Well, I bought me a fiddle. A Palatino VN-450 4/4. Spruce belly, maple neck, back and sides, frog bow with Mongolian horsehair. Made in China so I guess it's convenient.

It's a pretty cheap little axe, well under $200, but it works. It tunes and it handles. Not much with pizzicato but neither am I. I'm not paying for anything more costly until I get handle on this fiddle thing. I bought a Mel Bay DVD to go with it that has Craig Duncan showing all the basics which is what I need right now. I'm just learning how to tune the thing (you have to push and turn or it unravels and then you fine tune it on the tailpiece), hold it under my chin, hold the bow, keep the thumb straight on the fingering hand, and draw the string nice and even across each string separately. I've done it until my neck hurts. I'm just going to keep at this for a while until it feels natural cuz right now it sure as hell doesn't.

I'll get it though. I always do.