Oscar Stern
I'm a Multi-Instrumentalist & Singer. I do cool song covers w/ lots of neat instruments. I also try alot of gear learning how it all works.
19 comments By Oscar Stern
The string is made out of Kevlar so the tension is low & it's super soft
José Herrando wrote 6 Sonatas for the 5 string Violin/5 string Viola (aka Grand Viola, or Viola Pomposa)
Paganini’s Sonata for Grand Viola was written for the 5 string Viola (aka Viola Pomposa) tuned CGDAE & it can be played on 5 string Violin too.
Wittner makes a stringing crank for geared pegs
To make Geared pegs the new normal, all the friction pegs would have to have the knobs cut off & put onto geared mechanisms.
Nicolas Deletaille you're an amazing multi-instrumentalist. I didn't know you could even do Vibrato w/ Frets, that could be due to that they're filed down nearly flush w/ the fretboard.
They should have adjustable neck conversions so that you can fine tune the action
They would have to discontinue all of the friction pegs & just use geared pegs because they save the peg box from wearing out.
The bigger overstand allows the top to be made thinner plus the Low B String is hanging off the edge.
Thomas & George Martin have cleverly solved the playability problem of the 5 String Upright Bass by making a couple tweaks to its setup.
Wittner actually makes a Stringing Crank for their Mechanical Pegs because when you're restringing your instrument, all you'd have to do is turn the handle.
Also w/ the Guitar style machine head tuners (I have those on my 5 string Cello) they increase the break angle of the strings over the nut. A String winder helps w/ restringing it. They should be an amazing upgrade to historical instruments as the headstock will last longer due to the string posts not rubbing against the peg holes.
Yamaha now makes Electric Stringed instruments which are designed in such a way to play like their Acoustic Counterparts.
Wood Violins makes Extended Range Fretted Bowed stringed instruments which are easy to play but they really need to cut their price down to make them more accessible to students & teachers due to their versatility, that said Yamaha makes Electric Bowed stringed instruments that are made in such a way to feel like their Acoustic Counterparts. Eastman even makes Electrified Bowed stringed instruments (also in 5 string Versions tuned C, G, D, A, E), the Violins & Violas have an Endpin Jack (thankfully the chinrest is side mounted so the cable doesn't hurt you), & the Cellos have the Audio Output jack behind the endpin. They include an Audio cable you can use to hook em up to the amp & start jamming through FX. These instruments have Special Piezo Pickups (aka Contact Mics) that are designed to imitate the sound of an Acoustic Bowed stringed instrument when it's plugged into the amp.
I use D'addario Helicore Cello Strings (4/4 Size Medium Tension Set plus a Matching High E String) which are basically Flatwound & they have a Stranded Steel Core to make bowing on the string easier. Flatwound strings came as early as 1874 by a guy named Hamilton (not Alexander Hamilton but perhaps a Different Hamilton who was probably Alexander's Great Great Grandfather). Flatwound strings were originally designed to replace the Gut Strings because 1) they last many times as long, 2) they're easier to keep in tune, & 3) the flat surface increases the contact area w/ the bow which results in faster bow response.
The Original Manuscript might have had those flat symbols but this copy is missing them. I think the composer might have been in a hurry.
I think I figured it out. There's a shadow from a Flat symbol where he was trying to write it but he might have ran out of ink at the time. I believe this manuscript is actually a copy of the original manuscript.
I believe the Violins that used to have Shorter Necks were the Stradivarius Violins. The Violins that retain their original length necks (but are modernized) might have been made by some other musician.
Ya know what mechanical pegs are becoming more popular these days due to how much easier they are to install than friction pegs. The Guitar style pegs look like what you expect, pegs w/ Built in fine tuners.
Commented on: 31 March 2025
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