Brad Dorsey

Your question seems to be answered in the AFVBM message that you quoted in your original post: "...If Pernambuco is listed on Appendix I, international...movement of Pernambuco bows would require CITES import and export permits..."

It always surprised me that Arizona was able to support its own violin makers’ group. Can anyone here explain how it came about? When was it founded? Did Arizona have a high concentration of makers? Of string players? Was there one person, or a small group, whose energy and enthusiasm kept it going?

According to the Grunke book, Rau never used an "A RAU" stamp.

It wouldn't matter, but that's not what Ton asked. Ton wants to know whether the map of graduations is shown looking at the insides of the plates or the outsides, because an inside view would be the mirror-image of the outside.

In my experience, Caspari pegs work fine as long as the screws are properly adjusted and the bushings are solidly attached to the peg box. If I were going to play an instrument with Casparis, I would be sure to keep a screwdriver in the case, because the pegs cannot be adjusted without one. And the blade on a regular screwdriver is too thick to fit in the slots in the screw heads; you need file one thinner.

Instruments of this type sometimes have quite asymmetrical pegbox wall thicknesses, so I wouldn’t draw any conclusions or make any generalizations based on them.

Probably WEIDLICH — a name often found on cheap mass-produced German bows. But this is not the name of the maker. It is probably the name of the company that distributed the bow.

I think that these points are important enough to be emphasized and explained: If the cloth is too wet with alcohol, you risk removing the varnish that you brushed on. The polishing cloth should not be in contact with the surface unless it is moving. If it does stop, it will leave an imprint of the fabric weave in the surface finish. The movement can be reciprocal or circular or figure eights or anything else; just keep it moving while it's touching the surface. Before you try it on anything you care about, you should practice on something else first. The something else could be just about anything made of wood -- a cheap violin or any kind of finished or unfinished wood surface. Experiment with different rubbing speeds and pressures while observing how the finish builds up on the surface. If the cloth feels too sticky, try adding a drop or two of oil. Be aware that things change as the alcohol evaporates. But don't be afraid. I think I might be making it sound more complicated than it really is. When I was trying to teach myself how to do it, I was able to pick it up by experimenting on a couple of cheap violins.

Does it need to be neutralized for our purposes (violins)? Why? Or do you neutralize it to drink it?

What is the dollar equivalent? No one can answer your question without knowing that.

Yes.

Obvious? What is the error?

Check out this recent discussion that addresses your situation: Final spirit varnish coat finish - The Pegbox - Maestronet Forums

It probably depends on what you want to do. The normal (for furniture) French polish is shellac dissolved in alcohol, but I assume you want to use it on a violin. Do you want to use it to varnish a white (unvarnished) violin? I guess it could work, but violin varnish is usually brushed on, not applied with a tampon. Do you want to apply it over the existing varnish on a violin? This is generally frowned on. Regarding the 50/50 alcohol/spirit varnish mix: since spirit varnish is mostly alcohol, diluting it 50/50 with alcohol just yields a more diluted varnish. And some people use the term "French polish" to mean rubbing the varnish of a violin with a pad with straight alcohol on it.

I agree completely. But if the soundpost can go anywhere and the bass bar can go anywhere, then trying out all the different possible positions of both in an attempt to optimize the sound would impractical. Besides the aesthetic appeal of symmetry, I think that the reason for this particular symmetry rule might be simply to eliminate some variables to make set-ups practical. There are already too many other variables.