & numbered first edition now available from Blackwells and […]

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Electric Violin Shop

April 13 2016 No comment The interest in amplified strings only gets keener… Electric Violin Shop is an independent retailer of amplified stringed instruments. They are clearly at the forefront of an industry described as unique, exciting and growing. The following information is gleaned partly from the shop’s website but also from observation dating back over ten years and direct [...] Continue Reading

Digital Violin & The Tipbook Company

April 12 2016 No comment

Delighted! Continued reference to Digital Violin in the Tipbook Company’s Complete Guide Violin and Viola edition and “eTipbook Violin”  by Hugo Pinksterboer .    Neat, compact and to the point work. ‘Violin & Viola’ is part of “a series of accessible, handy books, eTipbooks, and apps about music and musical instruments, written in cooperation with numerous musicians and other experts” […]

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