To see the second most "interesting" question, go to our site www.FiddleandBowBlog.com.
This was asked by not, one, but several technically excellent violinists visiting the Fiddarci Lutherie (they make the Don Rickert-designed octave violins) booth at the 2009 MusikMesse in Frankfurt.
To paraphrase, as it was asked in several degrees of directness: "What could I possibly use an octave violin for...someone would have to write material for it first?"
Even classical string players from the Russian Chamber Orchestra (early testers for us), and Russians are not known for what is interpreted as tact by Americans, never did or would not even think of asking such a bizarre question. Even children bound for the finest music schools in the country and trained in the Suzuki Method (pretty conservative from a musical standpoint) did not and would not ask such a question.
You will have to wait until later to read my thoughts about why this is such a strange and wrong-headed such question from a trained classical musician, as some pressing business matters have just presented themselves...
Don
