Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] electric cello? [music]

["Vern Green" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

I am not sure the tension would be any different. For this item to be played by any cellist, the scale (the distance between the bridge and the nut) could not be vastly different from this instrument to the real thing. We can get away with changing the scale on fretted instruments because we have the frets to guide us for proper intonation, (this also applies to most fretless guitars and basses as well) but with cellos, violas, violins and such, I would expect those have to have the same scale length in order to be playable by different people.

 

The point is, the things that go into string tension are guage of the string and the scale of the instrument. full scale cellos are 27 1/2", so the tension on the strings should be no different.

 

A quick trip to this site shows that a similar instrument has the same scale.

 

http://www.wwbw.com/NS-Design-CR-Series-Electric-Cello-i718885.music

 

It tells me that the "Cellonator" might have an extended range beyond the traditional cello because the fretboard would be longer and allow more playable notes.

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 8:42 AM, Christian M. Cepel <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:

Not electric, but I love these How It's Made programs and was very glad to find them on YouTube (I was filling up my DVR).   Lots and lots of musical instrument topics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_gI3chGtww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-A7K4TPT2k

As to electric cellos, they've been around for decades though I've never seen one that broke with classical form to the extent of doing away with the spike and, really, the entire portion below the fingerboard.  The one's I've seen have the bouts of the soundbox stripped away, or at most stylistically represented by a hollow curve of material that can be braced like one would a normal bout.  Still, always with a floor spike.   That's a clever innovation, though I wonder how it changes the intonation.  The string tension would be vastly different.

These below are the type I've seen, along with another that has a soundbox that resembles that of those "backpacker's" guitars you sometimes see.

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D23446%252526CTID%25253D232400,00.html
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D2272%252526CTID%25253D232400,00.html
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D64947%252526CTID%25253D232400,00.html
http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/ContentDetail/ModelSeriesDetail/0,,CNTID%25253D2269%252526CTID%25253D232400,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_cello#Makers

Mike Miller wrote:

On Sun, 6 Apr 2008, Jonathan King wrote:

So I have to admit I had never heard of the electric cello before this, or at least the kind of electric cello seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlGBMAgDGUU

That's an interesting design.  I hadn't seen one before.

That said, this makes a lot of sense. To be brutally honest about it, most classically trained players would be way up on the skills distribution for rock, and cello in particular should be attractive given its register, fretlessness, and bowed nature.

Well, I don't think that classical musicians have quite the kind of training that makes for good rock players because in rock there is a lot of improvisation and a very different feel.  The classical players will be thinking a lot about tone and dynamics -- things that hardly apply when overdriving the amp and using compression.  I think most serious classical cellists would hate playing that thing.  Back in the hair-metal days of the '80s there were tons of guys playing classical violin pieces on cranked-up rock guitars -- pieces by Bach or Paganini -- and that style would be perfect for a classical cellist to get into rock playing using that weird neck-only electric cello.

That said, this guy seems to be playing what I guess I would call a "modeling cello" that is triggering samples or something as he bows it.

I'm not sure how it is being processed, but I don't think it is triggering samples.  It sounds more to me like overdriven electric cello.

Any comments from the more musically savvy? This guy isn't bad, but there are literally thousands of cellists out there who could probably toast him if they wanted to.

I think he isn't that strong technically because sometimes his pitch is wrong and he gets some nasty squeaks that he probably didn't want.  Given that and the fact that he probably tried a bunch of times to get it perfect, he's probably not a superstar cellist.  I'll bet he can attract some attention with that thing though.

Apparently his name is Sachino Tsinadze, he's from the former USSR state of Georgia, he now lives in Philadelphia and performs with this guy:

http://www.myspace.com/jondelise

And with these guys:

http://www.thehelots.com/

Judging from the sounds of these bands, he meets a lot of girls.

Mike

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