Baroque violin?

[benhall.1]

I'd love to have a kit. Trouble is, the ones I've had my eye on for the last 35 years or so now start at about the same in thousands of pounds. I.E. the cheapest is something like £35,000. I think there are 5 of them.

[Rob Sharer]

Bit late to the party...

Regarding instrument choice, you are of course free to play whatsoever you choose. The questions are, are you planning to go out and play with other musicians, and do you mind what sort of reception you might receive.

If the answer to the first one is no, you're free and clear. If it's yes followed by yes, you have only to assess the thickness of your skin as you'll likely get at least a few arched eyebrows for your unconventional rig. Who knows, it might be so quiet no one will know what you're up to. If it's yes followed by no, a stout brass neck will carry you through.

Having worked in a violin shop in Germany and tried some jigs'n'reels on an original, unspoiled 17th c. violin (with a lion's head and a lolling, red tongue!), I can say that they sounded.....quaint. Twee. Not my cup of meat.


Rob

[MTGuru]

Having worked in a violin shop in Germany and tried some jigs'n'reels ... (with a lion's head and a lolling, red tongue!)

I sure hope you're referring to the fiddle.

[Rob Sharer]

I should be more careful where I dangle my modifier!


Rob

[MTGuru]

I should be more careful where I dangle my modifier!

That's waaaay too much information.

[garyrich]

My answer's at least would be: yes and... honestly not so much, but I see no need to be rude. Rude is showing up with a strat and a half stack and announcing that I know this one song by The Pogues. Or maybe me and 10 friends all playing the bodhran at the same time - it's wicked dude!

Played well, the older instruments are my "cup of meat" (a term I've not heard before ). Right now anything that I play with a bow is going to sound like rubbish. It would be a good year before I'd suffer anyone else to have to listen to me.

For now, I restringed my son's mandolin and redid the setup from scratch (much better now). At least I can learn the left hand part of some some fiddle tunes that way and the sound doesn't injure anyone. Re setup; I've been tinkering with guitars and such for 40 years I'm not afraid of a Chinese violin with a bad setup. Not sure I can do better, but I know I won't break it trying. I'm pretty sure I'll ruin a few bridge blanks though.

garyr

PS: the ponchette/dancing master always seemed to me to be a very special purpose instrument. Something the dancing master at a ball can move around the dance floor with while the band plays. Play downbeats or such while dancing to help instruct dancers or just taunt people out of their chairs. An Instrument for Andre Rieu

[Rob Sharer]

Played well, the older instruments are my "cup of meat" (a term I've not heard before ).

Manfred Mann.



Rob

[benhall.1]

PS: the ponchette/dancing master always seemed to me to be a very special purpose instrument. Something the dancing master at a ball can move around the dance floor with while the band plays. Play downbeats or such while dancing to help instruct dancers or just taunt people out of their chairs. An Instrument for Andre Rieu

Kits (and pochettes as well, assuming you're a splitter, not a lumper) are not designed to be played in that fashion at all, or with any other accompaniment. They were designed to be fully playable instruments - some of the old ones that I've seen are absolutely gorgeous - but also capable of being fitted into the pockets of specially designed coats that dancing masters wore. (Hence the name "pochette", in fact.) They were typically played by the dancing master during lessons, and no other instruments would be played. Dancing masters were supposed to be both accomplished players of the kit and accomplished dancers. (I see that some websites have it that dancing masters would have taught lessons on a one to one basis, but this does seem to have been the case, if you go by contemporary accounts.)

If you want to know how they were used, at least up until the early 19c, look up the famous passage describing a scene with a dancing master and kit in Dickens' Bleak House.

[garyrich]

I learn something new every day. My idea of its use must have come from a novel other than Bleak House. Very likely historical fiction where the author got it a bit wrong. Sounds like they must play a lot better than the other thing they lump together with in mind - those dreadful skinny "travel" guitars.

[benhall.1]

A small excerpt from Bleak House follows. There's more, but this gives the gist. I only mentioned this because it happens, IMO, to give a good idea of how the kit was generally used. The scene is a largish room with "Several young lady pupils, ranging from thirteen or fourteen years of age to two or three and twenty" plus our Dancing Master, Mr Prince Turveydrop and his father (who does nothing but stand around and be a model of deportment).


" "Go on, Prince! Go on!" said Mr. Turveydrop, standing with his back to the fire and waving his gloves condescendingly. "Go on, my son!"

At this command, or by this gracious permission, the lesson went on. Prince Turveydrop sometimes played the kit, dancing; sometimes played the piano, standing; sometimes hummed the tune with what little breath he could spare, while he set a pupil right; always conscientiously moved with the least proficient through every step and every part of the figure; and never rested for an instant. His distinguished father did nothing whatever but stand before the fire, a model of deportment. "

[Note: "Prince" is just his name. He's not really a Prince.]

[garyrich]

FWIW, I decided to in a slightly different direction with a guseto strad copy from yitamusic in China with a modern setup



I paid an extra $30 to have them cut and fit an Aubert Deluxe bridge. Quite playable and looks nice hanging on a peg. The latter is a little important since 9 out of 10 instruments are wall art at any given moment.