Roger Hargrave

Sorry about that but I guarantee it will be worth the wait. Roger

Hi Rue, I hope that you continue to enjoy Engel Eyes and the ones that follow.

This new year marks a turning point in my life. Because of Parkinson’s disease my workshop is now closed. My tools and materials are long gone, but with luck, the publications on my website will be hosted by the Violin Society of America, where it is intended that anyone will still be able to download them free of charge. This is being made possible by the VSA and the support of my Canadian friend and fellow violin maker, Chris Ruffo (Urban Luthier). Chris has already contributed to the violin community by editing and rearranging many of my articles and talks. As well as several new titles, this site will include the mammoth Making a Double Bass project, containing more than 370 photographs and 24000 words. It also incorporates never and before published information about violin making and varnishing. Sometime soon, my beautiful library of books, along with my archive’s drawings and collection of photographs, will eventually be sold to help fund the next stage in my career as a poverty-stricken novelist. My first book, Angel Eyes, is now available, both as a paper back and as an e-book. Covering the period from the 1920s to the present day, Angel Eyes is the first of five hard-hitting fact-based fictional accounts of abuse, corruption and greed in the violin business. Angel Eyes chronicles the life of a young American woman, Grace Scott, as she attempts to become a violin connoisseur in a world entirely dominated by men. Grace's worldwide adventures continue in volumes II III IV & V, which are already complete and awaiting publication. I make no apologies for the fact that, especially towards the end of this series, each volume becomes progressively darker and more erotic. You have been warned. Nevertheless, in spite of ­­­­­­their intensity, these works are also sensitive and occasionally amusing. Moreover, because they were initially conceived as a set of reference works to help musicians and violin makers identify classical Italian instruments, each novel still encompasses a profusion of information about violin identification, making, restoration and even varnishing. The framework within which this information is set may be fictional, but the technical ­­­­­­­­­­­­­data itself, is as accurate as I could make it. Because of my illness I am having difficulty publicising these works. Please help by passing this information to anyone who might be interested. Thank you, Roger Graham Hargrave.

Thanks for the info Michel, you were always appreciative, but with luck and help from several maestronet members more will be on it's way soon.

I was just reading though the topic on Strad posters and why they are no longer free. Well the were always free from my point of view. In fact they cost an absolute fortune for me to produce at a time when no internet or similar gadgetry was available. They were not paid for, because for many years only words were paid for. Article Illustrations and posters were not considered worth paying for. Over the years i spent many thousands of hours on such work all gratis, before the Strad had the idea to reproduce and sell them without ever having consulted me. Jacob Saunders told the story about Anne Inglis coming to Bremen and persuading me to write for the Strad. The posters were a later addition to our very productive relationship, but reading this blog got me thinking how much I would like to contact her again. I've seen many pieces by Anne so I know that she is still active, but in this modern paranoid world getting information about anyone is seriously difficult,, if perhaps understandable. My question is does anyone know where she is or how I might contact her. Thats it for now because I have reached the end of my typing ability for today. Love to all, Roger

I have never written for money.

i will let you know price and dates soon but i want to keeep cost to a minimum.

The Hills did have several stains that were very similar to the Padding ground colour, but mostly we used W&N raw sienna first followed by their burnt umber. These were water colours. You need a lot of practice to get the ballance right, it is easy to overdo the burnt umber. Finally we finished with boiled inseed with a small anount of driers added. What you do not want, is have a neck colour that is too grell and takes away from a good vanish.

All of the bits I own the copyright on are free to down load on my web site.

Great books ,all of them, but that typo is not down to me I have NEvER written my mame with an -ea- I tried to change it but it isn't working

I am going to try both and eventually an audio. Anyone up for reading it out loud.

Go ahead ut it might take a while to answer, even if Ican,

Hi Craig, Thanks for the imput, but this is not about making money, its about not loosing thousands like myself and Carlo Chiesa did on the Del Gesu books. And you are right. I love doing it.

You always were a cheapscate Jacob, but part of my reason for writing this, is because on the extrmely expensive Del Gesu book, I lost a lot of money. Whoever made money on that masive project it was not me or Carlo Chiesa. And now that my workshop is closed and I am having difficulty even typing. I don't want to overstretch myself and my family again.