Violinmaker-in-Residence #10 When the purfling is in place the arch can be finished. The arch serves to add stiffness and strength to the top and to the back, which helps them to support the force of the strings on the…

Violinmaker-in-Residence #9 With the rough plates – the top and back – spot-glued onto the finished ribcage, I carve the outline of the body to its final shape using finger planes, knife, and files. The general shape of the body…

Violinmaker-in-Residence #8 When someone asked me recently what I was doing in the shop I said I was working on entering into Stradivari’s mind. Similarly, when I was studying the “Harrison” Strad at the National Music Museum as part of…

Violinmaker-in-Residence #7 Last Saturday, October 29, was the first of four opportunities for me to meet with the VSO audience and give them a taste of the reality of violin making in Vermont today. I set up in the lobby…