8 violin clips for tone evaluation

[palousian]

I'm with everyone who liked #3.  It seemed the most responsive of the bunch.  Since #2 has already been declared not-the-firewood fiddle, then I'll guess it was the ultra-light top effort and guess #4 or #6 is firewood.  So, I'll vote #1 for the regraduated Pfretzschner.  With this many examples, it is indeed difficult to apply articulate distinctions, but in the case of someone trying to pick the one they like best, I have to say it wasn't that hard for me to come with #3. 

[Addie]

I thought #1 had the most potential, 3 was OK, 4 the worst (hear this sound way too often) and everything after 4 sounded the same.

[Ken_N]

Number 2 was strange, kinda far off feeling.  I can't tell any difference in sound quality at all in the beginning, only on the lower strings. I wouldn't bother with the higher notes.  What's the use?  7 seemed to be different from the rest to me.  More of something, or less of something, but different.  Not horrible like 2, but different.  4,5, 6 yeah, they're violins.    I and 3 were a bit different, but not as different as 7.  Not sure if different is better, but I like different.  But I don't like #2.

[Chris Llana]

Liked #2 the least, #6 the most.

[Rue]

Wonder what the difference in taste is between classical folk and fiddle folk?

I play and enjoy listening to both...but either way I don't like "twang"...

Fiddle season is officially here for me! But this summer I also need to get caught up on my technique. I lost a lot of playing time with my elbow needing a rest. .and still can't overdo it...tendons are still complaining.

[jezzupe]

I'm only trying to spot the firewood, my guess is 4...they're all pretty good and easily could sound great with a pro player and recording set up....thanks for doing it Don.

[Addie]

I think #8 was the Strad...

[Don Noon]

I think #8 was the Strad...

 

Yeah, it was... but it was stolen right after I posted.  That, along with a few brain cells.

 

VERY interesting results so far.

[Alma]

Ben, 

[Rue]

Hey! That was my Strad...I wanted to stay longer ...but we had to go...er, like real quick...you know...

[Carl Stross]

Until I change my mind for me is 2,5,7.  Now, I'm waiting for Don to tell us that a couple of them were the same violin. 

[Rue]

Well! Thank God SOMEONE liked number 2 too!

I feel better now!

(...but we need to talk about #7! )

[Carl Stross]

Well! Thank God SOMEONE liked number 2 too!

I feel better now!

(...but we need to talk about #7! )

 

Nope, I can talk 5 because 4 with a better setup shows promise but I'll stick to 7. I tried to figure out which one(s) I'd like in a larger room where a lot of nastiness dissipates quickly, thin becomes ...thinner and too much G string starts to sound phony - not classy.  This did come out wrong somehow... These sort of tests are pretty challenging - great fun. 

[Don Noon]

Here's another little challenge...

This is a recording by a different player, different location, different recording equipment (VMAAI 2014 competition).  It was the silver medal tone winner in the steel string category, and it's one of the 7 fiddles in the test samples.  Care to try to match it up??

VMAAI 2014 Steel rd3.mp3

[Jim Bress]

I'm not going to make a guess.  Just wanted to say that listening to the 7 fiddles through my head phones at work earlier today, and just now over my PCs speaker system I would have said they were 7 different fiddles.  

 

-Jim

[Rue]

Two or three?

[Addie]

I'll go out on a limb, and say #1 is the silver medal fiddle.

I hope I don't get cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpx6XnankZ8

[Carl Stross]

Here's another little challenge...

This is a recording by a different player, different location, different recording equipment (VMAAI 2014 competition).  It was the silver medal tone winner in the steel string category, and it's one of the 7 fiddles in the test samples.  Care to try to match it up??

VMAAI 2014 Steel rd3.mp3

 

That's a nice violin Don ! But I can't tell - beats me. I like to imagine I have it narrowed down to three but I won't put any money on that. Lovely violin .

[fiddlesurgeon]

I'll go with #5.

[DMartin]

Jumping off!

 

I'l go for 7 as firewood and 4 for silver medalist—with 1 as second choice for the silver. 7 is my favorite.

[Jack Rushing]

Violin Number 3 sounds best to me. Followed closely by Number 7. Number 4 is Firewood.

[Don Noon]

Now, I'm waiting for Don to tell us that a couple of them were the same violin. 

 

Almost... but not quite.  One of them is an equalizer-modified version of one of the others, in an attempt to "improve" it by correcting some things that were potential weaknesses.  So there are really only 6 different violins.

 

 

I'll go out on a limb, and say #1 is the silver medal fiddle.

I hope I don't get cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpx6XnankZ8

 

I think we'll all have a party at the bottom of the gorge.  Prior to making and posting this test, I thought there would be a fair chance of picking things out.  Now I realize how difficult it really is.  However, I did mention how different it is to be driving the bow vs. listening to a recording, and that is for sure. 

[jezzupe]

7 IS SILVER?  I think....hard on my computer to play them back to back....

[Addie]

....  However, I did mention how different it is to be driving the bow vs. listening to a recording, and that is for sure.

Or playing vs listening live. I finally got to hear one of my regrads yesterday. I passed it around the room, and was happy with the sound (as were the players--it is also steel strung). If #1 was what I heard under my ear, I would be very happy. If that's what I heard twenty feet away, I would alter the setup... although I suspect you are highly talented in that department, and have done your best for all seven, no six! Aaaaaahhhhgg!

[La Folia]

I would say they all sound like they were made with the same hand.  The differences are very slight, except for the separate recording.