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The Weekend Vote

Do you have a wolf tone on your fiddle?

July 12, 2008 at 10:54 PM

And what note, what string is it on?

Photo

poll by twiigs.com

Here's the big discussion we had a while back on the topic.

Basically, it's when one note gets a really wooffy fuzzy sound, no matter what you do. The note is usually on the G-string and becomes a bother mostly if you are playing something like Zigeunerweisen or the last movement of the Brahms Sonata in A.

From Eitan Silkoff
Posted on July 12, 2008 at 11:29 PM
My first violin has a HUGE wolf on the G string on the high C#. :( i hate wolves.
Anyway, the new fiddle I'm playing on doesn't seem to have any... yet
From Karen Allendoerfer
Posted on July 13, 2008 at 1:15 AM
I only recently learned what these were from reading the Discussion on this site. I haven't heard one though, and am not sure I'd know what one sounded like if I did. Is it possible to put a good (obvious) example up online and link to it?
From Wayne Rogers
Posted on July 13, 2008 at 1:29 AM
I have a couple mild wolf tones in the B-flat to C range on the G-string on my older violin.
On my new violin, I had some wolf tones on the B-flat on the D and A string and E-flat on the A string. These were essentially eliminated after acoustic optimization by (V-com member) Stephen Perry of Gianna Violins. Thanks Stephen!
From Patricia Baser
Posted on July 13, 2008 at 2:23 AM
When I used Tonicas, my violin had a wolf tone at the C# 1 & 1/2 octaves up the G string. I do not have this problem with Evah Pirazzis.
From Emily Grossman
Posted on July 13, 2008 at 7:48 AM
High C on the G string. If you baby it, you can still make a good tone there, but it's about like walking on a blister.
From María Frades
Posted on July 13, 2008 at 12:21 PM
I used to think that the existence of a wolf tone in a violin (or any stringed instrument, for that matter) was not depending of the kind/brand of string or of the concrete string (I mean, if you have a wolf tone in your high C in your G string, the wolf tone should appear in that tone in every string, even if it is harder to produce). It has something to do with the resonance of the back of the instrument (I think).

Karen, follow this link: the example is pretty clear :) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_tone

From Lisa Wagner
Posted on July 14, 2008 at 3:19 AM
I can get a strange high piercing tone on my open string when I press in 1st position G on my D string, and B on my A string. The velocity of my bow can be fast or slow. Once it catches this pitch it can hang on for the entire length of the bow stroke. It sounds like the e5 overtone, my open e pitch cuts out. I had a student with the same problem. It makes it hard to do Bach's works for unaccompanied violin.
This has baffled two violin makers, a physicist and two of my former teachers. I've changed strings a variety of times, different ones, synthetics and aluminum wound on gut.
Any ideas?
From Royce Faina
Posted on July 14, 2008 at 10:18 AM
My middle 'C' on the G-string "Honks!" like a goose after a while has passed. Not long after that the G-string needs replaced for it just dies shortly after the first honks. (Goose Tones?)
From phillip fitzsimmons
Posted on July 14, 2008 at 1:27 PM
I used to have to deal with a wolf on my G string. In those days I adjusted some things myself until it stopped.
Recently I took my violin in to a luthier for some work. It has been about 35 years since my poor old friend has been in to see a professional. Now everything is perfect.

Phillip

From Casey Jefferson
Posted on July 14, 2008 at 3:03 PM
Most of the C/C# note seems to be a little "over resonance" or simply a little louder than the rest.

But this only noticeable under ear, I think listeners don't notice it or simply non existance in listener's perspective. By listening the echo of my violin when playing in echoey room/hall, every note seems to have equal volume, so I'm happy.

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