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I thought "everybody knows" the rattlesnake rattle is a charm some folks put in fiddles. Like a gator paw or a "mojo", or carrying a rabbit's foot. LOL
All "superstitions" for one sort of luck or another. You see and hear some odd things over the years, I always found hearing and seeing such folklore to be part of the fun of being a musician. It's not limited to musicians, though, some things are shared with "show folks" in general. Like never saying "Good luck." to anyone you actually like before they go onstage, since it might jinx their performance. You say "Break a leg!" instead. Or being "kissed and kicked" right before you go onstage.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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Haha, just read this post for the first time Fred, love it!
Does the instrument now live in the garden until its BO problem is sorted.
Here in the uk we use Lynx to attract the opposite sex, maybe there is a viola Lynx equivalent.
I guess, when all said and done, it's your own punishment for going over to the "dark (and apparently Smelly" side, hahahahahahanaha!
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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Haaaaaa; thanks Terry!
Hey Keith, if you tell me how to do that I'd be happy to; or you can feel welcome to do it, either way. I always want to go onto the Violaman site, but can hardly find time to pop into this one; I just need to do it.
Ken, thank you so much for soliciting that advice from your luthier, I really appreciate that. And I have been putting small amounts of baking powder in my little devised open envelope, but unless I'm blowing air into it, there's just not effective circulation. And I'm not at the point where I want to permanently deposit anything into it. So between your idea Ken and Diane's, I think THAT'S the solution,,,
Diane, you are a stinking genius!!!!! I racked my brain trying to think of a material that would allow the odor to penetrate into the baking powder but not allow the powder into the instrument,,,, I was toying with the idea of a folded coffee filter, but YOUR idea is perfect! A tea bag is a perfect vehicle... and it gives "tea bagging" a whole new wholesome conotation, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I'm going to try that tonight, I'm going to "tea bag" my viola! Can't wait to tell my friends,,, they will howllllll.
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ftufc said
I'm going to try that tonight, I'm going to "tea bag" my viola! Can't wait to tell my friends,,, they will howllllll.
Well, at least you can reassure them that you didn't "pwn" the viola at the spawn.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
Honorary tenured advisor
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On second thought, Fred, if you're going to report on "tea bagging" your viola, it might be best to keep it off our fledgling viola forums. They have a delicate constitution...
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Hey, it wasn't me who started the tea bagging discussion, it was Diane, haaaaaaaaaaaa.
Quick update on "the beast", I've had two "Earl Grey" tea bags (with the strong pleasant tea, not baking powder) sitting inside for the past two hours, with an aquarium pump, circulating air in the body, and I think I'm close to Kicking the Funk Bootsy
at least I can sneak up on it without holding a crucifix in front of me.
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I am so glad I'm pure and innocent!
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
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Yeah, but if you use baking powder, your viola will come out nice and fluffy.
@Fred: I'm flattered to be called a stinking genius but let's hold that in abeyance until you see if it works. If your viola smells like Earl Grey tomorrow, then I'll accept the title.
BTW, call me naive but I had to google that expression about tea bags. I definitely wasn't suggesting that you do that to your viola!
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
My research department suggests baby powder. After all, it does have a long standing history of environmental control.
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I am laughing so hard Diane!!! Seriously I hope I didn't embarrass you. See Fiddlerman.com is a TOTAL learning experience, haaaaaa.
But it seriously was an ingenious idea; it's the perfect delivery system for vomitous viola.
When everyone comes out I'll let you play "the beast" if you dare!
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I know theres a BRAND new never heard Viola joke in this somewhere
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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Barry, there's a brand new fiddle joke alright,,, and it ain't hiding anywhere, haaaaa.
So I think the fiddle world can attribute both the joke and the ingenious idea to Diane!!!
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Did it work??
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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Wouldn't say that it worked,,,, but it's definitely working. I just replaced the bag that's been in overnight with a new bag (I think I mentioned that last night I replaced the Earl Grey in the bag with baking soda [I think I've been saying baking powder but it's really baking soda]).
I can actually approach the beast without feeling a bout of vertigo.
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The Beast...so I guess its been given a name
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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I would think that it will take several bags of baking soda, at least, if the smell is that strong.
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
I got a violin one time it smelled so bad that I left it out for over a month and it still stunk. I tried evrything and then tried charcoal and it worked.
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Thanks Kevin, that's another great idea! I've used charcoal quite a few times to filter impurities, but never thought it would purify air or absorb odors from ambient air; but I will give that a shot too. I can buy packets of charcoal in open-weave netting from my pet store.
So now the Beast, instead of smelling like a vomitous drunk, has transitioned into a bar with full of drunks,,,,, so it's a bit improved!
Honorary advisor
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I haven't had any trouble with bad smelling violins. If new they usually the smell of freshly cut spruce, maple, and whatever oil or varnish was applied or rubbed into the wood.
BUT!! I have had issues with SPIDERS in violins. I tend to get a lot of spiders here. Generally they don't bother me. But, when I was trying to set a sound post in my old violine which I am restoring I did come across a spider that did decide to take up residence inside the instrument. I managed to chase her out with my sound post setting tool and then to scrape out the web with the same tool. More recently I noticed that a very small spiderling apparently got into my new violin, the one I am currently using. She didn't take up long term residence but did leave a bit of webbing near one of the f-holes that I was able to blow out of the instrument. That is one of the reason I like to keep my violin in its case when i am not using it. It helps keep those 8 legged critters from calling it home 
Which leads me to wonder, did the "violin spider (aka brown recluse) get its name because of the violin outline on it's back or for reasons such as the above ?
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