Posted by fiddlepogo on Friday, June 3, 2011
I'm really liking how Booker is sounding now with the finish removed from the neck, but I've also done other tweaks since then.
Stinky didn't show such a dramatic improvement. It's occurred to me that part of Stinky's problem is that she just has a thicker finish, so I've been trying to thin it in key areas. One thing I noticed was that in some areas where the sprayed on finish puddled, it's so thick it looks like CELLULITE!!! So I've really been working on thinning those areas down, and it seems to be paying off. It's sounding less nasal, and the E string is sounding less shrieky.
Another thing I did that helped Stinky- in looking at it so carefully, I noticed that there was quite a bit of rosin and dirt buildup under the fingerboard. I used a wet Q-tip to remove most of that, and Stinky immediately sounded less nasal.
Another productive tweak on cheap fiddles: All three of my fiddles have had some place on the ribs near the glue seam for either the top or bottom where there is some kind of ridge of excess varnish, and it occurred to me that such a ridge would cause excess stiffness. So I am really working on smoothing those down, and it really seems to help.
I actually tried this on the Eastman, which I tend not to tweak as much, and it helped bring the sound more into focus, which is good because although it sounds rich, it's been kind of wooly and unfocused.
One thing I've noticed is that although the three fiddles still sound different, part of what I'm doing seems to be bringing them a little closer together in terms of their responsiveness.
1 comment on “What Else??? MORE fiddle tweaking!!!”
BC Says:
Friday, June 10, 2011 @6:04:29 PM
I was reading your blog looking at my cheapo which I have slowly been thinning for the last couple months or more. While I may never figure out why that lacquer is so thick, removing it certainly has its rewards.
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