Fiddle Hangout - Product Reviews and Shopping Advice Forum Feed

Went to a Violin Store and ...

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 18 May 2026 08:43:46 CST

I'm a novice with a suitable student instrument. My teacher tried my violin and said don't upgrade until I can spend at least $1500. If I get better and can play more, eventually I'd like to upgrade. But, if and when I'm ready, I feel like I'm going to be very intimidated and will have no idea how to shop.

I recently went to the larger violin store in my area when I had few minutes and was driving by. I needed to buy another piece of rosin as my dog had knocked the one I off my desk and shattered it. The main floor was rather stark with a couple younger people at the register. I asked for some rosin and they recommended a $12 piece which I bought.

I was curious if I could learn what the process would be like if/when I want to upgrade. I'm used to plucked instrument stores where can pull (almost) anything off the rack and try it. Several times I've spent in hour in a store playing a dozen mandolins from $3,000-$10,000 and from what I understand, violin stores don't work that way. So how do you ever start learning what you'd even want if you can't dabble?

I did mention to one the young guys that my teacher said my next violin should be at least $1500 and I was curious how you go about picking the next level one out. He showed me a shelf of violins that were of better rental quality with outfits about $900 and also that I could rent to own. I don't think he understood was I said, I said I don't need a violin a tiny bit better than what I had. He did mention that the violins up to about $3000 were downstairs the above about $3000 were upstairs (or v.v.). But I needed to get back to work so I didn't window shop on those floors; not sure if it would have even been appropriate. Maybe if I had time and went to the $1500-3000 floor there would have been a guy who could describe the process and at least tell how making an appointment would work and what to expect. I don't know.

Review of Violin Pro-Hold by Susanne Woolley

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 1 May 2026 10:04:06 CST

Professor Susanne Woolley, String Music Teacher at East Central University (Oklahoma), reviews the Violin Pro-Hold, an innovative magnetic system designed to maintain optimal playing position with reduced neck pressure. The tool features a thin, lightweight magnetic anchor that provides stability and reduced physical strain by minimizing the need for downward chin or jaw pressure.

Order the Violin Pro-Hold at violinprohold.com

New CD by the band SNAPPIN' BUG: "Straight Four"

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:42:34 CST

I got to know the fiddling of Mark Tamsula a while back, and today received an email from Mark bringing this new recording to my attention - so I thought I'd share: With one or two exceptions these were all new tunes to my ear. And they were all done with exceptional musical finery. The bass captured the drive of the music, and showed up in all the (sample) recordings at a consistent, appreciable level that did not fade into the sound mist or interfere with the cadence of the band. Your fiddle was snappy, precise, assertive where it needed to carry a fast piece, and poetic on waltz music. The banjo pushed the tunes forward – as though the five-string player was placing his hand on the backs of each musican and pressing them forward to keep in charge of the beat. It brought me back to Clifftops long ago – especially David Winston’s clawhammer that found a way to charge ahead with the sound and feel of a steam driven locomotive. The guitar, fife, and accordian all added up to a find band recipe for great old-time music. Here’s the link to their new album, STRAIGHT FOURS: snappinbug.com/store/product/s...fours-cd/

Salvatore De Durro 1901 Violin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:46:34 CST

A local luthier has a Durro 1901 violin for sale that looks pretty good . It is in very good shape with good flaring, and without any cracks. A few dings from wear and tear have been repaired. It has new pegs and bridge, and has a good sound. He is asking $2495 for the violin and, after looking online, it appears violins of this maker and age have quite a price range. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics. Given this, any opinion as to the potential value range?

Thanks,
Mike

McNeela Violins

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:50:57 CST

Im getting the itch to learn fiddle again. Anyone familiar with McNeela Violins? They seem inexpensive. Thanks

case for 4 string plus 5 string

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:46:59 CST

Folks - Any recommendations for a case for a 4 string violin plus a 5 string (the 5 string being bigger than a violin - more like a small viola) that:
- is lightweight
- has backstraps
- has space for shoulder rests
- is available in the UK
and ideally can hold A4 printed music
many thanks
Stuart

Zoom H1 recorder review

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:19:34 CST

Got one of these for Xmas, and I like it, a lot. I've been using it to record jam sessions, as its very unobtrusive. I put it in my shirt pocket, so the fiddle is a bit louder then the rest of the instruments and voices. Sound quality is good and the files are immediately exportable as MP3's to any computer. The 32 bit floating means no worries about overdriving, too high sound pressure. Very easy to use too, with one touch recording. I have a 4 channel Tascam unit thats good too, but for this setting I like the Zoom one better. For basically a hundo, not bad at all. The digital version of the old Panasonic cassette recorder. Better sound, easier to use and more versatile too.

And can be used to scare off attackers as it looks a tazer!

Incredibow

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 07:08:28 CST

Not long ago I was rummaging around in some of the old posts on this forum and I came across a discussion of the Incredibow. There were several positive comments, so I ordered a base-level Incredibow. It arrived a few days ago and I have been putting some mileage on it since then.

Overall, it plays pretty well.

The Incredibow is very light — just 41 grams. My other bows weigh close to 60 grams so this is a massive difference and you might expect it to feel very light in the hand. But it does not feel unsubstantial at all. The weight of the bow on the strings seems pretty normal. And with reasonable rosin it has good adhesion with the strings.

The bow’s balance is a little different, and that takes a bit of getting used to. I’ve experimented with exactly where to grip the stick and it’s starting to feel good.

The Incredibow’s tone is a little bright, but it’s not objectionable.

I especially like the convenience of this bow. I like to have my fiddles hanging on the wall and ready to pick up at any moment so I can rip off a few licks. The Incredibow is permanently tensioned so it’s not necessary to turn up that pesky little tightening screw — just pick up the bow and rock on. (Yeh, I know — the is not something that a serious musician would do, but t suits me just fine.)

This bow arrived in two weeks or so and came packaged with a lovely red wrap and even a fake red rose. Not bad for $139.

This Incredibow does not really replace any of my other bows, but it does fit right in. I understand that there's a condition called Fiddle Acquisition Syndrome, where ya gotta keep adding stuff. I guess I have FAS, but maybe it's not the worst disease in the world.

Stainer Copy - French Trade Violin, any good?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:29:34 CST

Hello everyone!

I've been playing on a beginner violin for around a year now, and I'm looking to purchase my first big boy one. My local violin store has a French Trade Stainer Copy that's absolutely stunning. They're selling it for $2700 AUD (1,824.71 USD). I've seen some very mixed opinions online about the stainer copies, so I just wanted to see if anyone here knows anything about them. Basically is a French trade one good and worth that price? Obviously the quality will differ from violin to violin, but generally speaking what do ya'll think? It's apparently in excellent condition and professionally setup.

I'm planning to go to the shop with my fiddle teacher to try a bunch out anyway, I'm just curious!

Going to test out a very light weighted refurbished pernambuco bow

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 9 Jan 2026 04:20:48 CST

I decided to create a topic for this. I have the chance to test out a refurbished 4/4 (!) pernambuco bow of only 52.4 gram.
The weight of this bow intrigues me. IF I permit myself a new wooden bow (Ziva broke my first one) I have to keep into account my budget so I chose for refurbished plus I'd rather want something completely different than what I work with now.
I never handled a bow that nearly was 53 gram.
My expectations are high, I really expect something different! Something that will be surprising.
If the bow is not what I was hoping for I will send it back.

I read up on balance and light bows and history of bows regarding weight , I assume this one is just a rather old bow.

Anyone here who can tell me more on this strange weight? It is NOT a baroque bow.

Santa came early!

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 17:56:17 CST

And delivered my Codabow back from Rich Maxham's shop with new hair, new silver winding, and a freshly glued crack in the frog (which I didn't even know I had). Thanks to Rich for the speedy holiday turnaround and fine work.

Merry Christmas to all y'all from the warm, foggy 'Sip!

What’s the deal with pernambuco-wrapped carbon fiber bows?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:01:00 CST

I understand that pernambuco has been the favorite wood for violin bows for a long time. I also understand that pernambuco is endangered and the supply is limited. So carbon fiber bows have become popular in recent years.

CF bows are impervious to weather changes and some of them are considered to have very excellent balance and tone. Some are quite expensive, at least for my budget. I regularly use a CF bow and I think it's great.

Some CF bows have a wrapping of thin pernambuco veneer. Sometimes they are marketed as “hybrid”.

But I do not understand why a high quality CF bow would need to be wrapped with a pernambuco veneer. Does the pernambuco add something of value, or is this merely a cosmetic feature? Surely the pernambuco adds to the cost of producing the bow, so why bother? What's the point?

Royce Burt #1280 for the Win!

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:15:31 CST

About 9 months ago I decided I wanted to learn how to play the fiddle. I stumbled upon Fiddle Hangout and began reading some of the forums looking for advice on buying a fiddle. I had read about Royce Burt’s fiddles and sent an email inquiring about one from his youtube channel that I liked. At the time, the fiddle was a bit out of my price range because I didn’t even know if I would be able to learn how to play or even like playing the fiddle. I ended up going with a rental to begin with, and 3 weeks into the rental I bought a nice violin for a local violin store. While my original purchase suits me well, I was poking around in Fiddle Hangout again, and was reminded about Royce Burt’s fiddles. I read so many good things about them that I knew I just had to have one. I contacted Royce and began the process of finding the fiddle that was the right one for me. The experience from my first contact with Royce 9 months ago, to holding one of his fiddles in my hands and playing it has been nothing but wonderful! He created a special youtube video for me demonstrating 4 fiddles that met my criteria. I picked one and it was on it’s way to me the next morning. He offers a trial period, so you can confidently order a fiddle from him to try out. I am so excited to have my Royce Burt fiddle! I am also happy to have gotten to know Royce — I’ve never had such a great online buying experience.

Civil War fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 23:25:40 CST

A folk art violin with its early, original inlaid, coffin case. The violin neck terminates with a naive depiction of an black male with the name "Sambo" painted on the bill.
A horse hair bow with inlaid mother of abalone frog was in the case. The instrument and coffin case has extensive wear and 2 old repairs. The case measurements are as follows, 78.5cm in length, 23 cm in width, 14 cm in depth. The bust is carved in a more folksy, informal manner the majority of the other fiddles with classically derived, formal figured pegheads. Also, the bust is more upright and very large. The printed "SAMBO" on the bill of the cap is overpainted on the original varnish and probably, a later addition. The original hardwood case has an array of inlaid stars and hearts and is constructed with square nails.
In the author's opinion, the fiddle and handmade coffin case have construction and stylistic attributes that date both from the mid-19th century. The bust is wearing a Civil War kepi cap and may represent a black Union soldier. Civil War experts I have confirmed the kepi and probable, Civil War-era attributions.
Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?
.

Newbie here needs advice

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:55:23 CST

Hi folks, I have two questions.

I'm planning to buy my first violin and will be playing fiddle style. I understand fiddles are set up a bit different than a violin. Is it crucial I get one with the fingerboard planned to a flatter radius ? I don't plan on playing blazing solos.

Also, is a Gilga a decent choice ?

Good simple fiddle pickup

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 14:57:15 CST

I would like a wireless fiddle pickup - any suggestions?

La Bella Strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 8 Sep 2025 14:34:42 CST

A friend asked if I knew anything about La Bella strings and I came up blank. Never heard of them before she mentioned them. has anyone used these and, if so, how are they? I experiment with different strings now and then but always end up going back to Prims.

New to violin/fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 6 Sep 2025 23:34:15 CST

HI everyone first post here. I am a long time guitarist who has just bought his first violin/fiddle. I call it both because I want to learn some classical as well as bluegrass but mostly bluegrass. Luckily at my local Music & Arts location there is a very qualified teacher who teaches both styles and I plan on taking lessons from her. She plays fiddle in a country band right now but has also toured with a Grammy nominated bluegrass band. The Dave Adkins Band? I have never heard of them. I bought my violin/fiddle from Sweetwater because I had a store credit of $3000 from returning a guitar. It is a Knilling 26F Anton Eminescu Master Model. It was $2600. It was the best I could afford that had the qualities I wanted. All carved solid wood from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania and a spirit varnish finish. There was a Chinese made Eastman professional model for around the same price but I liked this one better for personal reasons. Nothing to do with it being made in China as I’ve heard Eastman’s are pretty good. I will have the teacher look it over and play it to see what she thinks about it. Anyone here ever played one of these or any Violin from Romania? It comes with D'Addario Zyex strings. Will I need to change these to play bluegrass?

Beginner FIddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 06:21:30 CST

Looking to learn fiddle in retirement. What is a good source for a beginner fiddle? Is there a brand name I can look for? What sellers would you recommend?

Darol's thoughts on fiddle duets, and a new recording of just that

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 1 Aug 2025 10:21:49 CST

Freestyle Fiddler Darol Anger here ...Thought I'd weigh in with some news and as much information as I can contribute on duets.

Two fiddles playing together is nothing new: it’s been a staple of social music for as long as there have been bowed instruments. What is new is that the range of possible textures for American fiddling has been expanded in the last 40 or so years. Rhythmic patterns and sounds have caught up with the rest of American culture and the harmonic range of improvised fiddling has been somewhat widened along with the general widening of harmonic possibilities in modern music. One of the most effective rhythmic models for fiddling has simply been active and dense melodies, played with powerful 16th-note flow. That’s been around forever in folk fiddling, from Celtic unisons to Cajun parallel octaves to loose but intense probability waves in Appalachian styles.
We’ve seen the two-melody (straight harmony or counterpoint) model, one melody with regular 8th note accompaniment, and more recently, accompaniment models based on fiddle imitating other instruments such as drums, banjo, or strummed guitar. The chop, Richard Greene’s far-reaching innovation, has opened up new vistas for fiddlers and created new challenges.
For myself, the experience in middle and high school of playing last chair 2nd violin in the orchestra was more useful than I realized at the time. I was seldom playing anything like a melody; usually a harmony note or a rhythmic figure ideally supporting the main melodists just a few feet away in any direction. That helped my subsequent absorption into the world of Bluegrass, where the fiddle is called upon to play many roles within the same tune: lead melody, counterlines, and rhythms, all with a precise groove that can’t deviate from the rest of the band, and a high intonational standard. However, I was already ruined for the pursuit of any “pure” style, because of my exposure to various jazz and pop music of the sixties, in particular the Beatles, who were master eclecticists and extremely exploratory in their music. So when I had the opportunity to create a comprehensive fiddle style that could function well within another acoustic string band genre, I took it with gusto, though it took longer than I expected— all my life, in fact. Still working on it. Of course I’m speaking of the David Grisman Quintet, where I had extraordinary freedom to create a musical vocabulary based on everything I was hearing in Bluegrass, jazz, blues, and most of the pop music that had gone on since the early 20’s in the US and Latin America. My work in the Turtle Island String Quartet further expanded my range of textures, where we had to convincingly reproduce the groove and general textures of jazz and some fusion music, as well as David Balakrishnan’s original compositions which often combined jazz harmony with South Indian modes.

So when the time came to make a recording of all duets with other fiddlers, I was so darn ready.

The first volume, Diary Of A Fiddler, produced for Compass Records in 1999, featured myself, Darol, accompanying a wide range of brilliant contemporary fiddlers in many of the styles which were exploding into popularity at the turn of the new century, and demonstrating fiddling’s deep relevance to just about every style of music. The stripped-down duet format enabled the Darol Anger Action Figure and his chosen duet partners, among them Stuart Duncan, Natalie MacMaster, Martin Hayes, Bruce Molsky, Vassar Clements and Alasdair Fraser, to demonstrate a set of musical and fiddling skills that might have been unfamiliar to much of the music world prior to this release. But these ideas were bubbling away as an upsurge of interest in fiddling among young people took hold of the world. This phenomenal bloom of talent shows no signs of slowing down and is largely attributable to the ongoing effect of fiddle camps created by Jay Ungar, Alasdair Fraser, Mark O’Connor and others, which sparked Diary #1. These camps are where I met and established a playing rapport with all these other fiddlers.

This widening-of-styles trend has been amplified by the recent surge of Western European style-trained string players into improvisational and social music. The fiddlers, who have been making stuff up since time began, are out in front here, but the need to have music feel good as human interaction on many levels has led to a great rebalancing and sharing of all styles of string playing. Now we have great vernacular string programs in colleges such as Berklee, Colorado State and the New England Conservatory, and many more fiddle camps than there are weeks in the year.

So if Diary #1 was an expression of the recent coalescing of an international multi-stylistic fiddling community, Diary Of A Fiddler # 2 is a celebration of my particular connection to that community and a shared musical ethos within the acoustic string world.

This second volume, made some 25 years after the first, celebrates the brilliance at least 3 generations of spectacularly skilled fiddlers with whom I’ve been privileged to work. Each of my duet partners in Diary #2 is a former student or someone with whom I have worked at some level of mentorship, whether a shorter or longer period. I feel a deep connection and admiration for all of the players on this recording. In every instructional situation, my prime directive has been not to encourage copying or to cultivate a particular style but to amplify the joy of music and encourage deep, joyful engagement with the physical-emotional act of music-making, and especially, improvising together.
With a limited palette of just two and occasionally three bowed instruments, it’s even more important to
Even though for Diary #2 we stuck to playing my original tunes, I was able to choose a variety of styles and grooves which tend to showcase each individual player’s special talents. For example, with Brittany Haas, we wound up playing a rock-inspired piece which shows off her almost unbelievable rhythmic intensity, and some very free yet highly orchestrated lines that show off our years of playing together. With the virtuosic Avery Merritt, we ripped on my Uber-Grass piece ”Coal Burnin’ Grease Fire”, whose title pretty much says everything. My duet with Casey Driessen features a very slow-burn groovin’ R&B tempo with tight counterpoint and chopping as befits Caseys’ extraordinary abilities in that area. Jazz and Eastern European violin specialist Enion Pelta picked one of my faux-middle-eastern melodic lines, Ouditarus Rez, to create a roaring, fantastically creative landscape of textures. West Coast Vibe and mind-meld specialist Tristan Clarridge also happens to be a 5-time Interplanetary Fiddle Contest winner, and we were able to play a beautiful simple Canadian-sounding tune and leave the wheel numerous times to explore the beauty of simple modal counterpoint.

Each of the two volumes feature duets with many great fiddlers and one large ensemble piece.
In Volume 1, the unique all-fiddle ensemble consisted of Vassar Clements, Stuart Duncan, John Hartford, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, Matt Glaser and myself, playing the traditional tune “John Henry.” In Volume 2, the large ensemble consists of 22 fiddlers, all of whom I’m connected to in some sort of inspirational way. During the isolating days of the 2020 Pandemic, I hit upon the idea of having each fiddler improvise remotely on a track I created at home, the traditional ”Liza Jane’, in New Orleans Second-Line style. Because each person had to record their part one at a time, it seemed unfair to the later overdubbers who might feel like they had less options because of an ever more-crowded sound field. Therefore, each fiddler only played to my original track! There was an arrangement, and everyone knew the general plan and chord changes. They were all individually invited to express themselves freely within those parameters. That list includes many of the tremendous young fiddle players who have illuminated my life. The result is astonishing, uplifting, hilarious, and absolutely hair-raising.

The first single, I Coulda Told You, with Brittany Haas, is streaming all over the place as of July 28, 2025.

Here's a link to the band camp page where you can get this whole damn recording.
darolanger1.bandcamp.com/album...mpty-nest

Mi-si trio vio vs Schertler Stat V

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 30 May 2025 04:52:06 CST

Hello
I’ve been looking around for reviews on the Mi-Si trio vio after i bought a KNA as a present for my girlfriend and discovered that it was awesome. The mi-si is apparently the same system with an added preamp.

My use is quite diverse, but my main arenas is playing with pickup and clipon blend in bands (often with a lot of pedals), but also attending jazz jams in which getting on and off stage quickly and getting on and off in «one turn» is important.

I thought the built in preamp of the mi-si would make it the ultimate jamming pickup as opposed to my Schertler Stat V - which is way to clumsy and also has the issue of attaching to the tailpiece - which is a weak point. The MiSi is std jack cable right from a solid mount and because it’s active it could probably go right into whatever with no issues.

I’ve only found a couple of reviews on the MiSi on thomann and also a demo from electric violin shop (but that guy has so bad tone that everything sounds the same no matter what pickup he demos)

I want to find out wether the MiSi has this brittle almost harmon mute-like tone that some bad piezo systems have.
Although i think the schertler is kind of compressed, a little distorting and has way more freq response in the low end than high, all of this is actually possible to manage with a simple 8 band eq, while i’ve heard some piezos that sound so thin and tin-rattly that no eqing can fix it. - also, a thin pickup does not blend well with a clipon, it makes it thinner instead of adding punch to the midrange

I would love to hear if anyone has tried both the misi and the schertler, or if you have anything to compare the misi to?

Thanks

Best examples of Bluegrass Fiddling

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 22 May 2025 05:48:10 CST

If you could pick one or two examples of what a Bluegrass fiddler should sound like what would you pick?

SALLY GOODIN by Byron Berline when he was with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

MULESKINNER BLUES by Kenny Baker also with Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

Lee Hammons - Central West Virginia FiddlField Recorders Collective FRC 736

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 16 May 2025 09:04:03 CST

Wayne Howard's FRC project, "Lee Hammons - Central West Virginia Fiddling," (FRC736) is out now and available on the Field Recorders Collective website.

Check it out:

fieldrecorder.org/product/lee-...g-frc736/

Worth waiting for!

Kaplan non-whistling E and Tonicas

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 10 May 2025 09:53:56 CST

Over the years I have tried a variety of fiddle strings for traditional fiddle music. I was a big fan of Helicores and though the Thomastik Superflexibles were good too.
Due to the volume of my fiddles (or a heavy bow hand) I considered synthetic strings for a warmer sound.
Some of the synthetics were okay, but not really what I was looking for. My experience with Dominants and Zyex was not good at all. The Dominant E is a poor option.
I saw where the Kaplan non-whistling E is often paired with Helicores. After trying that set I really liked the Kaplan E.
I had been recommended to try the Pirastro Tonicas as an alternative to the Helicores. And they took a little getting used to, but are a great string- their E is quite good.
I now pair the Kaplan non-whistling E with Tonicas and have been very pleased with the results. They give me the warmth I have been looking for, but can get loud when I need them too. I think the Tonicas are the most underrated synthetic out there. Do any of you use them or the Kaplan/ Tonica combination?

Introducing Violin Pro-Hold: Maintains Your Best Holding Position

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 6 May 2025 16:43:19 CST

I am thrilled to introduce the Violin Pro-Hold, an innovative magnetic system designed to enhance your playing experience by maintaining your optimal holding position. This new system consists of a magnet on your shoulder rest that adheres to a magnet under your shirt.

Versatile Fit: One part of the Violin Pro-Hold fits almost all violin and viola shoulder rests, while another component conforms to your individual body form, making it suitable for all body shapes and sizes.

Optimal Position: The adjustable components of the Violin Pro-Hold allow you to achieve your ideal holding position, crucial for proper technique, comfort, and tone production.

Stable Support: Our system provides comfortable and stable support during long practice sessions and performances, so you can stay focused and relaxed.

Reduced Stress: The Violin Pro-Hold reduces strain on your head, neck, and shoulder muscles, promoting a more relaxed and enjoyable playing experience for players of all ages and skill levels.

Easy to Use: Once you find your ideal holding position, you can easily lift your instrument off the magnet and click it back into place quickly. This allows you can focus on your music without any interruptions.

Strong Magnetic Anchor: The system allows for natural movement of your instrument during performances and practice sessions while keeping it anchored to a strong magnetic point.

How to Learn More: To learn more about the Violin Pro-Hold, including installation, usage, and purchasing information, visit our website: violinprohold.com/.

About the Inventor: I am the inventor and owner of VHold LLC, an Oklahoma-based company dedicated to making and marketing the Violin Pro-Hold. After a neck injury, I sought a more comfortable and secure way to hold my violin. Inspired by violinist Daniel Kurganov’s use of magnets and a rubber band, I experimented with various magnets and configurations. Fellow violinists tried out promising prototypes, suggested key improvements, and encouraged me to bring this system to market.

We Need Your Help: We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Help us make the Violin Pro-Hold even better!

Spread the Word: Please share our product with your fellow musicians through social media, forums, and local music communities. Your support can make a big difference.

We are excited to bring this innovative product to the violin and viola community and look forward to your support and feedback.

Best regards,
Ken Ruhnke, VHold LLC
email: violinprohold@gmail.com
order: violinprohold.com/

Prims

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 14:32:34 CST

So I got the Prim Mediums and put them on my fiddle. I like them better than the Alphayues I tried before these and the strings (likely Prelude) that were on my used fiddle when I bought it. I found it interesting that they are noticeably thinner, likely because they are metal core and not synthetic. But really didn't affect playing. The winding is a bit let smooth and I actually found the very smooth winding, maybe they were flat-wound, of the Alphayues harder to play. They have less longitudinal friction on the string, and being a beginner, I found it hard to keep the bow moving straight. Sound wise, I find nice clear projection on the A and E without sounding at all shrill. I found the Preludes shill which is why I tried a synthetic core string. I found the Aphayes a bit "honky" with strong mids. The Prim G and E are more reserved, nice tone but warmer and not quite as much projection. I like the tone of all the strings and would have to say my only complaint would be the difference in projection between the A E and the G D. The A E are louder to my ears. Of course, I'm playing a student instrument and I'm a beginner so I can't be sure what's the strings, what's the instruments, what's the bow, and what's me.

dynamo strings

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:04:10 CST

Has anybody tried these strings? I saw a ad for them that had a full page of hype and never got around to really describing them or the price.

Ball end vs. loop end strings for this tailpiece

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 12 Apr 2025 08:06:27 CST

Below is a pic of the tailpiece on my fiddle. I've been using synthetic core strings for a bit and would like to try steel core. Looking at this tailpiece it looks to me like the fine tuners will only work with ball-end strings. Is that correct?

Assuming they only work with ball-end, I'm wondering what strings to buy. I think I'd like to try Prim Medium but the specs on them say "ball-end E". Does that mean the other three are loop end?

All answers, tips, and general educational comments thoroughly appreciated.

-Ken

Don Rickert Ranger IV Travel Violin review

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 4 Apr 2025 10:07:39 CST

Here's another review that I meant to write some time ago. I bought this instrument in October, 2023. I'd had my eye on the Rickert travel violins for a while. But they are built to order and I wasn't comfortable buying one without being able to try it out. I learned from Don that a "Ranger IV" model, which is the biggest one, was available because the person who had ordered it couldn't take possession. He shipped it to me for trial. I liked it, so I bought it!

https://donrickertmusicianshop.com/ranger-iv-travel-violin-by-d-rickert/

Travel violins are always about compromise between size, sound, playability and cost. This is the only travel instrument I ever owned that sounded good and felt ergonomically good. It even has good projection (volume) due to a combination of careful design of the body and heavy tension strings.

It's also the largest travel fiddle I've ever owned! I bought it with the mailing tube case that Don offers. It is light, inexpensive, and long enought to hold a full-length bow. The full-length bow is necessary for best sound. That works well for vehicle travel, but the case is too long for smaller overhead bin spaces in smaller regional jets.

I already own a Bam Overhead case, which is the perfect length for this instrument. It's unnecessarily wide. But, that means there's room for other stuff. I'm able to fit a ($30) 1/4-scale bow in a sleeve on one side and the shoulder rest on the other side. It needs a little extra padding at the bottom, so for now I'm using two rolled-up, thin t-shirts. The 1/4-scale bow is good enough for trips where I don't expect to play a lot.

My wife and I have a small travel trailer (19' Casita) where space and clutter is an issue. This works well for that. The tube case stores well, and the instrument size and tone works well in that small space.

That's it!

Ernie

Fiddlershop announces new rosin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 1 Apr 2025 07:57:56 CST

NTRODUCING 'TACET FOREVER ROSIN'
A revolutionary addition to the world of rosins. The Tacet Forever Rosin uses cutting-edge, anti-friction technology to eliminate all unnecessary bow noise.
youtube.com/watch?v=YG9h2Tqm3V0
Pre-orders available today!

Don Rickert Tertis Body Tenor Viola review

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 20:25:01 CST

I bought this instrument a little more than two years ago. I meant to post a review a long time ago.

Here is a link to Rickert's website about the instrument: https://donrickertmusicianshop.com/rickert-tenor-viola-15-5-or-16-tuned-like-octave-violin/

In a nutshell, this is a Tertis pattern viola voiced an octave below a regular violin. I have the 15.5" back version.

I wanted an instrument with a different timbre than a regular violin. A regular viola satisfies that requirement, but is difficult for me to play with others by ear. A nice thing about being tuned an octave below violin is it's easier to play by ear. I tried octave strings on one of my instruments and did not like the results.

There are three important parts:

Viola body
Strings
Bow

As I understand it, the back plate and bass bar are tuned for lower frequencies. So it is optimized for the lower register and would not be expected to sound good with regular viola strings.

Speaking of strings, I am using a complete set of silk-core custom strings made by Atelier Boussoir: https://www.atelier-boussoir.fr/les-cordes/. I got them via Don Rickert. In fact I need to order two new sets. In theory you could use a combination of octave viola and regular viola strings, but nobody makes octave viola strings now. The silk-core strings have been working well, but if they were not available I would switch to gut-core strings. Why? Because gut-core strings are available in pretty much any equivalent gut diameter that is necessary, so I know they will always be available.

The Atelier Boussoir silk-core strings sound good. When I'm playing well the A and E strings almost sound like someone singing. Someone commented on that once so it's not just my perception.

Regarding bows, I have two. I bought the viola with a faux-snakewood Incredibow. The incredibows have a ribbon with very sticky "hair". So that bow pulls a big tone and is great for slower material. I find it difficult to play fast with the Incredibow. So I also have a Marquise GS viola bow. Except for weight, it's pretty much identical to my Marquise GS violin bow. So I can switch between the two easily.

The projection of the instrument is good, but it's not as loud as a violin. For playing in a jam session environment, it has been loud enough. That said, there are times when I've led tunes in a larger group where I wished I had more volume. I said I wanted an instrument with a different timbre, and I got one!

Playability is good. I have no major difficulty with intonation going back and forth between this instrument and a regular violin. Every so often my left hand fingers go to unfortunate spots, but overall intonation is not a problem. I have a larger viola with a 16" back and the same comments apply to that.

I've been happy with it!

Is it common for violin shops to allow casual browsers to try instruments?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 07:19:05 CST

When I go into a fretted instrument shop, I've always been able to take instruments -- guitars, mandolins, dobros in the $1K-$5K range-- off the rack and give them a try. Play a variety of instruments for a half hour or so, and leave. With the idea of doing some research, I might come back later and buy something or I might not.

I see some violin shops with a note on their web site saying make and appointment to shop for violins.

Are violin shops not hip to allowing casual browsing and trying of instruments?

What makes a more expensive violin/fiddle be able to do more? Or does it?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 9 Mar 2025 15:21:31 CST

When I started considering getting into fiddle/violin, I was reading a bunch of stuff on various forums and would find comments (more a classical violin sites) with comments to the effect of, 'when you get half way through Kawasaki Book X, you'll need a violin at least such and such good." So assuming that's true, what is it that makes you able to do something that you can't do with a lesser instrument? And conversely, will a player of a given level, say novice/intermediate, be able to do more and/or sound better with a higher level of instrument.?

-K

Should “fiddles” be inexpensive?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 16 Feb 2025 19:54:33 CST

So we got into this discussion yesterday at session…

M the whistle player said that he thinks he sounds the most “traditional”, and his tone is more like Mary Bergin ( trad whistle goddess), when he plays on his cheap $10 Generation whistle. He also has a Sindt whistle, which I gather is a good one (?) but he likes playing his Generation…?

Does this go for fiddles too?
Do expensive “concert violins” not sound right for folk music? It just got me to wondering! :-)

I asked the other two fiddlers there if they thought cheaper fiddles sound more traditional, and they shook their heads No…(No time to get into it more because a tune was starting up). I know they both have GOOD instruments. C has her mother’s violin (her mom was an orchestra player) and E has an old dark German violin (I know this because we use the same luthier, and he commented that E has a really good instrument ).

But, curious if you guys agree?

Which common build style of fiddle do you prefer (Strad, Guarneri, etc.)?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 17:16:58 CST

Do you tend to go for fiddles of one body type over another?

And, if so, what draws you to that model?

P.T Christiano Bows

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 10:37:17 CST

Does anyone know the worth of these bows? I just bought a German Hopf copy and the bow it came with read P.T Christiano above the frog. Looks like a well-made bow and the only one I can find online is a viola bow that sold for like $1,600. Does anyone have an idea of a range of what the bows are typically worth in good condition?

Thanks guys!

William Lewis and Son violin/fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 1 Feb 2025 11:02:46 CST

I learned to play the violin in elementary school and into middle school then I stopped. I was never very good at it and practicing at home was difficult at the time. As an adult, I am picking it back up to try again.

I would appreciate more information about the violin that was passed down to me from my grandmother. She lived her life in northeastern Washington state, played often (and well!), and referred to it as a fiddle.

The interior label reads: "William Lewis and Son, Chicago, Illinois in Mittenwald, Germany." Another label has the number 2420. Any information about it's age or replacement value would be appreciated. As a family instrument, it is irreplaceable but I would like to know how much to insure it for, if needed. Thank you.

New Tuner

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 15:25:24 CST

Note to self: don't leave tuner in open case on floor with dog in room.

So, what's everyone's' favorite tuner?

stand for fiddle/bow and guitar

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 8 Jan 2025 08:07:02 CST

I'd be really nice if I had a stand that holds a fiddle/bow and my square-neck resonator (dobro). The dobro fits in a standard guitar stand rest on the base in a stand with or without a neck holder. I think I'd prefer a fiddle stand that holds the fiddler higher by the headstock instead of on the base as then it's almost on the ground.

Any recommendations?

-K