Hi CBG-ers,
I want to have a go at making an electric Banjo Fiddle using an old Tambourine for the body and various violin parts that a Fiddle teacher friend gave me. I'm going to use a steel ring that I have on the inside of the Tambourine and a tightening frame to make the skin tuneable with a Piezo pickup under the bridge.
Can anyone tell me please, the exact measurement from Nut to bridge on a standard full sized fiddle please?
Thanks Guys n Gals
Gary
Replies
Most 4/4 (full size) fiddles are on a 13" (325 to 330 mm) scale. I've made them slightly longer and slightly shorter. Fiddle strings usually have a lot of extra string to wind around the peg so anything in that ball park should work.
Brilliant, Thanks.
I've just ordered a violin bridge off ebay to adapt for mounting onto the drum skin.
I was going to make one, but hey, at 99p with free delivery !!
Thanks again
Gary
You mean something like this?
It uses a tambourine body with an oak dowel for the neck. I grafted the head-stock from an old violin.
Mine uses a 25" scale length, so from bridge to nut is, of course, 25". You could use any reasonable scale length you like. If by "Full Sized violin" you mean a 4/4, then the bridge to nut is 325mm (about 12.8"). That's pretty short scale.
Here is a link of scale lengths for violas, cellos and upright bass Scale Lengths
Mine is set up as a slider (fret-less) and I did install a single piezo pickup under the bridge inside the tambourine.
Tuned to DAD with fairly light strings, it sound very nice.
Give it a go........
Excellent, Thankyou :O)
Have you done a youtube vid of it in action?
I'd love to hear it.
Cheers
Gary