[DianeG]

Hi…I’ll chime in on strings as well. My husband, Bob, is a luthier and we have a violin shop out here in SoCal…San Diego area. Bob has set up several 7/8’s violin with heavy tension stings. They sound great and work well with the 7/8 size violin. Medium are ok as well, but there is a big increase in tone production with the heavy tensions. You might try a set of heavy’s on your smaller fiddle and see how they work. Not all brands come in heavy (AKA Starks). The new D’Addario, Kaplan line…the Amo’s and the Vivo’s are great strings and relatively new to the market. Not sure what Ebay sells them for. BTW, stay away from China sales…the has been some coping from the industry even down to the packaging from some of the countries and they are really cheap strings.
One of the E strings that we have discovered that are sweet and true are the Lenzner (German), Goldbrokat E strings…either the 0.26 gauge (medium) or the 0.27 gauge (heavy). These really last and are highly recommended. I use the 0.27 on my three old fiddles. Dan your question to Roland regarding the strings that Kevin uses. Each fiddle is so different in construction…the arching of the plates, tone woods, workmanship…so that a string set on one fiddle which might sound fabulous…might not sound so great on your violin. You can however find different brands that will help to give you a brighter tone or a more mellow tone, this depends on what your looking for in tone. This also depends on the strings core material. Either synthetic (to imitate gut) or braided steel core or plain steel core. So many choices…it’s like tunes…so many tunes not enough time. Strings….so many strings not enough money….: >) LOL. Hope this helps.
Sometimes the big internet stores have sales and that can be a good time to pick up a couple of different sets.
Stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

[DianeG]

Good Morning guys from SoCal. WS and Roland…do you know about this: http://festivaltrek.com

This should have you taking your fiddle out and rosining the old bow….have fun!! : >)
WS…I will get back to you regarding our conversation on another thread…been busying teaching kids…: >)
Have a great day to both of you.
Diane in SOCal.

[DianeG]

Wow….THANK YOU for a wonderful story. I had a GUT feeling that because your a crazy fiddle nerd you would come home with it and with your wife too! No trade in’s allowed. No butt whooping either…LOL.
I know you don’t know Bob from Adam….but you could send it down here and Bob will set it up for you as a fiddle. He works with a couple of fiddlers here in the San Diego region. Bob is very familiar with the Wittner fine tunes as he has installed probably 50 sets since they came out. DO NOT have someone put on Knilling geared pegs..originally designed and made by Peg Head. We have had problems with them in the past failing, they have some mechanical/design issues and are more expensive than the Wittners. The tuning mechanism is in the shaft of the peg…they are now called Perfection Pegs. I would advise to stay away from them. The Wittners on the other hand, have the tuning mechanism in the head of the peg. Look up Wittner Fine Tuners on google. Bob installs them for around $250 per fiddle…they include the pegs and the fit. Yes, they do come in sizes too…so you need someone who is knowledgeable in placing them and in the fit as well. Bob puts them in with a tiny drop of Crazy Glue to secure them. The Knillings have a thread so they screw in and if not placed in the correct way…you can turn them out…so they are left and right handed. People who are not familiar with putting them in can really mess up your tuning. I love my Wittner tuners I can cross tune in less than a minute and fine tune in 15 sec. You also do not need any fine tuners on the tailpiece so no muting from the 4 fine tuners on a tailpiece. So glad you got the fiddle. Here’s the new strings you might want to try….D’Addario’s new Kaplan line. Amo’s help to tone down a bright fiddle. Their Vivo’s help to brighten a dark fiddle. I have them on a wonderful old fiddle that Bob just set up for me…the Amo’s and wow…they are wonderful strings. I would also go with the Lenzner Goldbrokat…0.27 gauge string…Inexpensive and sweet. Let us know if you want to ship it down here or bring it down. : >)
Have a great day and stay tuned. Diane

[DianeG]

Well? How did it go with the Macaroni? LOL. Did it get loved or hated? Tell us about the tone.
Stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

[DianeG]

OOPS….I think we are tailing about two different fiddles here. I thought you where going back to see the fiddle with the neck reset. This is the other one you mentioned. Let us know what you find out.
Stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

[DianeG]

Hello WS….Great that you get to try out the fiddle….not sure what they are asking for it but I’d give them an offer if it sounds like what your looking for. The two ebay listing that Bob found in a search history were both under $600. The other one on Ebay still has not sold because people are wise and do their research in the the Ebay history. See if they will take $600. If they want more than that…it would have to have one heck of a great tone on all 4 strings and no other problems. How about the setup as well….is the bridge set up to standard…not too thin or too thick. You should email Bob and ask him for measurements of the FB in relationship to the bridge, the after length for the tailpiece…than you can measure those when you go to look at it…take a mm ruler with you.
All those things should be set up correctly because they can run up later if they have to be fixed. Like the one on Ebay…we know who did the setup on it in San Diego…and it will not be good…so it is going to have to be redone. Let us know what happens. I have something to brag about….for Mother’s Day…Bob set up a fiddle that I bought 9 years ago for $100. There was something very special about this old fiddle that I like when I first played on it…beautiful tone…small and narrow fiddle probably a Baroque fiddle as it has a grafted neck and is about 180 years old….label says French…NOT. It’s German from the Tryrol alps, a historic area just above Italy. I’m learning the Blue River Waltz too…love that tune. Just signed up for Jay and Molly’s Ashokan Southern Week Fiddle camp in the Catskills of NY State…Southern week…Old-Time, Cajun….this will be my 11th year in a row. Stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

[DianeG]

Hi Roland….LOL…that’s so funny how you describe WS foray into the Used Fiddle pile of vintage instruments.It is fun though but a hard disease to to fit with no cure in sight! There are literally so many used fiddles out there…what’s a person to do. I swear…my husband is a fiddle and bow junkie. I never know what UPS, FEDEX, USPS or any of the carriers coming to our back door will bring to the house. It’s sometimes like a BIG Box store in our kitchen…with an array of things arriving…accessories, cellos (rarely), music stands, books on violin making…well you get the idea…LOL.
I’m close to shutting down Ebay and taking his credit card away…..but I know that won’t work. I guess I’m just glad he doesn’t collect piano’s.
Mean while, back at the ranch…no word of WS and what interesting fiddle(s) he has seen or researched recently….maybe he’s up to his eye balls just playing music. : >)
Have a great day and stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

[DianeG]

Good Morning Fiddle Nerd Friend!!!! Well this is very interesting what you turned up about the Vegas guy. I will show that to Bob when he gets home this afternoon. As for the one you show on Craig’s List…Bob would probably tell you that the arching (top and bottom plates) are not the best. If you look at the image, #7 and see how the top is rounded and comes down like a hill top to the edge…that is not the best for tone. You want to have more of a top that is flatter under the bridge and then comes down gradually and then flattens to the edge. This is more of the Strad model and that is where you get the projection of tone and voice. We have a good friend who lives up your way…he is above Carson City. He is a violin collector and builder. He comes to the same workshop that Michael Darnton teaches at the first 3 weeks of June in Claremont, Ca. at the Claremont Colleges. He has spent his whole life playing violin professionally in many wonderful orchestras and gigs…I will email him and see if he has anything for sale and if he would be willing to set up a visit or something with you to show you what to look for in a good fiddle. He’s a great guy and now very retired. He has not been down to the workshop for the last few years because his wife has had some health issues. Or, yes, come down here…bring your wife and spend the weekend down here…we have a few local hotels near by and you and Bob can talk fiddles, making and trying out our vast array of French, German and American stuff. We have ALOT of violins and bows, you would be impressed. Bob’s prices are great too for what your getting. It would be a day or two at the “best candy store” you could imagine. LOL. Take a look at this website…it’s where Bob heads to in two weeks for violin making, repair and setup. You might even want to consider this workshop someday when you retire….just for setup and repair. Southern California Violin Makers Workshop. SCVMW.com.
Have a great day and stay tuned. Diane in SoCal

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