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MYOG Backpacking Fiddle


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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 37 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #3696573
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    Just completed a ‘cigar box’ style fiddle for backpacking. My design considerations were weight, durability, and field maintainable. And I wanted the scale length of a full sized violin. Got the neck and fingerboard from eBay and bought real tonewood from a guitar wood supplier. It’s not bad. Weighs 413g.  Plan is to make a cuben sack to keep it dry, as it will travel outside the pack.

    #3696575
    Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear
    BPL Member

    @jonfong

    Locale: FLAT CAT GEAR

    Where is the photo?  Sound clip?

     

    #3696582
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    Well, I did post 3 photos.  Not sure where they went.  Sound clip coming.

    trying again with pics.

    #3696583
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    #3696584
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    #3696586
    d k
    BPL Member

    @dkramalc

    Very nice!  Can’t wait to hear the sound clip.  Maybe a comparison with the two?

    #3696604
    jscott
    BPL Member

    @book

    Locale: Northern California

    that’s mighty sweet Patrick! Frankly if it sounds half way decent I’d just suggest everyone in my party take a day trip while I sit and fiddle in camp. Violin in the wild! what could be better? didn’t Orpheus charm animals in the woods with his playing?

    #3696607
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    Wow, nice work Patrick! It must be really nice work since Jeff got your name right!

    #3696651
    MJ H
    BPL Member

    @mjh

    I don’t see a bow, but I’m assuming you can make one that holds up the back of a ProTrail.

    #3696837
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    I recorded a sound clip, but can’t figure out how to post it.  Any one that can help?

    #3696840
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    I don’t think you can post it here, just photos. same with video, can’t post it directly here. you could always make a video, put on youtube, and then post the youtube url here (which should then embed the video here)

    #3696844
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    If you are interested in the sound of the little fiddle, you can check it out on youtube:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yibHlw4C98

    #3696858
    Michael B
    BPL Member

    @mikebergy

    Very nice! Comfortable enough on the chin with that cut down pad?

    #3696860
    BlackHatGuy
    Spectator

    @sleeping

    Locale: The Cascades

    Patrick, that’s fabulous! I’d sit around a campfire with you any day! :-)

    btw, when adding youtube links, make sure you hit ‘return’ after putting in the url, so that the video embeds into your post, like this:

    YouTube video

     

    #3696921
    Ben C
    BPL Member

    @alexdrewreed

    Locale: Kentucky

    Too cool.

    #3696946
    d k
    BPL Member

    @dkramalc

    That is great!  Thanks so much for posting the video.  That would be pretty sweet even to listen to from across a lake someplace.

    #3696949
    Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear
    BPL Member

    @jonfong

    Locale: FLAT CAT GEAR

    Excellent!  Bravo! Well done sir!

    #3697030
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    The chin rest isn’t super comfortable, but I will give it a try.  It’s OK.  I have a small plastic one from a 1/4 violin that I can also use.  Trying to go with the least weight.

    Thanks for all the positive feedback.  Maybe you’ll hear me out there one day!

     

    #3697060
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    Wow, nail that catfish! That’s pretty awesome. Maybe someday I’ll have my travel mandolin with me and we can have a little jam.

    #3697109
    Craig B
    BPL Member

    @kurogane

    Beautiful!  Thanks for sharing.  It’s fun to see projects in something a little bit different than the usual.  I kept expecting to see a picture of it all folded up in a cigar box!  (that’s where my mind went when you described it above)

    #3697123
    Bonzo
    BPL Member

    @bon-zo

    Locale: Virgo Supercluster

    I know nothing of lutherie, but I do know quality woodwork; you did a nice job on that piece.  I wish that I had even an ounce of musical ability, as it would be wonderful to sit and play for awhile after a day on the trail.  Again: lovely work.  I hope to see more.

    #3697124
    Patrick W
    BPL Member

    @mando12

    Craig–I actually tried some other ideas, but the strings place about 80 lbs of pressure on the top, so it has to be a little robust.  Cigar box fiddles date back to the Civil War.  Apparently, there were lots of cigar boxes, but not many fiddles.

     

    Piper–I hope we get to jam.  Several years ago I carried a mandolin on the AT.  Here is a pic of an ad hoc jam that broke out one night at a shelter in PA.  I’m playing a sweet pea mandolin.  The other two hikers were great–one carried a full on fiddle and the other a full size banjo!

    #3697137
    Andrew Marshall
    BPL Member

    @andrewsmarshall

    Locale: Tahoe basin by way of the southern Appalachians

    Patrick, are you interested in working with us on turning this post into a formal article where you walk us through your process step by step (with honorarium, of course!). If so email me at [email protected]

    #3697746
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    Can you imagine hiking the AT with a banjo? I have an octave mandolin banjo and the thing weighs 8lbs.

    #3697765
    Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear
    BPL Member

    @jonfong

    Locale: FLAT CAT GEAR

    Maybe it’s me but playing a banjo on the Appalachian Trail might not be a great idea….

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 37 total)
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