You Can Now Buy An Alien-Looking 3D-Printed Violin

A 3D-printed replica is nothing more than a plastic trinket if it doesn't function as well as the original. But as revealed last year, a company called 3Dvarius has created the world's first 3D-printed playable electric violin that sounds just as good as its wooden equivalent-and now you can finally buy one.

Its creator, Laurent Bernadac, and the rest of the team at 3Dvarius, have turned to Kickstarter with a $56,000+ crowdfunding campaign to help put the 3D-printed instrument into the hands of musicians around the world.

There's a long list of rewards for anyone who chooses to back this project, but if you scroll down far enough, you'll eventually come to the pledge levels that will get you an actual 3Dvarius later this year-for just over $7,000. That's certainly on the pricier side of violins, even for electric models, but none look like an instrument from the future.

The 3Dvarius' shape and design is also based on the revered Stradivarius, which can fetch millions of dollars at auction. So in a way, dropping over seven grand on a replica could be seen as a bargain if you're having a hard time justifying the cost. Just don't expect the Antiques Roadshow to get excited when you bring it in for an appraisal.

[Kickstarter - 3Dvarius]