Dance Master's Kits..any makers today?

[JeffM]

Hi there is anyone making Dance Masters Kits? Similar to this Betts? If so please let me know.

Thanks

Jeff

[Scott S]

I've only ever seen one picture of these instruments before. I'm guessing that the basic dimentions are the same as a full size violin except for the longer neck and smaller body. Are these instruments tuned the same? What is the advantage of the different configuration? Is there a market for these oddballs? How popular were they in their day? Were many built and are many leftover? I may be interested in building one.

Jezzupe, have you built one yet?

Scott

[Oded Kishony]

Mike Thompson has been making them for some years- They're nothing like a violin. Back and ribs hollowed out of a single piece of wood.

The sound will cut through anything.

Oded

[Scott S]

The sound will cut through anything.

Oded

Probably where the term "Axe" originated.

Scott

[Oded Kishony]

more like a drill really.

~OK

[TimRobinson]

Hi there is anyone making Dance Masters Kits? Similar to this Betts? If so please let me know.

Thanks

Jeff

There is in Sydney: John Johnston

Regards,

Tim

PS Read about him in Violin and Bow Makers of Australia

[jezzupe]

I've only ever seen one picture of these instruments before. I'm guessing that the basic dimentions are the same as a full size violin except for the longer neck and smaller body. Are these instruments tuned the same? What is the advantage of the different configuration? Is there a market for these oddballs? How popular were they in their day? Were many built and are many leftover? I may be interested in building one.

Jezzupe, have you built one yet?

Scott

I might have, if I'd ever seen one before.

[JeffM]

Yes Michael is indeed making them. Are you sure the back and ribs are one piece? Is the body separate from the neck? I have been making the boat shaped pochettes which has the neck and body as one piece..I assumed the dance masters kit was built more like a violin. I also checked out the fella in Australia..its just his pricing is what I could buy the above 1800s kit for.

Jeff

[cjstuff]

It's not exactly the same design, but Lark in the Morning sells a modestly-priced kit violin.

http://larkinthemorning.com/product.aspx?p=EAR033

In addition, there's always the wiplstix. It's sold as a practice violin, but it takes a lot of inspiration from kit violins. I can also say, from personal experience, that the instrument behaves quite differently if you put Red Label Super Sensitive Strings or Evahs on it. :-)

http://www.wiplstix.com/ws/

[fiddlecollector]

Yes Michael is indeed making them. Are you sure the back and ribs are one piece? Is the body separate from the neck? I have been making the boat shaped pochettes which has the neck and body as one piece..I assumed the dance masters kit was built more like a violin. I also checked out the fella in Australia..its just his pricing is what I could buy the above 1800s kit for.

Jeff

The English dancing master kits dont have a one piece back/ribs, i had one apart several years ago and it was made like a small violin.The other ones ,pochettes ,some are carved from solid ,some arent,some are made like a mandolin back.

[Scott S]

After scaling these pictures that were sent to me from JeffM, based on the given total instrument length of 395 mm, this instrument is almost spot on to what would be the end result of coupling an average 1/64 fractional violin to a 3/4 to 7/8 size neck and fingerboard. Granted the neck block would have to be resized and the button size would have to be dealt with but all aspects of this unholy union are quite feasible. The result would be a "traveling guitar" version of a violin. If you would like to play in the back seat of a car while traveling, this would work ( if you'd want to do that). The bow is comparable to a 1/32 size.

pictures here

Scott

[JeffM]

I spoke to John Turner who plays pochettes as a practice regarding these instruments. His advice was that a neck joint on one of these instruments is not desirable due to the physics of a longer neck on a wee lil body.. tooo many physics against that joint It was suggested this is why they were often made from one piece of wood neck, back and sides. Just speaking the wise words of the knowing. I like your idea though about the 1/64 and would love to see it put to the test.

Jeff