nfritzjr Says:
Friday, June 3, 2011 @7:39:46 AM

Greeting from the states, Wisconsin to be exact. How long have you been fiddlin? BTW Very nice job on the "Vielle"!!! I like the lite color of the wood instead of the more traditional darker. What wood is your finger board, or is it part of the neck assembly? Are you running gut string or synthetics? Did you make your own bridge or did you purchase a standard violin type and adjust it accordingly. Lot of question, but I want to make one of these when I'm done with my current project
I am working on a Dance Masters fiddle, body of solid cherry and the sound board of aromatic cedar. Ebony finger board. But time is limited w/work always getting in the way of fun. . .lol
Keep up the awsome work and keep Fiddlin.

duckygee Says:
Friday, June 3, 2011 @7:06:22 PM

Showing what a novice I am, it looks wide and I don't see a chin rest so I guess you are playing at lower than shoulder height. Does the width give you a deeper tone than a traditional fiddle?

duckygee Says:
Friday, June 3, 2011 @7:06:23 PM

Showing what a novice I am, it looks wide and I don't see a chin rest so I guess you are playing at lower than shoulder height. Does the width give you a deeper tone than a traditional fiddle?

middlestring Says:
Saturday, June 4, 2011 @2:11:38 AM

Hi all, thanks for your questions, and kind comments. nfritzjr the fingerboard is oak, shorter than in a standard fiddle, as the vielle doesn't venture so much into higher positions. I ususally use gut strings, pirastro chorda, but there are evah pirazzis on this one, as the buyer requested synthetics for avoiding humidity problems. I made my own bridge, again out of oak, same as the fingerboard, which I got from a very nice old bar stool. Great rock hard piece of timber...alas I'm down to the last leg now. Been fiddlin for about 5 years on and off. Like the sounds of that dance masters!
duckygee, it is wider across the middle than a regular fiddle, does give a nice deep tone, although it was probably originally(in medieval days) more of a artistic choice than a sound thing. Because of the width it is easier and really designed to be played with a medieval style bow rather than a modern one. I do play it in the crook of the arm, rather than on the shoulder, but I'm pretty sure you could add a chin rest to the design if needed, not sure how historically accurate that would be, but hey!
cheers all

nfritzjr Says:
Saturday, June 4, 2011 @5:57:49 PM

Thanks for the reply. question I forgot to ask is in the picture there is a dark piece of wood or is it an opening on the side of the instrument. Hard to tell from the picture

middlestring Says:
Sunday, June 5, 2011 @1:58:20 AM

The dark piece of wood is a little section of walnut. I steam bent the bass side of the fiddle in several sections, overlapping spruce and walnut to achieve the pattern. The treble side of the fiddle is all walnut(see my extra pic added)
cheers!