A mandolin is a musical instrument that belongs to the lute family meaning that it can either be plucked or strummed. It is a direct descendant of a instrument called the Mandore, which is a soprano member of the same family. The mandolin instrument has a body that possesses a teardrop shaped soundboard, though it [...]

• Travel Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Electric Violin String Musical Instruments
• Right-Handed Acoustic Guitar Musical Instruments
• Brass Musical Instruments
• Keyboard Musical Instruments Antiques

• Brief History for Double Bass or Stand Up Bass The Double Bass or Stand Up Bass is the largest and the lowest pitched of all bowed string instruments that is used as a part of the modern symphony orchestra. The stand up bass is a standard member of the symphony orchestra's string section as well as smaller string ensembles......
• Some Background on the Acoustic Bass Guitar The acoustic bass guitar is an instrument which provides the heavy tones and harmonies associated with good Jazz. Somewhat of a mixed past, the acoustic bass guitar was born in the 50's but was developed in the 60s by Ernie Ball. It came after it's cousin, the electric bass guitar,......
• Which is Best: Stand Up Bass or Regular Bass? The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to comparing a stand up bass against a regular bass is that despite the similar naming structure, these are actually two very different instruments. The term "bass" is used to refer to an entire family of musical instruments that......
• Manufacturers: Weber Weber fine acoustic instruments are manufactured by Sound to Earth in Logan, Montana. The company has steadily grown, moving from Bozeman recently to accommodate its expansion. The 25 employees make mandolins by hand in an old Logan schoolhouse. The move was necessary because Weber plans to expand their product line......
• How Acoustic Bass Guitars Work The acoustic bass guitar can be viewed as a deeper brother of the standard western style guitar. The acoustic bass guitar is definitely related to the guitarrons that Mexican mariachi bands use, but they are also different in their own right. They are different in a number of ways that......

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The cello (short for “violoncello”) is a bowed string instrument, similar to a larger violin that is held upright instead of on the chin. It originated from the three-stringed bass violin created by Jambe de Fer in 1556. The first composer to use the bass violin is thought to be Gabrieli in 1597. [...]

• Acoustic Violin String Musical Instruments
• 1 4 Size Acoustic Violin String Musical Instruments
• Electric Violin String Musical Instruments
• Violin Vintage Pre-1980 String Musical Instruments
• 3 4 Size Acoustic Violin String Musical Instruments

• Accordion 101 The accordion is closely related to another instrument, the concertina. Both of these instruments are essentially glorified mouth organs that utilize reeds that are generally made out of tempered steel. These tempered steel reeds are set in vibration using a rectangular shaped bellows. The bellows are operated using the left......
• Brief History for Double Bass or Stand Up Bass The Double Bass or Stand Up Bass is the largest and the lowest pitched of all bowed string instruments that is used as a part of the modern symphony orchestra. The stand up bass is a standard member of the symphony orchestra's string section as well as smaller string ensembles......
• Brief History of Guitars One of the most widely recognized musical instruments is the acoustic guitar. It is an instrument that has roots deep in history, and is played many different ways. There are many varieties, in four, six, seven, eight, ten and twelve strings, although six is standard. Guitars are used in many......
• Which is Best: Stand Up Bass or Regular Bass? The first thing that you need to understand when it comes to comparing a stand up bass against a regular bass is that despite the similar naming structure, these are actually two very different instruments. The term "bass" is used to refer to an entire family of musical instruments that......
• Introduction to the Banjo Instrument The term banjo actually refers to a family of instruments rather than just a single instrument that fits into another family. The banjo instrument family makes use of a membrane made of hide or vellum that is used as a sound board. The first banjo instruments were brought to the......

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… Continued from pt. 3
The Tarhu
One of the most significant new developments in the technology behind spike fiddle instruments can be found in the form of the circular bodied instruments known as Tarhu, as they are made by an Australian luthier known as Peter Biffin. With these instruments there is no sound board, at least [...]

• Cello String Musical Instruments
• Bass-Upright String Musical Instruments
• 1 2 Size Acoustic Violin String Musical Instruments
• 1 4 Size Acoustic Violin String Musical Instruments
• Ukulele String Musical Instruments

• A Brief History of Banjos The banjo was originally developed and used by African Americans enslaved in the South. The slaves used gourd to create makeshift instruments that looked like the ones they used in Africa. In fact, the word "banjo" is believed to have evolved from a Kimbundu term for a similar musical instrument.......
• Brief History of Violins The violin is the smallest in size of all the stringed instruments. This compact size also gives the violin the highest pitch of the string family of instruments, with the viola and cello both having a lower tone. Almost any musical style can be played on the violin, from classical......
• Tuning the Hammered Dulcimer pt 2 The tuning lever is available in a couple of different styles, including a T Handle and a Gooseneck Handle, and personal preference should be what governs which you use. The Gooseneck tends to offer more leverage, but it does not let you fine tune the instrument quite as well. The......
• Acoustic Guitar Basics The first thing you think of when you think about acoustic instruments is likely the acoustic guitar. What most people do not know is that “acoustic guitar” is a retronym. Until electric guitars were invented, they were simply called guitars. The differentiation was necessary upon the invention and adoption of......
• A Little Background on Harps The harp is a simple stringed instrument that is comprised of a plane of strings that is positioned perpendicular in relation to the instrument's sound board. All harps have similar elements, like the neck, the strings and the resonator. Some harps, frame harps as they are referred to, also have......

Continue reading → Fiddling Instruments: A Primer pt 4