Urban Luthier

I bought some ebony stock a decade ago and ripped it into 15mm strips with the idea of making my own fingerboards. The ebony is various quality as you can see but very stable with no movement since I bought it. Not sure how old it is. Messy job but fun!

Thanks WB and Tets. I think I will thin the peg box walls a bit. Odly enough the Alard that I drew the template from is even slightly thicker at the top of the Pegbox!

thanks Jim!

do the members of the axelrod string quartet dress in striped shirts?

First attempt at carving an Amati-style head. Finer chamfers, deep fluting (I bottomed out a no 7 gouge) and a narrow pegbox. The latter concerns me a bit, along with the A peg clearance. I tried to work it out ahead of time, but time will tell. Still a bit of clean up to do. Fun learning experience!

Love to see more of this one Melvin - especially the scroll. Your varnish looks stunning as does the overall look and feel of the Guad model

Thanks Jim! I was trying for a Bros Amati look for the F holes, but you know how it goes - sometimes 'the knife' gives them a personality of their own!

Not much time for violin making but a little progress on my grand Amati inspired violin posing with my favourite plane.

Wow that is stunning Tets!

I really enjoyed your videos Henry - thanks for posting!

What an interesting theory - your UV photos look very convincing. As for the end result, I'm speechless

Gorgeous. Love the model and your tasteful interpretation. Varnish is masterful!

I correspond with Andrea Zanre when S&Z published the Tuscan strad book. They originally offered 3d printed plates as an option when purchasing the book. They were unapply with the prototypes (apparently .5 mm) off and withdrew the option.

Really? Amati family, Strad, Guarneri family, Bergonzi archings are all different. Even strad varied his arching radically over his career - look at the Tuscan from 1690 vs a golden period vs a late period. I wish I could have afforded the Amati plaster casts auctioned at the Last T2. For me it is less about copying and more about studying how the maker resolved geometric transitions as well as getting an overall view of arching as a whole. The ability shine an anglepoise lamp over a plaster cast, would be a valuable study aid -- for me at least.

Wishing you a speedy recovery Don! And even more efficiency with fabrication innovations