Replies

  • Diane in Chicago June 12, 2011 at 8:46am
    It is a pig head ON the peghead - and very cute!  The builder has some noteworthy wordworking skills.  I don't know as my fiddle will be quite so elegantly constructed.  For example, he bevels the ends of the ribs so they notch into the tail and heel block.  I don't think I have those precision skills at this point.
  • Rand Moore June 12, 2011 at 6:57am

    Hi Diane,

    Is that a "pig head" or a "peg head"? I'm still Youtube blind in China, so I'll have to wait a few days to see it. My trip to the States starts tomorrow.

    -Rand

     

  • Diane in Chicago June 11, 2011 at 9:58pm

    A video of a travel fiddle build, complete with carved pighead!  Plus he plays it for you so you can see how good it sounds!

     

    http://youtu.be/3IVPfPeHLCM

     


  • Diane in Chicago June 11, 2011 at 9:57pm

    Thanks, David.  I don't build guitars at all anymore, perhaps I was just doing those to get to the fiddles!

     

    I"ve played a Carolina fiddle - they are very pretty.  I had trouble clipping the box, so the wider body takes some getting used to.  I think he puts a pickup in standard now.

     

    David Tutterrow said:

    Here's a site I found when I first became interested in building fiddles. I've had some correspondence with this guy and he's been very helpful and willing to provide tips and advice. He even sent me a very detailed step process for building:

     

    http://www.carolinafiddle.com/

     

    By the way, Diane, you do great work, When I become accomplished enough in my craftsmanship, I have plans and materials ready to build a few fiddles. I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions when that day arrives.

  • Diane in Chicago June 11, 2011 at 9:53pm
    That IS a handsome fiddle.  I've a mind to give it a go.  He uses basswood for the sides and bassply for the top and bottom, I think.  He just boiled the sides on the stove in a shallow pan for 1/2 hour to bend them.  But I'm not going to ever put mechanical tuners on again - the weight is unweildy.  Hollow pegboxes for me from now on, and friction pegs.
  • Rand Moore June 11, 2011 at 8:15pm

    fiddle-18.jpg?width=215

     

    Oh, I really like this design and collection of build photos. Very informative. Thanks, Dianne and (especially) Jim Varnum!  We need a photo here.

     

    <== Photo left:  Jim Varnum's 'Appalachian Mountain Fiddle'

    .

    -Rand.

     

     

    Diane in Chicago said:

    Building a teardrop-shaped fiddle from scratch:

    http://www.wastedlife.org/mountain_fiddle/index.html

  • David Tutterrow GutBucketGuitars June 11, 2011 at 2:19pm

    Here's a site I found when I first became interested in building fiddles. I've had some correspondence with this guy and he's been very helpful and willing to provide tips and advice. He even sent me a very detailed step process for building:

     

    http://www.carolinafiddle.com/

     

    By the way, Diane, you do great work, When I become accomplished enough in my craftsmanship, I have plans and materials ready to build a few fiddles. I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions when that day arrives.

  • Diane in Chicago June 11, 2011 at 1:40pm

    Building a teardrop-shaped fiddle from scratch:

    http://www.wastedlife.org/mountain_fiddle/index.html

  • Diane in Chicago October 10, 2010 at 7:16pm
    This article shows how to make a traditional fiddle with hand tools and ingenuity. The builder is Violet Hensely, from Yellsville Arkansas.

    http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/bitt...
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