Any new musical gear? (for Jukebox)

[vylabrie]

Hey, pics from Northwoods jam are great! I'm jealous since I couldn't make it across the ocean. But I'm glad to know everyone had a wonderful time!

So I'm back to post my new gear pics for Jukebox. I ordered a 5-string viola that can cover the range of a violin. The first problem was that I couldn't find one around here and so I had to have it custom-made. And it was 2 months ago. Well, today she arrived finally! She's about 2 inches longer than my old axe. And she didn't have an E string but two D strings, which was intriguing. (Which is a common problem with 5 string violas. They are much longer so you cannot put a regular violin E strings on them.) So I put an old electric guitar string on her like I'd read on the web and......it worked! Check out the sound sample. The highest range is played on the guitar string...

http://vylabrie.oranc.co.kr/5strings.mp3

So I'm quite happy at the moment while waiting for the string to stretch a bit.

Any other fiddlers on the forum? Or just anyone who got a new musical instrument and want to share the pics with everyone and especially with Jukey?

It feels home to be back...


Z.

 

[dafreeze]

Those are very pretty Vyl. Not a fiddler but there are several tunes I'd like to be able to play.

Ever watch/listen to Allison Krause?

 

[Jukebox]

Z. that sure is pretty! How are you liking the sound? i think you should hop a banana boat and come over to jamm with us! I miss you not giving me a hard time! Not only that, you promise to come over and take pictures of my guitars!

 

[Synchro]

Very nice.

 

[vylabrie]

defreeze: Sure I do. A couple of albums in my ipod. I think her fiddle lines are classy. I'm more fond of her voice though!

Jukey: Since it's a new instrument, I have to "break" the sound a bit. But I think it sounds pretty good already. Yeah, let me know when you arrive in Incheon International Airport and put the taxi driver on the phone. I have my camera here so just bring all your guitars, especially the new Hilo-vette!

Synchro: As nice as your gray cat?

 

[Sarah93003]

Those are beautiful! Very nice photography as well.

 

[araT]

Beautiful Z!, great pics too!

Mum plays violin (or used to) and so we've always had one lying around, I've played a little but, but it's gonna take a lil bit more work to make sounds that people might actually want to listen to

 

[Scott]

Sounds great Vy! Missed seeing you around here lately...don't wait so long to post again, k?

 

[S. Rock]

that's intriguing ! a 5 string viola ? I bet it does have some cool sounds coming out of it. enjoy the new "toy".

 

[vylabrie]

Sarah93003: Thank you! I really enjoyed your postings with the jam pics BTW.

araT: Wow, really? I wish my mom played something. My dad did play the clarinet but we never got to play together nor did I get to learn how to play the clarinet or any other reed instruments.

Scott: I missed posting and beeing around here too! Was sort of busy for a while due to my band's recording. But now the recording is done and I have a new axe!

S. Rock: Yeah, this one's definitely got a unique sound. First of all, she's pretty big, 16.75 inches long, which makes it like 1~2 inches longer than my old one depending on how you measure them. And she's fat on the side, so the sound is quite loud and strong. But I think the Chinese luthier put violin strings for A and D, since it's got more of a violin-like sound in the middle range right now and the strings look a bit thin. (Check out the attached sound sample above!) Anyway, my bandmates were very impressed by the look and the sound. My lead player's first reaction was, "So you were not ripped off after all!!"

 

[ellengtrgrl]

VERY cool looking 5-string viola! I never played violin, but my older sister did (I played brass instruments when I was in school). Is the string spacing narrower than a standard viola or violin? And if so, is it harder to play/bow fast?

 

[S. Rock]

vylabrie said, "My lead player's first reaction was, "So you were not ripped off after all!!" "

that's funny ! I tried to listen to the sound clip, but I have an old computer that's giving me trouble. but what I could hear, sounded good. I have an old violin here at the house that my dad got from our neighbor in Baton Rouge some years ago. it had belonged to the neighbor's father. the neighbor past away a few years ago at the age of 102(?). so, that tells us that the violin is at approx ~ 150. I can't play. I've never had the patience to learn. I'm not looking for my daughter to learn either. I can't get her to learn to play a Squier Bullet that I bought her. oh, well.

 

[vylabrie]

ellengtrgrl: Wow, you do know this stuff! Yeah, ideally the bridge should be wider on a 5 stringed violin/viola, but obviously this one's got a regular bridge, which makes it a bit hard to play. Still, I think practice will help! Which brass instrument did you play back in school? A horn? (I think horns are super-cool.)

S. Rock: Yeah, it was his reaction. Since it took long for me to take it - I was first told the viola will be done in about 20 days and then it took 2 months for me to actually receive her, so I don't blame that assumption. My bass player worried about the same thing too, obviously. lol

It is funny that you had to mention "Baton Rouge" here, since my band practiced "Me and Bobby McGee" today. So you got a mysterious old violin, eh. Do you have a label inside it by any chance? If so, it might hold the information about its origin. Also, there are people who evaluate stringed instruments, if you are really curious. My other viola should be pretty old too, though she doesn't have a label and so there's no way for me to find out.

 

[S. Rock]

nope, no label. it was one of the more popular of the day, though. you know, like today, how popular Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch are popular guitars. well, this violin was one of the ones to have. I think that daddy said that he thought it is a "Steiner" ?

when I was singing in "coffee houses", "Me and Bobby McGee" was one of the songs that I did. although, the first time that I heard it, Janis Joplin or Kris Kristofferson wasn't singing it. Gordon Lightfoot had it on his album "If You Could Read My Mind". Kris Kristofferson does the best job with it though. of course, he wrote it.

 

[DevilYouKnow]

Very very nice (the Mp3 that is). Thanks for sharing the pics too. I wish I played a fiddle. Don't think my neighbors could handle me taking it up this late in the game. Now are you still playing 12 gigs a week? I'm kidding but if I remember right, your album describes several shows in only a few days. Hope you're having the fun you want to. Don't stay a stranger.

 

[vylabrie]

S. Rock: Ah, I see. It reminds me of my friend who left the country about two months ago. He was in the army and one day he said he found a mysterious violin in one of the abandoned lockers. I got curious but I never got to have a chance to look at it myself. I wish I could see and try your violin! Well, we chose to learn the song "Me and Bobby McGee" just because one of my band members insisted on that one when I said maybe we should try some Janis Joplin tunes. (After most of our shows, at least one person comes to me and tell me something related to her and I've been always saying, "Sorry, sir/mam, I don't listen to her. No offence.") It's a great tune but I'm not especially very fond of it. I think I'll check out other versions you mentioned though.

DevilYouKnow: Long time no see! (For me that is.) Nah, we only play once~twice a week and rarely 3 times. One night we played 3 gigs in the same area though. (And it got very interesting when our lead singer/keyboard player spilled water all over his keyboard as the curtain went up at the very first venue. lol) Well, if you want to play fiddle and feel worried about the sound annoying your neighbours, you can always either try metal mutes or electric/silent violins. I tried them both. Well, actually I tried a rubber mute, which is not as good as metal ones but still reduces the volume to a big amount. Electric one was easier to play but heavier on the shoulder. Well, after all, I got rid of it very soon. But it was still not as heavy as a Les Paul....

 

[S. Rock]

hey Z,
I've also heard it done by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. it was on their second album. the album with "Ruben James" on it. I would just make the song your own. alot of times, the audience only hears the words to the song and not neccessarily how it's played. just a thought.

 

[workknot]

vylabrie: Those are beautiful instruments you have. I gave the fiddle a go quite some time back and just could not master the bow. To heavy a hand I was told. So I just stuck to the mandolin which tunes and plays similar.
Pop's

 

[vylabrie]

S. Rock: Actually I've felt the opposite way: that people don't necessarily hear all the lyrics.....I mean on stage. We have two singers in the band - me and my friend George - and sometimes we are singing different lyrics due to wrong memories. (Ha ha ha!) Whoever the one who don't remember the lyrics sings much less loud according to my experience.

worknot: Thank you! So you tried picking up a fiddle, eh. The thing with learning how to play a fiddle when you're older might be harder than learning it in earlier age in my thoughts, since the position itself is very unnatural. (Even worldly famous players admit this: the way you have to move and twist arms and elbows is actually against the natural direction of human anatomy and actually quite uncomfortable.) I took my first violin lesson when I was 9 and my last "viola" lesson when I was 12 since I switched in between. Even though I didn't play for more than 10 years, the muscle memory was there when I tried to play again. It's funny to see how I usually forget all the new chords on guitar after a few hours while still remembering most of the fingering positions for fiddles...