Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
I play a 5-string cigar box fiddle made by my buddy who is a very talented amateur instrument maker. I gave him a cigar box and pestered him until he built me one! Sorry, there are no photos of it on the net.
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
fiddler 59, I have a few questions.
1) do you actually use your fifth string a lot for melodies, or do you merely use it for droning and double stopping?
2) Is it hard to learn to stretch that far?
3) The extra string is always a C-string, isn't it?
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
We had a session up here a couple years ago and Eliza Carthy and her band who were over for our local blues and roots festival dropped in. I think it was Ben Ivitsky who played a viola with an e-string. It was a beautiful, rich instrument, and when I asked about it he told me that he had it from a friend of his who lived in the West (I think) of Ireland and made it himself. He played it like a fiddle with a c string, or like a viola with an e string...I couldn't quite work out which! Anyway, I felt like a poor feller with only 4 strings to play on!
Eliza by the way was perhaps one of the most generous and courteous musicians, pro or amateur, I've ever come across. At one point in the evening a local woman sang a beautiful sean nos song. After that a few people requested that Eliza sing, but out of courtesy to the woman who had just sung she politely declined, and just stuck to playing her fiddle with accomplished abandon. What a woman. What a family.
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
There's always much confusion on this issue. A violin is a violin, and a viola is a viola. Some people think a five string fiddle is both a violin and a viola. It is neither, not both.
I know it seems like I'm stating the bleeding obvious, but it's important. The whole tone and feel and range of expression you get from the top three strings on a viola is a whole different kettle of fish from what you get out of the bottom three strings on a violin. There is much much more to the instruments than the notes being the same
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
I have 3 five string fiddles - two made by Tim Phillips - one matches one he made for Sharon Shannon (as he often makes fiddles in pairs) and a Yamaha electric fiddle for our band (we have a loud drummer!).
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
You can buy both 5-string fiddles and 5-string violas, even though they span the same range of notes.
I have a 5-string I barely use, because the string spacing is too tight. However Gliga have now brought out a 5-string fiddle, and if the string spacing is the same as their regular fiddles I'm tempted to replace the one I have.
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
To answer Henk Bos's questions, 1) yes I do use the 5th string for melodies and drones too....2) no, it is not hard to learn or stretch that far....3) I tune the 5th string to C.....
I also have a 15.25 inch 5-string viola with a high E string by Martin Brunkalla. Both are excellent instruments. The viola has a 14" scale the violin has a std. violin scale length.
David Blackmon
Brilliant young American roots fiddler Casey Driessen plays a five string violin made by John Silakowski, if you visit casey's web site at http://www.caseydriessen.com/ and cliock on "fiddles" you can see all of the details.
I was backstage at a bluegress festival once when Casey and John Doyle were playing fiddle (yes, John plays fiddle, too. Pretty darn well, I might add) Anyway, some more traditional American players were watching and the fact that Casey was playing a five string left the more trad players just shaking their heads.
BTW, There is a great recording of Casey playing "Foreign Lander" with Tim O'Brien and Edgar Mayer that will blow your socks off.
How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
Just wanted to see who playes a 5-string fiddle and who made it ??
I play a 5-string made by Barry Dudley, Monroe GA USA
David B.
# Posted on October 26th 2006 by fiddler59
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
I play a 5-string cigar box fiddle made by my buddy who is a very talented amateur instrument maker. I gave him a cigar box and pestered him until he built me one! Sorry, there are no photos of it on the net.
# Posted on October 26th 2006 by treecipitation
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
fiddler 59, I have a few questions.
1) do you actually use your fifth string a lot for melodies, or do you merely use it for droning and double stopping?
2) Is it hard to learn to stretch that far?
3) The extra string is always a C-string, isn't it?
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by Henk Bos
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
Fidelius make very nice electric 5-strings
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by millionyears_bc
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
We had a session up here a couple years ago and Eliza Carthy and her band who were over for our local blues and roots festival dropped in. I think it was Ben Ivitsky who played a viola with an e-string. It was a beautiful, rich instrument, and when I asked about it he told me that he had it from a friend of his who lived in the West (I think) of Ireland and made it himself. He played it like a fiddle with a c string, or like a viola with an e string...I couldn't quite work out which! Anyway, I felt like a poor feller with only 4 strings to play on!
Eliza by the way was perhaps one of the most generous and courteous musicians, pro or amateur, I've ever come across. At one point in the evening a local woman sang a beautiful sean nos song. After that a few people requested that Eliza sing, but out of courtesy to the woman who had just sung she politely declined, and just stuck to playing her fiddle with accomplished abandon. What a woman. What a family.
Now that was a good night.
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by Ger the Rigger
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
There's always much confusion on this issue. A violin is a violin, and a viola is a viola. Some people think a five string fiddle is both a violin and a viola. It is neither, not both.
I know it seems like I'm stating the bleeding obvious, but it's important. The whole tone and feel and range of expression you get from the top three strings on a viola is a whole different kettle of fish from what you get out of the bottom three strings on a violin. There is much much more to the instruments than the notes being the same
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
I have 3 five string fiddles - two made by Tim Phillips - one matches one he made for Sharon Shannon (as he often makes fiddles in pairs) and a Yamaha electric fiddle for our band (we have a loud drummer!).
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by Tarrantella
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
You can buy both 5-string fiddles and 5-string violas, even though they span the same range of notes.
I have a 5-string I barely use, because the string spacing is too tight. However Gliga have now brought out a 5-string fiddle, and if the string spacing is the same as their regular fiddles I'm tempted to replace the one I have.
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by Martin Milner
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
Oisnín mc Cauley, who plays with danú, plays a chinese made 5 string Fiddle
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by t byrne
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
To answer Henk Bos's questions, 1) yes I do use the 5th string for melodies and drones too....2) no, it is not hard to learn or stretch that far....3) I tune the 5th string to C.....
I also have a 15.25 inch 5-string viola with a high E string by Martin Brunkalla. Both are excellent instruments. The viola has a 14" scale the violin has a std. violin scale length.
David Blackmon
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by fiddler59
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
Brittany Haas (Natalie Haas' little sister) plays a 5-string fiddle - violin with a C-string, that it. Don't know who made it.
Winslow
# Posted on October 27th 2006 by Winslow Yerxa
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
John Silakowski made Brittany Haas's 5-string.
David B
# Posted on October 28th 2006 by fiddler59
Re: How many fiddlers play a 5-string fiddle, and who made it ??
I play a 5 string fiddle made by Cape Breton luthier David Papazian...it's approximately the size of a 3/4 size viola and it's lovely.
~aoife
# Posted on October 29th 2006 by aoife
Casey Driessen
Brilliant young American roots fiddler Casey Driessen plays a five string violin made by John Silakowski, if you visit casey's web site at http://www.caseydriessen.com/ and cliock on "fiddles" you can see all of the details.
I was backstage at a bluegress festival once when Casey and John Doyle were playing fiddle (yes, John plays fiddle, too. Pretty darn well, I might add) Anyway, some more traditional American players were watching and the fact that Casey was playing a five string left the more trad players just shaking their heads.
BTW, There is a great recording of Casey playing "Foreign Lander" with Tim O'Brien and Edgar Mayer that will blow your socks off.
# Posted on June 24th 2007 by Earl from Ohio