Electric Strings Monthly

Web Site Changes

New Pictures

New Links

The E.V. Book

New Music

For Sale/Wanted

Ask Andy:

 
 

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

Welcome to newsletter number 19. 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 or manufacturers.

In recent weeks my website has been experiencing difficulties and has now been transferred to a new server. This will give me more space and hopefully a new E-mail address. I will tell you about this change when it happens.

Fishman Concertmaster

It is not often that a new pickup comes onto the market so here is some good news. Mike Vanden a well respected guitar maker who has also worked in the area of violin pickups has designed a new pickup system that will be made by Fishman. It will be made in the U.K. I came across this pickup at a Fairport Convention gig last month. Chris Lesley was trying it out for the first time. Most musicians stick with what they have, what their sound engineer can handle and which produces a good sound. They rarely try out anything new at a live gig. Chris tried out the pickup at the sound check. Rob Bravinger is their sound engineer and he said, 'It was brilliant, we just plugged it in  with very little adjustment to the sound. It sounded like a violin!!' During the gig There were several duets between Ric (using his L.R. Baggs pickup) and Chris using the new prototype pickup. I could hear the difference and yes, it sounded like an acoustic violin. Fairport play loud and need good control with acoustic instruments to prevent feedback both for the on-stage monitors and the front of house system. I was intrigued by the pickup and contacted Mike Vanden to find out more of the technical aspects.

It is a dual system that has both a piezo transducer that fits into the wing of the bridge and a mcrophone. The shoulder rest holds both the microphone and a pre-amp system and mixer for the two input sources. The microphne unit is a very hgh quality AKG cardioid directional unit that is able to hear the violin with little or no input from other on-stage instruments. The production unit will have a stereo output which will enable the player to put the transducer into the on-stage monitors and a mix of piezo and microphone into the front of house PA. This system combines the best of both worlds. By housing the pre-amp/mixer in the shoulder rest the player is freed from a belt mounted box that other systems have and the link wires between the pickups and the unit are short and less likely to pickup any extraneous noise or hum. The output from the unit is well suited for PA systems.

I have had many calls from musicians who want an acoustic sound to their electric and others who want a removale system they can fit to their calssical instrument. This system solves all of these problems.

The system is being marketted by Fishman as their 'Concertmaster'

Here is what Fishman say about the system.

The system includes Fishman’s acclaimed proprietary instrument microphone, integrated to the body of a custom molded, high quality shoulder rest. The Concertmaster can be installed and removed quickly with no modification necessary to the instrument. The studio quality detachable microphone comes with a flexible goose-neck and is integrated into a comfortable clip-on shoulder rest allowing freedom of movement for fiddlers.

The system is available with an optional Fishman violin pickup, modified with a sub-mini plug especially for the Concertmaster. The pickup delivers all the true tonal characteristics of the violin, thanks to Fishman’s patented Floating Mount design for accurate, even sound at any volume.

An advanced electronics package inside the unit includes a buffered input for the pickup, a master volume control, a blend control and a ¼-inch output jack.

"We’re basically creating a new category of instrument amplification," states Fishman Artist Relations Manager Larry Dalton. "With the Concertmaster everyone from gigging violinists, to professionals in the sound contracting industry to soloists in schools will be able to take advantage of this innovative, elegant and simple amplification system. Artists who have tested the Concertmaster have been very enthusiastic."

Fishman say that they should be shipping the new system by the end of April. Therewill be two models. One has the Transducer wing bug and the microphone and will retail for about £499. The other model will just have the microphone unit and will cost about £399. I will of course publ8ish the exact prices when I get them.

With the above news in mind I can now tell you that I can get all Fishman products for you.

If you click here you will see Fishman's product range.

Chris Garrick

I had the pleasure of seeing an old friend of mine Chris Garrick play recently. I first knew him some 12 years ago when he was just about to  start at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His playing is superb and if you get a chance to see him or buy his CD 'Different Strokes' you will not be disapointed. This is what MOJO magazine and The Jazz Rag said about the CD::

"For all its human-sounding expressive capabilities, and despite the popular efforts of Stephane Grappelli, the violin remains an exotic cousin in the jazz instrumentation family. Christian Garrick plays straight-up contemporary jazz of breathtaking virtuosity. Beautiful tone, dashing technique and a tumult of fresh ideas, Garrick has it all under his fingers and if there's justice, the world at his feet."
MOJO July 2000.

"Award-winning violinist Christian Garrick is one of the most important British talents to have emerged over the last few years. Having confirmed his expertise of the Hot Club style (with John Etheridge's Sweet Chorus) he goes on to show us more of what he can do with this seriously entertaining release. Opening with a solo version of Nuages, Garrick tackles this difficult tune head-on leaving no harmony understated but without overplaying. The Calypso inspired Coffee Time will get your feet tapping and the ballad Silver Scream provides contrast and maintains your interest in what's to come. The Mahavishnu inspired Shankra is a delight as Garrick spars with drummer Tom Hooper while the pair venture into the seemingly impossible. Listen out for the ever decreasing repeat melody sequence half way through. Confused! Don't be. It makes perfect sense to listen to but just don't try this at home! For my money though, the highlight is The Chase which features some of the most dramatic and passionate soloing I've heard for some time. Enjoy."
MATT SOFIANOS/THE JAZZ RAG

"Different Strokes" is available from http://www.audio-b.com/cds/abcd10.html where you can hear a sound bite from the CD.

Electric Violin Construction

I am currently in the process of writing a new book entitled, 'Electric Violin Construction'. This book is an in depth, step by step guide from the design process through to the construction of the final finished instrument accompanied by a comprehensive set of photographs of every stage in the making process. The instrument that I will be making and documenting is my Griffin electric violin. (Currently I have written over 220 pages and taken 145 photographs).

The 'book' will be published on a CD in electronic format as an Adobe Acrobat PDF. You will then be able to read or print the book off-line from your computer.

Also on the CD will be:

• The Book in PDF format
• A copy of my web site in PDF format so you can explore the site off-line
• A Thumbnail gallery of all of the electric violin designs that I have found on the Internet
• A link to enable you to install Acrobat Reader on your machine if you do not already have it
• A link to enable you to access my web site on-line

By having all of my web site off-line and the Thumbnail gallery you will have access to all of my pages including all of my Newsletters and all of the images of all the electric bowed stringed instruments worldwide. The database list of makers and suppliers will also be there for you to refer to. This will provide you with a complete reference work when you come to designing your own instrument, ordering supplies and seeing how other people have made their instruments.

I have a provisional release date for this venture of 1st. June 2003.

The cost of the CD will be about the cost of a set of violin strings and will probably be about:

If you think that you might be interested in ordering a copy of this unique CD/Book please will you send me an Email and I will put you on my 'Interested Parties List'. Doing so will not commit you to ordering a copy. I will announce its availability and contact you at a later date.

I have also been considering whether to have the book printed as a real book! This is quite an expensive process and also involves higher shipping costs.  I would also like to know if you would be interested in purchasing a printed copy of the book either instead of the CD or as well as. Please let me know your thoughts.

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