Violin Forum/Message Board

Mat Roop · Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:58 pm Post subject: What's This?

Here are a couple of pics of a gadget I found with an old violin I acquired... ( violin is worth less than the gadget Razz

)
any idea what this is?... A wolf note tamer?.... Cheers, Mat

Dave Chandler · Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:42 pm Post subject: What isw this

Part of a sheet music holder for marching string band Wink

_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

Chad48309 · Member Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Posts: 110 Location: Michigan

Looks to be a soundboard mute of some kind? Possibly clamps to the tailpiece and the rubber rest mutes the soundboard.
_________________
-C.S.

John Cadd · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:13 am Post subject:

The curve behind the screw seems to match the fingerboard shape.Change that to tail piece. There is a change in curve from one side to the other . Is the rubber buffer pressing on the belly to stop a wolf note ? Maybe for a cello? The photo needs a ruler beside it for a scale check. But the angled end goes the wrong way.The buffer sticks up , not down. The thumb screw would be awkward to use upside down. Then the curves would be wrong.Not for the neck as the scroll would make it impossible. But it looks manufactured.Some kind of holder for a monocle when you play? By Jove Jeeves ! Topping idea!

John Cadd · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:27 am Post subject:

A Bandstand clip for windy days? The angled bit is to get your finger underneath to release the grip? Military Bandstand Clip Windy Days Musicians for the use of. Sahh! Which in your case ,lovely boy, you have not got.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 4:55 pm Post subject:

I don't know, but I'll bet that it clamps on the tailpiece and holds a contact pickup against the top. Looks sort of 1950s, which would be the right period for this kind of thing.
_________________
new blog at my site! http://darntonviolins.com/blog
my work sites: http://darntonviolins.com and http://darntonhersh.com

Mat Roop · Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:02 pm Post subject:

Great ideas... I think Michaels got it! Here is what it looks like installed on an old tailpiece. BTW it has a label "made in Japan" Smile

Is this a museum piece?... maybe not old enough yet?
Cheers, Mat

byacey · Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 12:45 am Post subject:

These were made for the de'Armond contact pickups. It holds the pickup in place against the belly. I believe it to be one of the worst sounding, yowlly pickups ever made for violin. Every country hick fiddler used to have one of these things.
_________________
Bill

bata · Member Joined: 12 Jan 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Ontario

With byacey's clues I found this website. See the middle of three pictures. (Not very clear, but you can see the bracket and pickup.) It shows how the arm and pickup was attached.
http://www.missourifiddling.com/Articles_Features/FiddleBug/FiddleBug.htm

Dave Chandler · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:32 pm Post subject: What's this

John Cadd · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:44 pm Post subject:

Dave I pinched a phrase from a poem called "Naming of parts". The writer mixes up his military training with daydreming about the beginning of Spring as he looks out the window. They are teaching him to strip a gun down.That`s the Seargeant Major`s grammar.

Dave Chandler · Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:08 am Post subject: What's this

Being retired Army myself, I understood the attempt to name the part in a military fashion -- but the poem didn't sound familiar so couldn't relate except for the "Sahh!" which I could appreciate.

Clip, music, wind management, with scroll clamp, 1 ea, chrome

Cheers
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo