Yamaha SVC 50 Silent Cello

The Yamaha SVC 50 is amazing. It is the first line of Silent Cellos by Yamaha and I really enjoy learning how to play this instrument.

I am a beginner at learning how to play cello and I know there is a lot of opinions about learning how to play on a classic acoustic cello, but it's great if you haven’t got a lot of space you won’t be disturbing neighbours, because it come with headphones, it's light weight and has a beautiful sound.

There is a lot of accessories you need to get, for those new to a stringed instrument, you will need to get: a tuner, a good bow (preferably horse hair- sounds much better, I realised this later...), rosin for the bow (I like a lighter one), a fingerboard sticker for learning where the notes are and a good tutorial book or teacher. You might consider getting good spare strings. - For the silent cello you will need to get an adapter for power. (There are many other things you could get- a music stand, a cello stand, an amplifier but you'll know what more you'll need to get when you’re comfortable playing and especially if you’re already a seasoned cello player – you’ll just plug in and get practicing)

As this is the first line of Silent cellos by Yamaha unlike the newer models you will need to attach the chest rest and knee rest to make you feel like you’re in a playing position of an acoustic cello. The newer models (SVC 110, SVC210) look aesthetically like a cello whereas the SVC 50 looks like a cool cross between a futuristic silent cello/electric guitar.

I love playing this cello. It has exceeded my expectations. I feel you have to really search for information when starting to learn how to play a stringed instrument, let alone a silent stringed instrument. Advice is not so readily available as with a guitar or piano, but I'm very pleased with the advice on the Thomann website, their service and delivery. Thank you.

Bought the cello a few months ago and have been experimenting with it non stop. It is a perfect companion for a cellist who wants to play something a bit more modern. The sound is very high quality yet has a unique tone and an elegant look to it.
Pros: The sound of a typical piezo cello pickup comes nowhere near the quality of this electric cello. Currently I am doing non-classical music concerts with it and it solves a lot of problems that I had with an acoustic cello. It is easier to set up, doesn't get feedback in the monitors and works better with pedalboards. It is also easier to transport as it's parts are detachable and fit into a small gig bag.
Cons: At first it is a bit weird to play in loud environments because you don't feel the resonance of the body and you have to have a monitor or in-ear monitor to actually hear yourself in concerts, even in quiet pieces. But you get used to it. Also the strings that come with it are not the best ones, I would recommend replacing them.

But still, so far this has been one of the best purchases I've made!

We tried several electronic celli and came to the obvious conclusion: Buy a Yamaha Silent Cello.

That is not so surprising and so I will concentrate on the non-obvious aspects.

The cello comes in a nice gig bag but without a bow (provide your own). At first it looked like it was too bendy to place a bow in the bag without some more protection, but currently we don't worry - just remember to take your bow out first. When you are coming from a solid cello case, that is something to re-learn :)

Two parts, the knee and breast support have to be attached for playing, which takes a short moment, but is really not that complicated. Having that done, playing the cello feels quite natural and when I look down I am always surprised not to see my 'real' instrument.

The strings are good, but I will replace them at some time with something more indivdually fitting, but that is to be expected with any new instrument.

The guitar-style geared tuning pegs fit the modern look and are actually very well made - no additional fine tuning needed.

The electronically produced sound is brilliant as expected with Yamaha's silent instruments.

If you don't want to pay the price for the top range, this is very well worth the price.