Alabama (possibly)
Settlers and Farmers 

Wood, bamboo, gut & metal strings
ca. 1900s
Length: 23.75 in; Width: 4.5in
Lutes – Violin Family – Folk Fiddle

An early rectangular bamboo bodied fiddle called a ‘Tube (‘Travel’) Fiddle’.   This all hand-made three tube fiddle has ‘f’ shaped resonator holes on the two outside tubes with a custom-made moveable bridge resting on the extended middle tube.  There are three gut strings and one metal string stretched tightly across the resonating body and secured at the top with four wooden pegs and at the bottom with a handmade tailpiece. The all-wooden bottom section that extends from the bamboo tubes, supports the tailpiece and serves for propping the fiddle on the knee or against the body when played with a bow or plucked.