Accessories – Page 11
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NewsNew Products: October 2019
Ready for boarding An instrument with a detachable neck to make air travel easier Readers of The Strad will be no strangers to the perennial risks associated with flying with stringed instruments. Barely a week goes by without another story of a passenger denied boarding with their ...
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NewsNew Products: September 2019
Core values Strings designed from the inside out to offer bassists maximum flexibility The initial idea was to make a special pizzicato string,’ explains Adrian Müller, technical director of German string maker Pirastro. ‘After a year of experimenting with different cores, we found that we had ...
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FeatureThe Strad guide to the best handmade electric violins
For maximum thrills, it’s hard to beat an electric violin at full throttle. There are many factory models, but here Christian Garrick test-drives some of the most innovative handmade instruments available today
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NewsNew Products: August 2019
On the back foot Improving the ergonomics of bass playing Sitting on a stool, most bassists will rest the instrument against the right leg, with the right foot on the floor and the left on the foot rest. ‘It puts your back in an unnatural ...
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NewsNew Products: July 2019
Turning heads The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of musicians who, instead of using traditional paper parts, play from a digital file displayed on a tablet computer. Now, a team of audio engineers from the University of Jaén in the Spanish city ...
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NewsNew Products: June 2019
Straight to the point Can changes to an overlooked part of the cello anatomy help improve your sound? Matt Schiebold, founder of Cube Acoustics, and cellist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, US, set out to create an endpin that matched the rest of his instrument ...
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FocusResonanzio resonance podium for double bass
Turning everyday practicality to musicians’ acoustic advantage
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ArticleLess space, more bass: the Travel Bass
An answer to the logistical hassle of double-bass playing
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NewsNew music stand designed to improve posture
Violinist designer says Stikato can be positioned at the perfect practice height, then easily stowed in an instrument case
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FocusPlane and simple: steel bow planes
Taking inspiration from the design of traditional French bow-making tools, these bow planes are constructed from machine-tooled steel that has been ground and flash-chromed for additional durability. The blades are custom-made by Hock tools and are also available separately. Triangle Strings bow plane from $160, blade only ...
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FocusIntegrated instrument and music stand
This modern, height-adjustable instrument stand with integrated lectern is available in walnut, maple or cherrywood. The violin/viola model suspends the instrument from a leather strap, while the cello model rests it on a shelf below. Both versions include a bow hanger. Jolly Stand instrument and music stand ...
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FocusBlank canvas: unvarnished 5-string instruments
These unvarnished five-string violins and violas are built by a Chinese maker using flamed maple and seasoned spruce. They feature extra-wide necks, extended pegboxes and adjusted bass-bars, and most have one-piece backs. Both designs are based on Stradivari models and include ebony fingerboards, nuts and saddles. While ...
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FocusMaster stroke: Schilbach varnishing brush
The tapered and split synthetic fibres of this brush are designed to absorb a large volume of oil or spirit varnish, to enable its controlled and uniform application. It has an untreated hornbeam wood handle and solvent-resistant plastic ferrule, eliminating the risk of staining to the varnish ...
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FocusTravelling light: Musafia Lievissima Evolution case
A high-specification case that makes easy work of instrument transport
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FocusArc Rest: support without elevation
A cellular foam pad attached to a piece of lightweight balsa wood, the Arc shoulder rest for violin and viola is held in place using a durable silicone band that minimises its contact with the instrument. The rest weighs just 11 grams and is designed to support ...
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FocusAll kitted out: violin accessory set
Manufactured in India to Italian designs, these accessory sets comprise four heart-shaped pegs, a decorative end-button, a Guarneri-style chinrest with Hill-style clamps and a Hill-style tailpiece. They are available in ebony and rosewood with a black trim to the tailpiece and black pin collars and pegs, and in boxwood trimmed ...
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FocusFirmly fastened: the Schilbach Kevlar tailgut
Using military-grade materials to improve set-up stability Kevlar is familiar to most people as a material used inside bulletproof vests. According to German manufacturer Schilbach, however, this strength also makes Kevlar a useful component in the tailgut that fastens an instrument’s tailpiece to the button at the ...
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FocusPinky promise: the Pinky Hold bowing aid
By helping to anchor a student’s little finger in place on the heel of their bow, the Pinky Hold is designed to avoid stiffness and encourage the development of muscle memory. Made of soft, hypoallergenic silicone and available in a range of colours, it weighs 3g and ...
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FocusA cut above: Lee Valley stainless steel pocket plane
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Canadian woodworking firm Lee Valley has produced a limited-edition version of its pocket plane in corrosion-resistant stainless steel and with a nickel-plated lever cap. The plane measures approximately 115mm by 30mm and weighs 285g; its blade measures 22mm across and is set ...
