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In the fiddlerman chat several have talked about other materials for bridges and instruments, and speculated on composite like graphite (aka carbon-fiber) as used on bows. This is an interesting performance using a viola made out of carbon fiber.
Uploaded on Aug 3, 2011
Violist Sekyeong Cheon playing the Hummel Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in Jeju, South Korea on 6/30/11
(With a $5,840 price tag its out of my price range, but interesting to see anyway) http://www.luisandclark.com/pr.....uct/viola/
"Make every note beautiful", Ivan Galamian
“To play a wrong note is INSIGNIFICANT; To play without PASSION is INEXCUSABLE!” , Ludvig Van Beethovan
"It ain't rocket surgery"
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Wow, that's really nice! Like both the sound, and look of it.
I see the bridge is wood, so can we safely assume the sound post probably is too?
Maybe someday the prices will be more affordable. I think having a CF violin would be awesome!
Thanks for sharing this Gary
"Music is what feelings sound like." ~ Author Unknown
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That's interesting, Gary. I'm no expert and listening to a recording over the Internet, through ear buds probably isn't the best test, but...it sounds sort of dull to me compared to wood instruments.
I had the opportunity to play a CF acoustic guitar at the 2013 NAMM show and I wasn't overly impressed. It was cool that they could make a guitar out of carbon fiber and it looked cool, but it just didn't have the same character as wood. Granted it wasn't the best conditions -- a noisy trade show floor -- but that was my impression.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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I have done ZERO research into a completely carbon fiber/composite instrument. I imagine it could have limitations in the higher frequencies. It is being used on a viola, but honestly don't know. I'd like to see Chladni patterns across the back pane to see if it has dropouts or distortions. It sounds amazing. there are several youtube videos of people playing them.
Like pierre said, the bridge is seemingly wood, that tail piece does not look like carbon fiber either. To me, it loses its warmth in the appearance, but I certainly wouldn't throw it out if I had one.
"I find your lack of Fiddle, disturbing" - Darth Vader
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I'm certainly no expert, but to me it sounds like it lacks projection, a bit sterile perhaps, and lacking in the rich overtones that I would expect from a good wooden viola. However, if I were a rock violist, I'd have to have one with a mike on it run to a stack of amps for sure, cause it looks pretty darn sharp.
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright
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Wow funny this topic came up as I just saw one of my good friends for the first time in almost two years and she had a carbon fiber guitar. It sounded fantastic!
Opportunity is often missed because it wears suspenders and looks like hard work.
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well, yo-yo ma said this about their CF cello, so it probably sounds really good
“I really love this instrument… we can play music that is traditional, but actually we are using technology to make it better.”
Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist
gws
"Make every note beautiful", Ivan Galamian
“To play a wrong note is INSIGNIFICANT; To play without PASSION is INEXCUSABLE!” , Ludvig Van Beethovan
"It ain't rocket surgery"
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@Georganne ; yes a friend of mine has a Rainsong graphite guitar that sounds pretty sweet. Nice vid of your friend and their guitar. Thanks
gws
"Make every note beautiful", Ivan Galamian
“To play a wrong note is INSIGNIFICANT; To play without PASSION is INEXCUSABLE!” , Ludvig Van Beethovan
"It ain't rocket surgery"
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I also have a professional cellist friend who has and loves his carbon fiber cello.
Yes, that guitar really sounds good.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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