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

torn top wood at bridge feet

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 9 Mar 2010 08:05:16 CST

Is there a standard approach to repairing spruce patches torn from the top where the bridge feet sit? The top has two deep sections of wood torn where the bridge feet sit. Perhaps a tacky varnish 'glued' the bridge to the top which took some wood with it when later removed. It seems an inlayed spruce patch might be the approach. Any suggestions? Thanks all

"Renaissance Wax" for violins?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 9 Mar 2010 06:44:20 CST

Hello all: I recently a french made violin almost 100 years old. Apparently it was hardly played in its past life, from the looks of it. The entire instrument has a deep "glossy" finish. The varnish is quite intact on the back and ribs. On the top you can see where the finish is very shiny, but really close inspection reveals that the varnish is cracked along the grain lines. The luthier I purchased it from said that it was probably an oil varnish due to the age and make of the violin. There was a small area on the front treble bout where there appeared to be a "dull" spot on the varnish. I tried to clean it with a cleaner/polish that the luthier had previously gave me. But all that did was to spread the "dull" spot to a larger area. Several repeated attempts only made it worse. Now the 3/4 of the top that I did not clean is very shiny, but the treble bout area that I cleaned has a kind of "dull" look, alhough the varnish appears to still be intact. I've read online about a product called "Renaissance Wax", that is supposedly used by museums and restorers to protect furniture, instruments, photos, metal, you name it. It creates a hard, clear finish, but it supposedly is also easily removed when restoration work or future refinishing is required. I think that this would "fix" the dull area on the varnish, and also serve to protect the remaining varnish on the top of the instrument. So I'm contemplating buying some and trying it. Anyone care to comment on this product? [?] Thank you, Frank

If I remove all strings will the post inside fall

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 14:02:19 CST

I'd like to know for future reference and understanding more than anything. Is the pressure from the strings on the bridge holding the post. My understanding is it does for "normal use". But if say I wanted to swap a tail piece could I do it without the post falling? I think I can mark where the bridge was easily enough.

Where can i get a flatter fiddle bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 7 Mar 2010 11:06:07 CST

I'm sure in the old days they just took the stock bridge and filed it down, but i know they have "Fiddle setups" now. but I've been doing some research and i cannot find a bridge online that is flatter for fiddling. I'm sure there is some website that sells them. I've also considered checking out the local luthier. i'm about to purchase a new violin, but i obviously don't want the standard bridge. Help me out guys!

Curious about one piece backs

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 7 Mar 2010 04:37:05 CST

Hello , I was wondering are there advantages to having a fiddle with a one piece back as oppose to the more standard two pieces ? I like the look of the one piece , and it seems that you don't have to worry about a seam , but I don't know if this is really an issue. Just curious. Thanks John

Tailgut length adjustment and bridge placement

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 6 Mar 2010 21:10:39 CST

Hello all. I'm new here, and this is only my third post. Just a couple of "I wonder how to best do this" type questions. 1) If I should ever change a tailpiece, is there a tool to adjust the "tailgut adjusters" on synthetic tailguts? It would be great to be able to do this without removing the strings or tailgut to make the change. Maybe just loosen the strings somewhat, slip in from the side with a tool to make the length adjustment to the tailgut, and then tighten everything back up? And should both adjusters (on either end of the tailgut) be changed equally? 2) Assuming that one has a violin of decent quality, is it best to center the bridge on the inner f-hole notches, and then adjust the tailgut length to make the back-intonation work out correctly? Thank you, Frank

What size bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 6 Mar 2010 15:44:01 CST

Do I use on a 7/8 fiddle? Just did a BIN on one that needs a bridge & a new set of strings. It's a Chinese Skylark that's brand new & was in an estate of a luthier-still has tags & all. Thanks in advance. [:)]

Cracked repair

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 09:36:02 CST

What is the best way to repair a crack in the top, a crack in the bottom or a loose/cracked neck... And when is it considered to be "un-repairable"...?

How long to "de-dampening" fiddle that sat 9 month

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:50:37 CST

I purchased Henrik's Konya Fiddle. Looks gorgeous and sounds good but my Stringworks Soloist is singing better. I think the Konya is taking a nap from not being played for 9 months. And it was out in the cold for a few days on the trip from Denmark to USA. Any way I already replaced the strings with Dominant Titanium Solo's that I have on my other fiddle. The Konya is a 2002 and Henrik used it for several years. Henrik suggested a Tonerite to speed things up. If it will only take a week of normal playing (couple hr's a day for a week) then I'll pass on the tonerite. But if it may take a couple months I might consider the Tonerite if they really work. Is it a consensus that these instruments do go dormant when not played? I know even my own fiddle can vary sound based on temp and humidity. I have had a fiddle sit for 6 months before and when I went to play it, it sounded just awful. But I was not sure if it was due to not playing it or I acquired a strong taste for it's replacement. Just curious what folks thoughts and how long should be acceptable for it to be back at it's peak and if a tonerite is worth it. Also if this whole dormant thing is for real. How on earth can you evaluate a Violin at shop that has not been played for a while? Perhaps the typical 2 week trials is plenty enough to bring a dormant instrument back to life and "start" the wake up process for new one? P.S. I also have a Man Claudiu (http://www.stringworks.com/mall/mcviolin.asp) on it's way from Stringworks (their top Violin) that I had to committed to at least trialing before I had found Henrik's Konya. After seeing Henrik's I thought it be better to get a fiddle that was already broken in. Given what the much less expensive Soloist can do I just had to find out what the Man Claudiu can do. Topic moved from Playing Advice forum - wormbower

Danish fiddle maker

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 18:39:55 CST

I have a nice old fiddle that was made in 1894 by a luthier named Anders Rasmussen. I can't find much on him in English. Does any one know anything about him? The fiddle is quite nice with good workmanship. [?]

New 3/4 bass setup

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 3 Mar 2010 16:08:33 CST

I have been working on a new 3/4 size bass that a customer brought in this morning, they bought it from Musicians freind recently. The bridge was already cut and trim unfortunately the E string ws laying next to the fingerboard and the next string the same way. they didnt have another bridge, I said it would take a while to get a new bridge. when do you need it, they said tommorow "Youch" I said I can shim the bridge to where the strings are at least up off the fingerboard and we can go from there and adjust it out till a new bridge arrives if you want to wait a week or two. I shimmed it up with some scrap curly maple, trimed it out the best I could tuned it up to pitch everything works OK except the "E" string still buzzes even when it is up off the fingerboard considerably according to Henry Strobel useful measurements for violins. the E string is up off the fingerboard 3/32 according to the book this is standard converted from metric as close as I could get it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,any one want to say what is going on ..............thanks Dennis in Az

Cracked Scroll

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 3 Mar 2010 08:56:30 CST

Hi, I have a neck Im going to use for a cigar box fiddle. I was fitting the pegs in the other day and noticed a crack on the scroll. ( see pics) How can I fix this?

C string for a five string?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 1 Mar 2010 16:54:42 CST

I just got a five string fiddle from the Charming Somg people in Shanghai. When I played it I was very impressed with the sound even with chinese strings but knowing they just aren't too good I had a set of Superflexible strings ready to go. When I changed the strings I cut the C string too short and it wouldn't tighten up so before I put out 20 dollars on another supersflxible C string I would like to know what you all think about a C string for this five string. The chinese C sounds awful. I need something that will sound good even under the low tension of a low C. Any Ideas? Joe T

Another bow rehair question

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 1 Mar 2010 13:44:23 CST

I just got some feed back from a person who's bow I just recently re-haired. When she brought it in for the re-hair she complained about the frog being so far back from the previous hair job that she could not tension her bow as much as she would like. So when I put the new hair on I was careful to have the hair only be fully loosened when the frog was advanced all the way forward. She called me later and commented that now there was very little space between the frog and the leather wrap when at tension and it did not feel right to her thumb when playing. I told her that the space would get larger as the hair stretches and when the humidity hits this summer. I have seen no mention of a standard of how much space there should be between the frog and leather when the bow is at tension. When I at looked at new bow pictures in the Metropolitan Music Co. catalog some bow frogs are quit close to the leather some are not. The pictures all appear to have the bows at tension. ??? Is there a standard for this? There seems to be a standard for just about every other violin adjustment. My goal was to provide as much frog travel, therefor more stretch room for the hair as it gets longer over time. I don't play violin and can only go by feed back from the work I do. The re-hairing is still a very recently learned skill, I want it to be correct and develop a reputation for being competent at this craft. Any thoughts on this?

fingerboard radius

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:17:20 CST

When changing from a classical bridge to flatter bridge, do you change the radius of the fingerboard?

Stubby bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:39:57 CST

I took some serious scoop out of a fretboard (most of it was at the end toward the bridge). Then I had to trim down the bridge to get the action right. Now the bridge is a dinky 1 inch at highest point. Obviously, the neck angle is a bit shallow. Fiddle sounds good tho. I'm considering doing a New York reset, but wonder, is there a bridge height that's considered "too low?" If not, I'm inclined to live with it. thx Randy

Johnson and Courtnall's book

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:47:16 CST

There is a violin in this book, on plates 2.4 - 2.7 built by Strad. My question is about the black "trim" that goes around the scroll and peg box. If you have this book, can anyone tell me if this is paint, or perhaps some Ebony glued in place and then carved along with the neck. Thanks.

autographed fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:35:52 CST

I was lucky enough to get Vassar Clements to sign my fiddle a few years back. I now am learning to play at a more respectible rate.How do I preserve the signature? It's in a fairly safe place on the back, done with a black sharpie. Thanks CA

Heavy vs. Medium Strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:28:55 CST

So far in my 3 years of fiddle playing, I've experimented with medium strings in a few different brands and materials. Now I'm wondering: -When or why would I want to use heavy strings? What are the pros and cons? -Are heavy strings okay/safe to try on most any fiddle? I started wondering about this because when I was in a violin shop recently, the guy (a violinist/ employee--not the luthier) told me my E string seemed a bit harsh (I agree) and that I might want to try using a heavy gauge for just the E string. I'd heard of using specially made E strings (like Kaplan, etc.) to improve the tone, but I hadn't heard of just using a heavy gauge E, in the same brand that you use for the other medium strings. I haven't tried his suggestion. But it got me to wondering--if heavy gauge would sweeten the E as he thought it would-- what would happen if I switched ALL strings to heavy gauge...? Thanks for your thoughts!

How hot is too hot?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:14:37 CST

Hi, I started learning fiddling this month, and I've got some questions on instrument care. I've read that too much heat can cause the glue on a violin to melt, and I'm wondering at what temperature that can happen, and how long it might take to happen. What else can extreme heat do to an instrument? I live outside Vegas, where temperatures in the shade regularly pass 110 in the summer, and are a lot higher in the sun . I'm wondering how much care I should take during the summer. I figure leaving the instrument in a 150 degree car would be pretty bad, but how about carrying it in the car, during the 10 or 15 minutes it takes my old AC to get the car down to 95, or if the AC conks out completely because it's too hot? (I'm hoping I can afford a new car before next summer.) Thanks, Karen

I'm at a loss...strange buzz on d string.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:13:11 CST

A couple of years ago I picked up a nice looking fiddle at an auction for fairly cheap. It is in really good shape. I was messing around with it tonight, tuned it up by plucking the strings. I noticed that there is an awful buzz on the d string, but no others. It is really loud. It sounds ok when you play the thing normally, but I'm wondering what that buzz is coming from. I assume it is coming from the metal tailpiece with fine tuners I have. Is there a way to tighten this up? It doesn't matter if the fine tuner is completely loose or completely tight. On another note, the labels indicate it was made by a Clarence O. Faith in Denver in 1944. It has a one piece back, which I like. In that spot where they used to put a nail...there isn't anything there, but there is a black dot just back from that. I can't really tell if it is a nail or not, and there is one just under the tailpiece peg.

Bow rehair for client - rosin choice

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:01:17 CST

After a bow is re-haired and flamed to shrink the lose hairs, it's time for rosin. However, after the first application of rosin, a few more lose hairs may show up and need flamed again. Does it matter which rosin is used initially or does one make an effort to start with the same rosin that the client will use there after?

Huh? (string set)

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:28:01 CST

I bought a set of Super Sensitive "Old Fiddler Line" strings (are they any good?) the other day and when I got them home they had an A D G, and C string, but the wrapper was marked Violin Set. What is this? I assume this is a packaging mishap.

Mellow E String?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:29:31 CST

My ears are having a hard time with the piercing sound of the E string on my fiddle. It's a plain steel and the rest of my strings are Perlon core. It actually makes my ears hurt. Is this just part of fiddling? Would a wound E help? Any other options? I'm seriously thinking about a viola or octave fiddle at this point. Eric

Sound post in the wrong place?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:35:45 CST

I have a fiddle that came from a small shop in Shanghai. Its a copy of Elizabeth Pitcairn's Strad(before the red varnish wore off). It has a nice sound and is opening up nicely but the sound post is at least a centimener behind the bridge. it should be 5 mm I am told. Does anyone think I should have it moved to where it is supposed to be or leave it there. I like the sound but I am wondering if it will absolutely improve if I move it. If something isn't broken its not a good idea to fix it. Joe T

Planetary tuners, tailpieces, and such

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:42:54 CST

My grandfather has had my fiddle for 25 years (I'm a banjo picker). My son has picked the fiddle up and has done quite well. We recently got the fiddle back and it sounds OK. I'm sure we can do some things to help it. I have a few questions. 1. Has anybody tried the planetary tuners for fiddle? 2. What is the best tailpiece? 3. What is the best height bridge and what type is best? 4. What is the best case? 5. Where do you shop for most of your fiddle stuff? Thanks ahead of time.

bow got hand lotioned

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:00:05 CST

Hello: I purchased a new bow a while ago that has improved my sound.[:)] It doesn't need to be re-haired yet. I noticed today that I inadvertantly got hand lotion on the bow which is problematic in an area. [:(] Can I clean this, or do I have to get it re-haired? It is a realy pain to do that, so I hope I can clean it properly. Any suggestions?[?] [Moved from Playing Advice - Brad]

Fiddle Setup in Chicagoland

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:11:28 CST

My wife has a student violin, which is pretty decent, but she wants to have it setup for old-time fiddle (new bridge, alter fingerboard, etc.). Does anyone know of a good place in Chicagoland area to have this done?

How to put cork on a chin rest?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:56:32 CST

Hi everyone, My main fiddle is from an old friend, now deceased well before his time. I love learning on it and the mojo is definitely there. I like Rich's old chin rest too (I've tried about 4 or 5 other styles in the past). This thing was so old the cork padding was about gone where it sits on the fiddle top. Several experiments have shown me how tricky it is to glue or attach some new material there so I can use this chin rest - it won't stay put and works its way out. I suppose I could get a new one but it is like having Rich there so I'd love to make this one work. No doubt I need to use the right materials and glue (which I probably haven't) so I'm all ears in this wise assembly. I'm not sure if the chinrest is wood or not. It is black and wood looking. Ideas? Ken in Pennsylvania

Fungi and Stradivarius

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:18:31 CST

Some scientists are looking into growing a fungus to "create similar wood that was used when Stradivarius created his violins." http://missbakersbiologyclass.com/blog/2010/02/19/fungi-a-new-revolution-in-violin-making/ Get out your mold kits people![url][/url]

Fiddle maker websites: What do you expect to see?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:32:48 CST

Hi there A friend of mine who makes fiddles has asked me to set up a website for him so I've been doing a bit of research on different makers' sites around the web. Very few of them seem to go beyond the 'glorified brochure' kind of website whereas I'm hoping to build something a bit more in-depth for my friend. In other words I'd like to offer more than just a little bit of information about the maker and some photos of their instruments. So, that's where I'm hoping for some help from you fiddle folks ... Imagine you're looking to buy a new fiddle and you've been given the website address for a maker. What are you hoping to find on the site? What kind of information do you expect? How much detail do you expect about the different materials used? e.g. the types of wood, where they were sourced. What kinds of thing can the website do to really convince you of a quality product? Is there anything that could be done to take you closer to the actual instrument? (I'm thinking here about interactivity, multimedia, etc.). Thanks guys for any ideas! I'm hoping for some inspiration :) Cheers, Jake

peg slips at loose tension

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:51:41 CST

I added the last string to my fiddle and was about to triumphantly set my bridge correctly for the first time. However, the string wouldn't tighten up enough to make a sound before the peg slipped. This was the A string and the peg was working a few days ago so I wouldn't think it would be that the peg doesn't fit the hole. Is the string not wound right? What should I do?

changing a bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 07:18:29 CST

i understand when changing strings it's best to do them one at a time - how do you change a bridge?

Old bow worth a re-hair??

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 02:09:48 CST

Hey folks, I recent found a very old violin at an antique stor and it came with an old German made Tourte bow. All the hair is gone and the frog will need to be repaired. The stick is very staight though. Would this be worth getting redone. All I have now is a dirt cheap no name bow I bought at the music store for 20 bucks. I was thinking this would probably be a much better bow. Opinions please.

New member with new(old) fiddle with pics

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:16:33 CST

Hello guys and gals, just thought I'd introduce myself. Have wanted a fiddle for quite sometime and picked this on up in an antique store last week. I don't know who made it. The only markings are written in pencil on the inside of the back plate. It says "Repared by John Darragh Aurora, Co January 5, 1869." I figure its at least 150 years old. I had to put the bridge, strings, and chin rest on as these were missing. It came in a cool looking coffin case. It also came with an old German made Tourte bow that I'll need to have rehaired. Its probably a better bow than the cheap one I bought to play with. Anyway, I am having a blast with it even though I sound terrible. I've played guitar for years but this is quite another animal.

This fiddle shouldn't sound good

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:46:32 CST

Ok. So I repair a fiddle for a friend. It's an old cheapo Paganini trade violin that belonged to his grandfather, no upper blocks, fak-o flat blocks on the lower bout, poorly carved integral bass bar. Top fits badly on the ribs. I glue a top crack, cleat it. Put it back together and HOLY SMOKES! This fiddle has massive power and tone to spare. Absolutely superlative. I guess good tone wood trumps everything else? Randy

Corner Blocks

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:50:34 CST

Is there what is considered the "correct" grain orientation for placing corner blocks? With the rays running to the points or perpendicular to the centerline?

Pretty in Red??

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:18:07 CST

I just posted a new build in progress of a very red Charles Horner violin. Mr. Horner asked me what I thought of it and I hesitated[:D][:D][:D]. I have seem some early 30's German violin this color. Anywho, check it out under the blog title "Pretty in Red". BTW, if you click on the photos they enlarge. I am speculate the price will be in the $2500 range. The builder contact information is on the web site. http://charlesjhornerviolins.blogspot.com/ Topic Moved from Product Reviews and Shopping Advice forum - wormbower

Grover Pegs

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:27:18 CST

Anyone have any experience/thoughts about Grover Champion pegs? How do they attach/work? Upside/downside. I just saw them and was curious.

Oh NO not rosin again!

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:41:47 CST

No I do not wish to open the roz debate again. I just want an opinion or 3 from the more experienced about an oddity. I learned early a little rosin goes a long way. I use 4 bows, 2 wood, one expensive one not so but still my favorite. A fiberglass cheapie that I also like and a Coda SX. The first three take about the same small amount of any rosin I use but the Coda seems to eat the stuff. It is not new, I did treat it according to the instructions and have not abused the hair in any way. The hair and bow look fine. It plays great when it gets a new coat, it just takes so much more and does not last nearly as long.

What does a bow's windings tell you?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:44:57 CST

I have a bunch of bows collected over 20 years of playing the fiddle and I am curious if the windings tell you anything like where it came from. Here are some bows I have: [IMG]http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx304/jtafaro/violinbows002.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx304/jtafaro/violinbows003.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx304/jtafaro/violinbows004.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i766.photobucket.com/albums/xx304/jtafaro/violinbows005.jpg[/IMG] Does anyone know where these bows might have come from. Let me clarify the question. They all came from china but is there one workshop that just does bows where the different fiddle makers buy their bows or do they make the bows in the same workshop where the fiddles are made. I think they come from separate workshops but I just don't know for sure. On ebay they lead you to believe they all make their own fiddles and bows and that just doesn't sound right because bows that come with fiddles from different shops seem to be identical. Can anyone out there address this. I know there is a lot of mystery or maybe they don't want to confuse the buying public with facts. There are a lot of sellers who seem to have the same bows for sale. I know the product goes from maker to wholesaler to retailer but somewhere someome has to make the bow from a blank. Joe T

I'm new & I made a fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:16:23 CST

Hello everyone, A few years ago I got an unreasonable itch to learn the violin, so I started looking at some really cheap outfits in the mail-order catalogs. I was all ready to buy a mass-produced sub-$100 model when I got a strange, shameful feeling about it. I've always thought that instruments are supposed to be art and that the music we make with them is supposed to be art too. It seems to me that the really cheap fiddles are made in a large measure by machines; I say let them be played by machines. So I looked around on the internet and came across Mr. Will Bartruff's web site on how to make a violin. I sent him an email about it and he was kind enough to instruct me as best he could on how to make my own. He taught me through emails (if you can believe it). I had never actually handled a fiddle before, but somehow--thanks to Will--I managed to make one, and the results are visible in my gallery: [url]http://www.fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/photos.asp?id=5326&albumid=764[/url] It's a bit rough, to be sure (and probably not as proper as even the cheap store-bought violins), but it's a good start and I made it myself. I've learned a lot about what is right and wrong with it, so my second fiddle (almost done) is incrementally better. Eventually I hope to get pretty good at it. I'd appreciate any feedback you have for me. I'm always looking for tips on how to improve.

broken bridge

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 9 Feb 2010 15:18:11 CST

I just had a bridge pop clean in half. I can't even find the top of it, it must have gone into orbit. Is this very common or did I do something bad to it?

Tap Note?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 8 Feb 2010 14:23:50 CST

When I tap on my fiddle I get a "G" note on my Peterson Strobe. Is there a note that builders strive for when they put the top,back plate and sides together? Is one note better than another as far as getting a dark or bright tone is concerned? Thanks.

Old, geared tuners buzz control?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 7 Feb 2010 07:30:01 CST

Greetings collective experts. I've got an fiddle with the old bass-style tuners and it has a wonderful, old timey look with the bone knobs. I'd like to keep this violin in original configuration, except, of course, the intermittent buzzing caused by all that tuner hardware is annoying. I've tightened the tuner screws and that made things even worse. Any cures for this? Aside from removing them and reboring the headstock for standard tuners? Randy

Scale length?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:13:04 CST

What is the difference in scale length, between a fiddle and a mandolin? Is it like guitars, where there are a few different scale lengths for each?

E. T. Root Violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 5 Feb 2010 11:41:28 CST

I have a violin with a label that says "The E. T. Root Violin, Anno Dom. 1906, No 208. Made By E. T. Root and Sons, Chicago, USA" It looks like a good, solid Saxon trade violin, but I don't know where it fits into the lineup, nor what the market thinks of them. Nothing in Ehrhardt & Atchley's book. Haven't looked through all my info, but doubt I'll find much of use. Does anybody have any idea of where this fiddle fits into the Root line, and what level they sell at?

How COLD is TOO COLD for my Fiddle to travel in?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 4 Feb 2010 05:54:55 CST

I'm driving to Chicago on the 21st of this month...How cold is too cold for my fiddle to travel??? Do i wrap it up in blankets for the 41/2 hour drive...and what about leaving it in my truck until after the concert when I plan on having it autographed...or should I take it in with me???I've heard so many Horror stories about being too WARM and/or too COLD... PLEASE help..THANKS!

Cheeper strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:22:39 CST

I have some old fiddles to string up and hang. Even so ppl can try them out if they so desire. If I put expencive strings on them ,I will have a small fortune in them. I have looked on Ebay and there is a vast oppertunity to purchese cheeper strings. Can any body give me some advice on them? Maybe which ones are the best of the lesser evil? There seems to be many makes. I'm guessing they are made in China.... TX ,Tumbleweed 47

Adding electronics on a cheap fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 09:55:42 CST

Like most of us I purchased an inexpensive ($100) fiddle when first exploring the fiddle world. I quickly saw it's limitations and upgraded to a much more usable instrument. While the starter fiddle is set up well, it's tone is very dull - it has none of the resonance of a decent fiddle. While perusing the "Playing Advice" forum, I read a post regarding a painted fiddle and how painting might deaden the sound. Someone mentioned that it might not matter much if the painted instrument was played electronically. This got me to wondering if I could resurect my cheap fiddle with a decent pick-up. Has anyone done this or would I just be throwing good money afer bad? Pete in Portland