Violin with pitch pipe endpin?

Subject: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: Kim C
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 02:09 PM

A friend on another message board asked me yesterday if I had ever heard of a violin having a pitch pipe on it. Knowing she is sort of a joker, I asked if she was serious or just yanking my chain. Turns out, she's serious.

She has an old (probably 1930s) fiddle that belonged to her dad. Her crazyass mother spraypainted it gold for a wall decoration after they divorced, but that's another story. Anyhow, sure enough, the endpin of this fiddle is an A pitch pipe. I did a little Googling and found only one other, a 1960s German made violin.

Anyone else ever heard of this, or have any information? Many thanks.

Subject: RE: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: Jim Lad
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 05:16 PM

I've heard of them. Much older than 1960 though. I also saw one on the Antiques Roadshow.

Subject: RE: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: Kim C
Date: 26 Jan 07 - 05:55 PM

Do you remember how much they said it was worth?

Subject: RE: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 10:48 AM

I've seen them, but not in "quality" instruments. It was apparently a feature of some "student violins" ca. 1940-50s(?). I believe at least two kids in my high school had violins thus equipped in about 1953 - '55. Both were rather quickly replaced¹ by "something better" at the rather strong urging of the orchestra director. I'm not sure that it was the pitchpipe, as they may have been 3/4 size and the kids had just outgrown them by the time they started HS.

¹ As I wasn't in the orchestra the main reason I saw them was that they became the "seconds" that the kids brought to camp meetings. My impression was that the kids were among those who played 'cause mommy insisted, rather than being among those who were "gifted," or even very inteested, who would be expected to have been given a "good" instrument from the start.

It sounds like an "accessory" that might have been "addable" to any instrument. It could be difficult to tell, but close examination might give an indication of whether there had been a "rework."(?) It might affect the best search tags if it was an accessory rather than a builder's standard feature.

John

Subject: RE: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: reggie miles
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 01:21 PM

I think you're correct John. I've got one of those end pins that I picked up somewhere along the way via my acquiring various instruments and parts. It tends to look a little silly seeing someone blowing into the end of their instrument to hear the note but then one has to remember that these innovations were invented long before the advent of electronic tuners as a convenience for the player. I suppose it helped having a light weight tuner that couldn't be accidentally forgotten somewhere because it was mounted on the violin. You couldn't lose it, unless you lost your entire instrument.

Subject: RE: Violin with pitch pipe endpin?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Jan 07 - 05:50 PM

I know that "violin pitch pipes" are still offered for sale - the 4-pipe kind to tuck in your fiddle case; but even at Jr Hi level the band/orchestra teachers objected to them, and recommended a tuning fork for those who had instruments that needed tuning.

In any "academic" or concert situation, there'd be little need for it, since all the instruments have to tune to each other (to the concertmaster or to the piano) so it would be of real use only to a student practicing at home alone, or perhaps a street-corner fiddler doing unaccompanied solo performances.(?)

John