WyoBob - Posted - 06/12/2022:  15:26:29

A dream about the gifted fiddle (AKA the Jenkins fiddle) that was given to me by a friend three years ago and put me on my fiddle journey woke me up around 4:00 am this morning so I fixed coffee and breakfast and then went to my shop.   I made a new sound post and installed it in the correct position (the original was and inch off in two directions!) and increased the after length and set the nut to bridge length to 330 mm (based on what I've learned from the great folks on the FHO and a few of their recommended sources).

I had to make a few tools to install the sound post (out of a coat hanger and some other wire I had on hand.)   Caution: Rich and Michael, quit reading this right now.  I am not responsible for any accident's caused by passing out and hitting your heads, etc.  Should have warned you earlier.

This fiddle had been just barely bearable to play prior to today.  And that was with mutes and clothes pins on the bridge and ear plugs in my ears.   It's heavy at 21.9 oz (no shoulder or chin rest).  The first thing I did was put $16.00 worth of mechanical, metal tuner's on it which didn't help the weight factor, for sure.   The original peg's looked like they were carved with a pocket knife and the peg box holes were the same.  I didn't want to buy a reamer, peg shaper and new pegs.  Too much money for this fiddle.  I have to use a Bon Musica shoulder rest to play this fiddle very long.

The finish looks like it was put on with a paint roller. The label indicated that this was the guys 115th fiddle, built in 1949.  I can only imagine what his first one looked like.   I tried to give it away to my jam buddy and beginning banjo and fiddle teacher who has taught several hundred people in our area to play over many years thinking a new student with not much money might be able to use it and he wouldn't take it.  I tried to put it on consignment at a local shop and they laughed at me. 

I tried several different string sets on this fiddle, synthetic and steel.  The last set was Helicore's and they were the best of the bunch but still not very good.  I put old Prim mediums on it a few days ago and it sounded ---  not too bad so I decided to try some of the ideas I picked up here to see what might happen.

After reworking the fiddle and with the Prim strings installed, I think it's sounding pretty good.  I'm pretty proud of myself, having increased the value of this fiddle by dollar's and dollar's.

Anyway, here's a link to "Black Eyed Susan" that just recorded on the Jenkins fiddle:    fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...archived=

And below are some pictures of the fiddle.  

TimeTension - Posted - 06/13/2022:  16:41:24

Hello Bob,
Nice looking old fiddle. Glad you were able to restore its ability to play.
It may be.me and my connection but I am not able to open your sound file.
Thank you for the post.