Fiddle Hangout - Product Reviews and Shopping Advice Forum Feed

anybody ever deal with EastMountainsMusic..?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:24:31 CST

I'm thinking of buying a violin from EastMountainsMusic.Com...anybody had any good experiences with them?

Thanks!

Martin Beck fiddle?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:58:31 CST

I am interested in getting a Martin Beck fiddle. I have heard good things about them but wanted to possibly hear from other old time fiddlers who may have one. I myself play the old Ozarks breakdows from Missouri and Arkansas as well as old Appalachian dance tunes---so I want something with some decent projection. Like a lot of fiddlers from around here, I play on fiddles I found at an auction or won in a bet. haha I have never owned an "investment" fiddle and am not really looking for one, but I do want something that I can enjoy at a square dance and pass down through my family. Any opinions on these?

Good "Shoulder Rest" for your Chest!

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 16:36:14 CST

I have seen a few fiddlers who hold the fiddle down on their chest like I do but use a shoulder rest so they can rest the fiddle over more towards the middle of their chest. The Fiddler who comes to mind first is Rafe Stefanini Whom I really Admire. I really like this Idea and would like to give it a try. Is there any Hangout members who play this way? and if so what brand of Shoulder rest do you use? I have seen old pictures of people holding the fiddle towards the middle of their chests before shoulder rests were invented but I have tried this and it did not work the fiddle did not want to stay put.

electric VSO ... sometimes you have to be heard ...

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 12:28:38 CST

I'm considering purchasing an electric violin and have kinda sorta narrowed it down to one of the Yamahas or a Barcus Berry acoustic electric. Can anyone offer some insights/experience with some of the common electric violins? The above two are in my price range; not quite ready to cough up the cash for a Zeta, Aceto etc. yet, even though they both receive high marks in the electric field. Any help would be appreciated.

Re: Scam emails

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:27:30 CST

I just received the following private email, regarding a violin I have for sale on Fiddle Hangout. (Please see, below) Given the format, sentence strucucture, spelling and grammar, this looks incredibly like the scam emails one receives, attempting to defraud with a bad check:

Listing Title: Handmade, Antiqued Violin - Full Size (4/4)
Listing URL: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/classified/3805

Message:
Hello ,

I will like to purchase your Handmade, Antiqued Violin which you listed for sale on net. Do let me know as soon a possible if it is still available and if my payment with a Check or Money order is fine.I await your response,and get back to me with the Last price and also include your full name , full address and contact phone number on where the payment will be send to . I hope to read from you soon. My contact email address is hr.managerlourdes@att.net

Mrs Lourdes

I'm pretty much 1,000% sure that this is a scam. I receive offers like this every day, but I'm sad that it came from this forum. So watch out. I designed a webpage to deal with this sort of thing. Please see:

Fraud Against Music Teachers

http://beststudentviolins.com/FRAUDagainstMT.html

So I bought a used Incredibow........

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:11:56 CST

Ok, I was checking in on the Craigslist musical instrument classifieds. Just looking around. I came across a guy selling an advancing student outfit. Violin, case, rosin, Carbon fiber bow, shoulder rest, mutes and an Incredibow. Contacted him to see if he would sell just the incredibow and how much.

He told me he would be more than happy to sell just the incredibow. He said it has less than 10 hours on it. He got into a car accident and has chronic neck pain. He can't bear the pain of playing fiddle. So he decided to stick with guitar and cello. I setup a time to go test drive it. My cost should I like it $65.

I went and played it. Man, was it light(37.7 grams weighed it when I got home.) It pulled a nice tone. It wasn't bouncey at all. I pulled a good tone with less pressure. No hair noise. Its going to take a little to time for me to get in a groove with it, but I played it well. I want to add a few grams of counter weight on the non frog side of the bow to see what happens. I needed a good outdoor summertime bow/back up bow. This should do really well. Who knows it may become my primary bow.

Tanner

New E string by Prim

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:38:15 CST

The NAMM show last week brought to light a new E string manufactured by PRIM. They call it LISA! Comes in 3 gauges...soft, med. and hard.

The string is a plain, stainless steel alloy with a removable ball end. They state great dynamic range, no corrosion from humidity or fingers, They claim a new alloy and a new patented process for manufacture of these strings. Check with you local or website store for availability.

Have fun and stay tuned.

Diane in SoCal

Kelvin Scott Violins

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:53 CST

I paid Kelvin a visit today. He's located in Knoxville. Medalist in this and that. Looked at two recent violins and was struck by a few things, in contrast to his work when I first met him.

The construction quality is superlative, but clearly hand done. Crisp, lively, authentic. Only the best materials.

His arching and F holes have always been very nice, but now they are unified in some subtle way. Look just right. Seriously. Right. Flows into the edgework. Corners just faintly different from each other. Very pleasing to the eye.

Scrolls are just right. The Stradivari style done very very Stradivari. I don't see a slavish copy, but he's really got the lines working beautifully.

So there's a beautiful Guarneri style, with sort of interesting corners, F holes not over done, a somewhat meandering scroll that works nicely. And this super nice Stradivari pattern. Corner joints on the ribs in black, crisp black chamfers on the scroll. Lush varnish. Some tool marks. Texture. Just highly highly pleasing.

The Strad new, 2 weeks old, a little raw, intense, but with that Stradivari resistance to fingers and bow, bursting instantly into brilliant power. The Guarneri darker, mellower, but a really wonderful tone.

If you can handle the $$$ I highly recommend looking into Kelvin's work.

Computer Programs for Transcribing Notation

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:36:50 CST

Hi. I'm looking for information on computer programs..software.. for transcribing music notation from strings to keys playable for woodwinds and wind instruments. I'm in a community chamber orchestra and our board of directors wants to buy a program that is not too expensive to assist our conductor (a strings teacher). Thanks.

Diane in SoCal

New Ricard Bunnel G2 Violin from Kennedy Violins

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:05:51 CST

I recently purchased a Ricard Bunnel G2 violin outfit from Kennedy Violins. I wanted a quality instrument package that I could afford. After much searching, I trusted the Kennedy Violin commitment to bringing the customer the best violin in a quality affordable package. I am glad that I made that choice. I am very happy with every thing that was included. I would encourage anyone to trust the quality that Kennedy Violins offers. Thanks, Jerry

Used Fiddles

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:40:45 CST

If I were to look for a used fiddle that has a dark sound and fairly loud, would there be one particular maker that I would look for a copy of?

Carbon Fiber Bow

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:47:20 CST

I just purchased a gently used carbon fiber bow at the local music store. I can't believe how well balanced it is, and how much more sound it gets out of my fiddle. Maybe my imagination but I think it makes my playing sound a bit cleaner too. This was originally in the $150. range. I hadn't bothered even looking at the carbon fiber bows after I tryed one at another store and it was dreadful, but that was in the $100. range and had no where near the balance this does.

Phyllis

Ozarks Fiddle Music

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:12:25 CST

I've had this book for a few years and never really looked it through, mostly because I can't read music. I zipped the CD of music on my ipod and thumbed through the fiddler bios but that was about it. Today I really gave it a look and it is a great book if you are into that style of fiddling.

I actually was struggling with a small piece of Lonnie Robertson's "Ozark Mountain Waltz" then realized "Hey, I wonder if that tune is in that book upstairs". Sure enough, and even without reading music I was able to figure out the spot and the notes I needed to play. Going through it more, it is chock full of great tunes. It makes want to learn music so I can learn more of these tunes.

The other great thing that I never saw before is in the back section where it gives statistics on all the tunes in the book, like: % of tunes using nashville shuffle, % of tunes in different tunings, % of tunes using different keys, etc. My favorites are: % of tunes starting with potatoes and % of tunes ending with shave and a haircut Seriously!

If you get it, check out one of my all time fav tunes, called Willott's Hornpipe by Lee Stoneking on pg. 145. It's also on the included CD.

Ed Haley - Forked Deer & Grey Eagle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:21:02 CST

Just to return a favour

a couple of very kind fellows here

made me excellent quality cdrs of the 2 Rounder albums

I've made them available for download at my blog

http://anonymousremains.blogspot.com/2011/07/ed-haley-1883-1951-forked-deer-2-cds.html

enjoy,

: )

Beginner recommendations?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:12:10 CST

Beginner recommendations on a fiddle?

Help with string identification

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:29:30 CST

I was hoping that someone could me identify these strings. I have looked at every string color chart that I could find but my strings doesn't seem.to match. Any help would be appreciated.

U.S. Customs fees

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:32:44 CST

I just recieved a violin from China, my 5th violin purchase from there (trying out different ones), and had the unexpected pleasure of having to pay $29.25 to the mailman! (This was in addition to the $60 shipping charge.) It was the first time in 6 years, he had ever had to collect U.S. Customs & Border Protection Fees. Maybe part of this money is used to keep illegals out? I guess it was his and my "Lucky Day". Go buy a lottery ticket, right? The value on the Customs forms showed $400, (I payed $200 for it) at a Tax rate of .046, it came to $18.40, plus an additional Postal fee of $5.35, plus an additional Customs processing Fee (like we don't already pay their salary with our Federal Taxes each year.) of $5.50, totaling $29.25 What a rip off! Has any one here had to do this?

Upscale Shops in Boston area and prices

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:16:36 CST

I had the impression that Carriage House (now split off from Reuning & Son) was not quite as "High End" as Reuning & Son.

So I just called Carriage House for a new bridge since they are a little closer than Johnson String and I figured I'd check out their service. I have had a bow rehaird by them last year for $70.00 (which is common around here).

Their price for a new violin Bridge is $275.00 !! And you must have bought the instrument from them to do any work.

Needless to say I drove right past them to Johnson String that "only" charges $100.00 (for their "student quality" bridge).

Chrome vs Aluminum wound E (Flexicores)

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:56:48 CST

I have been looking for info on tonal differences between chrome & aluminum wound e's & haven't found much more than this, from SW Strings:

E String Materials
Steel - Plain steel E strings produce a bright, well-rounded sound with large volume.

Chromesteel Wound - These E strings have a steel core with a chromesteel winding and produce a bright, large sound with better focus than plain steel.

Aluminum Wound - These E strings have a steel core with aluminum winding. The sound quality is generally soft and warm compared with steel, but with good focus.

Gold Plated - Gold plated E strings are the warmest of the E strings and provide good projection and focus.

I've found gold e's to be almost brassy, more "round" or sine-wavey - not what I would describe as warm - but I think that's what most people mean by 'warm'. I tried a flexicore chrome e & found it LOUD, but tonally in line with the set - seemed like the tone was more sawtooth waveform, with a strong fundamental overtone.

I never tried the aluminum one, can't say much about it.. Anyone have any first hand experience with them?

As far as durability - I would think a chrome string would be more durable than an aluminum one... But metals can & do behave differently in certain situations & applications - not sure about this case though.

Thomastic & Wittner Tail Pieces

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:34:30 CST

The Thomastic is rather pricey, is there any advantage over using it rather than the Wittner? What would you prefer?

Thanks

Phyllis

Thomastic Precision/ Heliocore wound E strings?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:43:59 CST

Hi all,

Wondering how Thomastic Precision strings compare/contrast with Prims--both are steel/ chromesteel. Any thoughts? I've heard that Precision lights are the way to go, as the mediums are really medium-heavy by other brands' standards and might not have the tension/ feel I like in the Prim mediums.

I basically like Prims on my (dark, smooth) Kogut 5, but am interested in seeing if I can get a bit more volume. Additionally, the Prim E is fine on my fiddle, but it seems to squeak more than other plain Es I've tried: what are your thoughts on the Heliocore wound E?

David Golber Violins

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:32:35 CST

I stumbled into this web site over the weekend http://www.dgviolins.com/

David Golber graduated from North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA around 1998 and specializes in Hardanger Fiddles (which are pretty awesome pieces to look at and much more complex to make).

Anyway he listed standard Bench made from scratch Violins from $1800.00 to $3000.00 which is a pretty low price for Bench Made in the USA.

Since he was close to my work I thought I'd give it a shot.

He had 7 fiddles to look at 2 from his class in 1998-ish, 3 made around 2001 and 1 made in 2008 and 1 restore.

You could see the refinement as the years progressed.

He personally went to Italy to buy his wood.

I played 5 of the 7. And 4 of them sounded good and similar. One that didn't was one of his that he made in class.

The varnish is not my favorite; it has a fine texture to, nothing crazy with the Antiquing. It’s a finish I’ve seen a lot.

I picked the 2008 model (#19) for $3000.00, but there was another 2001 model for $2400.00 that may have sounded just as good and varnish looked as nice (a tad more orange).

So far it’s playing very good. A lot better than the $3500.00 Zhu Strad. The G string is nice and beefy, instantly, I can only imagine what it will sound like after a few months.

The C natural on the A string (where some fiddles are weak) is crazy powerful (I think I’m used to giving that note more zing and need to back off).

Pegs turn smooth (for wood pegs anyway).

I already switched it to Evah Pirazzi strings, Jargar E and a Wittner Tail Piece. The Zhu never even tempted me to take off the Dominants and Tail Piece. This fiddle I did.

After a few months this might challenge my Konya. But it does sound a bit different, which is what I wanted.

He does not push selling these fiddles and some have sat for a while and most of them have a slightly drooped finger board (1-2mm).

He does 30 day Trails !! Very easy going. If you don’t like it, just bring it back. Most shops do this, but not 30 days !!

I’ll post pictures soon. I might check out one other fiddle I can’t resist to look into.

The other $3000.00 one he had sounded just as good and was the only dark varnish one and a more smooth satin finish. But the finish had a few imperfections. From a couple feet away it looked really nice.

I know there lots of lesser known names making fiddles like this. So far I’m glad I looked into it.

Oh crap I can't add photo's later, guess I'll have to take a few shots now.

DR Pro tripod boom mic stand

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:57:15 CST

I just puchased one of these a few weeks ago to hold a heavy dynamic mic when miking my fiddle. I was so impressed with the construction and quality that I immediately purchased 5 more for our group. When I bought it the price was $39. Since then the price has gone to $59. But it is still a bargain at the higher price, IMO:

Amazon - DR Pro tripod boom mic stand

What was even better was that the retailer (Music123) did not charge for shipping, and for both orders I received the product within a few days!

Frank

Fake Glasser bow?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:00:57 CST

I just bought what is supposed to be a new Glasser 200AC "Advanced Composite" bow from a reputable firm, but it is not marked "Glasser" anywhere. I have other Glasser bows, and all are clearly marked.

The part where the frog slides is rather crudely formed, and the metal lining in the frog appears to be glued in, not secured by two screws as it is in my other Glasser bows.

Is is possible this is a fake?

Elan Chalford

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:42:33 CST

Hello,

Just ordered Elan Chalfords fiddle lessons. Has anyone else got experience with any of these? complete fiddle newbie.

Magic Rosin

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 8 Jan 2012 18:46:06 CST

I recently ordered a little cake of the magic rosin, got it and threw it in the fiddle case. Then I received an email asking if my rosin looked like it may have a scratched surface or finger print on it..hhmm, well yes it did but does it matter in the whole scheme of life??? Anyhow I did respond that it did appear to have and low and behold a week later there was a new cake of rosin, no questions, no strings attached nothing. Just Great Customer Service. Rosin seems to be cleaner than any I have used and I haven't had any problems. I wish I could get that kind of service from other places. Keep up the good work Magic Makers :)

Schertler Pre-A & other preamps

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 13:50:58 CST

Howdy folks,

I'm new to the forum and don't want to bring up old issues if there are answers out there already. I did look through to forum but most threads were archived and didn't answer my question very directly, which is one of preamps and pickups. If there is a thread i should check out please direct me to it!

Anywho, my situation is a loud live band setting, in which I have been using a schertler DYN-V for years. I have NEVER enjoyed the sound of this pickup, which was given to me by my former teacher. Only recently did I realize how expensive and well thought of amongst fiddlers this pickup really is.

However, I have never played with a preamp. I will admit that I enjoy the sound of this pickup much more when it is direct into the PA, but my broke ass has been using different (mostly borrowed) acoustic type amps which I have always known could never do it honor. So I am finally making the leap to some type of preamp and powered speaker set up.

So my question is, after reading about different preamps and mostly looking at the LR Braggs and Barcus Berry, is the Schertler Pre-A really worth the cost? It's about 5x as much as those others! Living out in santa fe there are no retailers who deal in these products so I have no option of try before you buy.. I would very very much appreciate some input on this.. the Schertler Pre-A vs less expensive preamps!

Thanks!!

Stage Rigs

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 12:40:17 CST

I saw this archived post .. and wanted to re-open it to hear what folks are doing. I play in a country band .. covering top 40 country music.

I play fiddle, but it is not my primary instrument. I am mostly a guitar player. In this band I play fiddle, guitar, pedal steel guitar and some keyboard

using the amazing Roland GR55 guitar synth.

For fiddle I carry (2) violins .. one tuned standard and the other a step flat for down-tuned country songs (and great for backup)

I store them on-stage in a converted plush lined guitar/suitcase style stand. These keeps them safe and quickly accessible for instrument changes.

I am using the Line 6 G20 Wireless Unit (I can't say enough good things about these ... best product I've purchased in the last 10 years. Rock solid.)

This feeds a pedal board ... going into the Line 6 base unit .. then into three effects: Boss Reverb, Boss Delay, Fishman Aura with violin presets loaded.

These are fed to a small mixer I have on stage (to blend fiddle and other instruments (steel guitar, guitar, etc) into one feed to the house and one to my

own personal monitor. (sometimes in-ear monitors (SURE dual driver SE425s) in our PA rig, sometimes stage wedges when we are using house sound.)

Sometimes I will supplement this with a Fishman acoustic Loudbox mini amp on stage. These are small, loud and sound great for fiddle.

Thats my rig. I get lots of compliments on my tone, but I am always looking for ways to improve ... so lets hear what you are using.

Bow rehair - any cheap options?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 12:25:07 CST

Help ... need advice on bow hair. I fiddle (I'm a hacker) part time in a country band and go through a lot of bow hair

each night. I have to play hard to keep up with drums and guitar volumes so I chew up a good amount of the bow during each gig. Playing lighter is not an option.

I haven't found any local resources to rehair my bows, so I have resorted to buying new cheap bows online for around ($25) when the old bows hair is gone.

I now have a closet full of cheap bows without hair. Is it worth it to fix these or should I toss em.

Can anyone recommend a solution? Won't a rehair cost me around $25 anyway? What is the point? It is possible to buy the hair kits and do it myself?

I favor the 3/4 size bows for faster fiddling .. but really have no preference in type or material of the bow. Thanks for any suggestions ..

History of Shar Music

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 07:18:04 CST

It's Shar's 50th anniversary, and they put out an interesting YouTube video on the history of their family business:

Shar Company history

Old makers

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 07:13:28 CST

Is there an online list of violin makers, especially of the past 100 years or so?

Top tier Chinese vs Bench Made Eastern Europe

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 1 Jan 2012 23:41:48 CST

Will a top tier (~$3K i.e. Cao, Snow, Zhu) Chinese SHOP made compete with say a (~$6K) Eastern Europe BENCH Made Fiddle?

Viva Vibrato Book

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 1 Jan 2012 17:19:30 CST

I was in Johnson Strings the other day getting a fiddle checked out and while waiting I asked the Clerk if there were any Books with Vibrato Exercises.

She said, oh yeah, there is "Viva Vibrato".

It's a pretty thin book (all 24 pages) but it was pretty cheap too. $5.50 I think. No CD (I like books with CD's).

I figured what the heck I'll try it.

They do give you a bunch of whacky non intutive excercises. Some are familiar (Polishing strings and shaking a matchbox filled with rice kernels). But a dozen or so more that are quite new.

But odd as some exercises may seem I think it's already showing some signs of helping (after almost a week). We are talking baby steps here.

http://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Friendly-Effective-Development-Instruction/dp/0849733715/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325466125&sr=1-1

I need to talk to my teacher on clairfying some of the exercises.

A full review will come in the year 2017 :) I wanted to share this info now so we can compare notes in a few years or so.

I'd be curious if anyone else has tried to apply it and how successful it was.

By the way there is WAY more to vibrato than I realized. How connect notes, when to use it, when not, what kind wide/narrow and fast/slow. Shaping the note etc. A whole world in that one wiggly note.

My teacher showed me an example of "simple" vibrato (in a fiddle tune) and shaping the note with vibrato and my chin fell to the floor. I could see a decade of practice flash before my eyes.

Do phony labels in Strad copies help ID older fiddles

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 1 Jan 2012 13:01:12 CST

A lot of different "Strad" labels styles appear in old factory fiddles and I've been wondering if these labels might be used to ID for age, country of origin, maker factory, etc. Is there a "Strad label" database base out there somewhere ?

A new twist in buying Music

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:08:00 CST

Check out this place. You buy the CD, but THEY store and RIP it for you (for a small fee) in your choice of formats (including MP3 and FLAC).

http://www.murfie.com/

They are cheaper than buying MP3's and you can get FLACs instead.

You can Trade and Sell your CD's without the CD ever moving off their shelf.

You can also have the CD mailed to you for a $3.00 Fee.

I just picked up Rayna Gellert - Ways of the World CD for a total of $8.00 !!!

Old German Fiddle or ???

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:55:01 CST

Another option has come up in my intermediate grade fiddle quest. Yesterday I found a couple OGF's in a local blue-collar pawn shop (mostly tools, no Rolexes) that could be had for under $200 ea. The grunge looks authentically decades old on both. Both have real purfling and what appear to be nonstained (ebony?) fingerboards. One is a pretty typical factory Strad copy with the ubiquitous Strad label, no cracks. The other looks more interesting....a shadow where there was a label and unusually full arching (a Stainer copy?). Here are some particulars:

Old varnish finish that looks like it was originally a quality finish; hard, uniform, nice patina on the gloss.
The two pc back is lightly rippled in the bands of the flame maple (Is that a plus or a minus?)
What appears to be a well repaired 4" crack an inch outboard the bass bar.
Sound post is cockeyed.
Daylight is coming through the bottom-rib seam on the lower bout; 3" or so.
One alarm bell -- I haven't seen a violin shaded like this...dark brown overall fading to lighter on the arched areas; kind of like on the attached pic of the guitar. (When did they start "antiquing" violins?)
In an old cheap composition case. (When did they stop making those?) with bow ruined by being left tightened. Plastic ribbed chinrest mounted for a lefty. Very rusty strings.

How common are Stainer copies? It was tagged at $300, but the Mgr said he take $200; seems like a reasonable gamble. My guess is that these were Grampa's fiddles, but I also wonder if pawn shops make sure they know what they have.

Shading looks kind of like: https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSMRztTUdUZo7dO-3pLtZUXgLwM8Dbe_DLCPXsV7jhrH8Upqb2E

Known label vs. No-name...any inherent value difference?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:39:04 CST

I'm looking at six intermediate level Chinese instruments, all of similar quality and good sound. Two have no label, one carries a well-known US/Chinese name sold by many dealers, one has a Chinese maker's label, two have a house label from a respected violin dealer. All things being equal, is there any value premium in a label. I'm only concerned as it relates to future value when I upgrade again. If paying a 10% premium for a name will preserve more future value, it seems it would be a good investment. It seems to me that no-name instruments will be much more difficult to sell/trade in the future.

Peter Cooper's complete irish fiddler

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:35:16 CST

My husband purchased a copy of Peter Cooper's Complete Irish Fiddler, but it didn't come with a cd. Does anyone know where I can get the cd without the book, or am I out of luck?

Issues to look for when buying used fiddles

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:47:38 CST

Over the years, I've learned to spot a number of problems that would help me evaluate a used fiddle. However, being perennally BROKE, I never really get to use any of what I've learned, so I thought I'd pass it on, and let others expand on it, if I'm missing anything.

1. Inscribed or painted on purfling stripes instead of inlaid wood (may be playable, don't pay a lot, does it sound any good?)

2. Soundpost cracks, repaired, repaired badly, or unrepaired. (if it was well repaired, you could consider it if you were willing to baby it and only use relatively low tension strings)

4. Any cracks or seams that have obviously been "repaired" (more like IMPAIRED) with modern glues. Proper repairs are so difficult that they will cost more of the luthier's EXPENSIVE time.

5. Open seams that came open due to warping wood.

6. Necks that need a reset (unless you are okay with a quiet fiddle for practice and the price is steeply discounted)

7. Pegbox cracks.

8. Long cracks. If open they will be expensive to repair properly, and you really don't know if the instrument will sound good afterward, and it might not be playable now. If they look well repaired they may be worth the risk if the instrument is playable and sounds good.6.

9. Tuning peg holes with LARGE wooden bushings

10 Old fashioned geared tuners. They put so many extra holes in the wood that I think it's asking for pegbox cracks. You may think they look cool and that they look Old Time because Tommy Jarrell used them... well fine, but restrain your enthusiasm for them enough to use them to talk the price down.

11, Corkscrew twist to the neck. Apparently a mild twist is playable as is. A pronounced twist wouldn't be.

12. Obviously bad refinish jobs, or thick and shiny finishes. if it's playable and sounds good, talk the price down.

General principles:

1. Any fiddle that is playable and sounds good gives you a known "bird in the hand" to balance potential drawbacks against.

2. If a fiddle isn't in playable condition, all repairs are a gamble, since you don't know whether the fiddle sounds any good now, let alone after the repairs.

3 Bad repairs, long cracks, and warped wood make for expensive luthier bills.

4. Even if it sounds good and you want it in spite of flaws matching the above, recognize that you will probably have a hard time selling it because of those issues, so it needs to be priced accordingly.

Disagreements?

Additions???

Beginner Fiddle

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:32:31 CST

Hey looking some advice on a good beginner fiddle. I've been playing banjo for a little over 4 years, guitar for a little over 2 and I can fake my way through some simple stuff of the mandolin. I've been wanting to try the fiddle for quite sometime and have been looking around on ebay but I've bought a banjo online before and got screwed so I need to know what to look for. I usually like to play stuff before I buy but since I haven't a clue how to play a fiddle at this point that's not possible. Nor is there any stores local to me that sells any, and if they do the people there don't know nothing about it unless it plugs into an amp and where the distortion knob is.

I've talked to some folks who said they had bought some chinese made fiddles online and had good luck them but I don't know what sellers are good or what brands to look for. I've been told that I can get a "ok" fiddle and spend some money on a quality bow.

Top edge looks slightly splintered in making.. how much of a negative?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:37:24 CST

An intermediate level violin I've looked at has a small area on the top edge of the lower bout. It looks like the soft part if the spruce grain splintered at the kerf when it was sawn. Its not deep or structural, maybe 1/16", and extends around maybe 1/2" along the perimeter, its smoothed and finished as well as the rest of the instrument. I wished I'd taken a picture. Sounds and plays great but I haven't seen this kind of flaw on any other instrument. Makes me wonder if the top may be susceptible to premature cracking or if the seller is misrepresenting it.

Prim Strings vs. Jargar String

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:34:04 CST

Except for price, what is the difference between Prim strings and Jargar strings ? Both types of strings are chr/steel. Listmembers have mentioned Prim string, but I haven't read anything about Jargar strings. The Jargar strings cost about $15 more than the Prim strings.

alexandrius emilius eira

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:59:49 CST

my daughter just bought an old GERMAN fiddle. its and ALEXANDRIUS EMILIUS EIRA- i cannot find anything about this fiddle EXCEPT its on ebay for $40. plays ok. sounds ok. I want to turn it into a bluegrass fiddle. ANYONE ever seen one? thanks KIM

CodaBow

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:14:24 CST

had a long talk with Jeff at CodaBow this afternoon after requesting some tech. data on my Diamond SX.

not to put too fine a point on it- great bow for the $, and a well engineered and executed concept.

customer service is peerless. (i wish i did as well for my clients!).

couldn't ask for a better product.

D'Addario Strings- an annoying pattern with the tension designations?

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:21:32 CST

A bit of a rant here....

My first experience with D'Addario strings was with Preludes. Back when I started playing, D'Addario didn't MAKE violin strings.

And I'm glad to have other options besides Super Sensitive and expensive imported strings.

The Preludes came on my Knilling Bucharest 4KF. Since they were steel core, the feel was familiar. But when I tried heavies, they SANG.... but the heavies didn't feel any heavier than Prim mediums. I haven't tried the very popular Helicores, but bluegrassers like 'em better in heavy gauge. Pro Artes that came on a fiddle I bought sounded good, if a bit violinny for my taste. I just tried a pack of Zyex. I LIKE the tone, although they are taking a LONG time to settle in.

But today on the D and G strings, I noticed something odd... it was like the bow was slipping on just those strings... but it had rosin and was doing fine on the other fiddle. Then I bowed slowly and watched what was happening... you could see the string sway under the bow on the G and D strings. Now I've found a LITTLE of that is a good thing, especially on a steel string. But these strings just seem WAY too loose on the fiddle to qualify as "medium".

I'm almost positive I'd LOVE Zyex heavy gauge... but I don't think I should have had to spend $40 to find that out- because mediums should be heavier than this- these are just SPAGHETTI!!!

And with the Bluegrassers going with heavies in Helicore, and me not liking the medium Zyex or Preludes, I suspect I'd even like heavy Pro Artes a whole lot better.

Now, it could be just me, or the fact that I'm an old time fiddler, for the most part. BUT D'Addarios are often sold as a student string, and violin students DO have a tendency to be a bit heavy handed... seems like they'd get fewer squawks with heavier strings.

And I don't think Bluegrass players are particularly heavy-handed these days, so if they're mostly liking heavies, it says to me that something is wrong with the mediums... that they AREN'T REALLY.

Anyway, it seems to me that D'Addario is bucking the industry concept of what constitutes medium and heavy gauge. And for that matter light gauge, except I wouldn't want to GO there!!! At all, ever.... unless I needed to tune a fiddle HIGH for some reason.

For an example of the OPPOSITE problem, Thomastik Precision mediums feel like heavy gauge to me.

Since Prim mediums are in the middle feel-wise between D'Addario Prelude and Thomastik Precision mediums I tend to believe that they REALLY are a true medium, middle-of-the-road tension. It's possible that PART of Prims popularity is that their mediums really ARE mediums, and so meet people's expectation of a medium string better.

In Thomastik's case, it might be tradition- they were the first out with flatwound steel-on-steel strings... so I can understand them not wanting to change.... although I think they shot themselves in the foot. People try Precision Mediums, hate them, and think it's the nature of the string construction they're hating... when it's really the excessively heavy gauge.

And D'Addario is probably doing something similar in the opposite direction... people try them, dislike them, thinking the lackluster performance is due to the construction of the string, when it's probably due to the wimpy tension that can't shake enough tone out of the fiddle. But you would think that as the Johnny come lately to the violin string biz, they would have accepted the prevailing industry standards.

One thing I do like about Thomastik.... they publish the actual string tension of all their individual strings. I wish all the manufacturers did that... then we could look past these sometimes meaningless light-medium-heavy designations, and get a concept of how two specific strings compare to each other. In fact, I wish there was an International String Institute to do this!!!

Another factor with the Zyex... if the Zyex material is more flexible than Perlon (IS IT???), it would tend to make them feel even more spaghetti-like at a specific tension. Perhaps that's why I could sortof/kindof tolerate the Pro Arte mediums better.

Another annoyance.... part of what SHOULD be D'Addarios appeal should be that they are easily available... but my local shop ONLY stocks D'Addario strings as MEDIUMS.... heavies are a special order..... ARGGGGHHH!!!

Somehow with guitar strings, this kind of stuff would not be nearly so annoying. For ONE thing, the actual gauges are always on the package, so you can get a concept of what the manufacturers concept of "medium" or whatever is. And when the price is only $6 to $10 a set, you don't feel so bad experimenting.

But $40 a set??? C'mon... for that amount, I want more information, and ACCURATE labeling! And playing this instrument is hard enough without this kind of baloney.

Is there something I'm missing???

Do violin teachers WANT their students to have lighter gauges so they won't be so LOUD???

What pickup can you recommend me.

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:31:23 CST

Hi everyone long time no see!,

I am going to play with a new band soon and I want to be able to plug me fiddle in if need to. So I am very interested in what you can recommend me.

I am interested in maintaining the original sound of my instrument and not a no tone electric sound.

Thanks!

Jamie

Heil PR 35

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 13:36:14 CST

Thanks to the recommendations of Fiddlepogo and others on this site, along with onine reviews, I have ordered myself a Heil PR 35 dynamic mic for miking my fiddles. It seems that the PR 35 was highly regarded for vocals and instrument miking in just about every review that I have read of the product.

I recently started playing with a group with amplified instruments. When everyone is onstage we have a keyboard, electric guitar, amplified acoustic guitar, full electric drum kit, electric bass guitar, and a bunch of vocalists. At first I was using a condenser mic that we have used in the past for plays, groups of singers, etc. The problem was that not only did it not reproduce the fiddle in a complimentary manner, but it also picked up a huge amount of stage noise, with feedback resulting.

This week I switched to a dynamic instrument mic that I've used in the past for miking guitar amplifiers (a Carvin CM67 mic, similar to a Shure 57). This was much better. But it required me to get up very close to the mic. I also needed to boost around 250 Hz.

Once the Heil arrives and I have a chance to test it, I'll report back here. The Heil PR 35 is billed as a "dynamic mic that thinks its a condenser mic", but with a flat, very pleasing response, with supposedly superb off-axis rejection Hopefully that is the case.

I had toyed with trying a pickup(s) instead of a mic. But I dismissed that for various reasons:

I'm still a newbie (only been playing 3 years). It's nice when I get "lost" to just back away from the mic. With a pickup I'd have to turn down, then turn back up again.
I bring both my instruments. One is pretty old, and has a smoother, glassier tone, but with a good low end. The other is a new instrument; it has more grit and bite to it. They both work well for different types of songs. So if I went with pickups, I'd need two setups.
If I went with pickups, I'd also want to use wireless transmitters, so that I didn't step on a cord and yank my fiddles right out of my hands. So I'd want two transmitters, since I sometimes have to quickly change instruments between songs.

Frank

New strings- Now i'm taking them back off

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:47:50 CST

I had a set of pirastro Violino string on my fiddle and I thought I would like a change.

So I replaced them with the Dominants Med..

I think I'm going to put my old strings back on. The Dominants dont sound as rich plus every time i lift a finger off the D string it picks up the string.

I need all the help I can get when it comes to hitting clean notes and these new string are not for me.

I have also ordered 2 other different sets of strings to try.....I guess this is the only real way to find out what string suits you best

presto carbon fiber bows

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:07:37 CST

I've certainly seen and heard Coda Carbon Fiber bows, but can anyone tell me anything about the Presto CF bows? Are they the value that the price appears to be? (Under $100 on Sharmusic.com) I recently replaced my original student set bow with a small upgrade, but am interested in CF as well. I'm still new enough to need the help learning the various equipment and what can be expected....Any opinions on this one?

Most Consistent, Reliable Beginner/Intermed. Models

eric@fiddlehangout.com — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:44:32 CST

I'm assuming that violins/fiddles are like other stringed instruments, such as guitars, in that no instruments -- even the same model from the same maker -- sound completely alike. The fact that wood is being used probably always produces an element of difference among instruments.

But just out of curiosity, in the decent-beginner (approx. $300) through lower-intermediate (approx. $600) range of fiddles / violins, which makers's violins tend to produce the most consistent, reliable tone and volume in a given model? (I realize I'm asking for some broad generalizations here.)