Only available on a custom-build basis ($1250)

This is an authentic 1860s replica cigar box fiddle made to luthier standards (correct neck angle, bridge height, etc.) with reinforced corner joints and an internal dowel stick (similar to a banjo). It is designed to be played by actual fiddlers rather serve as an interesting wall decoration!

This instrument is perfect for American Civil War Re-enactors, Skimishers and Authentic Campaigners, as it is close to the actual instruments crafted and played by both Confederate and Union soldiers (an Irish infantryman in a Yankee regiment gets the credit for making the first one). It has dimensions similar to a regular fiddle and fits into a modern violin case if desired. We can make you a custom wooden "coffin case" or you may want to build such as case yourself.

The instrument comes in a felt bag...for an additional fee, we can make you an authentic oil-cloth (linen saturated with purified linseed oil and then sun-dried) outer bag. The inner felt bag with an oil-cloth outer bag for weather protect would be the most authentic "on-the-march" case.

Our antique reproduction cigar box fiddles are extremely loud and powerful. They are made from solid Spanish Cedar, with a Western Red Cedar top. Unless the de-farbed version is ordered, this instrument is set up for authentic re-enactment with a few 20th Century conveniences such as modern steel strings and fine tuners on the tailpiece. The standard strings are D'Addario Zyex, which is a synthetic gut string with really nice sonority. The fiddle has traditional ebony or boxwood tuning pegs.

You can find demonstrations of this instrument under the "Video" tab of this product description

For the Authentic Campaigner, we offer a 100-percent de-farbed version, which has an 1860s type tailpiece with a genuine gut tailgut. While tied Baroque style tailpieces might have been found on some old (in the 1860s) fiddles, a modern (in the 1860s) tailpiece was the most common. It is different from a 20th Century tailpiece in two significant ways:

1. The string holes are drilled rather than the familiar keyholes
2. There is no fret on the tailpiece

As far as we know, we are the only current makers of 19th Century tailpieces,

The defarbed version is strung with genuine 1860s-authentic pure gut strings (silver wound G, introduced in 1790 and most common G string in the 1860s). Unless otherwise specified, we use Gamut pure gut strings...far superior to the common and cheap Pirastro Chordas and a better value than some other "boutique" strings. For gut strings, the Gamut strings are amazingly stable once they are broken in.

The 1860s-Style Cigar Box Fiddle should also be played with at least an intermediate-quality wooden bow. The George Werner bows that we sell are a perfect choice. A step up would be the Marco Raposo bow.