Accessories – Page 11
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FocusPickup or microphone? Choosing what's right for your bowed string instrument
With such a variety of electronic pickups, microphones and now hybrid systems on the market, finding the perfect amplification solution isn’t always easy. Kimon Daltas considers the options
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FocusGvido digital music score device
The dual electronic screens of the Gvido digital music score device replicate the appearance of traditional sheet music and allow users to ‘turn’ pages at the touch of a button and annotate parts using a special magnetic pen. Weighing 660g and 6mm thick, it can store some ...
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FocusCoruss synthetic bow hair
According to the manufacturer, Coruss synthetic bow hair matches natural horsehair in blind tests for tone and articulation. Compared with natural alternatives it offers greater durability and resistance to very humid or dry conditions, doesn’t degrade when stored for long periods of time, and uses no animal ...
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FocusHeart and soul: Anima Nova adjustable carbon fibre soundpost
An adjustable, carbon-fibre alternative designed to offer enhanced control to the luthier and superior sound to the player
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FocusAsk the experts: choosing, changing and caring for your strings
String makers receive all kinds of questions from players about their products. Chloe Cutts explores their responses to the most common queries
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FocusTitanium: the perfect material for instrument fittings?
Tough and light, titanium is thought to be the leading material for stringed instrument adjusters and fixtures, but does the metal have acoustic benefits too? Peter Somerford investigates
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FocusProfessional string players reveal their favourite accessory
We asked six string musicians to name the one most treasured addition to their kit – though for some it was doing without something which made the difference
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FocusLuthiers' favourite gadgets from ancient plant matter to the latest tech
We asked some top makers and restorers to share their favourite labour-saving devices, and got a fascinatingly broad range of responses
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FocusCan these new tailpiece designs raise the tonal game of your instrument?
Until recently, the importance of an instrument’s tailpiece was barely realised. Vicky Sharpe talks to some of the craftsmen who have been experimenting with different materials and designs to help maximise an instrument’s sound quality
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FocusMaking a carbon fibre bow in 10 steps – photo story
Founded in 1999, Arcus has developed a reputation for making lightweight, durable bows from non-traditional materials. Company director Bernd Müsing explains how a composite bow is made, from initial design to first hair fitting
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FocusAdvances in string manufacture: the latest developments
There are hundreds of strings available on the market already, and new releases seem never ending. But just why are these developments happening, how necessary are they, and how are musicians involved in that process? Pauline Harding asks string manufacturers and testers worldwide
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FocusProtection and portability: five of our favourite violin cases reviewed
The number of instrument cases available can make finding your perfect partner a daunting process. Charlotte Smith takes five cases by leading manufacturers BAM, For-Tune, Gewa, Musafia and Negri on the road to test security, mobility and the range of features available
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FocusSticky stuff: how rosin is made and how to choose the right one for your needs
As string players we all use rosin, but how many of us understand its properties well enough to choose the type that’s right for us? Laurinel Owen investigates
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FocusCase for the defence: latest developments in violin case manufacturing
As the protective features of violin cases grow ever more sophisticated, Tom Stewart looks at how the latest innovations stack up against more classic technology
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BlogsVideo: listen to a violin strung with human hair
Artist Tadas Maksimovas was struck with the idea of using his own hair to replace traditional violin strings - while still attached to his head - as part of Street Musicians' Day in Lithuania last year.The hair was divided into sections by stylist Ieva SereikytÄ— and applied with ...
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ArticleStudent creates 3D-printed violin bow
Following hot on the heels of recent experiments by Monad Studios to create a 3D-printed violin and a 3D-printed cello, a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art in the US has created a 3D-printed violin bow. Austin Peppel is interested in recreating the sound of a ...
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NewsEaling Strings director Alan Mann dies aged 71
Alan Mann, co-founder of Ealing Strings music shop in London, has died aged 71. For more than four decades he attended to the instruments of string players from around the globe; regular customers based in the British capital included Gyorgy Pauk, Robert Smissen, Paul Silverthorne and Thomas Gould.Born ...
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Premium ❘ FocusFinding the right chin rest and shoulder rest
Your violin set-up needs to fit you, not the other way round, says late starter Lawrence Proulx, whose painful playing position sent him in search of a custom chin rest and shoulder rest
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Article5 solutions to slipping violin pegs
Online piano and violin tutor Alison Sparrow demonstrates five ways to prevent slipping violin pegs.Subscribe to The Strad or download our digital edition as part of a 30-day free trial. To purchase single issues click here.
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GalleryViolin cases: security and splendour
In Accessories 2014 we track the evolution of the violin case through some of the more impresisvely built and decorated examples