Your videos have inspired me as I learn to play my cigar box fiddle! They can sound so good in skilled hands, but I am more of a builder than a fiddler. I hope to be able to make mine sound as good as you do on your awesome creations!
Thank you! When I first started making these I was just learning how to play on a cheap Cinese fiddle. Making them inspired me to put in some time and get better at playing them.
Very nice fiddle, and excellent playing in fine old-time style. I notice that when playing my own cigar-box fiddle, my bow handling has to be a bit different due to the lack of "waist " space on the box. I've seen these fiddles made with waists cut in them, but they just don't look right to me. Also, due to the thickness of the box wood, the fiddle is quite a bit quieter than my standard instrument.
I love it! I also made a cigarbox fiddle from these plans, which I unearthed on cigarboxnation.com. I've never seen a cigarbox up close so I made a box out of 3mm ply about the same size as a violin body. I copied the f holes of a violin and filed the tabs thin because I've heard that they are the tweaters of the system. Blow me down it sounds good! I can't play mine as smoothly as you do but it has a deeper tone and more ring than my $30 factory plywood one.
Thanks S Wilkin. This was a fun build and turned out better than I expected. I'd like to hear the one you made. Is it on youtube? The one one in this video now belongs to Ben Baker who started Cigar Box Nation.
Cigar box fiddles sound is much closer to a regular, store bought fiddle. A gourd fiddle has a softer, more earthy tone. Also, I don't tune gourd fiddles up to standard pitch to avoid a lot of tension so that adds to the mellower tone.
I've become pretty proficient at making CB guitars, ukes, dulcimers and banjos. I'm working on my first fiddle now. Do you pay attention to scale length or do you let the notes fall where they may? I've been having trouble finding cigar boxes long enough to provide for the standard 12.8 inch scale.
Hi Joshua, I pay pretty close attention to making the scale very close to that of a 4/4 violin which, as you know, is around 13" so I usually determine where on the box I want the bridge and then make the neck the length needed for that to happen. Very few cigar boxes come close to the 14" length of a fiddle body so the neck has to be several inches longer. This box has a 12.5" scale .due to my poor planning but that's close enough to be comfortable to most fiddlers. Using a factory made neck just won't work on cigar boxes because that would put the bridge all the way to the end of the box. Good luck with the build.
Thanks. That's what I figured. I think this first one will just have to be 7/8 size. From some of your other fiddle builds, it looks like you might do a through neck like a banjo?
On about half of them I use a through neck. On others, when the box seems strong enough, I use a hanger bolt mechanical attachment. I still add support to the inside of the box when I do that.
michaelkravchuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Turkey-In-The-Straw-G-Major.pdf This is pretty much how I play it but I add drone notes on adjacent strings.
Sounds beautifully crafted holy heck
Thank you.
Your videos have inspired me as I learn to play my cigar box fiddle! They can sound so good in skilled hands, but I am more of a builder than a fiddler. I hope to be able to make mine sound as good as you do on your awesome creations!
Thank you! When I first started making these I was just learning how to play on a cheap Cinese fiddle. Making them inspired me to put in some time and get better at playing them.
EXCELLENT and Inspiring, gonna have to build one of these!
Go for it!
Sound great and don’t take this wrong but it reminds of the Disney cartoons. They used a lot of old time songs. Some of my favorites
Thank you! I love cartoon music!
@@morbanjo2503 same here. As silly as it is, it’s a lot of fun
Wow, another amazing build. Sounds great too!
Thanks chip.
Very nice fiddle, and excellent playing in fine old-time style. I notice that when playing my own cigar-box fiddle, my bow handling has to be a bit different due to the lack of "waist " space on the box. I've seen these fiddles made with waists cut in them, but they just don't look right to me. Also, due to the thickness of the box wood, the fiddle is quite a bit quieter than my standard instrument.
Excellent observations Bud! I've made several with the waist cut in but if I can make the simple rectangle work I prefer it.
In the end, what matters is the man playing
Well said!
I'm interested in your fiddle, building,,can I purchase a fiddle from you, please,,
I have a couple of cigar box fiddles available. Contact me at morbanjo@gmail.com
I love it! I also made a cigarbox fiddle from these plans, which I unearthed on cigarboxnation.com. I've never seen a cigarbox up close so I made a box out of 3mm ply about the same size as a violin body. I copied the f holes of a violin and filed the tabs thin because I've heard that they are the tweaters of the system.
Blow me down it sounds good! I can't play mine as smoothly as you do but it has a deeper tone and more ring than my $30 factory plywood one.
Thanks S Wilkin. This was a fun build and turned out better than I expected. I'd like to hear the one you made. Is it on youtube? The one one in this video now belongs to Ben Baker who started Cigar Box Nation.
sweet
Wow! Music can be fun and not break the bank. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
Que marabilla de musica ...
Gracias!
Yay!
Inspired!
Can you make a video,of build ing one, please I like the style,
I might not make another one for a while but here's a link to he plans I used. www.cigarboxnation.com/page/how-to-build-a-cigar-box-violin-1940-plans
My favorite video yet! Darn good sound too!
Thanks Blaine!
Fun, thanks! Do you always follow written plans when you design your upcycled creations?
Almost never. This was a different sort of situation for me.
What is the difference in sound between cigar box and gourd fiddles? Which do you prefer?
Cigar box fiddles sound is much closer to a regular, store bought fiddle. A gourd fiddle has a softer, more earthy tone. Also, I don't tune gourd fiddles up to standard pitch to avoid a lot of tension so that adds to the mellower tone.
@@morbanjo2503 Thank you for your insight! I might put Octave strings on once I get mine built :)
sounds good
Thank you!
I've become pretty proficient at making CB guitars, ukes, dulcimers and banjos. I'm working on my first fiddle now. Do you pay attention to scale length or do you let the notes fall where they may? I've been having trouble finding cigar boxes long enough to provide for the standard 12.8 inch scale.
Hi Joshua, I pay pretty close attention to making the scale very close to that of a 4/4 violin which, as you know, is around 13" so I usually determine where on the box I want the bridge and then make the neck the length needed for that to happen. Very few cigar boxes come close to the 14" length of a fiddle body so the neck has to be several inches longer. This box has a 12.5" scale .due to my poor planning but that's close enough to be comfortable to most fiddlers. Using a factory made neck just won't work on cigar boxes because that would put the bridge all the way to the end of the box. Good luck with the build.
Thanks. That's what I figured. I think this first one will just have to be 7/8 size. From some of your other fiddle builds, it looks like you might do a through neck like a banjo?
On about half of them I use a through neck. On others, when the box seems strong enough, I use a hanger bolt mechanical attachment. I still add support to the inside of the box when I do that.
Thanks.
I agree with "chiparoo" 100%
Thanks Roger.
Who in tarnation says a darn fiddle has to be hand crafted from the finest and most pricey stuff‽‽
Obviously I don't say that,lol
@@morbanjo2503 i know that. I was complimenting your craftsmanship
Groovy
Hi, can you give me the plans of the violin?
Hi Rafael, here' a link to the reprinted plans.
www.cigarboxnation.com/group/cbfiddles/forum/topics/heres-a-readable-rewriteredraw
Can you write the notes ?
michaelkravchuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Turkey-In-The-Straw-G-Major.pdf
This is pretty much how I play it but I add drone notes on adjacent strings.
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