Hi all,

I'm new to the list and to fiddling though I've played guitar for nearly 35
years and mandolin for 25 years. I've been in lurk mode on the list for a
couple of months and now feel its time to request some info. I bought a new
viola yesterday made by Gliga Vasile of Reghin, Romania on 3/5/00 (any info
on the builder is appreciated). I just couldn't resist the one piece,
birdseye maple back and sides. She (yes she, although her voice is deep and
sultry like Lauren Becall or Kathleen Turner) sure is pretty. Is there an
archive of topics discussed (like CoMando) where I can get info on resolving
the sticky tuner problem. I remember that slippery tuners were discussed
recently but my problem is just the opposite. I will install fine tuners on
the C, G and D strings (it came with only one on the A string).

I'd also like to know if anyone has come across any instruments made in
Providence, RI by Joseph U. Beliveau. He was my great-grandfather and
apparently a prolific builder with some 200 to 300 instruments to his
credit. I am especially interested in acquiring any of his instruments for
sentimental/familial reasons. Feel free to reply off-list and thank you in
advance for your assistance.

Kind regards,
Len Boudreau
[log in to unmask]

----- Original Message -----
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Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 12:02 AM
Subject: FIDDLE-L Digest - 6 Aug 2000 to 7 Aug 2000 (#2000-218)


> There are 10 messages totalling 288 lines in this issue.
>
> Topics of the day:
>
>   1. Willamette Valley Contest
>   2. Chester County, PA Old Fiddler's Day
>   3. Quiet Fiddles
>   4. Vassar Clements & Graphite Bows
>   5. 5-string Acoustic Fiddles
>   6. Kirk & Lisa Sutphin at Tate Street Coffee House in Greensboro, 8/9/00
>   7. Georgia Cracker
>   8. Georgia Crackers
>   9. Quiet "practice" fiddles
>  10. Mellie Dunham Picture
>
> =================================================================
> URL: http://www-openmap.bbn.com/users/gkeith/fiddles/fiddle-l.html
> Please mail any questions/problems to: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 01:42:55 EDT
> From:    [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Willamette Valley Contest
>
> Recently Starr has written about the Willamette Valley Fiddle Contest.  I
> attended yesterday.  Just want to comment that it went well and wish that
you
> could have been there, too.  I don't know how you people back east
pronounce
> Willamette but here in Oregon (Orygun), it is Will - am - et.
>
> The contest was low pressure, had a novice division and was more like
playing
> at a party rather than at a "contest."   I didn't feel any pressure,
didn't
> have to psych myself up, no heart palpitations, smiled at the judges and
had
> a good time.  So you "no contest" people would have/could have enjoyed it,
> too.  I am not a contest fiddler but rather a "nursing home" fiddler but I
> brought home a few dollars and a nice ribbon and enjoyed myself.
>
> The first round we were on a little stage in the flower section of the
Benton
> County Fair -- very informal.  The small audience sat under a tent,
> applauding and encouraging us.  Round two at 4:30 that afternoon was on a
> more formal stage under an old stand of oak trees.  The large audience was
on
> bleachers in front of the stage taking it all in.  It was a bit on the
warm
> side but a cool breeze put us at ease.  The smell of hot dogs and other
fair
> smells came with the breeze.  What a great time to be a fiddler and to be
> participating.
>
> I want to publically congratulate and thank Starr and her friends for
holding
> this excellent contest.
>
> Lew Holt
> Salem, Oregon
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 09:25:31 -0400
> From:    "Pollak, Edward" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Chester County, PA Old Fiddler's Day
>
> > Just a reminder that the Chester County Old Fiddler's Day is this coming
> > Saturday (August 12) from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.  Open stage and great
jamming.
> > If you plan to go on stage you need to there quite early to sign up.
For
> > details see http://www.icdc.com/~fmoore/home.htm
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, West Chester Univ. of
> > PA
> > Office: 610-436-3151; Home: 610-363-1939; Fax: 610-436-2846;
> > [log in to unmask]
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and
> > herpetoculturist.  To find out what a herpetoculturist is, check out the
> > Chameleon Journals MOAC  Database at
> > http://www.chameleonjournals.com/moac/
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 08:35:18 -0500
> From:    "Kaye, Barbara B" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Quiet Fiddles
>
> My $.02 on quiet fiddles
>
> OK so I'm jumping into the fracas with this one - but here's what I do to
> quietly practice. I use a heavy "practice mute" it weighs several ounces
and
> is very silencing. Just be sure to take it off he bridge before you pack
up
> your fiddle.
>
> As a courtesy to my household and neighbors, I also practice at the same
> time every day. That way, people know that for that particular period,
> they'll have to go somewhere else.
>
>
> OK so you want a SILENT fiddle - I learned this trick when I had to outfit
> the "fiddler" in a production of Fiddler on the Roof. He was "synching"
the
> fiddle part as the first violinist played the notes. It was really
> effective.
>
> I took an old bow and had it re-haired with monofilament and did not use
> rosin on it.
>
> Then I took an old fiddle and strung it with ukulele strings - perfectly
> silent when used with the monofilament bow.
>
>
> *************************************************************
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 09:55:59 -0400
> From:    "Pollak, Edward" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Vassar Clements & Graphite Bows
>
> Just FYI........ I had the pleasure of seeing the Vassar play at Wind Gap
> this weekend.  He joined us for dinner at the Grillbillies' campsite and I
> had the added pleasure of talking with him.  FWIW, he's playing a Glasser
> composite bow and loves it.  He said that Glasser tailors them for him....
> any weight and balance point he wants.  I don't know if Glasser does this
> for anyone who asks or just for Vassar.
> Ed
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, West Chester Univ. of
PA
> Office: 610-436-3151; Home: 610-363-1939; Fax: 610-436-2846;
> [log in to unmask]
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, bluegrass fiddler and
> herpetoculturist.  To find out what a herpetoculturist is, check out the
> Chameleon Journals MOAC  Database at
http://www.chameleonjournals.com/moac/
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 09:58:43 -0400
> From:    Andrew Rogers <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: 5-string Acoustic Fiddles
>
> Think about the violin-making skill needed to produce a well-balanced
> sound over four strings. Then add the C to the mix, and you'll
> understand the challenge of balancing all five. It often does not work.
> Either the bottom end dominates, and the E is weak, or the E is bright
> and the rest sound thin. Some people try stringing up a small viola with
> an E, with the same mixed results.
>
> My 5-string fiddle is based on a Guarneri design; it's 'girth' is
> slightly larger than the standard violin, the neck and fingerboard are
> wider for the five strings, the scroll is longer to accommodate the
> fifth peg, but the nut-to bridge string length matches the violin. The
> maker used a viola bridge and planed it down. Even with all this careful
> forethought in design (more than I understand) I can hear a slight
> weakness at the top end. Adjusting the sound post helped. Choosing the
> right strings was crucial; gold E's are out (too soft). The fat Helicore
> violin set works. For the C I've been using the fat Helicore viola C -
> even though it's designed for a 16.5" viola. I'd love to read what works
> for other 5-string players.
>
> So for the last two years I've been playing the 5 more than the 4's. I
> like the mellow low end that the C offers; even the resonance off the D
> and G strings is richer. It took practice to adjust fingers to the wider
> neck, but now the 5 feels natural.
>
> Andy Rogers
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 10:10:48 -0400
> From:    Sarah Peterson <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Kirk & Lisa Sutphin at Tate Street Coffee House in Greensboro,
8/9/00
>
> Please join us at the Tate Street Coffee House in Greensboro, NC this
Wednesday evening, August 9, for another evening of old-time music and
coffee-sipping. Kirk & Lisa Sutphin will begin the music at 7pm with a set
of fine fiddling and guitar accompaniment, and will stick around after their
set to lead a jam session.
>
> The Tate Street Coffee House is located at 334 S. Tate Street, between
Spring Garden and Market in the UNCG campus area. If you need directions or
have any questions, please email me.
>
> - Sarah
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 10:51:24 -0700
> From:    Paul Tyler <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Georgia Cracker
>
> I've been looking for it too.  There's a recording of a tune by that
> name at the Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University.
>         Accession number 80-043-B
>         Collector, Paul Tyler
>         Performer, Nancy Lee & the Hilltoppers
> This recording was from a radio transcription circa 1950.  The
> Hilltoppers played on WOWO Fort Wayne through 4 decades, were led by
> accordionist Sam DeVincent.  Sam was music librarian at WOWO for most of
> that time.  He also assembled a massive sheet music collection that is
> now in the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.  You
> can find a description of the collection  at
> http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/
>
> However, I have not been able to find Georgia Cracker in any of the tune
> books Sam collected.  Doesn't mean it's not there.
>
> And I don't even have a copy of the recording I gave to the ATM.
>
> Good luck,
> Paul Tyler
>
>
> DeeAnn Gillispie wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> >    Anyone know of a recording, notation, tab or abc's for a tune called
> > "Georgia Cracker"? I can't find it.
> >    Thanks,
> >          DeeAnn Gillispie
> >         [log in to unmask]
> > ________________________________________________________________________
> > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
> >
> > =================================================================
> > URL: http://www-openmap.bbn.com/users/gkeith/fiddles/fiddle-l.html
> > Please mail any questions/problems to:
[log in to unmask]
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 10:56:43 -0700
> From:    Paul Tyler <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Georgia Crackers
>
> How about that.  I wonder if this is the one the Hilltoppers played.
> BTW there fiddler was Jack Carmen of Fort Wayne.
>
> Paul Tyler
>
> Vi Wickam wrote:
> >
> > I am almost sure that there is sheet music to Georgia Crackers in The
Fiddle
> > Bible (1000 Fiddle Tunes). The copy I have is Spiral Bound, and has a
yellow
> > cover with Green writing on it. I am not sure where my copy is right
now,
> > but I think I recall sight reading a tune by that name in that book.
> > I hope this helps.
> > Vi
> > http://www.evansville.net/~vwickam
> >
> > =================================================================
> > URL: http://www-openmap.bbn.com/users/gkeith/fiddles/fiddle-l.html
> > Please mail any questions/problems to:
[log in to unmask]
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 16:10:16 -0500
> From:    Lynn Garren <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Quiet "practice" fiddles
>
> >
> > I have since made one which I feel is a step up.  This time I
> > bought a roughly-hewn neck and fingerboard, shaped/finished it and
mounted
> > it, on an hollow aluminum dowl about an inch and a half in diameter.
This
> > time, also, I mounted a contraption by which I now have a shoulder
brace,
> > not only for comfort, but to keep it from swiveling as my 'barrel-stave'
> > fiddle did.  This one works much better though not quite as
> > steady (on the shoulder) as a regular fiddle with shoulder brace.
> >
>
> Someone is making something very much like this commercially.
> Bob Smakula carries them.  I forget the name.
>
>                 Lynn G.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 7 Aug 2000 22:36:53 -0400
> From:    David Sanderson <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Mellie Dunham Picture
>
> Got to messing around this evening and have put on my Web site
> (http://www.megalink.net/~davids) one of my favorite fiddler photos, of
> local Maine fiddler Mellie Dunham, probably taken some time around 1926,
> when he was briefly quite famous.  It's a striking photograph in its own
> right, taken by a man named Vivian Akers, a local photographer, artist,
> etc. and something of a ne'er-do-well or proto-hippie.  Check out the
> lighting, and especially Mellie's hands and fiddle (he was in his 70's
> at the time).
>
> --
>      David Sanderson
>      East Waterford, Maine
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of FIDDLE-L Digest - 6 Aug 2000 to 7 Aug 2000 (#2000-218)
> *************************************************************

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