For sale: Bob Kogut fiddle (#85 “Veronica”) — $3800 (firm)
If you’ve been looking for a fiddle that sounds dark and big and loud, here it is. It’s that classic bluegrass fiddle sound — molasses sweet, but with a hint of rock salt and nails.
I bought this fiddle new from Bob Kogut in 2007 at his workshop in Lenoir, NC. I brought it back to him for a check-up when I was in the area a couple years ago.
Both times I saw him, he told me that this was one of his best-sounding fiddles, and on my second visit he offered to trade me any of the new fiddles he had for this one.
For those of you who are new to Kogut fiddles, here’s a link to a review of mine. This fiddle is numbered 85 and is named Veronica (Bob names all of his fiddles — women’s names, of course, and all ending with the letter “A”).
She has what I’d call a reddish-amber finish, a one-piece back, a tree-of-life carving on the back of the scroll and a nicely carved leaf ornament on the back corners (see pictures below).
I’ve been playing this fiddle on the road and in the studio since 2007. When I was touring with James King, this was the only fiddle I carried. Same when I’ve recorded and performed with The High 48s. It has a few “mic bites” and what you might call honest player wear (see pictures), but overall the fiddle is in excellent condition, sounds great, plays beautifully and is 100 percent ready to go.
Included are two bridges. One is a standard Despiau bridge (this is the one that’s currently on the fiddle). The other is an LR Baggs transducer bridge with a Carpenter jack. Will ship with a beater case — you won’t want to use it as your daily carry, but it will get Veronica to you safely.
The fiddle was recently in the shop to get a new soundpost fitted and a bridge cut. She’s never sounded or played better.
Below are some pictures, and in the sidebar to your right, you can stream tracks from my solo fiddle CD, “In the Quiet Night.” Veronica is the only fiddle I played on this album, so this should give you an idea how she mics and records (beautifully, in my opinion).
This has been a great fiddle for me and has served me well. The only reason I’m selling it is that I have a new love, a mid-1800s French fiddle, and Veronica is no longer getting the attention she deserves. I’m not a believer in stockpiling instruments — they should be played.
Please keep in mind that this is a fiddle, not a violin. This instrument is voiced to sound perfect close to a microphone, which means that it will likely be too fat and dark sounding for playing classical music and/or using a heavy, fast vibrato. It’s absolutely perfect for bluegrass and even jazz (Darol Anger plays one, and so does Nicky Sanders from the Steep Canyon Rangers). There are very few fiddles out there that sound as big and dark as this one. It’s a bluegrass machine.
To find out more about what this instrument is and isn’t, again, I strongly encourage you to read my review on the Fiddle Hangout.
If you have questions, you can contact me using the form below. If you’d prefer the phone, just send me your contact info and a good time to call.
Thanks!
Eric
