"Horsehead Eolin " - dark walnut body and neck; rosewood pegs, fingerboard, chinrest, and tailpiece; brass over mica lighted panels; mahogany shoulder rest

(The following was written by Robert Hansen)

The Horsehead Eolin is a collaboration between master woodworker and artist Josh Kinsey, and unemployed civil engineer and violinist Robert Hansen. The project grew from a simple plan to redecorate an Yamaha electric violin to building an entire instrument from scratch. The design, though inspired by the Steampunk aesthetic, aspires to simple elegance and functionality, rather than adhering strictly to any particular style.

The body was shaped first based on traditional acoustic violins with a cutout for playing in higher positions, a nod to other electric stringed instruments. Then, the brass was cut into simple yet ornate floral patterns to fit the body, and the mica was shaped to match. A voltmeter to check the 9-volt battery's charge was assembled from a salvage battery tester and pieces of brass sheet and pipe, with a paper face inscribed with the name of the instrument, Ariadne, based on a character in the movie Inception. The initial "a" signifies this being Robert's first violin produced. The body was carved to match the brass with a plunge router and chisles to provide room for electronic components, to lighten the instrument, and to allow some resonance. The body's sides and back were carved with various router bits to give curves and grooves further reminiscent of an acoustic violin. Then, the neck was shaped and carved over many hours and several weeks into a horse's head. The figure of a horse was chosen to resemble a chess knight. The interface between the neck and the body was carefully filed to a tight fit, then fastened together with a machine insert in the body and a brass bolt through the neck. The rosewood pieces were purchased from a luthier supply company, as was the maple bridge blank. The bridge is an unusual baroque design that better matches the overall style of the violin. The fingerboard and bridge both needed some reshaping to fit the dimensions of the instrument, to maximize playability, and a stylish curve was cut at the low end of the fingerboard to tie into the curves of the brass and mica pieces and give better view of the voltmeter. Finally, a BNC coaxial fitting was installed, and a BNC-to-1/4" cable was fabricated with a woven nylon cloth sheath.

The neck is a lighter walnut than the body, so stain was applied to make the two pieces better match. Then, a nitro-cellulose-based instrument lacquer was airbrushed on both pieces in more than a dozen coats and polished to a shine with increasing grits of sand paper: 320, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, 2000; and an automotive polishing compound.

After the entire instrument was assembled, it was discovered that a typical Kun shoulder rest could not grip the unusually shaped body, so a piece of scrap mahogany was shaped to fit the player's shoulder and bolted to the battery cover with removable brass thumbscrews.

Unfortunately, the LEDs installed inside the instrument were dissappointingly dim and projected small circles of light instead of illuminating the entire mica panels. Future plans for the instrument include upgrading these LEDs or replacing them with luminescent panels or fabric. The switch which currently only controls the lights will be replaced by two concentric dials to adjust both light brightness and instrument volume. A pre-amp may also be installed to make good use out of the onboard 9-volt power supply, and even a wireless transmitter.

Josh contributed immensely to the visual design of the violin, bringing his experience with each of the materials with him. From the lighted mica panels to the working voltmeter, almost everything that makes this violin uniquely beautiful originated in his mind. Furthermore, the value of Josh's expert advice cannot be exaggerated. His vast experience with shaping and machining and his ability to teach made this project possible.

Josh contributed immensly to both the design and the construction, offering expert advice on both visual styling and machining possibility. Furthermore, nearly all machining and woodworking was done in his shop, with his tools.

If you have questions about the Horsehead Eolin, feel free to contact Robert by email or on facebook.

Questions for Josh can be directed to the contact page.