9-String Violin

Recently I read on the Ashworth Electronics website that they are proud their pickups are being used on the world's first 9-string violin. "Wait, what? That can't be true," I muttered.

After emailing the luthier, John Jordan, I found out that it is true; and I think it looks awesome.

After quelling my disbelief, my next question was, "how's it tuned?" When I got my answer, I was surprised to find out that its highest string is pitched at A above the acoustic violin's E string. Reportedly Jordan wanted to make a high B string, but every string that he tried broke and he had to go with a high A instead. Besides this perfect fourth, the strings are tuned in fifths, as one would expect. So from high to low, we have: A E A D G C F Bb Eb.

Putting this into context, the E, A, D and G are the standard violin strings, the C is the same pitch as a viola's C, the F is a fourth above the cello's C, the Bb is a whole step below the cello's C, and the Eb is a half-step below the bass's E string (!).

Daaaaamn.

According to Ashworth, Jordan was commissioned to build this instrument by a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Interestingly enough, I found a forum post from June 2006 stating that violinist/composer D. Robert Burroughs was talking to Jordan about making one for him, so I have no idea who will play the one in the picture above.

Apparently, Burroughs wanted the lowest string to be an Ab, a fifth below the current low Eb, which would be pitched a minor third below a five-sting bass's low B (can you imagine that?). As Jordan wrote in an email to me, "I don't think we'll ever make a string go to low Ab at 13" length." No kidding, I'm shocked that he made a low Eb at 13" length, 'cuz that note is really, really low.

Maybe I'm letting the cat out of the bag, but he's planning to have three of these instruments ready at this January's NAMM show.

(Photo courtesy of John Jordan)