Howdy,
I have been trying without success to locate a source for a wood sold as Mountain Mahogany. The botanical name is "cercocarpus ledifolius."
Might you have suggestions?
Many thanks,
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15 years ago
Source for "Mountain Mahogany"...?
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- posted
15 years ago
Know any turners in Idaho or Montana? That seems to be where it grows. I've seen a few pieces show up once or twice at our monthly wood raffle here, but small amounts - nothing of commercial sale size.
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- posted
15 years ago
Hi Larry,
Thanks for your suggestion, but no, I don't know any turners in that part of the world.
But that said, there is indeed, a commercial market for the stuff:
It is used in lots of high end violin family "fittings", that is, pegs, tailpieces, chinrests, etc.
And that is why I want to find a source. I am considering carving a chinrest for my fiddle, and wanted it to match the other parts on the instrument.
All the best,
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15 years ago
I guess using a hunk of a pine 2x4 and staining it is out of the question.
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15 years ago
From: Kenneth Date: Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:25:59 -0400
I seem to remember I once (this year?) saw someone on aaw.org (American Association of Woodturners) advertise having logs of the stuff and being open to trade. However, now I can't find that. It probably wouldn't hurt to ask there, woodturners have an uncanny nose for exotic woods.
Kind regards, Jurriaan
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- posted
15 years ago
Howdy,
Thanks for the good tip...,
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15 years ago
I wasn't aware it was used commonly for the purpose having never built instruments (and while played (loosely speaking :) ) violin thru HS orchestra) but if so might try some of the luthiers/other instrument-making suppliers/organizations as well...
I'm not sure what the pegs, tailpiece, etc. are on my violin -- it's a blonde instrument w/ a contrasting brown for the ancillary parts. I don't know I've ever tried to identify the specific woods; it's not US-made though...
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- posted
15 years ago
Hi again,
I won't bore you with the details, but I have a fiddle far finer than my meager talents would ever warrant.
I'd always thought that its fittings were boxwood, but recently spoke with its maker and he mentioned that though he did not have records about the specifics of the additions to each of his instruments, he thought that in 1988 (when it was made) he might have used "Mountain Mahogany" (a material I had never even heard of.)
This all came up because I had installed a new chinrest on the fiddle and it was made of boxwood. I had stained it to match the other parts, and though the overall color is fine, the wood itself is not a match.
Given that, at that point, I had a chinrest of a shape that I liked, I thought to carve a duplicate in the more appropriate wood...
All the best,
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- posted
15 years ago
Kenneth wrote: ...
... :)
When I moved to E TN after 10 years in Piedmont (VA) region I met several fiddlers and decided I'd like to try to turn my "training" as a violinist into fiddlin' -- needless to say, that was more difficult than Mozart et al and my lack of talent meant I gave that idea up quickly...
The violin, unfortunately, has been neglected these last nearly 40 years and is now in need of refurbishment -- unfortunate as it, too, is a very fine instrument that is far beyond my abilities as well...
Good luck in your quest.
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15 years ago
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- posted
15 years ago
Hi again,
You are reminding me of something I saw about ten years ago...
(As you understand, playing classical violin, and fiddling, are two very different arts, but many folks seem not to know that.)
I was channel surfing and came to a bunch of kids in a grade school class room.
Up front, was a gentleman holding a violin.
In a moment, I realized it was Isaac Perlman, and I stayed with that channel.
He played a classical piece for the kids, to their delight, and mine.
Then, he asked the kids if there might be something they would like him to play.
A little boy got all excited, and tried to explain what he wanted Perlman to play, but the kid didn't know the title.
Perlman suggested that the youngster might try to sing the tune.
When he did, I realized that the tune was Arkansas Traveler and I recoiled...
Every time I had heard one of these great classically trained violinists try to fiddle something, it had, for me, been a disaster.
Then, before I could get my hand on the remote, Perlman had the violin under his chin and started to bang out the best Arkansas Traveler I had ever heard!
I could not believe it...
(Move over Mark O'Connor.)
All the best,
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15 years ago
Hi again,
That's great...!
Many thanks,
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- posted
15 years ago
[Itzhak Perlman story elided for brevity]...
Often true...we were blessed here w/ the group Spontaneous Combustion (now on apparently permanent hiatus, unfortunately) of whom the violinist was Marvin Gruenhbam (sp?) whose "day job" was viola-player for the KC Philharmonic. His specialty w/ the group was to transform Mozart, et al. into bluegrass-like performances. The group had one of the best Orange Blossom Special versions going...
They/he did a gig (I think at the Walnut River Valley Festival altho I wasn't there that year) some years ago w/ O'Connor.