Yamaha SVC-110 SK Electric Cello Review

The Yamaha SVC-110 SK silent electric cello is a great electric cello option if you don’t want to wake your family or neighbors up while practicing the cello. While perfect for the home, the Yamaha SVC-110 is also a great concert instrument since it was developed by the makers of world-class instruments, Yamaha. We highly recommend the Yamaha SVC-110 electric cello for anyone who wants a high-quality electric cello. The Yamaha electric cello is a great investment and is lightweight enough to carry with you everywhere.

Overview of Yamaha SVC-110 SK

Pros

  • Has an amazing acoustic sound
  • The shape is classic and functional
  • Very solid
  • Easy to carry around with the soft case
  • Easy to set up

Cons

  • Can still hear some sound even when used in silent
  • The stock bridge is flatter than in most other brands

Why Should You Choose the Yamaha SVC-110?

Yamaha has gone a step further when making the SVC-110 electric cello by redesigning the resonating chamber to give it a more realistic string tone sound. This gives you a complete acoustic sound that is not found in other electric cellos, making the SVC-110 replicate the sound of a traditional acoustic cello. Besides quality of the sound, the pure beauty of this Yamaha electric cello, with its elegant curves, is striking. Yamaha put a lot of thought and effort into designing this instrument.

 

High-Quality Material

Yamaha used high-quality materials while making the Yamaha SVC-110. The instrument consists of the body, neck, tailpiece, and bridge. Each of these pieces is handcrafted to perfection. The body is durable and made from spruce wood, while the neck is made of maple.

The Wittner™ Ultra tailpiece, made from new-age composite material, is superb. The bridge is made from maple. All the wood used in the Yamaha electric cello is hardwood which gives you the best cello sound. Even the fingerboards and pegs are made from durable first-grade ebony wood.

 

Features

  • Spruce wood body and maple wood neck and bridge
  • Fingerboard is made from first-grade ebony
  • Wittner™ Ultra tailpiece with built-in tuners
  • 4/4 size
  • Piezo sensor for pick-up
  • Onboard preamp is studio-quality and reverb is built-in
  • Input/Output: one for Aux In, one for Headphones, one for Master out with 3 presets for the reverb
  • Electric pickup Aux in volume control requires two AA batteries
  • Package includes: a soft case, headphones, auxiliary cable, a chest support, and AA batteries

What is included with the purchase?

When you buy this Yamaha electric cello, the package you receive includes a soft case to keep your cello safe while traveling, a set of headphones, the auxiliary cable, a chest support, and two AA batteries. Since this is a silent cello, you use the headphones to hear yourself playing and you have three different choices to play the instrument with the built-in reverb.

The electric cello has three onboard reverb presets to simulate the acoustics of a practice room, a recital hall, or a cathedral. On the other hand, you can even play it dry without the headphones. The strings included in the package are D’Addario™ Helicore, but these can be upgraded. Read our best cello strings guide to learn more about which strings work best.

The instrument comes in only the 4/4 size. Vibrations while playing are picked up through a Piezo sensor. Electric controls on the cello include the volume controls, Aux-In volume controls, and a reverb switch. For your headphones, there is an in/out jack and the power supply works with 2 AA batteries or an optional AC adapter.

Playing the Electric Cello

Switching to the Yamaha electric cello can feel uncomfortable compared with a traditional cello since you must rest the cello on your chest as opposed to resting the cello on your knee. The sound is superb, but if you have played acoustic cello before, the electric cello may sound unrealistic at first.

An advantage of this cello is that it is a great instrument to use for non-classical studio work since you do not need to mic it up. Additionally, you can use your MP3 or a CD player with the auxiliary inputs. You can even use it for spatial acoustic compositions with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

The Bow and Tuner

While the Yamaha SVC-110 includes all of the hardware you need to get started, it does not include a bow so you will need to buy one. If you already own a cello bow, there is no need to buy a new one. If you do not know which bow to get, read our guide on buying a cello bow.

Surprisingly, there is no tuner included as well. We recommend the Korg TM50BK tuner since it has the most features for the best price.

The Price

You can buy the Yamaha Cello from different online retailers and the price can vary from one to the other. When you buy it directly from Yamaha, you can pay from $3,000 to $3,600. If you are looking for a more affordable price, you can buy it directly from Amazon for less than $2,700 and receive free shipping if you live in the United States.

Customer Remarks

Customers are more than pleased with the cello! When it comes to sound, it exceeds most other models in its range. The designs functional when used and it is made from hardwearing material making it a durable instrument. The only complaint is the stock bridge that is flatter compared to other models.

Amazing. No other electric cello can compare.
JAYSIND
For a cellist who wants to be able to play in an apartment (wife sleeping in the next room, landlord lives downstairs) this is a must.
userzero
I bought her and have been enjoying her very much. She sounds just like any good acoustic cello and I am amazed at her great tone.
jeb

Final Verdict

The Yamaha SVC-110 SK has received some of the best electric cello online reviews. If you are in the market for a cello that will allow you to practice whenever and wherever you want, this model is ideal since it is versatile and will grow with you. While it is not the cheapest electric cello on the market, the high-quality materials and construction make this an excellent addition to your practice room.

  • Quality of Materials
  • Ready-to-Play
  • Durability
  • Price
4.5

Summary

Excellent cello for those interested in an electric cello.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Hello – I have a yamaha silent cello, SVC-200.

    The bridge needs to be replaced.

    Am I able to order a new bridge, or is it necessary for me to visit an instrument shop and have a custom bridge built?

    Thank you for your answer.

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