no
Matt Bell started playing violin at the age of 3 in Battle Creek, Michigan. He studied classical violin at Michigan State, Notre Dame, and the University of Toledo, as well as summer camps at Blue Lake. He picked up the trumpet in 6th grade in order to join the school band (his school didn’t have an orchestra) and shortly thereafter discovered rock music. He was primarily a trumpet player through high school and college, and joined a rock band as a trumpet player after moving to Beaumont, Texas after college. One fateful day, the guys in the band asked if Matt knew any fiddle players, as they were thinking about trying to hire one. Hoping to keep his job, he bought his first Barcus-Berry pickup, threw it on a pawn shop violin, and re-learned how to play the violin. A year or so later, he bought his first Mark Wood Viper and started experimenting with effects and different styles of playing. He has played well over 1000 shows with his Texas-based band on violin, trumpet, keys, mandolin, and guitar all over the southern US and into Mexico.