Has anyone else noticed the video clip of a "Self-playing Violin"
from QRS Music Technologies at
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/08/25/self-playing-violin/  (You may need
to click on the words, "Self-Playing Violin" after reaching this site.)

The QRS site advertising it is
http://www.qrsmusic.com/pianomation/violin.htm

They claim it is the first self-playing violin.  Since they know about
and show a player piano, they should have known about the Mills Violano
Virtuoso and the Hupfeld Phonoliszt Violina instruments.

But anyway, is it really a player violin?  It sounds quite good and
very much like a violin.  But it does not finger or bow the strings.
It rubs the bow on a "string blade" (or four blades?) which vibrates
between magnets.  It is not clear how the pitch of the blade is
changed.  Do the magnets drive the blade?

Normally a cantilevered reed would have only one fundamental pitch.
There is a solid state "wave generator" which drives the string blade.
They say it would still play the notes without the bow but would not
sound like a violin.  Does the bow and string blade just add the
slightly "scratchy" sound of a bowed string?

In MMDigest 2002.02.24.05 Grant Leonard talks about owning one of
these.  Could he or anyone else give more information on how it works?

David Sharpe
Western Massachusetts