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ladymuse - Posted - 11/18/2007: 09:47:52
Then we will all have to move in with you for the holidays, scout out cheap fiddles, and help keep you company as you make a new one, or at least a dozen or so!!!! Many elves make work light - (or is that leprechauns...? (LOL!)
Jen
John Gent - Posted - 11/18/2007: 13:50:11
quote:
Originally posted by seisflutes
Quite so! It's about as good as a screw, I guess.
Well, I meant more expanding the truth (lying) about mistakes <sheepish, but evil grin>
- John
seisflutes - Posted - 11/18/2007: 14:27:42
quote:
Originally posted by John Gent
quote:
Originally posted by seisflutes
Quite so! It's about as good as a screw, I guess.
Well, I meant more expanding the truth (lying) about mistakes <sheepish, but evil grin>
- John
Well, it was too late for that in this case, since I was so honest to begin with...dang.
ladymuse - Posted - 12/03/2007: 04:11:34
Man! So totally COOL!!!!!!!!
Yip Yip Yippee!
Jen
wilford - Posted - 12/03/2007: 07:04:13
I'm watching, too. Fascinated with your project and very much impressed. 
M-D - Posted - 12/03/2007: 08:02:53
That is really coming along nicely!
_________________________________________________________________
M-D
Music is found in the space between the notes -- in the silence between the chords. Get your spaces right, and you've got it. ~ Albert Greenfield
monradon - Posted - 12/04/2007: 18:15:53
So in this type of setup the lower ones are every other peg. I am bored recovering from back surgery and the doc said no files sandpaper etc . this is the best I have read yet but makes me ashamed of how much this young lady is getting done and probably better than me
Hobbit
seisflutes - Posted - 12/04/2007: 18:19:35
Actually the understrings should be on the last four pegs... but I just stuck a couple old fiddle strings on there to make sure there would be no buzzing, and they weren't quite long enough to reach the far pegs. I'm hoping that won't be an issue when I get some proper strings.
ladymuse - Posted - 12/04/2007: 23:29:25
that's actually something I had never thought of ! - the length of the strings!
although it seems to me with new fiddle strings there is always way too much length that I am cnstantly turning -
I wish you tons of luck there - I wonder if actual hardenfele strings would be more suited for the drone strings - (as far as length goes)
Jen
seisflutes - Posted - 12/04/2007: 23:33:45
I think they might be...I was going to get some actual hardingfele strings, but then I thought it might be easier and quicker to get some kind of strings at a music shop locally. Maybe mandolin strings like Dennis Havlena uses. I should have a bit of time on Thursday to go string shopping.
John Gent - Posted - 12/04/2007: 23:58:59
quote:
Originally posted by seisflutes
... go string shopping.
Why, I remember when this project was a clunker old fiddle. And now you're "string shopping".
How cool is that?
- John
seisflutes - Posted - 12/05/2007: 00:02:03
quote:
Originally posted by John Gent
quote:
Originally posted by seisflutes
... go string shopping.
Why, I remember when this project was a clunker old fiddle. And now you're "string shopping".
How cool is that?
- John
Pretty cool, if I do say so myself! I never would have done it without the encouragement of the people here though. It would still be a clunker fiddle sitting under the bed at home if it weren't for this forum. So thanks everyone!
AlexFields - Posted - 12/05/2007: 05:13:02
This may have been addressed somewhere earlier in this thread, but I haven't read through all five pages. Those are, I assume, mandolin tuners...what kind (brand) are they? I am a mandolinist more than a fiddler and mandolins are really, really bad about staying in tune. I assume this has as much or more to do with the instrument than with the way the tuning machines are constructed, but I'm still interested to hear how well those tuners hold compared to good violin tuning pegs. I just spent almost $500 on a set of Waverly tuning machines for my new mandolin because they're the only kind that are even somewhat reliable.
That instrument looks really good though, nice job on the artwork. From what I can tell the varnish actually looks fairly attractive too.
monradon - Posted - 12/05/2007: 16:09:54
I am curious and thank to you being doing some great reading about hardingfele fiddles, ( thats all I can do had surgery ) Why did you decide to go with that style head and not a long fiddle box you are obvious talented enough to make one ?? I dont think mandolin strings will be light enough ???
Hobbit
seisflutes - Posted - 12/05/2007: 22:08:25
I don't think I could have made a proper pegbox, unless perhaps I replaced the whole neck, which would be a lot more involved than I wanted to get.
Dennis Havlena uses (light) mandolin strings, and says they work. I won't know until I try them, I suppose. Maybe just use the higher strings....
StringAmp - Posted - 12/06/2007: 07:45:39
re sympathetics , I once made a crappy viola into an electric one with 4 symph strings.
Don´t buy the strings-
Very thin guitar E strings may serve, and worn and discarded ones too- or collect the balls from broken ones , it´s easy to take a plain steel wire and twist it around the ball.
Or you can find a roll of very thin hardened carbon steel ( "piano") wire in a specialty hardware shop- Much cheaper than music shop strings. If you can find it with a thin layer of tin, it won´t rust.
the most accurate pickup is the string itself - plus StringAmp
seisflutes - Posted - 12/06/2007: 15:50:15
I can get a set of light mandolin strings for $3.99...pretty cheap! But with guitar strings or plain wire, they wouldn't have any chance of being too short. So that's a thought.
John Gent - Posted - 12/06/2007: 19:24:19
quote:
Originally posted by seisflutes
I can get a set of light mandolin strings for $3.99...pretty cheap! But with guitar strings or plain wire, they wouldn't have any chance of being too short. So that's a thought.
The shortest string (already strung) on my mandolin is about 20 inches (tailpiece to peg). I know I cut a whole bunch off after I strung it, too. I don't have a new set handy or I'd measure one for you. The shortest string on my fiddle is about 16 inches.
Seems like the mando strings would work if you can't find music wire.
- John
seisflutes - Posted - 12/06/2007: 19:26:08
Thanks. I'm actually just working on stringing it up right now. I got mandolin strings, and they are plenty long enough.
seisflutes - Posted - 12/06/2007: 20:59:34
Okay, well, that was a success and a failure. I got it all strung up, which took me over an hour. Tuned it about fifty times before it started to get anything close to stable. But it was looking good.
Since the mandolin strings had loop ends, I stuck a little piece of brass rod through them.
But then, I had to give it a try, to play it! But I have this landlord who likes me to be quiet. So I went out to my car to play it there, so as not to disturb my landlord. It was 23 degrees F. The fiddle actually sounded really cool for about three tunes... my fingers were starting to get a little numb... and bam, the glue bond broke (from the cold, or at least that's what I'm really hoping!) and off came the fingerboard.
So I returned inside, removed the top strings (but not the understrings... they were a pain in the neck to install, and I don't want to have to go through that again any time soon!), and glued the fingerboard back on. It's setting up now.
monradon - Posted - 12/06/2007: 21:40:15
Oh I get it the mando strings are the bottom ones and violin on top , just slow i guess
Hobbit
wilford - Posted - 12/06/2007: 21:40:43
I'll bet it sounded awesome.
John Gent - Posted - 12/06/2007: 21:46:31
What kind of glue? A good epoxy should hold that puppy, heat or cold.
But still, three tunes! Cool! I'm starting to vibrate out here. Have you thought up a name yet?
- John
seisflutes - Posted - 12/06/2007: 21:55:25
Oh yes, its name is Sven!
seisflutes - Posted - 12/07/2007: 03:19:18
Here is me with Sven. Note that I have painted the little brass rod black with enamel paint, so it doesn't stand out as much.
I don't have the strings up to their full tension, as I am waiting to make sure the glue is well set up. But I'm so impatient, I wanted to put them back on for show, if nothing else. 
John Gent - Posted - 12/07/2007: 09:37:48
How did the mando strings work as sympathy strings? Did they sing and cry like you'd (we'd) hoped?
- John
seisflutes - Posted - 12/07/2007: 12:26:51
Yes they did. I'm not sure how it would sound to someone else, but to me, as I was playing it, I could hear them singing along. The overall sound was pretty much "hardangery."
SJD - Posted - 12/07/2007: 14:03:50
Hi seisflutes, I am new here, I have enjoyed your project very much. I have made and restored violin family instr. and bows for nearly 40 yrs. I would have done nothing the same way you did. Your outcome was fabulous.................just goes to show you. Thanks for sharing your project, and congratulations on the outcome.
Scott
seisflutes - Posted - 12/07/2007: 14:21:32
Oh, I'm sure I've been very unorthodox! Since it's my first foray into messing with fiddles, and I had little guidance other than a few posts on this forum, what I could search out online, and my own intuition, I would be very surprised if I did anything"right." But I've enjoyed it very much, too.
fiddleshark - Posted - 12/08/2007: 02:54:43
I can't even believe how awesome this is. I'm practically drooling to hear a recording of it.
Sky - Posted - 12/08/2007: 06:24:09
Seis sweety,,, you are fabulous! Now I too can not wait for a audio or a youtube presentation
of your magnificent creation. You should be very proud of yourself. I know we all are.
Sky
Time is speeding up,, and I'm slowing down
Houston, we have a problem
M-D - Posted - 12/08/2007: 10:43:08
¡Bravo! Nice to have a face to go with Sven and the fingers, too.
_________________________________________________________________
M-D
Old-Time, All the Time
Music is found in the space between the notes -- in the silence between the chords. Get your spaces right, and you've got it. ~ Albert Greenfield
woodwiz - Posted - 12/08/2007: 11:27:50
Congratulations! For someone with little equipment or experience, I think you've done a great job. Just getting it to work is quite an accomplishment.
With your recently gained experience, you could next try carving a neck with an extra long peg box to put on another junker. Not as hard as it might look, once you get into it. If you have the eyes and the patience, you can do it.
Michael R
Every Fiddler has a Dream
www.kcstrings.com
seisflutes - Posted - 12/08/2007: 11:48:33
Thanks everyone! I'll see what I can do about a recording of it... might not be until the 19th or so, when I can go home for the holidays. Like I said, I have this landlord... 
John Gent - Posted - 12/08/2007: 11:49:27
quote:
Originally posted by woodwiz
... you could next try carving ...
I think she'll be too busy making a #2 Native American Flute ...
... gawd I crack me up!
- John
Couchie - Posted - 12/10/2007: 16:58:18
Way to go seis. It was a lot of fun looking at all of your photos. You are certainly a talented luthier.
0=='=# + CD=#
Don.
tango_grass - Posted - 12/11/2007: 01:35:47
quote:
Originally posted by John Gent
quote:
Originally posted by woodwiz
... you could next try carving ...
I think she'll be too busy making a #2 Native American Flute ...
- John
Add my pat on the back....very nice!
Chris,
The VZ Valley BoysThe Official Tango_Grass Myspace
+
=
ladymuse - Posted - 12/11/2007: 05:40:00
Whooie Seis!
(maybe the landlord will go on vacation somewhere - (believe me, I know how that is from both ends - LOL!)
I let my tenants play - simply because I would love to have writiers, musicians, costumers and artists for tenants -
besides, I got over playing softly too - now I simply play - (but usually not after 9pm loudly)
Dang! Can't wait! this is the coolest thing ever - (like the whole fho and bho)
Today while waiting for our furnace guy, I alternated between baking cookies, fiddle, banjo, and mando -
and once our furnace got fixed found out that he was a rusty banjo player!!! So you start going, and suddenly your neighbors will all start playing hardangers and flutes and okerinas - etc.
Be sure to give your landlord a great pair of Bose earplugs for christmas!!!!
More later! Jen
Clicker - Posted - 12/12/2007: 19:07:29
Just a little curious - is this hardingfelle thingy like a 12-string guitar? I mean same concept? I've never heard of it before.
Good finish job BTW. sand it in the contact areas and you an call it antique!
_______________________________________________________________
"This song, I believe was written by one of the best composers alive today. Now when I wrote this song..." - Jethro Burns
"I'm tuned in but not broadcasting." - Ike Foster
"Huh? Talk out Loud Boy!" - Ike Foster
seisflutes - Posted - 12/12/2007: 19:23:33
quote:
Originally posted by Clicker
Just a little curious - is this hardingfelle thingy like a 12-string guitar? I mean same concept? I've never heard of it before.
If I understand your simile correctly, the answer is "no, not really."
The extra strings run under the fingerboard, rather than being played along with the normal strings. They start to vibrate when corresponding notes are played on the top strings, and keep ringing as you play on.
Hope that answers your question.
Clicker - Posted - 12/13/2007: 17:41:42
Huh...cool I like the sound of that...but wouldn't they be really hard to change? being under the fingeboard I mean?
_______________________________________________________________
"This song, I believe was written by one of the best composers alive today. Now when I wrote this song..." - Jethro Burns
"I'm tuned in but not broadcasting." - Ike Foster
"Huh? Talk out Loud Boy!" - Ike Foster
seisflutes - Posted - 12/13/2007: 17:43:26
They are hard to change! But it can be done. Fortunately they don;t wear out very often, not getting finger crud and rosin all over them all the time.
Clicker - Posted - 12/16/2007: 15:23:31
Right....just don't break them!! lol
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
_______________________________________________________________
"This song, I believe was written by one of the best composers alive today. Now when I wrote this song..." - Jethro Burns
"I'm tuned in but not broadcasting." - Ike Foster
"Huh? Talk out Loud Boy!" - Ike Foster
magnuscanis - Posted - 12/18/2007: 17:28:49
I've just (skim) read this thread from start to finish and I'm very impressed.
I love the sound of the hardanger fiddle and would love to get my hands on one. Perhaps one of these days I'll get round to following your lead and convert my old cheapie Chinese fiddle, although it looks like a rather more complicated project than the banjo defret job I recently finished, which is about the pinnacle of my luthiery achievements to date.
Looking forward to hearing some sound files soon.
- Magnus
Clicker - Posted - 12/19/2007: 18:10:08
Yes please post some sound bytes!! I want to hear these hidden strings!!
_______________________________________________________________
"This song, I believe was written by one of the best composers alive today. Now when I wrote this song..." - Jethro Burns
"I'm tuned in but not broadcasting." - Ike Foster
"Huh? Talk out Loud Boy!" - Ike Foster
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