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  2. David Burgess
    Me too. But occasionally and confoundingly, I still manage to get a li'l bit of something right, from time to time. However, one does need to allow for the time difference. It is only about 10 o'clock here, and probably something like 5 to 6 hours later where you are.
  3. Brad Dorsey
    Two other possible causes for a screw that does not turn easily: 1. The screw threads are clogged with old congealed lubricant. The solution is to clean the threads. I remove the frog from the stick, put a few drops of citrus-based cleaner on the threads, run the screw through the eyelet several times and wipe the screw with a bit of paper towel. I then lubricate the screw with paraffin wax; Martin's candle suggestion is fine. 2. If the screw is harder to turn at of the frog's travel than the other, the screw holes in the stick are mis-aligned or worn. Re-aligning the holes will probably require bushing them.
  4. martin swan
    Damn I really must stop hitting the Scotch before mid-day
  5. GeorgeH
    Could you hear a difference? Also, n=1 and the 1 is a "junker" so who knows? Perhaps a study between modern and old Italians strung normally and strung backwards would give us an answer. An answer to what, I don't know, but it would be some good fodder for discussion. It might even get featured on NPR.
  6. martin swan
    Well that's a matter of opinion. I for one find average Chinese trade instruments to be markedly superior to equivalent Saxon trade instruments. The measurements, model, arching, thicknessing - all these are pretty conventional and based on better information. Sometimes the wood is poor but that's true of both ....
  7. David Burgess
    I was thinking that the lines were red and blue.
  8. Don Noon
    Agreed... although in my technospeak, I'd say that signature modes are not totally unimportant, but the real important qualities of the instrument are elsewhere... i.e. the higher frequencies.
  9. Don Noon
    I will say that too... although the "fun" part for me was limited to watch the machine carve stuff out the way it was intended to. A little farther down the scale, designing fixtures is somewhat enjoyable. Very nice test pieces. I'll have to do a lot more refining of my models and Gcode the next time I'm making plates.
  10. Today
  11. martin swan
    a 15-20dB change in level around 2kHz is going to have an immense difference on the sound (perceived or otherwise) of the instrument. The read and yellow lines don't look remotely similar. I think people expect changes in the loudness of the fundamental to make a big difference, but for my money everything to do with projection and perceived loudness is in the overtones or higher harmonics.
  12. Strad O Various Jr.
    So why aren't the Chinese violins any better than the corresponding Dutzenarbeit??
  13. GeorgeH
    This needs a scientific study.
  14. David Burgess
    I played both the normal and reverse stringing the same way, "right-handed", to keep the playing as close to the same as possible..
  15. Alma
    George, just to see you in hysterics, I am going to ask how a violin would sound if strung inside out and backwards...
  16. Geigenbauer
    My CNC machine arrived a few weeks ago and I can finally start turning computer models into actual objects. Here are two recent examples with different edge designs. The CAD work was done in Fusion 360. I am not sure yet how I will use the machine in the actual making process. The current plan is to use it to rough out (leaving some material to take off) and finish by hand. I will say that this is a lot of fun but also quite a complex undertaking (software, machine, tooling, fixtures…).
  17. todd goldenberg
    I second the idea of using a Strad model for your early violins. There are many reasons I can give for my opinion, which if you wish you and write to me personally. I do have some experience teaching and I do strongly feel you would be better served using a Strad model
  18. Felefar
    There is a lot of hand labour involved:
  19. martin swan
    I'm aware of the Lutgendorff entry but I don't regard this as an actual reference to a verified maker. It only confirms the existence of a label.
  20. GeorgeH
    Is it just me, or does anybody else find this thread very funny? So many heated "discussions" on MN about tone and graduation and set-up, and yet this thread essentially shows that a violin strung backwards sounds the same or nearly the same as a violin strung normally. That there is funny.
  21. Jo Stephens
    https://amati.com/en/maker/lombardi-julius
  22. scordatura
    Keep in mind that a because the db scale is logarithmic, a 1db increase is roughly 26% more sound energy and roughly 7% of perceived or subjective loudness increase. Anything over 1 db is possible to be perceived as louder (if your hearing is "normal"). As the db change increases the difference in perceived loudness (amplitude) is increased.
  23. choixongchun choixongchun joined the community
  24. martin swan
    The violins that can be found on auction sites are not copies of a purported maker called Lombardi but bog standard German trade instruments with a spurious Lombardi label stuck in them. I assume the name was made up by some wholesaler of Markneukirchen violins to add a bit of lustre. I can't find any references for an actual maker with this name (Jalovec mentions only the existence of a violin with a 1789 label which he obviously won't have seen), and as far as I know there was no violin-making in Rimini before the 20th century. I may be wrong but I can think of any Italian maker who Italianized his first name to "Julius" - this seems entirely a feature of German and Czech makers.
  25. sospiri
    Millions of good to to very good musical instruments have been made in China over the past 30 years. As previous posters have noted. And yes, they are handmade. And moreover the workers are very highly skilled.
  26. Jo Stephens

    Old strings

    Jo Stephens replied to Argon55's topic in The Pegbox

    It’s going to vary depending on frequency of use but age is apparent by discolouration and wear. The string will get darker, metal windings can get flattened/crushed, the silk end will become frayed/ fluffy and eventually the string will break. It usually sounds awful way before this happens and most will change strings when they notice this.
  27. Anders Buen
    Regarding Dünnwalds Sound parameters I have done a few years research in trying to figure out what influences these. The level of the A0 in relation to the mid frequency response is called the L parameter. Lower top plate weights and low Mode 1 frequencies go with stronger L-values. This affects the stiffness of the box. Lower stiffness gives a stronger A0 response. We have also seen some traits of weakening the midfrequency response from adding mass close to or at the f-hole upper wings. A typical patch and repair position. Furthermore higher arching and thinner border region of the back plates seem to go with higher values of the ACD-B (see Figure). The most difficult part is the higher frequencies. DE-F, bass, bridge and setup may be crucial. I have also seen that high values of Dünnwalds parameters does correlate with a lower overall SPL. A «Dünnwaldian» violin may have a certain sound characeristics but may not carry as well. D´Addarios old Naepolitan violin is an example of that, sweet sound but not particularly powerful. (If you attend the VSA Oberlin Violin Acoustics Workshop you will probaly hear or even play it). However some violins have both Have high scores of DW parameters and high SPL. An example is the de Diable del Gesu on the Miracle makers, at least it is like that in the recording. Later research have shown that the nomenclature used by DW for «nasailty» etc was not well founded. Also the frequency regions for different classifications are disputed. But to be honest, I have not been able to understand the contant of this, not from reading it nor from hearing the presentations. I am not going to do the work over. I do think that good violins can have a strong mid frequency response, e.g. Boosting the fundamentals of one or some notes on the E-string. The winner of the VSA 2016 competition was one such instrument. Strong E string instruments are fun to play. How do we measure «fun factor»? Or just let it be?
  28. martin swan
    I just pull the screw through the end of a candle ... If the screw is very corroded I might use some steel wool on it, then wax.
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