Brad Dorsey

Is it shellac that I often see on old bows to bond underslides to frogs?

Jesse always said that he saw lots of cheap violins labeled Stradivarius, but when he was selling cars he never saw a Ford trying to pass itself off as a Rolls Royce.

For 12 years I did repair and set up work on most of the violins that Jesse sold. The business model that enabled him to sell violins on Ebay successfully for about 15 years stopped working. On the buying end, he found it harder to find the types of violins that he did well with, and when he could find them he had to pay more for them. And on the selling end, the prices he was getting declined and many violins were returned by the winning bidders. He discontinued his violin business late in 2017. He is now using his prodigious marketing skills to sell high-end motor homes and recreational vehicles.

I like to think I do, anyways.

I have seen a number of pegs that were broken by people using pliers and wrenches on them.

I free a stuck peg by tapping the small end, where it protrudes from the peg box, with a small hammer. If it doesn't protrude, I hold a sound post, or something similar, to the small end and strike the post with the hammer.

I was taught to make the high point of the bar at the center of the bar's length, which is also the center of the top's length.

I showed how I fixed a similar problem here: https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/325623-kinky-rib/

I was once able to see that a Medio Fino had a pressed top by observing saw marks left by a band saw or an up-and-down saw mill on the interior of the top. I observed them with the top off, but you might be able to see them with the top on through the end pin hole or with a mirror. If the top had been carved, the saw marks would have been planed away. Also the saw could not have followed the interior curve of the arching. Absence of saw marks does not necessarily mean that the top was carved, because the marks could have been planed away before the top were pressed.

Right. You can move the hair crossings into the frog no matter which end of the bow you start with as long as you do the ferrule wedge last.

1. After tying one end of the hair and putting it in the frog or the head (which ever you do first), comb the hair before tying the second knot. 2. Rehair head first. That way you can drive any hair crossings into the frog, where they don't make any difference, as you insert the ferrule wedge.

I use an oId floor-standing Delta that I bought used for $75. I think any reasonably good quality drill press would be fine in a violin shop. The one specific on mine feature that I find useful is the adjustable quill depth stop, but I think most drill presses have this. I use it to drill holes to specific depths in plates when graduating them.

From your description, it sounds like someone may have botched replacing the nut (small piece of wood at upper fingerboard). Improper nut height can allow the strings to buzz against the fingerboard. If this is all that's wrong it's not an expensive repair. But we need pictures to tell you anything definite.

Because international shipment of pernambuco is highly regulated, I think the only way for you to get some would be to find some that has been in Australia for some time. Think in terms of violin shops going out of business, bow makers' widows, etc.

Your violin has the same narrow corners and purfling set close to the edge as the first violin pictured here: https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/343250-violin-id-request/ so I expect that that violin has origins similar to yours and that many of the comments made on that one will also apply to yours. Do not strip the varnish to remove "CONSERVATORY." Any attempts to do this will make the violin worse.