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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 11:03 pm Post subject: Five String Fiddle completed |
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Guess that's all there really is to say: a fellow I know bought wood, maybe ten or twelve years back, bought books, varnish, and plans...but never got started.
He finally decided that he would rather shoe horses, so he gave me the wood (which, as it turns out, he got on e-bay) and all his varnish stuff, and said, "Make it into a fiddle!" He and his wife are moving away next week, so I am grateful to have completed it in time for him to see it.
http://www.bluefiddles.com/2015/06/five-string-finish/
I have a commission for another one, of some exotic weood a fellow bought and held onto for 30 years. We'll see how that one goes. _________________ Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com |
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fjodor Member
Joined: 28 Jan 2013 Posts: 60
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:29 am Post subject: |
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Nice to have wood provided!
I think the fiddle looks very nice and the decorations on the back are scillfully made. 5 strings are something that interests me. I drew up a model for a small 5 string viola some time ago, but I'm leaning more to a violin size now. |
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kjb Super Member
Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 8:25 am Post subject: |
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looks great chet. what width are you going with between the c bouts ? |
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Dave Chandler Super Member
Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 691 Location: Mt Mitchell in North Carolina
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:37 am Post subject: |
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What's not to like ---- generous pegbox, very nice purfling design, and an elegant scroll. Cool. _________________ Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill
"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo |
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DonLeister Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 383 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Yea, that's an attractive looking violin, I hope you are pleased with it Chet. |
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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the kind words, all. Yes, I am pleased with it...the sound is good across all strings, though I intend to tweak it a little more today, to see if I can bring out the C string even more (it is fine, but I am partial to a strong C).
The f-holes are right at 42mm between the eyes, kjb.
The wood (especially the back) had a serious runout problem...ordinarily I would not have used it, but under the circumstances, I don't regret it.
Thanks for looking. _________________ Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com |
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Dave Chandler Super Member
Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 691 Location: Mt Mitchell in North Carolina
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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I've made only one five-string, and the C was quite weak. Strung up as a 5 string, I never could get great sound out of it, so now I've strung it up as a regular 4 string violin and it sounds much better. What is your plan to bring out the C? Open up the bridge a bit on the base side? _________________ Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill
"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo |
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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 4:36 pm Post subject: opening up the C string |
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The construction differences (rib height, arching, graduation and bassbar) have provided for a strong C string. The main thing left is soundpost adjustment.
Essentially, this is a 14" viola with an added E string. A Standard violin is hard-pressed to even get a strong G. It is not surprising when a C won't work. _________________ Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com |
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kjb Super Member
Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 8:04 am Post subject: |
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thanks don. I was also interested in the width between the c bouts themselves, I am thinking of making the waist narrower on my next 5 sting, I think I am a little wide with mine. |
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DonLeister Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 383 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 9:39 am Post subject: |
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Chet, did you say you have a different arching for the 5 string than for the 4 string violin? Could you elaborate? |
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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 10:23 am Post subject: |
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The transverse arching for my violins is now a hypocycloid (curtate cycloid) curve, which includes a recurve where the low point is just inside the purfling, and the point (line, actually) of inflection (where the curve changes from convex to concave) is well inside the channel.
Michael Darnton pointed out my error once, about ten years ago; that I was arching my violins like a viola (point of inflection very nearly at the purfling line, let alone the channel), and, as a matter of fact, I had already had players remark that my violins "sound like a viola".
That enlightenment, combined with the general differences between violins and violas (no rib taper on my five-strings, etc.) made the differences in my thinking on my five-string fiddles. My belief (no proof...just observation and application) is that, especially since a violin is barely big enough to get a strong G string sound, let alone a C string, it is better to see the 5 string fiddle as a 14" viola with an E string, rather than a violin with a C string.
Whether my "theories" will hold water among the "Eigen-thumper" guys remains to be seen. I don't know how to use their equipment, and can only say that this is what I am doing. BTW, I re-strung one of those early violins (which had uniformly been labeled as "sounds like a viola") as a 14" viola, using the bottom four strings of a five-string set. It turns out to be a very nice little 14" viola, after all these years.
I don't know whether any of this will help. but the changes advocated by Mr. Darnton (the curtate cycloid arching) really do change the character of the sound on a violin, and I have gotten very good reviews from professionals on the violins I have made since changing over to that arching pattern. But I do not think they will work as well on a five-string fiddle, simply because I believe it to be, in reality, a viola. _________________ Chet Bishop
https://bluefiddles.com
https://fivestringfiddles.com |
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DonLeister Moderator
Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 383 Location: Richmond, VA
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Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2015 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, interesting.
I had a five string in the shop last week, an old, maybe German 4 string converted to a 5 that sounded as good as I have ever heard one sound and it had an arching just like what you are describing. |
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rs Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Posts: 188 Location: Holland, Michigan
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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That's a nice instrument, Chet.
I've never made a five-string, but if this helps, I have found my best violas break-in first on the G, then the C string comes up later. A couple of violists have told me the same thing. I am not sure if that applies to your five-string violin or not. _________________ Randall Shenefelt |
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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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Chet Bishop Super Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 678 Location: Forest Grove, Oregon
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