Date: 23 July 2000
Contents:
1. Web site Changes
2. New Pictures
3. New Links
4. The Electric Violin Book
5. Makers
6. Ask Andy:
What wood is best for an electric violin?
Where do you get your wood?
1. Web site Changes
I looked at my site using Netscape the other day and was disappointed at how messy it
looked. So much for standards between Microsoft and Netscape. I hope it is acceptable to
those of you who use Netscape and other browsers. If you have any problems please let me
know. I will try and check out the pages on both systems before I publish new ones.
I have added a "Juke Box". Here
you can play tracks recorded by some of my customers on the instruments that I made or
sold them. The sound files are in MP3 format and will play in whatever media player
you have on your machine. As they play 'outside' of my web pages, you will be able to hear
them un-interrupted when you flip between pages on my site.
2. New Pictures
The Knilling slim line acoustic electric Jazz bass
The Vector Fiddlestik and Millennium
3. New Links
I have added links to the following:
The Italian School of Violin making pages that show how an acoustic
violin is made. They have a sequence of very good photographs that take you through
the process. If you are considering making an instrument or just want to see what goes on,
this site is well worth a visit.
I have added a link to Knilling's site where you will find their slim line acoustic
electric Jazz bass and the colourful shoulder rests made by Viva.
I have corrected the incorrect link to Fender
On my Customer list I have added a # marker next to some to indicate that there is a track
by this artist on my jukebox.
4. The Electric Violin Book
5. Makers
Not every maker is on the Internet so these pages are not
very useful to them. However if you know of any makers who are not on the net, please let
me know. I have been given details of an Australian maker, which may be of interest to
some of you:
"There is a luthier in Coff's Harbour, New South
Wales, Australia by the name of CP Smith. He handmakes acoustic instruments, and his own
brand of electric instruments, which goes under the name 'Piers'. These come in 4, 5 and 6
string models, and are fitted with Barbera pickups. I have played on both a 4 and 6
string model. These violins have a beautiful tone and are well engineered with carbon
fibre and wooden sections to isolate vibrations to a central floating resonating platform.
Design is similar to the Violectra range of instruments." (Thanks to Andrew
Dargan for the info.)
If you are a maker of electric bowed stringed instruments and would like me to let
the world know about a new instrument that you are selling, please let me know. If you
have any suggestions about my site and the content of this newsletter, please let me know
as well.
6. Ask Andy
What wood is best for an electric violin?
For the neck I always use Maple, ther is no better alternative for strength, finish and stability. For the body whatever wood you use it has to capable of a) being easily carved and shaped b)good stability so that the wood does not flex and put the instrument out of tune and c) be light enough to make the instrument playable. These are not easy considerations to match. Maple is relatively easy to carve and shape (with the correct tools), is stable but can be too heavy if the body has a large mass without any cutouts or hollowing. I have been using Basswood which is also know as American Lime. It is easy to carve although not so easy to finish off as it tends to be a bit 'fluffy'. If the piece of wood is cut 'on the quarter' it is very stable and it is light. 'Cut on the quarter' means that the grain runs vertically between the back and front. If you look at the wood where the end pin will be the grain runs like this: |||||||||||o|||||||||||||. To reduce weight you can consider making the overall shape smaller or alternatively hollowing out some of the underside and then covering the holes in with a thin plate of wood. You should always leave a central spine of solid wood to take the strain of the strings. Without an engineering degree and knowing something about stress and tolerance you will have to experiment. Remember though that an acoustic instrument although it is made of pieces of wood that are only a few millimeters thick, it is built as a box with key blocks inside to take the strain. Consequently it is light and extremely strong. I have made several prototype solid bodied instruments which have, over time, flexed and 'warped' under the strain of the strings. So don't remove too much wood and think like an engineer after you have spent a while working like a designer. When you look at other peoples instruments you may have to wonder at what is going on inside the body, Is it hollow, How much is hollowed out, Where are the key stress points and how have these been solved.
If you live in the UK I can recommend a very good wood supplier: David
Dyke Luthier Supplies, The Hall, Horebeech Lane, Horam, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN210HR,
Tel: 01435 812315. If you give him finished measurements he will cut wood very
accurately and square and is both knowlegable and helpful with advice about wood.
I hope this has helped you.
Any suggestions for future discussions, click here Click to Email me
Bye for now,
Andy Holliman