electric violins

[Alex U. Singer <asinger...>]

Hi my name is Alex Singer and I often lurk on this newsgroup, not having the 
time to answer
the various posts.  I am a part-time klesmer musician, playing viola and 
mandolin in one of the
groups listed for  North Carolina on Ari's Klesmershack (Magnolia Klesmer).  
During the week I
do biochem. research at UNC in Chapel Hill.  Anyway, when I play
viola, I play it as one would a violin ie I trade melodies with the other 
melody instruments
ie clarinet, accordian, trumpet.  This is quite unusual I guess, and has a 
clear disadvantage ie
no E string, and I don't feel comfortable shifting around on the A string.  So 
I am
thinking about getting an electric violin.  The reason why I'm thinking of an 
electric over an
acoustic is, first, I've got a viola that sounds pretty good, and it's spoiled 
me -- I want to
spend less than $1000, and the violins I've played in this price range have 
squeeky tinny sounds
-- electric violins in this price range don't quite give me that horrific 
feeling when I play
them.  Also, our group plays a number of concerts during the year, and I'm 
afraid that during one
of these, my viola will get damaged (I've had it since I was 15, about 20 
years).  So my question
is in particular for the klesmer fiddlers around here -- what should I be 
looking for in an
e. violin both in general and for playing eastern european music specifically.  
I know that e
violins also have been used for playing this music -- when I was at the 
Ashkenaz festival in
Toronto 3 years ago and I saw the Klesmatics,  Alicia Svigals was playing one.  
Anyway, any
thoughts on this can be emailed seperately to me or to the newsgroup in general.

Thanks for your help
Alex Singer

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