Dec 2001

Since the overwhelming majority of commercial violins are relatively uniform in measurement in overall length, I can assume his fiddle is very close to mine, which is a factory Strad copy I paid $3 for.

I matched the length of the fiddles by superimposing images in Photoshop and changing layer opacity. I am 5'9"+ so that would make Willie around 5'4" or so, certainly no midget. Of course if he is playing a 3/4 size fiddle(unlikely), he would be even smaller yet.

He also is reputed to have tuned the fiddle way up, unusual for most Mississippi fiddlers of the time, who normally would tune down.

And while we are at it, is it NAHR-MORE or NAY-MORE? Listen to how the emcee pronounces his name in the excerpted section from The Medicine Show Act 1, 2, 3, 4.(379Kb).

 

Stay tuned for my page on Narmour and Smith, with more information, lists of recordings, and mp3 files.