This was my main fiddle for most of my professional career.

I played it on countless gigs around the US and Europe, and recorded with it extensively. 

Check out this playlist of live videos and studio recordings!

Why it's awesome

🎻 Sounds amazing. A perfect example of what a well-aged Bob Kogut fiddle should sound like

🎻 Warm, but brilliant sound. Not scary to play, even on the E-string!

🎻 Beautiful, bold song across all strings, with the high notes on the E-string being especially gorgeous.

🎻 Unique! Bob makes each fiddle look a little different and gives each of them a unique name starting with the letter A. This fiddle is named "Narcissa".

• Custom set of strings, chosen by me. I tried a bunch of different options and found the perfect set ($140 value!)
• Evah Pirazzi E-string: Bright, warm, and not scary!
• Thomastik Vision Solo A, D, and G strings: Full and rich, with a bright sparkle on top
• D'Addario Helicore C-string: Big and bold - sounds like a tugboat!
• Brand new featherweight case, with suspension. ($50 value!) I used one of these for years, and it survived a lot of hairy situations, including flying over my bicycle handlebars strapped to my back 😂

Important things to know

✅ Bob builds fiddles with a ton of character, but they are a little rough around the edges. Alongside the intricate carvings, nicely fashioned f-holes, and unique body shape, there are sanding marks and glue lines that could have been more finely honed. This is normal for Kogut fiddles, and he will tell you that. When I had this fiddle made, he told me (paraphrasing), "If you're looking for a museum piece, look somewhere else, but if you want a great sounding fiddle, I'm your guy".

✅ In the past, this fiddle had a very subtle wolf tone on the A-string B note (first finger). Most people could not hear it, but I could. After adjusting the sound post position, switching bridges, and finding the perfect strings, the wolf tone is no longer present. I can't guarantee that it won't come back, but I have tried hard to make the wolf tone happen with the current setup, and the sound is clean on that note every time.

Partial list of recordings I played this fiddle on

💿 Becky Buller "Distance & Time" (2020) - on "The Barber's Fiddle", which won the IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year award in 2020.

💿 Nate Lee "Wings of a Jetliner (2020)

💿 The Hard Road Trio "The Hard Road Trio (2019)

💿 Becky Buller "Crepe Paper Heart" (2018)

💿 Nate Lee "Plays Well with Others" (2017)

💿 Jim Hurst Trio "JHT-1" (2016)

💿 Ashleigh Caudill "Looney Bird" (2015)

💿 The Hard Road Trio "Smoke & Redemption" (2015)

💿 Casey James Prestwood "Honky Tonk Bastard World" (2013)

💿 The Hard Road Trio "Monticello" (2012)

💿 David Richey "No Peace of Mind" (2011)

💿 Hard Road "Signs Along the Road" (2009)

Price

$4000 firm. FREE shipping.

$500 discount for my VIP, Premium, and Basic membership students.

$200 discount for anyone who purchases a lesson for the first time, 1-5 days before purchasing the fiddle. Schedule a lesson here: https://www.playnately.com/

Once the fiddle arrives at your location, you have a 48-hour approval period, and you can return the fiddle if it's not right for you. There is a $200 restocking fee to cover my cost of shipping both ways, plus handling time. *** If the fiddle arrives at my location with damage that was caused by you, the cost of repair or diminished value will be deducted from the refund.***