| Author |
Subject |
Matthew
Tifford
Registered
User
(3/7/01 9:24:46 am)
Reply |
Cork
under the tailpiece trick
Last week we had a cellist subbing
with my orchestra who liked to stick a champagne cork under the
tailpiece of his Montagnana (sp?). He insisted that it eliminated
the wolf tone and improved the overall sound of the instrument.
The rest of us gave it a try and all but one cello was
significantly improved. Anyone here familiar with this?
|
TerryM
Registered
User
(3/7/01 10:10:58 am)
Reply |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
I have heard of this and I
understand that it works best when you are playing the music of
Johann Strauss Jr. Does the brand of champagne have any bearing on
the outcome?
Seriously, I think the cork would probably act
to dampen the overall reponse of the cello. I have found that a
rubber mute on the G string will also dampens the wolf note, but it
also affects the overall resonance of the instrument. I find that
the reduced response is an overall negative and I would rather deal
with the wolf note in other ways.
Terry
|
Christopher
Chan
Registered
User
(3/7/01 11:26:17 am)
Reply
 |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
There is someone on this board who
uses this trick, but that person places the cork under his/her
fingerboard if i recall correctly.
|
AGabbert
Registered User
(3/7/01 12:13:00 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
I used to use a cork under the
fingerboard.
I found it did lessen the wolf on f# on the G
string...
so for playing something like the opening to Beethoven
A Major it was helpful... but I found it also dampened the sound a
bit.
I haven't tried under the tailpiece.
Interesting.
I'll
have to give that a try... I would expect a slight dampening,
though.
There is a device that a couple of colleagues use
that fastens to the body of the instrument on the low, bottom face
of the instrument. They swear it eliminates the wolfs when placed
correctly, without any significant loss of sound.
|
Matthew
Tifford
Registered
User
(3/7/01 12:32:40 pm)
Reply |
Nope,
no dampening here
You would think that it would dampen
the sound, but it doesn't. My cello's sound was bigger and more
focused. All around improvement, no real downside, apart from the
fact that it looks weird to have a cork stuck there.
I have
tried both the mute trick, and the gadget you stick to the cello.
Both of these tend to dampen sound.
|
sarah
schenkman
Registered User
(3/7/01 2:20:54 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
The cello I used to play on had an
annoying buzz which would come and go, as well as a wolf tone. I
used a cork under the tailpiece which did cut down somewhat on the
buzz and the wolf but also dampened the sound of the cello. I got
rid of that cello and got another which solved the problem really
well.
|
Christopher
Chan
Registered
User
(3/7/01 5:28:43 pm)
Reply
|
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
lol... the new cello trick always
works well.
Also, i recall someone also getting rid of a
wolf tone by squeezing the cello between their legs. As a bent
endpin user that method isn't really possible since the cello isn't
really between my legs.
|
SlavaBilly
Registered User
(3/7/01 5:29:44 pm)
Reply |
Starker
had one in Seattle last week.
|
Dorie
Straus
Moderator
(3/7/01 5:33:47 pm)
Reply |
What
did Starker have?
A new cello, a bent endpin, or a
cork?
|
Christopher
Chan
Registered
User
(3/7/01 6:15:04 pm)
Reply
|
Re:
What did Starker have?
Starker with a bent endpin?! That
would be something to see!
|
MaryK
Registered
User
(3/7/01 6:27:04 pm)
Reply
 |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
W/in the past couple years I played
in an orch w/a woman who used a cork under her fingerboard (it was
from cheap wine, not champagne; don't know if that made a diff), she
swore it did wonders for her wolf note w/o dampening or otherwise
affecting the sound of her instrument. She was a Really Good cellist
with a Really Nice instrument...
MaryK
|
Len
Thompson
Registered User
(3/7/01 7:11:45 pm)
Reply |
Brass
eliminator mods
On the I&E board a while ago,
Frozen Yankee had a brainstorm for eliminating the wolf entirely.
While I have not tried it yet, I intend to. It involves customizing
the weight of the brass type eliminator, as well as tuning the after
lenght of the string. All in all, a bit involved, but if it works as
well as he says, then it's worth it. Check it
out!!
Len
|
AGabbert
Registered User
(3/8/01 2:04:23 am)
Reply |
Re:
Cork under the tailpiece trick
I seem to recall Starker suggesting
the squeezing leg trick in class to someone once...
I also
seem to recall seeing (and using) corks on lots of cellos at
Indiana... Tsutsumi suggested it to me, when I was working on the
Beethoven A Major and my cello wasn't cooperating on the F# in the
opening...
Does anyone know the name of that little wolf
eliminator device that tacks on the front face of the
instrument?
|
zambocello
Registered User
(3/8/01 3:10:00 am)
Reply |
Howl
with pride!
A wolf is just a sign of a fine
instrument; every great instrument has one. (?) 
|
Paul
Tseng ICS Staff 
Administrator
(3/8/01 4:08:27 am)
Reply
 |
Re:
Howl with pride!
Quote:
"A wolf is just a sign of a fine instrument; every great
instrument has one. (?)
Then my cello must be
GREATER than a STRAD!!!
Owooooooooooooo~~~~!!!
Paul Tseng
My Website
Alexander's website
MP3!
|
cellochris99
Registered User
(3/8/01 5:47:06 am)
Reply |
wolf
zone!
My cello doesn't really have one
intense wolf tone, I have a wolf zone(3 notes), so I can bow through
them alot easier! See, that's
what you people are missing out on...modern cello technology! They
can use computers and figure out a way to make a wolf less
noticable....spread the wolf tone over more notes so that the only
thing you notice is the lack of one!
PAYDIRT!!
Chris
|
GimliPumlo
Registered User
(3/8/01 7:51:58 am)
Reply |
That's
why I love this board!
I am going out right now and
drinking a bottle of champagne so I can try this. My wolf note has
been on my nerves - this gives me two ways to solve that problem!!!
What's that? Were going to free Dryreach?
Edited by: GimliPumlo
at: 3/8/01 7:51:58 am
|
SlavaBilly
Registered User
(3/8/01 12:42:05 pm)
Reply |
A cork
under the tailpiece.
I don't know about a new cello, but
he definitely didn't have a bent endpin!
|
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