Violinmaker-in-Residence #14 Once the graduation of the back is finished it can be glued to the rib assembly, still secured on the formboard. The violin is almost entirely held together with glue. The one exception is the neck, which since…
F-holes and Bass Bar
Violinmaker-in-Residence #13 The top of the violin serves a different structural and acoustic function from the back and is designed quite differently. Our overall goal for the violin is to have a body strong enough to be stabile, as light…
Graduation of the Back
Violinmaker-in-Residence #12 The graduation, or adjusting the thickness, of the plates is considered by most makers to be the key step in determining the voice and playing qualities to a violin. In actuality these playing qualities are a cumulative result…
A life of its own?
Violinmaker-in-Residence #11 If my blog posts have become rather technical and a bit theoretical in describing my making process, it is perhaps a reflection of the early stages of making a violin, which are more repetitive and predictable. It is…
Shaping the Arch
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…
Shaping the Edge and Purfling
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…
Being Stradivari
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…
First Residency October 29
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…
Roughing the Arch
Violinmaker-in-Residence #6 The top and the back of the violin – referred to as “plates” – are carved into an arched form. The arch is a classic way to get maximum strength in a structure with minimum weight: think the…
Building the Ribcage
Violinmaker-in-Residence #5 The ribs, or sides, of the violin are built around a form-board (link for more on this). The rough blocks (4 corners and 2 ends) are spot-glued onto the form-board and the shape of the ribcage scribed on…