Electric Strings Monthly

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New Pictures

New Links

The E.V. Book

New Music

For Sale/Wanted

Ask Andy:

 
 

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Andy
Design&Production:
Andy
Administration:
Andy
Finance:
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Advertising:
This is it
Marketing:
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20 Brewers Wharf, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1ET, U.K.

Telephone:
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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-OctaveStrings
#12-Silent Violins
#13-Not a lot
#14-UK/USA costs
#15-Viruses

Welcome to newsletter number 18. I hope you like it. If you do, please tell others, if you don't, please tell me.
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.

Items is Green are direct quotations from the various websites.

Here is some new from Guscott who are electric instrument makers in Australia. They have now added to their manufacture, electrical orchestral instruments suitable for electric string quartets and the like. They have:

• Electric violin 4 and 5 string models

• Electric viola 4 and 5 string models

• Electric cello

• Chin-cello (an awesome instrument the size of a violin with the sound of a cello - has to be seen and heard to be believed)

• Electric full bodied double bass

• Electric upright bass

Their new web address is www.guscott.com.au

I was given detals about a new maker (new to me) who lives in Oregon, USA called David Burham. David is a violinist and violist, and has performed for 33 years. He currently performs with the Eugene Symphony, and has played in the Oregon Mozart Players, The Eugene Ballet and Opera Orchestras and The Pfaff Ensemble (a baroque quartet). He  studied violin with Sherry Kloss, an associate of Jascha Heifetz. He also currently play with his acoustic rock band The Sugar Beets,  

He now makes electric instruments and an example is shown to the right.

His web site is at: http://www.dbcv.com/index.html

I also was introduced to Mullerhead Productions who have a web site at: http://mullerhead.home.mindspring.com/electricv.html

The maker plays with a band called The Band of Humans.

I was contacted by Hometown Music  who have music websites in 3 countries, and 8 city/states in the USA. Their aim is to bring musicians, managers, production companies, and recording labels together as an independent source for promotion and to help people sell their music. I have no other information so check them out and maybe let me know. They are at: www.hometownmusic.us

Refering back to last months details about the Kurman Soundpost, I heard from an colleague I was with at violin making college , Paul Bradley. He is the UK and Irish Distributer for them.

You will now doubt have seen on my front page that I have written a review about the long awaited Ric Sanders CD, recorded live in Lincoln Cathedral. It is truly superb (the music that is, not the review!). There are several magazine reviews that rave about it but one of their finest comments was from Sir George Martin who asked them to play at his summer party. His direct quote was, "The best music we've ever had" .

One of the tracks from Ric's new CD is also on a new CD called: Heart of England Volume 2.  Here is a short review of it.

Volume 2 features stand out performances from Richard Thompson with a live version of The Sights and Sounds of London Town, the Andy Guttridge Band with Chasing the Dragon, and Dave Swarbrick & Kevin Dempsey with My Heart's in New South Wales. But it's unfair to mention them without talking about the sublime Little Wing from the Ric Sanders Group with Rick Wakeman. Recorded live in Lincoln Cathedral this classic Hendrix tune takes on a new and ethereal existence as it soothes the ear and tingles the spine. Congratulations to Heart of England. Mike Jervis

Electric Gamba !!:

I have been sent details of an electric Viola da Gamba (This will upset some people in the Newark area!!).  It is made by Ruby Instruments in the Netherlands. I have added a photo of it to the gallery and you can read all about it at:

http://www.ruby-gamba.com/

If you are interested in an electric violin making project there is one to read at: http://www.grbfst.dds.nl/violin/violin/violin.htm I am not sure of the background of this maker but his notes provide a starting point for the home instrument maker.

Have you ever wanted to play a cello like a guitar? Todd Keehn has a web site that shows his Vicellotar.  His  TK Electric 5 string Cello can be seen at: http://www.tkinstruments.com/id65.htm

The Fiddle Forum has changed hands and has been reset up by Mark Knight. A link is provided on my web site in the Forums list.

Previous Articles:
Pickups:
http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings83/Longmkt.shtml
Ithaca:
http://ithacastring.com/articles.html
Violin Making:
http://guitarplans.co.uk/
and:
http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~kehinger/ee107/violin.html
Soft Cases:
http://www.soundwear.com/ and http://www.dimbath.de/
Octave Strings:
http://www.supersensitive.com

The Electric Violin Book
The Electric violin book is now being sold in Euros and costs 81Euros. You will have to check the current conversion rates for Euros to Dollars/Pounds etc. There are several web sites for converting Euros to local currencies. The easiest lookup table I have found is at: http://www.x-rates.com/d/EUR/table.html

When you have decided that money is no object and you just have to have this book, please place your order at: 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.

Mary Lou Newmark ( http://www.greenangelmusic.com/ ) and
Stuart Wyatt (http://www.solostring.com/)
Alex Papadiamantis (http//www.geocities.com/almant2)

Forums
You now have access to:
Zeta's Online Users Forum - For existing Zeta users.
Stuart Wyatt's Solostrings - For electric fiddle players
Fiddle Forum - For both electric and acoustic players
Mark O'Connor's Forum   - For all sorts of fiddling styles

Ask Andy

Go on, ask me something! Or check out my FAQ list.

Best wishes

Andy H

Any suggestions for future discussions, Click to Email me

Achieve Instruments:
Chief Designer, Paint Sprayer, Varnish Consultant, Marketing Manager, Receptionist, Secretary, Web Designer, Tea Boy  and Newsletter Editor.
 

 

 Links from around the World
 

The Electric Violin Book
The Only book on Electric Bowed Stringed Instruments in the World
 

David Burnham

Ruby Electric Viola da Gamba

Vicellotar