David Beard

Thanks for sharing this. Great story!

Not sure of all the things said there. So yes, energy only comes into the strings as momentary impulses when a pluck is released instead of in continuous stimulation as with a bow. But that doesn't explain much. The piano strings also only receive energy imput as momentary impulses when the hanmers strike. But the piano can be as loud as a violin. I don't think it has to do with the amount of human input energy, but rather with happens after. Clearly, a lower percentage of energy makes the journey from input to radiation as musical sound.

Yes. I do get your point, and have a measure of respect for people who on their own steam try and see how alternatives work. That can be a fair process for discovery. But in general, I respect that older working traditions tend to show good wood lore and very functionally motivated wood choices. So I prefer trying to use and understand those old choices as a starting point. And in making a deeply traditional item, I think this holds double. If someone who is already a great master at making Windsor chairs decides to experiment with using an exotic alternative in part of the process, I'd be interested to hear what they learn from the effort. But if someone new to making Windsor chairs decided to start out by proposing alternatives, I'd think it foolish. Also, materials can be and are part of the characteristic identity of a classical product. If one made a balsa violin, you might succeed in making a good violin, but the very choice of material will take it away from being a characteristically classical violin. Not that that needs to matter to everyone. Who's up for a nice white grape Cabernet?

Why this impulse? Spruce and willow have centuries of trial tests proving of their suitability. What's the great motive to randomly propose different woods. I don't mean to dump on you speifically, Mampara. It's a kind of question posed frquently. So I'm expressing more of a general frustration. Since you have the impulse, why don't you just try it yourself? Then tell us how wonderfully it worked instead of asking. Maybe hundreds of makers will follow you in the future, maybe not. There are many factors in using a material in a violin. None of the materials in the tradition violin show any need for improving. And, for now, only the fingerboard ebony is developing an availability issue. So from my view, why bother. You're addressing a nonexistent problem in a way not fully understood. The odds of creating an improvement are near zero. The odds of creating a neutral alternative are low to moderate. And the odds of messing up something that currently works wonderfully well are high. But you're interested, so go for it and learn what you learn.

I believe the notion Riodifrenze is getting at is in the neighborhood of an idea I recognize but have troublr expressing or formulating well. I make a fresh attempt. Imagine two flat plates parallel to each and arrange so you somehow crank the plates closer or further apart, remaining parallel. And you mount two springs, one on each plate, arranged so when you close the plates the spring will come together and compress each other in their natural lines of compression. Now the basic idea is to trap a little something with a bit mass between these and consider different cases of behavior. Particularly how the oscilates or responds to a driving signal. We probably expect that a mass trapped between such springs will oscillate harmonically if disturbed, and respond to some degree if driven. Ok. But first, lets consider some degenerate situations with this rig. If we try to trapsomething with too much mass for the springs, it'll just fall out. If we don't close the gap enough, our item won't be trapped. Or, depending on shape, we might close the gap enough so the item doesn't fall out, but the springs also don't make clean solid contact, then our item will rattle around. If our spring are too stiff compared to the item's mass, then the item will just be stuck in place. And if we just crush the plates together excessively, similar things will occur. Also, many odd behaviors can result if the spring strengths are very mismatched. To me, it seems beneficial and interesting to considered under which conditions such a system would respond best to a driven signal of various natures.

Hi catlover, Just a question. Is that name some sort of anti-gut string position your taking?

Lady Blunt isn't an example or source for modern setup. Vuillaume was preserving a bit more of original than is normal. Hence some distinct details. The original saddles tend to be actually flush with edge. Very different than modern raised saddles.

Creepy. Is a glue pot that difficult?

Sospiri, your premise is that the 158 guide originates with this illustration with the Lady Blunt. Your premise is incorrect. The 158 guide already existed in the community. Later, someone badly superimposed this already exist guide on the Lady Blunt. You've got it backwards. Let it go.

Yes. More oil over less is the whole modern version. But it goes back further, to tempered and mixed tempered and oil work. The generalized notion is the obvious: more flexible layers over the less flexible. As described by Cennini, it emcompasses differences between tempered mineral components. So sandy gritty things are also called 'lean' in tempered contexts, with slippery slidey minerals like clay being the contrasting 'fat'. Same idea really. More a general art concepts. Only applies to folks that really do work with layers of actually different composition. Also, it's a bit flexible. Sometimes you can get away with somewhat out of order laying by balancing with additives in the opposite direction. Definitely useful thinking tool at times.

Pretty much! It's sort of the wrong tool for the job. Engineers seem to go in thinking they have a few tools and know a few things. "I aught to be able to crack this nut." We've watched the trajectory unfold many times on this forum. In a way, a violin isn't a standard invention. It's more something that evolved as a traditional and conservative practice of design and build methods among families of Northern Italian makers. And it's hard to pin down the target goals in any simple way. Is it simply suppose to be loud, projecting, sweet, biting, brilliant, warm? In a way, the final arbiter of success is player acceptance. And which players? A beginner might want something that almost plays itself. An expert might want something that will do anything they ask. Do fiddlers love it? Do classical soloists love it. Or do players only want it as sub for bad weather outdoor events? Think of wines, cheeses, and Grandma's favorite recipes that go back generations. How do you make a great cookie? Not by engineering. But if your Grandma doea make a great cookie, you can use engineering to make a mass production process that makes a consistent and pretty good imitation of her great cookies. Lots of ways people go at this. Hope you have fun!

A great many solvents can be roughly categorized as waters, alochols, and oil families. So lime milk can dissolve some things plain water can't, but they're both 'waters. Alchohol also has a family of different but similar and compatible solvents. 'Oil' solvents cover a lot ground, including actual oils, volitile solvents like spirits of turp and minerl oil, as well most of the more intense non-caustic solvents people mention from time to time. As for mixing solvents, each family pretty much follows the characteristics of its namesake.

If... maybe...

Oil and Alcohol are not simply soluble. Under some circumstances oils will partially or substantially disolve in alcohol, and in others not at all. Oils and essential oils cover a big range, some essential oils have very many components. Some oils more readily are soluble with alcohols. Higher temperatures and various components added with the oil, or with the alcohol can aid solubility. So depending very much on the specifics of your material, you might find your oil and alcohol combine successfully, or not. Modern art supply makers do a lot of tinkery things to make materials easier to use and cleaner, and these days often to make them safer. But they tend to maximize calling their tinkered alternative materials by some traditional name, and minimize the fine print. Things label oil, turp, etc. in the art supply store today are very often contrary and alien to what those terms meant for 500 or a 1000 years before. I don't think traditional arts regarded alcohol as a solvent for oil. However, there are many practical cases where you can mix something oil soluble with something alchohol soluble. So for example, you can usually mix some spirit varnish into an already thinned enough oil varnish. But you'll still need to test a bit to see if solvents for either of the separate varnishes will work or not for the mixture.

I think you can sustain a counterpoint argument that Del Gesu was the most successful maker ever. You just have to focus on the number of instruments favored by the greatest players, versus length of career and number of instruments available.