Sarah's fiddle

[Luthier]

What type of fiddle does Sarah play? I know she play's a five-string made by one of my clients (Marty Brunkalla), but I'm not sure who her 4-string was made by. It doesn't look like a modern instrument, plus I'm sure she has more than one. Anyone have any idea?

Thanks,

Luthier[think har

[Luthier]

[bang]

Please excuse my incorrect spelling of Sara's name, OOPS!

Luthier

[SindarinElf]

You'd think that they'd put who made it on their CD covers, or something, on their website, but all it says, that I can find anywhere is:
Nickel Creek uses D'Addario strings
Chris Thile uses Gibson and Dudenbostal mandolins, Flatiron bouzoukis, Rane electronics, Trace Elliot amplifiers, and (Butterfly Table Tennis equipment)
Sen Watkins uses Bourgeois guitars, L.R Baggs electronics, and (Manta Bodyboards)
Sara Watkins uses L.R Baggs electronics, and ('Band -Aid' brand bandages)
Nothing on her fiddle.........I'll keep looking though

[fidlmaker]

I seem to remember it being a generic German factory fiddle but I could be wrong on that one. I'll try to remember to ask her next Tueday night (25th) at the concert in Highland Park. I think Luthier is going to be there too (maybe he can remind me if I forget). I hope to give the 5-string a check-up while they're in town. Incidently, I made another 5-string just like the one I made for Sara (for myself) and it sold within a week. I may just make 5-strings from now on!

I'll post it if I remember to ask her.

Martin

[SindarinElf]

I don't know if saying that it's a 'German' Manufacturer narrows anything down. My fiddle is from Germany, too, (only it's about 100 years or so old :rolleyes: ) and many violins, I see no real big difference in fiddle and violin, were made in Germany........ So, I hope I haven't confused you too much.

[fidlmaker]

No confusion caused. Hundreds of thousands of violins were mass produced in Germany, particularly after about 1850. The quality was all over the map, but most of them were inexpensive fiddles destined for the United States and the rest of Europe. I say generic because so many were made that had no date and maker on the label. Many that were labeled had bogus dates that referred to the date of the famous original that was being copied. The bottom line is that most of those fiddles can't be accurately dated or traced back to a particular maker. Incidentally, as Byron Berline once said when asked whether he played a fiddle or a violin, A violin has strings, and a fiddle has STRANGS!

I'll ask Sara about her fiddle when I see her and post my findings next week.

Happy fiddlin',

Martin

[Luthier]

A commercial German instrument wouldn't surprise me. They can work well for fiddle players. I can't count how many of those old fiddles have turned up in my shop with the name Stradivarius on the label. Kind of like Marty said, all different grades. Most people are disappointed to learn that their Stradivarius is in reality a Stradi-valueless! I've worked on a Jackson Guldan or two (made in Ohio some years back). Very sweet and playable and work well for fiddle playing, but the necks have somewhat of a reputation of coming out. I was just handling one in my shop and the neck fell right out, separated along the curl (not at the joint), might not have been properly cut wood. I know a batch of the fine, older Hill bows had the heads pop right off them because the wood had been sawed at the incorrect angle.

Regards,

Luthier

p.s. Yes, Luthier will be at the show on the 25th. I accidentally scheduled a high school repair call for the same day, looks like I'll have to reschedule that one!

[NCFan4Ever]

Originally posted by fidlmaker
A violin has strings, and a fiddle has STRANGS!


I know that was posted a while ago, but i just read it...HA HA!!

[fidlmaker]

First of all, NC put on a great show last night at Ravinia Park! Bela Fleck joined them for a couple of hot numbers in the middle of their set and burned the house down.

After the show my wife and I met up with Sara & the gang to say hi and see how her 5-string is coming along (which I am honored and proud to say she used on the new CD!!). TO answer the original question at the start of this thread, her 4-string IS an old generic unlabeled German factory fiddle, probably from the early 1900's. To roughly quote another post under the instruments thread (I think), Sara could make any old junker sound good. I agree, though this old German fiddle is one of the better sounding ones out there.

Sara also mentioned that she used her 4-string, the 5-string I made for her, and Alison Kraus's fiddle on the new CD. I'm really looking forward to hearing it and seeing if I can tell which fiddle is which on the recording.

(Luthier, sorry you couldn't make it last night. Hopefully next time.)

Martin

[SindarinElf]

Hey! that's my Joke!:D Strings and strangs