"But don't violas attract similar jokes to the ones we apply to bodhrans, banjos, and (insert instrument name here)s? "

Like .... A viola burns longer?...


Thanks to Bob Bolton: (slightly paraphrased)

1995 CD The White Rose Album, celebrating the great classic country dance dance music of the late Frank Bourke's The White Rose Orchestra, has a cover photo of 'Pixie' standing next to a full bodied 5-string fiddle. (www.pixieland.com.au/ )

Paul ("Pixie") Jenkins t/a Pixieland Music - a long-time accompanist to John Williamson.

He had quite a lot of airplay on ABV TV with a beautiful slow piece on that green 5 string - a piece that would be similar in style to that of the CD mentioned.

To quote Bob direct
"He may have later had a locally-made Australian Guscott 5-stringer (see www.guscott.cpm.au). Guscott Australia have a range of quiet* electric stringed instruments that include;

Violins 4 & 5 string
Chin-cello 4 & 5 string
Viola 4, 5, 6 & 7 string
Cello
Double bass
Electric Upright Bass

* Means they have solid body models that can be played "silently" while the player listens via headphones!

Guscott have been an energetic sponsor of the local (NSW - west of Sydney) Hawkesbury Fiddle Festival. See:

www.fiddlefestival.com"

Thanks Bob

I seem to remember that there is an Aussie maker (name forgotten) of 'real string instruments' - about the time Pixie was appearing - and one of his 'specials' (experimental instruments) was a green bodied 5 string.

Whether I have mentally welded separate memories into one, i am not sure, and the memory of Pixie playing on TV may be older than I thought.

ANYWAY!

what I really wanted to say is that you should try and catch this CD, I suspect it is similar to what I remember on TV. it is a good example of the use of the 5 string violin/violia.