I have heard that there used to be tin fiddles around. I have also heard that you can make your own. Does anyone have any idea of were to find plans to make one.
I think one of the old Donegal players used to play one of these (Johnny Doherty ?). I'm sure it is mentioned in one of the "Whistle and Sing" books. I can check the volume I have, but I leant the other to a good friend a while back.
btw these are great books if you can pick them up, an amazing amount of good tunes and information packed into the little gems. I picked up my copies years back, but I'm pretty sure I saw what looked like a new printing on sale not so long ago.
There is a short history of "The Metal Fiddle Tradition in Dongal" in the booklet accompanying the CD "Fiddle Music of Donegal--Volume 3." There is at least one track on the CD where a tin fiddle is played. In short, it says that the tradition of metal fiddle making was important in Donegal during the early part of the 1900s. The Doherty's were some of the greatest fiddlers at the time. Craftsmen with their skills in light sheetmetal manufactured tin fiddles as a sideline. They were cheap and were good for children, since if they got dinged up, the tinsmith could smooth it out on the next visit. They also were not as loud as a timber fiddle, so you could practice late at night without disturbing others in the small cottages. Supposedly, production of metal fiddles continues today in Donegal, but on a much smaller scale than in the early 1900s.
In 1969 I met an old blind fiddler called Willie Gallagher, it was either in Ardara or Glenties, my memory is not too clever these days. Although blind he actually went up into the loft to find the fiddle he had been telling me about. When he came down he spent a couple of minutes cleaning off the dust and then proceeded to play it. The tone wasn't the best but it was certainly loud enough. Apparently it had lain up there for round about 40 years and the catgut strings were the originals.
The tin fiddle is an interesting phenomenon, and I might take a crack at making one someday. The essential problem being that it was a solution to a problem that no longer exists, as we now have a myriad of modern materials with which to make alternative, and "superior" fiddles.
Just as an afterthought.
Tin fiddles were usually made in times when money was really scarce, people sold instruments to buy enough vegetables and sometimes a piece of meat to make soup or stews for a week or so, which was probably just long enough to miss said instrument and so made or had made by tinsmiths a replacement. My particular story, looking back on it took place about the time of the big crash, I wonder how that affected the peasant farmer? Never thought to ask...............
Tin fiddles were also used by 19th century sailors because they could stand up to the horrendous environment on board ships. One of the New England maritime museums (forget which one) has one which I borrowed to augment a Smithsonian travelling exhibit on sailors' leisure activities (the PG rated ones, at any rate) about 20 years ago when I worked for a NY maritime museum.
Interesting, as designing fiddles for maritime use is occupying a bit of my attention span right now. After working on ideas for awhile I turned to the web and discovered that Epoch in Australia is already making very much what I had come up with.
I doubt you'd find plans. TIn-smiths were more about creating one-off items than standardized production. They were reputedly very good at eyeball and freehand work.This sort of thing is "Something to play" if you have nothing else.
Most of the description I've read sounded like the sound box was really a rectangular box. But I offer this as counter-evidence.
I picked up a copy of John Doherty's floating bow from a charity shop recently.. He came from a family of travelling tinsmiths.He describes in the booklet all of the tools he carried and tells of a documentary on john called fiddler on the road,Ulster TV.He goes on to describe tin fiddles,saying only the body was made of tin,the neck and tails made roughly by a carpenter or salvaged from an old fiddle.he says the family played them when times were hard as they would sell the good fiddles.He would repair fiddles too,at one time marrying up the colour of the wood by stripping the red colour from a lifebouy soap tin with washing soda..The booklet also documents him making a fiddle from afoxes glacier mint sign,but says its now missing.
Simon Doherty ,his nephew,has descrbed the making of a tin fiddle in a book ...The Northern Fiddler..by A fieldman/E.O'doherty.Blackstaff press,1979.pg 44
It is also recorded that Mickey Doherty could make one in an evening while a card school was in session.
The last one made by the Dohertys was made by Simon in 1987.
the recordings on the album are recorded in a kitchen they are raw and heart fealt.
the floating bow ....john doherty,
traditional fiddle music from Donegal
it's on the Claddagh records label CCF31CD
Metal fiddles were occasionally, if somewhat rarely, played by classical violinists. Apparently, the great Jascha Heifetz played an aluminum violin in a concert or two as a young man. He didn't make a career out of it
I have a memory of a beautifully made glass violin on display in Waterford Crystal's factory some years ago. I don't know whether it was in any sense playable - probably not.
Tin Fiddle
Tin Fiddle
I have heard that there used to be tin fiddles around. I have also heard that you can make your own. Does anyone have any idea of were to find plans to make one.
# Posted on June 30th 2005 by celticfiddleguy
Re: Tin Fiddle
Sorry can't hear you...
Maybe there aren't so many now because they're prone to giving you tinnitus.
Brianx
# Posted on June 30th 2005 by briantheflute
Re: Tin Fiddle
I have heard of a Tin Whistle. Sorry I couldn't help it.
Actually I have seen Resonator Fiddles I think they sell one on Elderly.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by Unseen122
Re: Tin Fiddle
I think one of the old Donegal players used to play one of these (Johnny Doherty ?). I'm sure it is mentioned in one of the "Whistle and Sing" books. I can check the volume I have, but I leant the other to a good friend a while back.
btw these are great books if you can pick them up, an amazing amount of good tunes and information packed into the little gems. I picked up my copies years back, but I'm pretty sure I saw what looked like a new printing on sale not so long ago.
Cheers - Chris
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Tin Fiddle
i remeber seeing a programme sometime with a guy playing one he made from an old castrol oil cannister. dont think it sounded too healthy though.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by flanum
Re: Tin Fiddle
There is a short history of "The Metal Fiddle Tradition in Dongal" in the booklet accompanying the CD "Fiddle Music of Donegal--Volume 3." There is at least one track on the CD where a tin fiddle is played. In short, it says that the tradition of metal fiddle making was important in Donegal during the early part of the 1900s. The Doherty's were some of the greatest fiddlers at the time. Craftsmen with their skills in light sheetmetal manufactured tin fiddles as a sideline. They were cheap and were good for children, since if they got dinged up, the tinsmith could smooth it out on the next visit. They also were not as loud as a timber fiddle, so you could practice late at night without disturbing others in the small cottages. Supposedly, production of metal fiddles continues today in Donegal, but on a much smaller scale than in the early 1900s.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by Jiml
Re: Tin Fiddle
In 1969 I met an old blind fiddler called Willie Gallagher, it was either in Ardara or Glenties, my memory is not too clever these days. Although blind he actually went up into the loft to find the fiddle he had been telling me about. When he came down he spent a couple of minutes cleaning off the dust and then proceeded to play it. The tone wasn't the best but it was certainly loud enough. Apparently it had lain up there for round about 40 years and the catgut strings were the originals.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by Ian Stevenson
Re: Tin Fiddle
I should have said it was a Brass fiddle not Tin.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by Ian Stevenson
Re: Tin Fiddle
Brian, that was awfull !
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by curlew
Re: Tin Fiddle
The tin fiddle is an interesting phenomenon, and I might take a crack at making one someday. The essential problem being that it was a solution to a problem that no longer exists, as we now have a myriad of modern materials with which to make alternative, and "superior" fiddles.
For instance, plywood.
KFG
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by KFG
Re: Tin Fiddle
Just as an afterthought.
Tin fiddles were usually made in times when money was really scarce, people sold instruments to buy enough vegetables and sometimes a piece of meat to make soup or stews for a week or so, which was probably just long enough to miss said instrument and so made or had made by tinsmiths a replacement. My particular story, looking back on it took place about the time of the big crash, I wonder how that affected the peasant farmer? Never thought to ask...............
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by Ian Stevenson
Re: Tin Fiddle
Tin fiddles were also used by 19th century sailors because they could stand up to the horrendous environment on board ships. One of the New England maritime museums (forget which one) has one which I borrowed to augment a Smithsonian travelling exhibit on sailors' leisure activities (the PG rated ones, at any rate) about 20 years ago when I worked for a NY maritime museum.
# Posted on July 1st 2005 by KateG
Re: Tin Fiddle
Interesting, as designing fiddles for maritime use is occupying a bit of my attention span right now. After working on ideas for awhile I turned to the web and discovered that Epoch in Australia is already making very much what I had come up with.
KFG
# Posted on July 2nd 2005 by KFG
Re: Tin Fiddle
I doubt you'd find plans. TIn-smiths were more about creating one-off items than standardized production. They were reputedly very good at eyeball and freehand work.This sort of thing is "Something to play" if you have nothing else.
Most of the description I've read sounded like the sound box was really a rectangular box. But I offer this as counter-evidence.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Museum/FolkArt/TinFiddle/tinfiddle.html
Do your reseach, Grab some tin and go to banging. Have fun!
# Posted on July 2nd 2005 by Owell Mabee
Re: Tin Fiddle
Adam Sutherland from Inverness used to play one. Looked cool, but the sound was, well, a bit "tinny".
# Posted on July 5th 2005 by Fi
Re: Tin Fiddle
I picked up a copy of John Doherty's floating bow from a charity shop recently.. He came from a family of travelling tinsmiths.He describes in the booklet all of the tools he carried and tells of a documentary on john called fiddler on the road,Ulster TV.He goes on to describe tin fiddles,saying only the body was made of tin,the neck and tails made roughly by a carpenter or salvaged from an old fiddle.he says the family played them when times were hard as they would sell the good fiddles.He would repair fiddles too,at one time marrying up the colour of the wood by stripping the red colour from a lifebouy soap tin with washing soda..The booklet also documents him making a fiddle from afoxes glacier mint sign,but says its now missing.
Simon Doherty ,his nephew,has descrbed the making of a tin fiddle in a book ...The Northern Fiddler..by A fieldman/E.O'doherty.Blackstaff press,1979.pg 44
It is also recorded that Mickey Doherty could make one in an evening while a card school was in session.
The last one made by the Dohertys was made by Simon in 1987.
the recordings on the album are recorded in a kitchen they are raw and heart fealt.
the floating bow ....john doherty,
traditional fiddle music from Donegal
it's on the Claddagh records label CCF31CD
# Posted on July 5th 2005 by fionarua
Re: Tin Fiddle
Metal fiddles were occasionally, if somewhat rarely, played by classical violinists. Apparently, the great Jascha Heifetz played an aluminum violin in a concert or two as a young man. He didn't make a career out of it
I have a memory of a beautifully made glass violin on display in Waterford Crystal's factory some years ago. I don't know whether it was in any sense playable - probably not.
Trevor
# Posted on July 6th 2005 by lazyhound