Vanessa-Mae's violins

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VANESSA-MAE's VIOLINS

Vanessa-Mae speaks to the world through her music played by her violins. This pages provides information about the violins owned and used by Vanessa-Mae. Photos that show Vanessa-Mae with her various instruments are used for illustration.

J.B. Guadagnini violin (Gizmo - 1761)
Vanessa-Mae's main acoustic instrument is a J.B. Guadagnini violin built in 1761. J.B. Guadagnini was member of the Guadagnini family of violin builders and was probable a pupil of Stradivarius. Vanessa-Mae received this valuable instrument on her 10th birthday from her parents who bought it an an auction for £ 150,000 in 1988. Vanessa-Mae affectionately named this instrument Gizmo. She uses the Guadagnini violin for all her classical pieces, as well as for recording. During the recent Choreography tour, Vanessa-Mae almost entirely used the Guadagnini violin, except for a intermezzo when she played acoustic fusion pieces from previous repertoire. Referring to her acoustic Guadagnini violin Vanessa-Mae once said the following:

'Through the violin, I speak to people, and my violin is my favourite partner in my musical life, definitely.
Without my violin, I don't really fit to other people.'

source: The Making of the Siemens Ad, 1998

The 6 photos below show Vanessa-Mae with her J.B. Guadagnini violin (1761). The photos are in chronological order from left to right.


photo 1	photo 2	photo 3	photo 4	photo 5	photo 6

Guadagnini was born in Bilegno in Val Tidone near Piacenza, current Emilia-Romagna. He practiced his craft from about 1729 until his death and his work is divided into four main periods corresponding to and named after Parma, Piacenza, Milan, and Turin, the four cities in Italy where he lived and worked. The instruments of his later period, Turin, are generally considered to be his best work, and tend toward higher valuations. Guadagnini's father, Lorenzo, his son, Giuseppe, as well as some other members of the Guadagnini family continued in the line of violin making through several generations. He died in Turin in 1786.
source: text taken from Wikipedia on J.B. Guadagnini

ZETA Jazz Fusion 4 string model JV-44
In 1995, Vanessa-Mae instantaneously became a world wide superstar when she released her blockbuster debut pop album The Violin Player. The video clip of the cd single Toccata & Fugue where she stood in the sea playing an electric white Zeta violin set the tone for the image that surrounds her since then. For her many fans and admirers, this video and the futuristic white violin created the image for Vanessa-Mae of a daring and innovative emerging artist; where on the other hand, for the critics, this image of Vanessa-Mae represents everything wrong in today's practice in the classical music industries. Even after more than a decade has passed, the criticism of the classical purists has not subdued, not evolved in their rejection. Before Vanessa-Mae, electric violins were rarely seen and Vanessa-Mae's endorsement for the Zeta violin has been very profitable for Zeta and for the manufacturers of electric models of classical instruments in general. The credits that Zeta devotes to Vanessa-Mae at their website is more then justified. The Zeta Jazz Fusion Violin that Vanessa-Mae uses is extensively described at the company website. The following lines in italic are quotes from the description:

'Zeta’s flagship Jazz Fusion violin is the ultimate in electric violin design. A state-of-the-art digital MIDI-capable electric violin, Zeta's Jazz Fusion model brings together the best of semi-hollow body design and high-tech electronic MIDI capability.'

'Zeta's famous Jazz pickup system delivers a clean, pure violin tone that is favoured by artists ranging from jazz great Jean-Luc Ponty to the sensational Vanessa Mae. Whether used as an analogue pickup or a digital MIDI pickup in conjunction with the Zeta Synthony II MIDI Controller / Synthesizer (sold separately), the Jazz pickup system provides the ultimate in clarity of string tone without feedback.'

'Zeta's proprietary active internal preamp system increases the power of the pickup signal and filters out extraneous overtones. This state-of-the-art system delivers a wide range of amplification flexibility, supporting a variety of tonal characteristics adaptable to diverse playing techniques and styles of music. An internal 9-volt battery provides over 1,000 hours of service on average.'

'Individual string digital outputs allow the use of each string as a separate MIDI channel through the Synthony for maximum MIDI controller capabilities. Access software notation programs and MIDI applications, using the Jazz Fusion Violin as a MIDI controller.'

source: Zeta Jazz Fusion Violin

Depending on the exact configuration, costs for acquiring a Zeta Jazz Fusion violin starts slightly above £ 3,000.

Vanessa-Mae used and still uses this Zeta violin for recording and for playing acoustic fusion pieces from her early repertoire, as well she used it at mass open air concerts at various rock festivals where she performed in 1995-1996.

The six photos below are in chronological order and show Vanessa-Mae with her Zeta violin. Vanessa-Mae owns several of these violin. mostly she uses a white model but she also has a blue one - see photo 6. In 2006 Vanessa-Mae donated her electric violin that she used for her 'Strom On World Tour' to an auction to raise money for International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG, www.ibcsg.com) and the Breast Cancer Haven (www.breastcancerhaven.org.uk), see Vanessa-Mae news: the archives 2006.


photo 1	photo 2	photo 3	photo 4	photo 5	photo 6

Ted Brewer, clear Crossbow 4-string Vivo
Since 2001 with the release of her album 'Subject To Change,' Vanessa-Mae owns and uses an transparent Crossbow 4-string Vivo violin manufactured by Ted Brewer that is made from solid acrylic. Ted Brewer credits Vanessa-Mae as prominent user of his violins with the words:

'Now counting Vanessa Mae amongst clients, things have moved on considerably in the years since…'.

source: Friends Of Ted Brewer and About Ted Brewer violins

The following lines in italic are quotes from Ted Brewer website.

'The smooth acrylic material used in building the Crossbow allows for lightening fast fingerboard action, and with Grover mini machine heads, quality tomastic dominant strings and an Ashworth bridge pick-up system, the Crossbow allows you all the accuracy you need. The Ashworth violin transducer bridge is designed to deliver a more natural sound by stimulating body resonance with the pick-up itself, but still protecting from feedback.

Your Crossbow can be customised to your requirements and a choice of colour detail over clear is available as well as solid colour violins. You can also choose between 4 and 5 string models.'

source: Ted Brewer Crossbow 4-string violin

Depending on the exact configuration, costs for acquiring a acrylic Ted Brewer crossbow 4-string violin starts around £ 2,100.

Vanessa-Mae used this transparent acrylic Ted Brewer violin for recording of her album 'Subject To Change,' for promotional shows and at various television appearances.

The six photos below are in chronological order and show Vanessa-Mae with her acrylic Ted Brewer violin.


photo 1	photo 2	photo 3	photo 4	photo 5	photo 6

Hill, acoustic violin (1860)
As far as we known, Vanessa-Mae owns one other acoustic violin besides her J.B. Guadagnini (1761) instrument, namely a Hill violin built in 1860 that was acquired for about £ 6,000 and this Hill instrument was Vanessa-Mae first adult instrument. The photo below shows Vanessa-Mae aged about 6-7 years holding, most likely, her Hill violin as she did not receive the J.B. Guadagnini till aged 10!