Robert Kogut
No. 85 "Veronica"
submitted 3/24/2008
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Submitter |
echristopher (see all reviews from this person) |
Where Purchased |
Lenoir, NC (from Bob Kogut directly) |
Year Purchased |
2007 |
Price Paid |
3,800 ($US) |
Sound
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This fiddle has that traditional bluegrass sound: fat and warm in the lower register, with plenty of growl when you need it, and smooth and sweet in the upper register. And it has lots of volume to go along with the tone, but because so much of its projection comes from the bottom end, it plays beautifully (and painlessly) under your ear.
Note: both tracks on my Fiddle Hangout homepage were played on my Kogut fiddle (though I think the mic I used might overstate the high end just a little; it's a pretty dark fiddle).
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Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
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Bob's a fiddler himself and has been picking bluegrass and winning contests for years, so he really knows what a fiddler (as opposed to a classical violinist) needs in an instrument. The action is low and fast. Closed double stops up and down the neck are really slick. I haven't changed the set-up at all. Best, most fiddler-friendly set-up I've ever played.
The neck on this fiddle is noticeably more stout and the fingerboard thicker than on most fiddles, which seems to make playing in closed positions and up the neck a little easier ergonomically.
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Setup Rating |
10 |
Appearance
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Bob's fiddles have a distinctive look to them (Darol Anger has a good, close shot of a recent Kogut fiddle on his website). My fiddle has some ornate carving on the back and a tree of life carving on the back of the peghead.
The purfling is a little rough in spots -- my only complaint about the fiddle. Bob, by his own admission, doesn't build them to be case queens. He builds for the sound. Fair enough, I suppose. |
Appearance Rating |
7 |
Reliability
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No problems here -- I don't think twice about taking her on the road without a backup. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
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No problems with the fiddle so far, but Bob's good people, he stands behind his work and I'm sure he'd be very helpful if you needed your instrument repaired. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
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Components are all solid (mine came with a Baggs bridge and a Wittner fine-tuner tail piece). The pegs aren't my favorite, but they're not terrible either. |
Components Rating |
9 |
Overall Comments
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If you want flawless cosmetics and an instrument that you could also use to play Mozart, you might not be interested in a Kogut. Bob's instruments are really purpose-built -- they have that classic bluegrass tone and they play like a fiddle (not a violin) should. This is the best bluegrass fiddle I've played, ever. Highly recommended. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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