Fiddle Hangout - Fiddle Building, Setup, and Repair Forum Feed

home made bridges

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:27:55 CST

Dear fiddling freinds, I would like to know if anyone out there has made their own Bridges? and what type of wood do you use and what way do you cut the wood in accordance the grain pattern..............................................Dennis in Az

Peg hole bushings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 07:49:06 CST

When plugging old peg holes and drilling new ones, is it bad practice to drill the new holes concentrically in the plugs? Seems like most bushing jobs I've seen have the new holes off center from the old ones.

Ivory ?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 19:05:20 CST

I saw and listened to a really good fiddler the other day who had an Ivory nut on his fiddle. I was wondering, is it as hard or harder than ebony? would they be a lot of change in the fiddles sound? (his old fiddle sounded great) and would it be ok to make a bridge out of the stuff. If you could make a bridge out of it, would it solve the warping, would it last as long or longer, and would the humidity not effect it as much? Has anyone made or tried an ivory bridge? Just thinking out loud. If you like fine carving go to Ivory Buyer.com and look at their collection of hand carved ships. Larry

finger boards other than ebony

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:37:40 CST

I would like to know if any other type of wood is used to make fingerboards?

removing paint?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 8 Feb 2012 13:23:09 CST

Hi all

We have recently acquired a violin which has been recently painted . Any ideas on how to best remove the paint? Terpentine spotting did not remove any color. Fine sandpaper perhaps

Pics are attached

Much thanks

David & Ayala

repairing cracks without?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 7 Feb 2012 15:54:08 CST

Dear freinds and fixers, I am wondering if there is a way to repair cracks in a sound plate without removing the top. I know that there are ways to repair when the crack is near the sound hole (F) holes but what about those cracks that start at top bout edge or bottom edge and some times runs parralel next to Bass bar the whole length of of the instrument. I thought of finding long "C" clamps and grinding them down so that they can be easily slipped through the "F" hole, to put on the cleats, I have two cello,s that hav bad cracks, I dont want to remove the top if possible, thanks for your helping out with this..................................Dennis

Aligning pins

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2012 09:25:31 CST

I just removed the back on a fiddle for the first time. Got it back on and it looks purty good, but could be better.

Is there a convention as to when you use the little aligning dowels you see in the heel and/or end blocks on some repaired violins? It would have made it easier to get the back on in the same place.

Why are fingerboards "curved" or "scooped"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2012 07:55:56 CST

I understand a fingerboard needs to have the right action and clearance from buzzing while fretted etc. all the way up and down.

But what is behind the physics of making it curved (or scooped)?

What would happen if it was straight?

Saddle height effect on sound

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 5 Feb 2012 07:47:52 CST

I've seen a few references to saddle height adjustments.

For the limited adjustment this would likely have, why would it effect the sound that much?

New project

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 16:18:16 CST

First steps...

Dyed the soundboard whiteish and painted a thin golden stripe all along the top and the bottom. No varnish yet.

Thoughts on refinishing an 1884 fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 15:02:52 CST

I'm really conflicted on this one, and would like some advice from some pros who've had to make this decision. I recently purchased an 1884 fiddle made by a J. Combs. The luthier I use found a single listing for an 1895 J. Combs fiddle, but not much else. I just had it set up and it has a wonderful tone and great harmonics... except when playing through the G and G# on the D string, where it gets a bit wolfy. I ordered a wolf suppressor and I'll see how it works...but if I have to live with it, I'll get by — overall it's a great old fiddle.

I purchased this off an antique collector who didn't know anything about violins, and had attempted to refinish it herself. She had stripped the fiddle and left big circular scratches on the back, and didn't get all the varnish off. To compound matters, while she was applying stripper to the old finish, the neck popped off. At that point she stopped what she was doing, put it back into the case in two pieces, and sold it, which is where I came into the picture. I offered her $60 bucks and got the sale. I asked her why she wanted to strip it in the first place since there was nothing wrong with the fiddle, and she said she just didn't like the finish and wanted to put an antique finish on it and resell it in her shop as a decorative wall-hanger.

Here's my dilemma. The fiddle sounds awfully good as it is, even though it's bare and there are still patches of varnish on the scroll and elsewhere. My local luthier suggested I get the fiddle finished properly, and I trust him enough that I know he's not just looking for more work, as he's already got more than he can handle and has a backlog. He feels the tone might further benefit from a new finish, and he also said I needed to protect the wood, or it might be subject to tonal shifts with the slightest change in weather or temperature. This all sounds right to me on logical grounds.

Any advice on this? It appears to have been stained a bit originally. It's currently set up with Helicore mediums, and a C grade Despiau bridge and has great projection and a clear, warm tone. I sort of like the funky unfinished look but understand the necessity of have a protective finish as well. As for hurting the value, I don't see how it could, as the original finish is already gone.

Curious to hear any thoughts, and to hear the pros and cons before making a final decision. I'm leaning toward just leaving it alone, but if people think a good finish is important, I will probably do it.

Basic restringing question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 13:11:04 CST

I have just put new strings on my son's 1/8 size violin. The extra winding at the top of the A string more less uses up the whole peg, e.g. when it is at proper tension, the extra winding covers the peg from one side of the pegbox to the other (with no overlap). Should I take the string off and clip an inch or so off the top, or is it foolish to worry about excessive wraps around the peg? The strings are Dominants, if that makes any difference. Thanks for any info!

sound post in old fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 06:41:03 CST

Last week I bought a 1920s German trade fiddle with a case and 2 bows for £20. I have started setting up the fiddle, just trying to work out what need to be changed one step at a time. I play old-time so I flattened the bridge a bit, installed fine tuners, doped up the pegs and iv put on a set of helicore heavys which I like for cross tuning ( I thought about using other strings but im going to stick with what I know for now) Went for a jam today and also took my other fiddle which is a bit bright for my taste or should I say the sound is strident. I played both of them in the same tunings and even though my new purchase was harder to play because I haven’t got the setup right yet, the sound was fantastic, just what iv been looking for. I play with a uke player and the 2 instrument sound great together .

Now for my question....the sound post is in the wrong place!!! big style!!!

well the top of the sound post seems to be in the right place but then it goes off at an angle maybe 1mm or 2mm to the right if you were looking from the top. What is odd is that it looks like it has been done on purpose because the bottom of the sound post is a perfect fit. I don’t mind moving the sound post myself because iv done it on other fiddles but not on something this old and also the sound is great at the moment so do I really need to move it?

....if it ain’t broke why fix it!

rounded edges of "f" holes

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 4 Feb 2012 06:28:08 CST

part one of two part experiment to improve tone - part two posted (hopefully!) in reply:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQ2_IA5Pfw

Silicone Spray

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 3 Feb 2012 20:46:16 CST

I ran across a fiddler that uses the silicone spray on his strings, that guitarists use to make them finger smoother. Does anyone else use this on their fiddles? If so I'd like your opinion on how it works for you.

gummy and hard rosin residue on strings....

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:00:33 CST

I am frustrated by the rosin depositing on the strings. I have learned to rosin less often......I might do two swipes within a week or two period.

The deposits are not easily removed. I used to get an easilly removed powdery rosin. But for the past couple of months I get something that takes agressive scraping with fingernails or a piece of scratchy wool to get the stuff off. It sticks like a gummy glue and some of it seems to harden there.

I was using Hidersine 3V, then went to Pirastro Oliv.

Here is the other thing. My bow hair doesn't seem to grip like it used to, so I am always tempted to add rosin......but don't due to the buildup on the strings. I have changed strings (Helicore mediums, Helicore heavies, GoldBrokat mediums) over the past 3 months......same symptoms.

Does anyone else have this problem? Has anyone found a solution? Is my bow hair contaminated by something that gives the rosin this glue quality.....(skin oil?)? I can't be the only one experiencing this issue. Any advice would be appreciated.

Larry

Jules Grandjon

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:31:48 CST

I recently acquired an 1855 Jules Grandjon fiddle, It is truly an awesome instrument but I am only finding limited information on Grandjon. Does anyone have anything they can share about him. Of the many fiddles I've had over the years this is without the best of the best and curiosity is getting the better of me.

PURFLING

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:30:38 CST

On my first fiddles my attempt of a dremel channel was not perfect, is there any way to make the purfling look better,.. it has. already been glued and varnished. thanks Darrell

Repair & Restore

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:55:22 CST

I was given two violins, cheap ones, that had parts scavenged off of them. They neither have fingerboards, Bridges, tailpieces, end pegs, tuning pegs or soundposts. I guess I should have said stripped down! They are basically varnished shells. Beautiful fiddles, but for the most part worthless. This is my opportunity to do some repair/restore work in an effort to learn more about my instrument and what makes it tick. With this task ahead of me, I'll probably be looking to many of you for guidance & advice. Al the very least I'll learn to set a sound post or how to doctor my own bridge.

My first task is to plane down the new fingerboard to proper thickness (0.195" on the edges). How can I plane down the flat back to proper thickness and still keep it flat, straight & true.

Despiau or Aubert France bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:49:36 CST

I am getting ready to order a couple bridges and looked at the Despiau which several FHO members have mentioned, Mercy, muddle my mind there are different grades, letters, heights so I looked at something called a low heart which may be okay. Aubert france is an option also. I suppose my question is can someone explain the grades etc of the despiau (hopefully in kindergarten terms )

I tend to play a little more bluegrass style (actually can't say I'm good enough to have a style) and keep a low flatter bridge.

String is tuned, but loose?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:30:33 CST

I just put new strings on my violin, and everything is in tune, but the D string is a lot looser than the other strings. It's bothering me and I was wondering if there is a way to fix it.

Stackhouse style adjustment of Grizzly Octave Violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:00:30 CST

One of the products we produce is our "Grizzly" octave violin. We don't do very many of these. Some of you might have heard one - Michael Levine out in California uses one in scoring the shows he supports, including Cold Case and probably others. Examples have also toured with some major bands.

Regardless, I've not been entirely satisfied with the projection and evenness of tone quality. The main issues appeared to be getting clean output along the length of the string, and especially at higher harmonics.

Since I last set up a Grizzly I've learned a good deal more about the fine detailing of sound adjustment. This particular Grizzly has a 14" body, thin spirit varnish, ebony pegs, Wittner tailpiece, Wittner hypo chinrest, Despiau bridge, and Super Sensitive octave strings. By going a bit more simple I was able to keep the price quite modest.

Before stringing up, I went through the body pretty well. Easy without the strings one. Cleaned up and polished the Inside edge of the F holes. Tapped around and adjusted ribs and bar (Spears). Found some spots along the soundpost fibers that were dull and fixed them (Fry). Then adjusted the top and back plates to ring cleanly (Smith).

Once strung, I set B0 and cleanup up the edges of the fingerboard, did a basic adjustment on the sides and top of the bridge, and went through the earlier adjustments, making a little bit of change. Things do shift under tension. I leave under tension over night to let things settle a bit. Played the instrument, then got the balance and treble brilliance as best I could. Sounded as good as any of the others I've produced.

Then I started using Stackhouse's bridge tuning methods, the ones I know so far. The part I'm using involved the three pendulums. I have probably already got my own approach. I'd already tapered the points on the G and E side, leaving a little heavy. Actually, everything was a little heavy. Octave instrument! My initial observation was that each string had a slightly muffled zone about halfway up the fingerboard and rather smoky, hissing upper harmonics, around the end of the fingerboard. What are those, second & third? No coffee yet.

Since the base of the pendulum impacts the tips, I started evaluating from the base down. First I looked for any irregularities in tapped response around the inside of the kidneys. Each side I found a couple and clipped them with a file. This cleaned up the approach to the somewhat muffled (very slight) sounding areas on E and G. I started thinning the middle thingie in the heart (this pre-coffee world is sluggish) from the base out. Just a little slice worked great. The approach to the muffled areas on D & A strings cleaned up instantly.

G & E had the muffled areas disappear completely through a bit more vigorous filing of the piece between the kidney and the edge. A bit more flexibility (lower resonant frequency) and these moved up and then off the strings. Same with the middle pendulum. Remarkable. Took several passes, and I worked that aspect in conjunction with beginning to get the harmonics clean.

The harmonics were just a bit fuzzy. Per Don's instructions, I worked on the tips of the pendulums. Per me, I tapped gently along the pendulums for dull spots and removed tiny pieces of wood from those spots. Working out to the tips, I was able to get the harmonics to be quite clean and easily induced, even in this octave instrument.

The resulting projection was much better! Really lit up the instrument. I didn't know whether this would work with an octave instrument, but it certainly did. Marrying the basic principles from Don with the kind of area and edge work I already did proved very effective, and quite efficient. Visitors will get a demo on request.

Tenor violas

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:53:16 CST

Anyone have any experience with Tenor Violas ( a fifth down: strung F-C-G-D, overlapping the "normal" [alto] viola C-G-D-A)?

Any idea how high the ribs should be to make it work ( Looking at a 16 1/2" length wide lower bout body)?

Cannot find "low heart" bridge online. Any recomendations?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:22:31 CST

I have a very old fiddle with a very high arch on top and a short (29mm) bridge.

Using the regular (38-41mm) bridge blanks results in the heart being too high.

Can anyone recommend an online source for 29 - 32 mm bridge blanks, or something close?

Thanks

Rib seperation

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:15:45 CST

I have a rib seperation, the joint between the 'C' bout rib and the lower bout rib. It's not a lot of movement maybe .020" max at the top end. How do you glue something like that?

Moved from Playing Advice - Susan H

Peg Shaper

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:27:29 CST

I'm needing a peg shaper but they seem kind of expensive and my pocketbook and miserly brain are saying, "You could make one" and the other side of my brain is saying "How many violin working hours are you going to spend making a tool that may or may not work, and by the way let me remind you of your past history making tools, especially where precision is crucial."

Right now I'm leaning toward the latter even though it seems like a lot of money for a pencil sharpener. Looks like $54 will get one from International Violin

http://www.internationalviolin.com/item_detail.aspx?ItemCode=T39

Is this a decent tool? Are there better deals? Am I overthinking the process of making one? Are there alternatives (I'm a hobbyist, so speed of production isn't a major issue)? Is there a good workaround I can do now while I wait to buy a better unit down the road?

How can I sound more reedy?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:41:50 CST

I love the tone of Clyde Davenport's reedy tooting fiddle. I play over the fingerboard to achieve a similar effect, but of course it's never reedy enough. I plan on getting a new bridge cut for my fiddle soon, are there any setup things I can request to make my fiddle sound reedier? It's fairly reedy as it is, can I push it further?

2 questions: Bridge and Bow hair

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:04:51 CST

I didn't want to derail another thread, but the discussion about shops in Boston and the cost of a new bridge has me wondering.........would your basic decent German trade fiddle benefit noticeably from being properly fitted with a really good bridge, done by a really good set up person(assuming that it already sounds fairly decent)? I read in an old book on violins, a story from a luthier who was working with one of the Master players from many years ago. He was unhappy with the way his Stradivarius was sounding so the gentleman telling the story brought 100 of his best bridge blanks and spent the next 3 days working with the violinist trying them all out. Only 3 of the 100 were deemed acceptable. So.......there are obviously differences even in the high end of things. Again would a $300 fiddle benefit greatly from a $300 or higher bridge?

Second and along the same lines. Is a $10,000.00 bow or higher haired with the same quality of hair that my $70 fiberglass bow is(I did have it rehaired once already, it cost $45 to have done)? And then the same sort of follow up question, would my bow benenfit from being rehaired with really great horse hair(if there is such a thing)?

It might help to know that my main concern is not volume, but really nice tone. Thanks for any and all replies.

Neck "Pull up" vs New Finger Board vs Neck Reset

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:19:44 CST

I brought a fiddle in for a neck pull up and they said it could not be done because there is not enough material left to reglue the rib to the top.

Does that likely mean it may have already of had a neck pull up at one time and used up that space?

They recommended a new fingerboard to address the problem.

I had noticed the nut to bridge length was a tad short (few mm) and figured the pull up would fix that too.

But I'm concerned that won't get fixed and that the finger board might be thick, heavy and possible not look "normal".

Will the difference be so small you would not notice it?

Is this a normal way to address this problem if a pull up is not an option?

Should I bite the bullet and do a neck reset or is that too radical? How much more expensive is a neck reset than a new finger board? ($540 for a new finger board)

If a pull up was done in the past and finger board low (again), is it likely the whole problem is the finger board and a "normal" fingerboard will hopefully project high enough?

I'm not complaining about prices here or looking for a cheaper place to get it done, I'm just looking for advice on the best procedure and also learn about these things.

They did say the finger board was a bit thin and not ideally shaped, so that would get addressed as well.

Here is photo if it helps any. Sorry, it's not at an ideal angle.

Rotating Scroll

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:00 CST

I went 5 or 6 pages deep in the archives and did not find an answer.

Why is my scroll rotating clockwise (view from bridge) ? It has become pretty drastic and might be pulling the fingerboard with it.

I would guess the fiddle is maybe a 50 year old Jakuc reproduction.

Do I need to take the strings off if it lays for any length of time ?

"Silent" spots in the soundboard

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:47:04 CST

I know that you're not supposed to make any violence to the soundboard such as mount a volume pot on it.

But theoretically, what would be the least bad place for it? Where is the soundboard least vibrant? My guess would be right outside the f-hole, near the corner. Does that sound correct? I mean, there's a corner block right beside that spot and besides that's where the soundboard meets the ribs.

Synthetic Strings that will hold up well for Cross Tuning

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:19:03 CST

I just bought a new fiddle I really love the sound and Setup right now although it is Set up for Classical with a high bridge and I believe Dominant Strings. I'm Used to playing with Prim strings But I know the action would be too high for steel strings. It sounds so good to me the way it is and I have no problem playing the tunes I play in GDAE but I have heard that Dominant strings don't do well when tuning to AEAE and I play in that tuning a lot as well as ADAE . I guess I want to know if there are any Synthetic Strings that would work well for Cross tuning so I could just change the strings Because I don't want to have to change the bridge.

Don Stackhouse visits

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:29:24 CST

Don showed me his new secret airplane. It's absolutely brilliant. He's down here testing it at a local field. Very very impressive.

Don explained and demonstrated his bridge adjustment techniques. They're very subtle and very effective. I grasped them right away and easily incorporated them into what I do. I also showed him the way I adjust and work on things.

His system is based on the observation that the character and response of each string relates, in significant part, to specific areas of the bridge. I almost immediately could fix dull or different spots on each string and get them better balanced, gain overall projection, and make the instrument more easily played. The system immediately integrated into the way I already work on bridges. Very nice.

Don's addition to the things I usually do are in the specific effects of the pendulums in detailing the transmission of sound from string to top, and probably back.

There's a couple of elements we didn't discuss much that I'll get him to go over again. I'm impressed.

Glue Pot Question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:12:17 CST

I just ordered and received a new glue pot, made by Hold-Heet.

Just wondering what folks use as a container to hold the glue in.

Their website does not show anything.

Thanks!

http://www.metmusic.com/tools/glue-amp-supplies/2790/1-quart-hold-heet-glue-pot-120v/

Bridge Thinning Question...

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:32:51 CST

What is the quantitative effect of thinning a bridge? When should it be done. How is it done?

Data Base

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:57:12 CST

I am trying to find out about luthiers from the late 1800's-early 1900's can anyone help? Thanks

Ebony Tailpiece question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:35:42 CST

I have my grandfathers violin. It is a copy of an Amati made in 1903 by Oscar Henning, serial number 1306. The finish was flaking off and my father did a beautiful job of removing the crazed finish in the 1960's. He ordered varnish at that time from the Gotz company and it came in three bottles. The elderly violin maker that ordered it for him dropped one of the bottles and passed away shortly thereafter, and the project stopped there. It is now 40 plus years later and i am going to finish the job my father started. I am a high school shop teacher and wood worker and recently built four mongolian dhotars, so am familiar with wooden instrument construction techniques. To get to my question, the violin needs very little repair, the saddle is missing and there is a piece missing on the tailpiece. New tailpieces are inexpensive, but i want to keep this instrument as original as possible. Above the the string holes, the piece that goes in the groove that the strings go across is missing. I have looked at photos, and can't tell if the piece is wood or metal, if wood is it ebony? Were they ever made of ivory? Essentially, the violin is now "in the white" and here in Oregon it is cold and damp, so will not be doing the varnish until summer. My father cooresponded with Joseph Michelman about his book "Violin Varnish". It is an interesting read and I would like to do the "sunning" process when I do the varnish. In the end I do not want to be the third generation to own this violin and not play it. I don't imagine I will ever be very good, but I want to make the attempt. It is always better to make the attempt and be willing to fail magnificently. Ron Peterson

Repair label, yes or no?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:50:48 CST

It seems to me that placing repair labels inside fiddles has gone out of style. But I really like knowing where a fiddle has been and who worked on it -- and when.

Why don't more folks do it now?

Randy

Magnetic pickups

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:34:00 CST

There is a strong interest in the idea of magnetic pickups for bowed instruments but very few items out on the market. For fiddlers who play rock music and who may like effects, piezos aren't much fun. Besides, there are many of us who think that magnetic amplification has a more natural acoustic tone too. All threads I start about amplified fiddles change direction into discussions about magnetic amplification. Better start a thread of its own...

It's a well-spread misconception that magnetic amplification doesn't work with bowed sounds. That's probably the most important reason why so few fiddlers demand the developing magnetic pu:s. It does work and there have been made some successful attempts. I use a Bowtronics pu myself. It's pure crap and only some ten times better than the best piezos. With a more serious and ambitious approach, the principle could be developed into a pu comparable to those manufactured for electric guitars.

My hope is to create an interest for magnetic pu:s among fiddlers. Maybe encourage some people to winding pickups or manufacturers of guitar pu:s to make amplification for fiddles too.

To make magnetic pu:s work with bowed sounds they must be made differently compared to a guitar pu, and I'll be happy to explain all the theorethics that I've learned about this subject. There are also a few other ways to generate an electric current with the help of magnets and I'll explain what I've been taught if someone is interested.

Western Redcedar as Tonewood?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:20:29 CST

Not really a new subject; I searched and found a page of posts that mentioned "cedar." I found an archived post about it, with some interesting discussion. Just to be clear, I'm talking about Western Redcedar, a stately rainforest and low altitude tree plentiful here in the great northwest. Its grain is always straight and tight, and overall is more like Redwood or Sequoia than the true cedars. This is the same wood used for fenceboards and cedar shakes.

I have a western redcedar topped mandolin and a western redcedar topped octave mandolin. These both have a dark, warm, mellow tone which I really love. I believe this is also used in many classical guitars. So my question to builders and players, have you any actual experience with western redcedar as a tonewood in volins or violas? Other than tradition, are there any characteristics which make it great for arch topped mandolin family instruments but not so great for violin family instruments? Thanks!

Burning strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:43:34 CST

From the ball end and a few cm:s, there's some textile decoration on the strings. On the thinner strings quite a lot of it... Is there a safe way it can be removed? On an old string I burnt it off easily, but does it cause damage to the string?

It's highly irritating because it limits how close the tailpiece can be to the bridge. On my planned electric I want to minimize the aftervibrations and maximize transfering of string vibration to the solid body. Therefore I'll use a one-piece bridge/tailpiece solution.

The other alternative would be drilling a hole through the bridge and further down through the body, so that the strings would be anchored on the back side. However, I'd prefer using the bridge pieces the way they're meant to be used.

How thick should the top be around the F-holes for a "Good" Violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:39:54 CST

My understanding that partly what makes a good fiddle good is a thin top.

A quick inspection around the f-holes gives you some idea how thick a top is.

It's seems to correlate for me in my limited experience that better sounding fiddles seems to have tops thinner around the F-holes.

I understand that's not the whole story but if it looks thick to start with does it mean it's probably not gonna be great a great fiddle?

So are there rough dimensions of how thick it should be around the f-holes to indicate it's even got shot at a well carved top?

Carved bass bar vs. glued one

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:25:25 CST

I have a fiddle that I took the top off to repair some cracks. It has a carved bass bar. Although I know this isn't uncommon, I wondered if it is better to have a glued one, difference in sound.

thanks

Replacing strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:56:15 CST

So I've changed my strings myself for the first time. I'm pretty sure that I have everything in the pop position, but I am, naturally, a bit nervous. I have it up to tune, and I realize that the stretchibg and retuning process will go on for a short time...what I'd like to know is how long should I be nervous about popping a string that I may inadvertantly incorrectly positioned? I really don't want to lose an eye....

electric violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:51:52 CST

hi everyone,

as i just finished my electric violin i am eager to get some opinions on it. so i figured, why not share it here and ask you guys.
here is a video.
what do you think?
btw. i already fixed the way to high bridge.

thank you
mathias

One Piece and Two Piece Fiddle Backs

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:06:46 CST

Could someone please explain the difference it makes in a fiddle to have a one piece or two piece back?

Thanks.

Phyllis

Dealing with strings bearing on the pegbox sides

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 11:41:02 CST

My fiddle has a an unusually narrow (20mm) neck and has had proportionally closer string spacing. At the suggestion of Woodwiz, I experimented with making a new nut and maxing the string spacing. My first attempt is crude but works...I now have roughly 6 mm between strings. But this puts the G & E grooves outside the pegbox inner side so now the strings run over the upper edge of the pegbox sides at an angle to the groove. I'm going to make another, better finished nut and can give up a little of the increased space, but not enough to clear the pegbox sides without defeating the purpose. Should I angle the grooves? Does this present any real harm or risk beyond looks and potential string breakage? Is there any remedy short of removing wood which I think would harm the instrument?

Bridge for electric violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 8 Jan 2012 15:21:44 CST

For a few years I've been playing an electric that I've never really liked. There were some things I wasn't sure about and I went for safe solutions so the result wasn't optimal...

Now finally it's seems like I'm about to start the making of a new fivestring instrument which will be a realization of the electric fiddle I actually want to play. A very simple construction with a solid body similar to Les Paul Junior. The construction of the bridge is however very essential for a solid body instrument, so I'll spend some extra time and money on that particular detail.

I'd like the bridge to be adjustable so I can try different string heights. I also play doublestops most of the time, so even if the instrument is fretless, I like proper intonation. My idea is using ABM singlestring bridges made for electric guitar. Each string saddle is a bridge of its own, adjustable in two dimensions. The adjustability isn't limitless of course so they must be placed on an arched surface. Also, the intonation needs some compensating, placing the C bridge farther back than the E bridge..

My biggest problem is how to find the proper positions. There will be now tailpiece, so I'm not sure how to find the right place for each saddle. I can't tune the string when it's not anchored... Making the proper arch of the wooden block that will serve as bridge foundation will also be a problem for the same reason.

Any ideas?

Need advice on this bass bar

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 7 Jan 2012 16:58:53 CST

Hi experts. This is a new experience. I just acquired a low-end but beautifully finished 7/8 fiddle with several top cracks. It's got lower "cap" blocks and no upper blocks so I wasn't expecting much but when I removed the top I found a superbly fitted bass bar that's clearly original. It's oversized tho and I don't know whether to leave it alone, or shape it a bit. Perhaps it's oversized to compensate for smaller body?

Bar is 6mm wide and 14mm high at the highest point. Bar is 10 and 3/4 inches long. Body length is 13 and 3/8 inches. I still can't figure out how to imbed photo, but you can find it here.

Advice?

new bridge, fiddle no longer sounds like it used to

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 20:01:40 CST

i had to replace my bridge, and now my tone has changed. any suggestions?