I am 13 Month in Nepal and my Wiplestix is a very faithful
partner on my way. I can not be without it.

Kind regards

Ludwig B

I used the wiplstix again at a batmitzvah the other night, great fun was had by all! 
 
Thanks again
 
Charlie

We are intrigued - how do you know about the loch of lumbister????!! The fishing might be good in there, but it is a helluva trek to reach it.. Much better to catch brown trout in the Loch of brough!
 As for woolly beasts - my son will play you a lovely Shetland tune in a field of beasts once the fiddle arrives,I am sure!

Lindsey N.

Bill,
This thing us Great!! I'm amazed at the tone and the relative ease of play once you spend a few minutes adjusting to it.
mike

Canada Customs filed "WiplStix with bow" as "Archery Supplies" so I've christened it "Archie".
It takes a bit of getting used to playing, but I can see that we're going to have a lot of fun together.

Thankyou for creating and supplying such a unique instrument.

Henry.

Today the Stix has arrived, in excellent shape! Thanks! I quite like its sound already. The only difficulty I have is with its chin rest, but perhaps a KUN shoulder rest will help, as suggested by one of your customers. Without a bit more support the Stix keeps turning around its axis, so that the E-string becomes almost unreachable. We 'll see about that.
The instrument is quite elegant, the wood looks very nice, and the concept is stunning in its simplicity, fitting in a small tube liike that, as it does neatly. Tuning is relatively easy, with a small coin.
I 'll let you know when I will be able to play my first concerto. Or Irish folk tune, for that matter...
Paul V.

Got the stipplewhip in the mail the other day...I've played and played and played.  SUCH a nice instrument!  Nice work.  Thank you for what you do!  I'm loving it!

David

I just received Elderly Instruments’ last WiplStix, and I have fallen madly in love with this darling little thing! My husband and I travel frequently, and it has always broken my heart to leave my fiddle behind. Now I have a fiddle that can always come along for the ride – thank you!
With thanks and great respect for your artwork,
 
Chris S

Dear Bill

I did promise you a picture of me playing my wiplstix with a wild
animal. Well, here is a picture of me playing my wiplstix with a lion.

Cheers
Beccy (South Africa)

I'm still loving my WipLstix!  I've had it for many years and do not intend to ever sell it. I've shown it to a lot of professionals and they all love it.

YES it DID get here on firday, what a very beautious thing, YAY now I can take  a fiddle camping with me all over the place! I really don't believe how well it sounds being so small, beautiful workmanship, I played greek tunes on it all night last night. . . . .THANK YOU! If I take any cool pictures with it in europe i'll send one your way :)  :)   :)

Katt

Just to let you know the fiddle arrived last week :) I love it, just what I needed, and sounds much better than I expected for such a small soundbox. The way it fits into the case is genius, I haven't even been stopped by the police for carrying a pipe-bomb around with me yet, which is a bit disappointing..
liz

Got it! And it's cuter than a bug in a calico dress!I wish my grandfather could see it. I'm a classical violinist, and when I told my 90+ mom that I was taking up Scottish fiddle she said "Oh, your grandfather would be so proud! You know, HE played the fiddle!" Well, no, I didn't know that because he died before I was born, but I have to think he would've just thought this was the cleverest thing ever. Because it is! Thanks!!

Cornelia

Bill, I finally returned to my place of origin and discovered in my mailbox another well concealed pipe bomb tube with a different explosive tune.  Having in the past touched its wooden mother-father as it was sheltered with green umbrellas, it sang out in great glory and joined hands with me from across the Styx.
Tom B

I hope you get the impression of the fantastic sights the old Wipl has seen and what we've been up to, it attracted much good attention and it was alot of fun!  Thanks again so much for getting it to me on time!
 
All the best, I hope your new year is going well
Kind regards
Carol

Everybody's amazed. Also security guards at government buildings... And cute waitresses who used to play the violin (so maybe there are some fringe benefits to owning a WiplStix)....playing my WiplStix in
the snow at about 20 below. I decided to forego the swimming suit bit,
however. It performed as advertised, and was of interest to everyone
who saw it!
Charles W

I'd like to say thank you so much, I had fun with my "wiplstix" in several country.
People in Italy, Spain and Singapore asked me about the great backpacker's fiddle.
Thanks again, I send you some of pictures.
 
Peace,
 
Aki Uchida

Dear Bill,
I received the wiplstix Monday and I am floored by its construction! You are absolutely brilliant! I am having a great time, I played outside the student union today(no pictures, yet) I was surprised at how small it really was and what a great sound I could get from it. The pitch pipe tail piece was a clever addition and I love that it fits perfectly in the pvc pipe! Thanks again! -Shaina

Hello Bill,
I bought a WipLstik a few years back. The purchase was about testing out whether or not I wanted to return to playing the violin (which I had left behind 30+ years ago) or accepting the fact I had simply acquired a neat piece of wall art.
The good news is the music bug bit. I now own 2 full size violins and take a lesson every week. -Barbara W.

Bill,
Many thanks... it sounds very nice and is a really brilliant creation... kudos! I'm taking it to my local luthier to have fittings changed as Leander Branham suggests. Best, David

That wipLstix sounds wonderful. Has anyone on the site tried it? Does it double as a travel cricket bat? -Becky T

Bill,
Still wipLing here in TX! Mine has accompanied me to AZ, UT, NM, PA, MD, and of course, all across the Lone Star State -- most often on hiking vacations where I like to noodle a verse or two of Brennan on the Moor, Wayfaring Stranger, or Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair, sitting at some scenic overlook. -Jason Cooke Austin, TX

Bill,
We received the fiddle this afternoon. You are right - it's a beautiful piece and very unique. My daughter, Megan, tuned it and played it; and we all agree that Alex is going to love it! We'll have him email you with his reaction. Thanks so much. -Leanne

Hey Bill,
I love the wiplstix you picked for me. I take it everywhere. Everyone thinks it's awesome, including my piano and violin teachers . . . . . AND MY SISTER. My mom and I are wondering whether you have started working on the Jefferson wood fiddles yet, because we would like to get one for my sister, Megan. She is going to canoeing camp in July, also, and I think she is sad that she won't have a wiplstix to wipl with while she's there. Please let us know ASAP. By the way, she is in a different camp, but on the same lake, so we will not be able to share my wiplstix. -Alex

Bill,
As you can see, my son is thrilled with his wiplstix. He takes it everywhere and whips it out every now and then, especially when he thinks he's got an audience, and plays a few tunes. Of course, everyone wants to know where he got it . . . and they're always amazed to see the A-tuner in the tailpiece. He also likes to show the PVC pipe to people, especially adults, like our neighbors, and other adults, and make them guess what's inside. It was, by far, his favorite birthday present. We would like to purchase the T.J. fiddle for Megan. Thanks again. -Leanne

I am sure loving my liddle fiddle. Thanks for the fun. -Karen J

Hey Bill,
My wife bought me a Wiplschtik for my birthday. I really love it! Thanks for inventing something that's portable, doesn't make as much sound and is beautiful to look at. -Brad L.

Bill,
I got the part. It works great. Thanks for providing it to me at no charge. Great customer service! -Brad L.

I saw this advertised in the Strings magazine. I am very anxious to get this as (can you believe). I wanted this even as a child- probably as much or more than a pony. -Mari W.

I recently bought one of your birdseye maple wiplstixs at the Philadelphia Furniture show -- and though my personal musical growth has only progressed to making noise, (a feat that I personally am quite proud of, mind you) I am thrilled with its effect on family and co-workers. Scottish, Irish and Appalachian tunes (as well as a smattering of classical) just happen, if you leave it out where people can see it. (And of course, this dispenses smiles,toe-tapping and occasional jigging all around) It is a wonderful social invention - I have expect that if I continue to leave it lying about, the Chieftains truly will pop round for a pint and a song. -Rose C.

Hi Bill, I got my wipLstix and it's gonna be perfect for the whitewater rafting trip i am going on next month! Thanks! -carolyn

Hi Bill -- I received my Wiplstick, and it's great! What fun to play! The stick is wonderful! Thanks, Bill, for your craftsmanship and ingenuity. -Judy

I'm a penniless student, but my first paycheck, after graduation, will be used for your fiddle, guitar, or dulcimer (undecided). Proves you not only think outside the box, you don't even know where the box is! -A. Miller

I am still penniless, but hoping for a good tax return this year. And I am still drooling over the interent pictures of the instruments (all three now!). Love the guitar design. Proves you not only think outside the box, you don't even know where the box is!
Keep up the good work. You do it well. -A. Miller

Thank you. I love it. My family loves it, as the only time I have to practice is between 4:30 and 6:00 a.m. They can't hear all my mistakes, and if I close the door to my office, they can't hear it at all. Hmmmm. . . I guess the fact that its most popular attribute in this home is its "intimate" sound, says a little about my playing. Ouch.
Thanks again. It was worth the wait (4 years!).
Keep smiling.
-A. Miller

'Wiplstix with case and bow weighs 1 lb 1 oz.' That's perfect; my goal is for the fiddle and case and all to weigh no more than 3 pounds; I'm planning on hiking the whole Appalachian Trail with it, and every oz counts... -JoAnn

I loved having my little Wiplstix with me in Florida. Played it every day. My parents loved it. Their friends loved it. I played it in the airport waiting for my connecting flight. -Charlie H.

Thanks so much, it is indeed the wiplstix of my dreams. -JoAnn

Interesting product design, and looks good for camping and midnight practice. Review: Okay, I'll own up: I splurged and bought one at Clifftop this year. I'd long been intending to try and build something myself, so finding this was the answer to my dreams. I'm glad to say it's definitely lived up to expectations. The sound is quiet enough to play at midnight (and surprisingly acceptable to the ear, as well) and of course the portability is fantastic so you end up taking it on hikes, down to the park, overnight trips etc and never have to suffer without a fiddle again! Beautifully made and fun to play. Not that it feels exactly like playing your real one. The 1/8th size bow takes some getting used to, though I don't notice the reduced bridge-to-endpin length. The almost non-existant gap between tailpiece and top won't allow ordinary fine tuners (I'm going to see if those string-distorting ones you see on kids' violins might possibly fit) so tuning is harder but it does stay quite well once tuned. (You don't really want to use a penny for tuning--a table knife or screwdriver used sideways gives leverage for better control.)

For me, the biggest problem was a bit of sidewise rolling with string crossing despite the inflatable shoulder rest (I'm not sure this is pictured on the website; it's made of bicycle inner tube!) but I've designed my own to hold the half-round shape of the body steady (and fit in the carrying tube, of course) and it's fine now. -Bill M.