This Virzi showed up on facebook today. 'First time I've veer seen one in that shape and in a violin; 'makes fitting the soundpost even more fun! It seems like a boatload of mass added to that tiny little bassbar....
This Virzi showed up on facebook today. 'First time I've veer seen one in that shape and in a violin; 'makes fitting the soundpost even more fun! It seems like a boatload of mass added to that tiny little bassbar....
Wow thats pretty neat James!
Whoa, they are out there.
https://www.google.com/search?q=virz...&bih=770&dpr=1
And apparently we've seen them before. I totally forgot about these.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...dolin-Brothers
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
How the [blank] do you set the soundpost in something like that?
Virzi tone producers were first developed for the violin, not for the mandolin. A number of violins and violas from the 1920's to 1930's have these installed. Lloyd Loar had the idea to install them some of Gibson's mandolins, which incorporated some other violin features, as well.
If you think you can get a post setter under that Virzi without breaking it or chewing up the f-hole, my hat is off to you.
James has his work cut out [I hope not ] for him on this one.
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
That's the typical shape for the Virzi Tone Producers in Virzi's violins and violas. They were actually pretty light weight, wide grain, and were typically around .080˝ thick. As to setting the soundpost, there's no concern because the soundpost is under - an just behind - the treble foot of the bridge. The bass bar and tone producer run under the bass foot of the bridge. I have Loar's personal viola (made by August Diehl in 1875) and the Tone Producer is very similar to the shape that James showed. "Virzi Tone Amplifier" (as Virzi called them) were in many Gibson mandolins, mandolas, and guitars until the relationship between Virzi and Gibson was halted at the end of 1924. Loar's personal F5 mandolin has one.
R
I have a 1924 Gibson Harp guitar with on in it about the size of a frisbee....
James... Do I assume correctly that it is a tradition Gibson oval-hole harp guitar? If so, brace configuration appears to be two longitudinal braces/tone bars. Am I correct? Does it also have a cross brace just below the soundhole?
R
Yes- two giant longitudinal braces with the virzi in the middle and a big single transverse brace next to the oval soundhole. The whole thing is massively overbraced and overbuilt; I could park my old Tacoma on the thing. Areas of the top are 8+mm thick- in the range of a double bass!
A few years back I saw a huge virzi complete with the original label inside a piano that was almost a big as a guitar.....
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