Electric Strings Monthly
Circulation: 1295
Ask Andy:
Fitting Octave Strings
Editorial:
Andy
Design&Production:
Andy
Administration:
Andy
Finance:
Little
Advertising:
This is it
Marketing:
Please tell someone
Correspondence:
20 Brewers Wharf, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24
1ET, U.K.
Telephone:
(44)(0)1636 677416
If you would like to contribute to this newsletter with details about new products, new music or just news, then please send me an email.
Although this newsletter is light-hearted in it's style
please note that the content is copyrighted and remains the property of Andy Holliman,
Achieve Instruments. No part of the contents may be reproduced, in print or electronically
(except for your own personal use) or stored in an information retrieval system or
workshop or bathroom without the prior permission of the author.
In Previous Ask Andys:
#1-Do I need a
Preamp?
#2-What wood is best?
#3-LR Baggs Para DI Box
#4-Strings fitting & Octave
#5-Bow Bugs
#6-Anti Virus Software
#7-All about Midi and Zeta
#8-Amplifiers
#9-Effect
Pedals
#10-Earths and Hums
#11-Octave Violin Strings
#12-Silent Violins
It is my endeavour to be completely fair in the things that I write or tell you from these pages. If you feel that I have voiced anything that is inaccurate or unfair, please let me know. Lots of things to tell you so let's get on with it...
If you would like me to publish details about any of your equipment or products then please send me some information.
As you can imagine I often scan
the web to see if there are any new electric violins in the ether. This month I came
across a site owned by a person called, Jon Rose. Jon was born in The U.K., lives in
Australia and plays all over the world. As well as playing he is just the sort of whacky
violin maker I like. Here is an extract from his site:
In the 1970īs I
was very busy constructing violin hybrid instruments....violins joined together like
siamese twins, violins with extra necks, aeolian violins with sails, a tromba marina,
violin mobiles, a violin on a frame with 19 strings, a microtonal long neck violin with 16
strings, violins with fm radio broadcast systems built inside, violins with megaphones and
internal amplification, etc.
Yes, you have read correctly, a 16 string violin!!! His site is well worth a visit but not
if you are a clasical purist!: http://www.jonroseweb.com/
David Bruce-Johnson has updated his Violectra site and very impressive it is too. Of particular mention are the special one-off custom instruments David has made. His site can be found at: http://www.violectra.co.uk
Previous Articles:
Pickups:
http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings83/Longmkt.shtml
Ithaca:
http://ithacastring.com/articles.html
Violin Making:
http://guitarplans.co.uk/
Soft Cases:
http://www.soundwear.com/
and http://www.dimbath.de/
Octave Strings:
supersensitive@supersensitive.com
Web Site Changes
The Electric Strings Database
When you go back to my site and click on the database it now displays a simple list
of every maker. I decided to get rid of the database application as it was too slow. You
can scroll through the list or you can type Ctrl F and use your explorer's Find function
to locate a particular maker, country, instrument etc. Like a lot of things simplicity is
often the best solution. I hope it gives you what you want.
New Pictures
This month I have
added two new pictures, Ray Meads is an amateur maker who has produced a lovely
design (his web site is at: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ray_or_ann_meads/violin.html
) and Guscott in Australia make an electric Uprite Bass. Both pictures are in the Gallery.
New Links
No new links this month
The Electric Violin
Book
I understand that the Electric Violin book is available from Amazon, however I have also
found out that they are quoting that it is 'Out of Print'. This is not true, the publisher
has lots of copies still in stock. So if you are having difficulty getting a copy, please
click here and contact the publisher direct: http://users.netmatters.co.uk/holliman/Fah100.html#Book
New Music
I will use this
section to inform you of new music that I have been introduced to that features electric
violin. So if you have something to contribute to this column, please let me know the
details.
I heard from,
Mary Lou Newmark ( http://www.greenangelmusic.com/
) and
Stuart Wyatt (http://www.solostring.com/)
Alex Papadiamantis (http//www.geocities.com/almant2)
For Sale and Wanted
- I know of a second hand Zeta 4 string Jazz in white that is for sale. If you are interestedsend me an email
- If any one wants Lisa Rollins' red Zeta Strados, please let me know: Click to Email me
- Greg wants to sell
his 5 string Zeta and Midi controller for $2500. If you are interested email him at: GRstrings@aol.com
Forums
You
now have access to:
Zeta's Online Users Forum - For existing Zeta users.
Stuart Wyatt's Solostrings - For electric fiddle players
Kyle Aaron's Fiddle Forum - For both electric and acoustic players
Mark O'Connor's Forum - For all sorts of fiddling styles
Nothing much to report this month. Everyone has either been on holiday, been to music festivals or have been playing at festivals. This year, as always, I went to Fairport's Cropredy festival and saw a superb mixture of musical tallents, some old (Llonnie Donnigan- what a true entertainer he is and the voice and looks are the same as some 50 years ago!), and some new (Five Furious Fish) I sold a Zeta to one of their previous fiddle players (Alice Davie) but now they have Dave Swarbrick's nephew on fiddle. I also saw Francis Dunnery - what a superb performance and a lovely 'vibe' on a sunny afternoon. And of course, Fairport Convention. Their next CD which will be comming out at the end of the year will feature Ric Sanders playing one of my violins that we have fitted a set of Octave violin strings to. Looking forward to hearing what he has done with it.
I have been busy in the workshop drawing up a new design. I should be cutting wood very soon and looking forward to the birth of another one of my babies!
As I haven't had any requests for information I shall stop writing and get this out on the web. I hope your summer has been good to you.
Best wishes
Andy H
Any suggestions for future discussions, click here Click to Email me
Bye for now,
Andy
Holliman
Achieve Instruments:
Chief Designer, Paint Sprayer, Varnish
Consultant, Marketing Manager, Receptionist, Secretary, Web Designer, Tea Boy and
Newsletter Editor.
The front page of Jon Rose's site!
Links from around the World
The Electric Violin Book
The Only book on Electric Bowed Stringed Instruments in the World