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@ABitRusty -
Hey, THAT WAS FABULOUS!
Except I didn't hear anything that could be known as "Ol' Scratch" there - TOO SWEET!
Super way to end out the day!
This is Scary though - doesn't seem like Viola anymore!
...just a GREAT sounding Fiddle!
- Emily
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appreciate it @JohnG thanks!
thank you @ elcbk !
" This is Scary though - doesn't seem like Viola anymore!
...just a GREAT sounding Fiddle! "
works for me!
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@ABitRusty You & your new viola sound great! It’s like you’ve been playing it for a while—wouldn’t have known it was new for you.
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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ELCBK said
@ABitRusty -Ooo, Ooo, Ooo!
PICKED A NAME FOR MY VIOLA!
...was almost James Earl Jones. (lol)
Edgar!
@ELCBK Edgar is a fine name! Means “Fortunate & Powerful”
@ABitRusty I don’t know about ol scratch – your viola sounds pretty smooth, there 
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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@SharonC -
Hey, Thanx!
That's a MUCH better reason to chose "Edgar" than mine! 😊
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ABitRusty said
@elcbk havent really thought of a name till read your post... figure ol scratch will work..heres a couple i made tonight. just a quick cell phone video. i havent tried much in the way of playing things in the original fiddle keys yet... just doing my sawing to end the day.
🤔 ...yeah, I hope you stay open to giving your new Viola an alternative name.
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thanks for the encouragement @SharonC ..i do appreciate it! just using fingering and same strings as the fiddle stuff. really got it more to explore double stopping and playing sorta backup type on tracks with fiddle. havent gotten time to try much more than what ive posted. I like those C and G strings...it has a nice growl. but watching worldfiddlers post showed what could be also.. so lot to learn about it. I just enjoy the fiddle stuff so much and that takes the practice/playing time.
@elcbk ill see what comes to mind. never have really named the instruments so best i could do at the moment. Like the grey gif ! i recognize that look. its the ...not gonna let you have my couch spot one. 😂
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@ABitRusty -
Here's my addition for our very own mini "New Viola Party"!
My Glasser Viola came with Larsen "Original" strings. First, I swapped out everything but the E string for D'Addario Ascenté, which felt nice, but didn't quite do anything for me sound-wise. Next I put on a set of Larsen Virtuoso Viola strings (all except the E string) - the A string supplied in the set is the same as the Originals. They've had a couple days to settle in so I recorded this before it got too dark.
Not a comparison here - did a little of the 'Viola vs. Violin' in SharonC's "Parlor Music Party" (post #26), which actually sounds better than this.
I should've played "Jia Ren Qu" for Chinese New Year (again, I'm late), and I just started to learn "Kräfta", so just a taste of it here - posted original, composed by David Greely, in the "Cajun Thread" with some of his other tunes (even though it sounds & is named a Swedish name).
I didn't quite get the droning in at the end & shortened it, so still MUCH more work to do on my part... for a later video.
💖 THANK YOU! 💖
THIS HAS BEEN SOOO MUCH FUN, SHARING NEW VIOLAS!
Still think your Viola should take a back seat to your Fiddles?
...oops - forgot you only have 4 strings on yours. 🤭
I have Zyex yet to try and I'm a little intrigued to find out Fiddlershop also has Virtuoso "Solo" Viola strings available!
Ahem... didn't tell me, Fiddlerman! (lol)
- Emily
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sahweet @elcbk ! Liked both tunes ..I think Im leaning a little toward the 2nd one more but the first sounds more difficult. liked the vibrato youre doing. I was beginning to wonder if this was gonna be the party nobody shows up fer..
thanks for sharing those!
"...oops - forgot you only have 4 strings on yours"
oh me ribs.... cant stop laughing 
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ELCBK
Very good, the first one had the embellishments of Chinese sound, the second one I to like very nice tunes.
Well done,
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Both of those are excellent, but I really liked the Jia Ren Qu and shared it to a Messenger post with my family and which includes our Chinese daughter-in-law and her mother.
The old curmudgeon!
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@ABitRusty , @JohnG , @Mark -
Thank you!
Really appreciate you listened to my 'microtonal' music. (lol)
I've obviously still got quite a bit of work ahead of me on both of those tunes - still fun to try. ...hint ...hint 😁
Sorry, pretty silly that my video was so dark to really get a good look at "Edgar", but there will be more!
Hard to capture it's nature in a photo - best I could do for now.
Love the dark sound & antiqued mahogany-like, matte finish (can still see the carbon weave) & with the black, carbon composite bridge - it has a rich, calming, feel about it.
If I would've seen & heard one of these 5-string Violas played before I bought my Mortimer - I'm pretty sure I would've started with Edgar, instead of the 5-string Violin!
- Emily
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@ELCBK Both tunes sound great! Nice slides!
I think Edgar is well suited for Jia Ren Qu. The string combination you’ve picked blends well. And the matte finish is really nice—does look (& sound) rich! Like chocolate!
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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like the looks of that. especially the bridge...very cool
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@ABitRusty -
Thanx!
I have NO idea what effect the carbon composite bridge has on the sound - was hoping @Fiddlerman would tell us, but think a HUGE difference aesthetically!
@SharonC -
Hey, Thanx!
I'm just gittin' started. 😊
Chocolate... oh, yeah!
...very much appreciate you listened. 😊
- Emily
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ELCBK said
@ABitRusty -Thanx!
I have NO idea what effect the carbon composite bridge has on the sound - was hoping @Fiddlerman would tell us, but think a HUGE difference aesthetically!
@SharonC -
Hey, Thanx!
I'm just gittin' started. 😊
Chocolate... oh, yeah!
...very much appreciate you listened. 😊
- Emily
Great job Emily. Thanks for the post.
I would originally have thought that there would be a huge difference between the wooden and composite bridge but when I tested your viola, I was pleasantly surprised. My guess is that the warm sound of a wooden instrument is complimented by the wooden bridge. Whereas the composite bridge compliments the composite instrument.
Above all, I believe there are similar vibrating characteristics in the materials that Glasser uses for both his instruments and bridges. The sound that the carbon fiber instruments produce is desirable for many peoples taste. It's not far off from the sound of wooden instruments either.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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@Fiddlerman -
Thank you, so much!
Edgar was definitely worth waiting for and certainly exceeded my expectations! 🤗
🤔 ...everyone should try a 5-string VIOLA!
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Very good news. Thanks!
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Some of this info may at least be helpful to others with Glasser instruments - and btw, I STILL LOVE BOTH OF MINE!
Back in post 48, I mentioned the strings I started out with:
My Glasser Viola came with Larsen "Original" strings. First, I swapped out everything but the E string for D'Addario Ascenté, which felt nice, but didn't quite do anything for me sound-wise. Next I put on a set of Larsen Virtuoso Viola strings (all except the E string) - the A string supplied in the set is the same as the Originals.
I ended up trying the Virtuoso 'Soloist' C, G, D, Zyex A, Larsen E - and I liked them, but wasn't completely happy.
- I love the Larsen E, except it tends to corrode fairly quickly in the areas with the most skin contact. It's just a metal wire, not wrapped - does anyone know if metal polish can be used to treat & protect the dull tarnish areas of an E string? @Fiddlerman ?
- I tried both the Virtuoso & Virtuoso 'Soloist' C, G & D - they are VERY THICK strings. This left me with A string problems, because all Larsen A strings are the same - VERY THIN! It caused me some extra problems while trying to play cleanly on the A string and with double stops.
- I changed out the Larsen A for Zyex - it's the largest diameter A string I could find (maybe the ONLY synthetic core Viola A). I've been thru several, because the Zyex Viola A only lasts about half the time of the other strings, and it's not quite what I want to hear/feel in comparison to it's neighbors.
A couple months ago I tried the Rondo C string - and liked it! Seems similar to the Virtuoso & Virtuoso Soloist - a little better response.
So, tonight I put on Rondo G & D strings & like them so far, but I need to see how long they last! Better response & sound good - AND bonus, they are much THINNER, so I was able to go back to the Larsen A, without the original issues of string height I had.
I'm still using another Larsen E - it's great, until it shows some dark signs of corrosion.
My nemesis seems to be the A string - just like on my violin, so I have good reason to try the Rondo A next, but I think this may be my permanent set up.
I can say, without a doubt, this new combination of Rondo & Larsen strings is also more focused, without any harshness - and right out of the package! Definitely MUCH EASIER to play clear, clean notes! I had been feeling like everything was sounding muddy & had to work extra hard to get thru it - what a nice difference! 🤗
...would love to hear from anyone else who plays a Glasser 5-string Viola!
- Emily
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Interesting. I think we could certainly learn something from experimenting with strings a bit more. Glad that you like the new combination.
Emily wrote: does anyone know if metal polish can be used to treat & protect the dull tarnish areas of an E string? @Fiddlerman ?
I have no idea, but I used to use fine steel wool and got them to look great with just a slight bit of rubbing. That being said, it probably scratches them and should be used very sparingly. 😁
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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