here is my most recently completed instrument, the resonator, or
Stroh violin.
i made this for a fellow named tommy. he and i sometimes play with the
bare bones orchestra for their annual halloween puppet show. that's where he got the idea to be able to switch between string section and horns and to fill out both as needed.
it actually isn't all that brassy sounding. tommy described the sound as "silky". volume wise it as loud as or a little louder than an acoustic violin, but only in front of the bell.
the bell is from a bought-as-is trombone. the neck came from a dismantled violin and was more or less in the scrap bin. the body and shoulder rest are from an oak railing banister. the resonator box is from an alarm clock.
for the resonator itself i had originally been using an aluminum speaker cone center. it was very similar in consistency to cones used in resonator guitars. ultimately it was too fragile and not loud enough and i ended up using the lid to a mason jar. because of the ridge around the edge the center can act more like a membrane. this made the violin a lot louder and more able to withstand everyday use.
the tailpiece and knobs i carved from cocobolo, the chin rest i got online. the wings that the shoulder rest attaches to are hollowed out to reduce weight and to hold the pickup controls.
since the design was a solid body i figured it would be a good idea to make it electric as well. here is the piezo bridge pickup i built. it sounds pretty nice through an amp too, without the feedback an amplified acoustic can have.
tommy practices accupuncture here in town and is paying me in sessions to treat my sciatica.
(aka: luthier's leg, aka: pain in the ass)
dated 2012. the 1 is upside down to commemorate the magnetic pole reversal happening this year, really i meant to do it that way.
please, seriously, take a moment and check out some of the other instruments i've built and posted here. this is only one of many that are just as awesome. the list is over there on the right => go on, have a look!
I, just recently, found your blog and am very impressed with everything you're doing. I have a stroh fiddle that I bought on the internet a couple of years ago and have always toyed around with the idea of making my own. I've amassed a victrola resonator and have materials for the body and neck. The thing that always gets me though, is how to fashion the piece that both supports the bridge and transfers the vibrations to the resonator.
ReplyDeleteYou've got an elegant beast here. Do you mind if I ask what/how/where you came up with your bridge to resonator assembly?
Thanks and have a great day.
Joe
all i really had to go on was pictures. i could tell the support "arm" had to pivot. during the sketching phase i was using half a bicycle brake caliper as a visual model. that's how i came up with the bolt and nylon washer rig. the springs are probably unnecessary now that i changed the resonator cone. the old one would've crumpled if the arm tipped at all.
DeleteThis is really cool! Do you have a diagram of how the resonator box works? I am trying to build a Stroh myself and need some more information on the subject.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
A.T. Shamblin
there is certainly a lack of info out there about stroh violins. basically the resonator clamps in between the two halves of the box. it is like a drum head more or less. real strohs use mica for the resonator. i couldn't find any pieces large enough to fit the alarm clock shell i used.
DeleteWow this is beautiful!I love the style. I am trying to build one of these babies right now and I cant figure out how the resonator works exactly. Did you simply connect the bridge linkage to the mason jar lid which was clamped and which transmitted the sound? or is there a diaphragm behind the lid which we cant see in the picture? And did you shape the lid into a cone or is it just as it was when you found it? Thank you!
ReplyDeletethe lid is the diaphragm. it is unaltered except the hole for the bolt that connects to the bridge.
ReplyDeleteSo funny, I went to bed last night dreaming of a 'Steampunk Fiddle' and woke up, started doing research, and found this baby. funny, because... it's exactly what I pictured.
ReplyDeleteA couple of questions...
1. what are the wires on the bridge for?
2. Can you guess how much space is between the resonator and the small mouth of the horn?
3. are those springs on the bridge legs? Are they functional for any reason?
4. The concept of the bridge, resting on the metal thing'y that transfers vibrations to the resonator (the lid?)... is that the basic idea?
Would love to try to build one of these.
I live in Costa Rica which is a very small violin pond. I have been playing the violin for eight years and learned restauration with one of the four luthiers iin this country. I am yearning for more. Something where I can combine my engineer mind with my love for instruments. Would you accept me as an aprentice in a couple of years? I am only sixteen and have to finish high school first. In the meantime can we please be in touch. We have a forest which gives us amazing wood when a tree falls. And i need someone to brainstorm with.
ReplyDeleteEden,
well.............first i gotta say i really try to stay as far away from violins as possible. an apprenticeship with me would have to involve either frets or a wheel crank. i'm also a total bum(U.S.) as luthiers go and have plenty of trouble getting myself through a build. i would love to keep in contact and offer whatever advice or knowledge i can here, and i'd really love to score some tropical timber! maybe we can work out some kind of barter.
Delete