Violinmaker-in-Residence #21 On a recent visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, I admired a painting of a violinmaker applying varnish to a violin. I was drawn to this painting, as well as to a similar painting of…
About Varnish
Violinmaker-in-Residence #20 The varnish is a layer of natural resins applied to the surface of the violin. Its primary function is to protect the wood from dirt and wear, its secondary function to add color and depth to the appearance.…
Third Residency March 18
Violinmaker-in-Residence #19 The blizzard that buried Burlington with 26” of snow was adequately cleaned up to present no problems for my third session with the VSO family on March 18. The bright late winter sunshine and brilliant snow made the…
Finishing the Exterior
Violinmaker-in-Residence #18 Having all the parts of the violin in place there is an opportunity for me to revisit and clean and refine all the surfaces and lines; producing one harmonious whole out the various parts. Fine work with scrapers…
Fitting the Fingerboard and Setting the Neck
Violinmaker-in-Residence #17 The angle of the neck is very important to the acoustics of the violin: it determines the placement and height of the bridge, and the angle of the strings and resulting balance of forces on the violin body.…
Carving the Scroll
Violinmaker-in-Residence #16 The scroll is the part of the violin with the most opportunity for the maker’s personality to have free rein. Indeed, many violins are made with lion’s heads, young ladies’ faces and other imaginative designs instead of the…
Second Residency December 3
Violinmaker-in-Residence #15 December 2nd brought me back to Burlington for the Orchestra’s rehearsal at the Elly Long music center. The Center is familiar from my son’s stint as a trumpet with the Vermont Youth Orchestra in 2003-4. Fortunately he made…