Bill Yacey

Well, then I guess we are in agreeance. If anything, I believe it may serve a physical purpose as you describe. Visually, it's very subtle as I described in my previous post.

I would argue that this is done for visual aesthetics. It's such a subtle taper that most people wouldn't notice it unless it was pointed out to them.

Lapping compound, like Clover 600 grit will polish the mating surfaces back to a tight fit. Usually when a taper fit doesn't hold, is due to a high spot preventing full surface contact between the two pieces.

I drill out the top and bottom holes early on before I start hollowing out the inside. Any blowout splinters get removed as hollowing progresses. If your plates is near finished, shape pieces of scrap wood contoured to fit tight against the underside of the belly, where the bit is going to come through. Temporarily glue it in place, drill your holes and then plane the scrap wood away with a finger plane.

Perhaps you could take a deposit for book sales, and figure out what a first printing price would be.

I would certainly be interested. Is there any estimated price per copy? If it's several hundred dollars per book, it may be financially out of reach for many potential customers.

So: After 40 years of playing , how does it sound? From the propaganda, I would expect it to surpass the finest Cremonese master's violins.

An old banjo head works well too.

I would suggest you need to find what is giving way for the instrument to continually go flat, and repair the issue.

13/16" or 20.5mm measured at the end of the fingerboard should put you in the ball park.

Eatonio Catalogus, ordered in Orange County? Edit: Eaton's was a catalogue retailer in Canada, similar to Sears Roebuck in the U.S.

I have noticed this in some instruments, too. It seems like you just can't play an "off" note. When you do get an instrument like this in your hands, it's difficult to put it down again.

Interesting; I just drove through Innisfail last weekend.

I thought that was some sort of clamping appliance.

I experienced this when varnishing some furniture with water borne varnish. Subsequent coats don't fuse into the previous coat and the layers are clearly visible when you sand through them. I don't use it for anything I want a good finish on, anymore.