I know it isn't exactly CBG related, but one the same line of home made string instruments, can anyone tell me besides tradition if there is any reason a fiddle wouldn't work with a machine head like that of a guitar rather than that fern head curled peg box?
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Hmmmmmmmmm! give it a shot! Have fun!
Looking at those mute (practice) violins in the link John posted above and those piezo rod pickups that go under the bridge that C.B. Gitty carries, and the few examples of electric violins I've ever seen, I'm wondering if I even need a resonator of any kind if it is going to be played through an amp. the acoustic sound right in the ear of the player might even be a problem as it would sound different from the amp output if any effects are used.
No, if you are playing through an amp all the time, no need for a sound box of any kind. I've seen "practice instruments" that are basically elongated head/neck assemblies with just a piezo pickup and jack... no sound box and they work pretty well. I also have a solid body electric uke which I bought for practicing w/o disturbing others (just use headphones with its built-in pre-amp), and most of the time, it makes enough noise where I fore-go the headphones and pre-amp. I've seen a body-less violin like shown in those pictures at a local music store, so they can be made, but they tie you to an amp.
Sur' it would work. Anything that will anchor the strings and let you tighten them. Even zither pins would do the job.
No reason. There is even a machine head tuning system designed for the traditional curved pegbox of a violin, but they are costly, and most traditional players would not like what they take away from the visual beautly of the headstock. One could easliy create a guitar-like headstock with tuners for a violin neck it they wanted to. You would have to take into consideration that there would be more weight out there on the end of the neck for your arm to hold up!
Heck, some of these look like the bastage offspring of a uke and a violin:
http://www.springersmusic.co.uk/library/Violin%20collection.htm
That's cool, a couple of those from the 1860s look like that uke's ancestor had an affair with that head design I came up with too, the horns are shorter, but there :)
None that I can see.