Design for parlour fiddle from low density woods

[Stephen Perry]

Simeon Chambers sold me some very light Aspen and a very light top.  These ring nicely.  They've been sitting around.  He said they'd make a great parlour fiddle.  I don't doubt it.  But I don't know what fiddle to build!  Suggestions?  Tempted by a high arch, high recurve design.  Outline and size I don't know.  I can wing the arching, if I have a vision, using Beard's 2/3:1/2 system and setting the channels appropriately.  I just don't have that vision.  Neither do I really have a clear picture of a big Strad model or a cute del Gesu or the S red violin . . .

Something that sets off cleanly, with a very sweet tone, and not needing to be loud.

I'm a bit stumped.  Knowing what different arching is going to do doesn't baffle me, but has me pondering.  

Concepts?

 

Thanks!!!

[Marty Kasprzyk]

If your plates end up being light weight I suggest you use light tension strings. 

After that I recommend a light weight bow and a light weight player to maintain the proper impedance mismatches along the entire energy transmission line.

[uncle duke]

If I felt like being adventurous I'd just get a Murtov center section template tracing off the monitor screen, raise the height a little and then used the cycloid formula numbers for a new center section template.

  I have no proof that will work for better tone but doing that gives me a little more room for what I think looks good for outer belly arching.  

Aspen - no experience with that wood sir.

[Ken_N]

Get  the Montagnana poster.  It's not much different from a del Gesu in pattern. Maybe a hair narrower at the waist, and a little longer.  Longer pointier corners, same pinched look.  Nice F holes. Long stop; so I gave it a 132 neck, and light strings. You could ignore the nicks if you like.  High swooping arches, at least on the belly.  I got my arching from the inside, nothing too special, but the high arch looks cool.  

I used baroque type tailpieces to clear the arch.

If you could pull off the color of the instrument, you'd have something special.

I used .29 Spruce from Simeon for one, but it has a stiff Birch back, so it is NOT in the category of super light.  It is extremely easy to play.    The strong back may have some to do with that, so, I would keep the back thick with Aspen.  Thick Aspen should still ring.  The ring of the Birch was very low from the beginning.

Just a suggestion because I like the way it looks.

[Marty Kasprzyk]

On 12/17/2019 at 11:30 AM, Stephen Perry said:

Simeon Chambers sold me some very light Aspen and a very light top.  These ring nicely.  They've been sitting around.  He said they'd make a great parlour fiddle.  I don't doubt it.  But I don't know what fiddle to build!  Suggestions?  Tempted by a high arch, high recurve design.  Outline and size I don't know.  I can wing the arching, if I have a vision, using Beard's 2/3:1/2 system and setting the channels appropriately.  I just don't have that vision.  Neither do I really have a clear picture of a big Strad model or a cute del Gesu or the S red violin . . .

Something that sets off cleanly, with a very sweet tone, and not needing to be loud.

I'm a bit stumped.  Knowing what different arching is going to do doesn't baffle me, but has me pondering.  

Concepts?

 

Thanks!!!

I make my experimental violins with light tops and backs using low density wood. They're quite loud and not very sweet sounding and prone to bad wolf notes in an attempt to fill a niche market.

 

[Stephen Perry]

I imagine I'm on my own more or less.  I heard the Castelbarco Strad last night - that was a simple sounding instrument, but rather lots of volume.  Dancing with the Betts.  Goosebumps.  

I suppose a strong recurve and middling arch might do.  I can rough and then work in from both sides, in and out.

 

Thanks for the thoughts!

[Don Noon]

For a light top of low-density wood, I would use a relatively heavy bass bar of very dense wood, with most of the weight toward the center.  This keeps the B1+ frequency from getting too high, and gives a more reasonable response to the bow.  There is such  a thing as too light and too quick of a response.

[glebert]

On 12/18/2019 at 8:53 AM, Marty Kasprzyk said:

I make my experimental violins with light tops and backs using low density wood. They're quite loud and not very sweet sounding and prone to bad wolf notes in an attempt to fill a niche market.

 

Man, if there is a market for loud, nasty, wolfed out string playing then maybe I need to get in on this!  

Seriously, the experimental designs of Marty's that I've seen are awesome looking, I don't even care how they sound.   

[Marty Kasprzyk]

6 hours ago, glebert said:

Man, if there is a market for loud, nasty, wolfed out string playing then maybe I need to get in on this!  

Seriously, the experimental designs of Marty's that I've seen are awesome looking, I don't even care how they sound.   

 Thank you very much for the compliment!

But their appearance  is just a result trying to balance ergonomic and sound goals.  It helps if the instrument feels comfortable hold but it also has to sound great.  Long ways to go.