VSO Violinmaker-in-Residence

Violinmaker-in-Residence #24 I am approaching the moment when I will find out what the fiddle is really like. Though you might think I would know what to expect, with all my previous instruments and experience, each instrument is unique and…

Violinmaker-in-Residence #23 I approach the set up of this violin with expectation and reverence. Bringing the strings up to pitch is breathing life into these bits of wood. I once read in a book about quantum physics that God loves…

Violinmaker-in-Residence #22 This set of images follows the application and refining of the varnish on the VSO violin, as described in Blog #21, from the seasoned ground through set up. To follow this blog, please send us an email and…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…