Hi, I've been on the cafe since 2009 and joined a few groups. I found this group thru the back door from fiddle hangout. It was playing mandolin that got me back to violin, my first instrument. Currently playing a cheap but surprisingly decent Bellafina 16.5" 5 stringer, my old student Roth with octave strings (sounds like a mellow cello now) an old 16.5" sweet sounding viola and my Grandpa's 1880's German trade violin. Looking to get into Hardanger next.
it sounds like you are more of a viola player with those larger instruments. Have you looked at any Hardangers or played one? Not so easy to find, at least here in the US.
There's a guy who advertises them across the mountains in the Seattle area. I've got to hold some very old but unplayable Hardingfele. Never played a live one. Grew up with violin but have gravitated to the longer viola scale.
I've been wanting a hardingfele for years. I had a trad-scandi ensemble with an elderly Norwegian fellow who played hardingfele. Then of course, I've long wanted a nyckelharpa...both instruments quite scarce in the US I've found other solutions to assuage my need for sympathetic-stringed resonance (short of picking up dilruba): namely, a large hackbrett-style hammered dulcimer, and oud. With my recent concentration in various styles of playing on other instruments--I haven't played the fiddle in nearly a year : (
catmandu - If you are still looking for nyckelharpa let me suggest Tom Jessen. He's built my two favorite instruments (F4 OM and 10 string mandola) and is a great guy. Very reasonably priced considering the workmanship and incredible tone.
Thanks MB -- nice stuff (I could find a use for that 10-string dola especially : ) And I'll also report fwiw, that...thanks to a recent "fiddling" thread--and compelling me to glance at this group (since I DID have cause to start it at one time )--I picked up my fiddle and played it!