That fiddle reminded me that technology has led to the development of some strange instruments going back many years.

When I was in grade school, I became friendly with a bandleader from the twenties. He played violin. On their regular play dates, he played a regular violin but when they went into the (Bluebird) recording studios, he took out his steel fiddle with a little horn on it, I guess at the bottom below the tailpiece.

His position during recording was right in front of the acoustical recording horn. Behind him, in larger and larger semi-circles based on its loudness, the other intruments were arranged around the horn. All the way in the back was a bass horn which did the string double bass parts on the recording.

I wonder what other strange instruments people can add to this list of two odd fiddles.

Sourdough