Not cuz winter is coming (hehe), wrong nuts. No, your fiddle's nut. I just had a check up done on my fiddle, not been happy with it lately. Took to Ed Mayday here on LI, a builder with a great rep with folks like Molly Tuttle and many others (and happens to be a good acquaintance from the 80's). So the bridge was out of position, the sound post was a tiny bit off, but biggest thing he found - the strings were all sitting too close to the fingerboard - way too close, with the D string the worst. Ed told me correct distance is technically 1/2 the diameter of the string, but in practice .010" (I think - he was throwing lots of numbers at me). I was lucky he was not busy at the moment and he made a completely new one from a blank while I was sitting there. I've had issues with the D on this fiddle, tending to bomb out when asking for the maximum from it, which now ( after 8 or so hrs playing it) seems gone, and some intonation issues which I've been apparently compensating for also gone. And sonority on open strings is improved.
The nut is the most overlooked part of a violin’s setup. Even many luthiers are ignorant of its significance and will make an otherwise good setup unplayable by putting on or leaving a poorly shaped nut. Getting it right makes a significant improvement in sound and playability.
Height is the most obvious criterion, but there are several others that are critical to producing good results.
Yea, Cr*p seems to gather a the nut too. i'll check it out.
Nothing about string height or spacing, etc. There can be sharp edges on the outsides, helping to facilitate sores and or calluses at the base of your index finger. You can either round the corners off yourself if you're handy or have somebody else do it. You'll certainly know if you your nut is sharp.
Edited by - farmerjones on 08/31/2024 15:31:24
You said it RIch! Ed was tossing all sorts of facts about them while he was making the new one for me. He spent more time hand shaping and refining the curves and slots then he did hogging the blank down.
quote:
Originally posted by wrench13Not cuz winter is coming (hehe), wrong nuts. No, your fiddle's nut. I just had a check up done on my fiddle, not been happy with it lately. Took to Ed Mayday here on LI, a builder with a great rep with folks like Molly Tuttle and many others (and happens to be a good acquaintance from the 80's). So the bridge was out of position, the sound post was a tiny bit off, but biggest thing he found - the strings were all sitting too close to the fingerboard - way too close, with the D string the worst. Ed told me correct distance is technically 1/2 the diameter of the string, but in practice .010" (I think - he was throwing lots of numbers at me). I was lucky he was not busy at the moment and he made a completely new one from a blank while I was sitting there. I've had issues with the D on this fiddle, tending to bomb out when asking for the maximum from it, which now ( after 8 or so hrs playing it) seems gone, and some intonation issues which I've been apparently compensating for also gone. And sonority on open strings is improved.
Interesting. Today I cut a nut blank for a fiddle that I'm making. It will be a bamboo nut and I chose to run the grain vertically. The finger board is bamboo as well for strength while the neck is eucalyptus.
Edited by - martyjoe on 09/02/2024 13:07:56
Unusual choices. I'm curious how it will all work out. Over here if you wanted to use unusual but native woods (which you apparently don't) there would be some good choices like dogwood or persmmon. But you got me thinking about Ireland: Of course its known for its rolling green landscapes and wild seacoast cliffs. But where are the forests? Gone apparently - it seems Ireland is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Live and learn. Good luck with your project.
quote:
Originally posted by DougDUnusual choices. I'm curious how it will all work out. Over here if you wanted to use unusual but native woods (which you apparently don't) there would be some good choices like dogwood or persmmon. But you got me thinking about Ireland: Of course its known for its rolling green landscapes and wild seacoast cliffs. But where are the forests? Gone apparently - it seems Ireland is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Live and learn. Good luck with your project.
This is a very unusual fiddle. It will get its own thread when it's done. The first attempt was disappointing and I haven't got great expectations for this one. So no pressure!
(Doug most of the trees in Ireland and Scotland got used to build the great Royal Navy)
