Jim Bress

I was a knuckle dragging grease monkey for 20 years before I was retired. Then I went to school for a while and became a certified egghead. I worked long days then and I work long days now. Did changing the color of my collar change who I am? My wife is in the medical field and so a couple of times a year I go to a fancy work dinner. I've had pleasant hours long conversations with some surgeons that are regarded as being among the top of their field. They may have big paychecks and big houses, but to me they just felt like regular people. Maybe because they were surgeons that two or three times a week stand at an operating table for 12-14 hrs at a stretch. No breaks. That's a lot of physical and mental endurance. Point is, individuals just don't neatly fit into other people's perception of their designated boxes.

How do you get books from worldcat? I've occasionally have gotten books via interlibrary loan. Most of the time I get nothing. Maybe I'm just interested in books that are not available for ILL. This book is actually cheap ($18). Must be because it's not a violin specific book. I finally bit the bullet and bought "Violin Varnish and Coloration" by Zemitis just yesterday. Not so cheap. -Jim

Nice critique. I agree with the "boxy" sound of the Vuillaume. I like watching the player to see how at ease or not he is getting the sound he is looking for. Wish we would spend more time talking about the violins instead of the people. I occasionally buy and sell violins, and build violins. I have no interest doing those things with people. Although building a prosthetic might be fun, but definitely not a whole person. -Jim

That was a nice treat Don. Just personal taste I was thinking I liked the Amati and the long strad the best and then they did a side by side with those two. Great fun listening to all of them. -Jim

My small contribution is complete. The belly and a bass bar is on it's way to Jackson. I still have pegs (nothing fancy) I can send off later if a fitting set doesn't get purchased. Cheers, Jim A pretty boring picture, but maybe it will get others to post more interesting pictures.

I think Joe just answered your question. If it was me and I had something that Joe wanted I would barter with him.

The stuff aint cheap! http://www.woodfinishingenterprises.com/varnish.html https://shop.kremerpigments.com/en/mediums-binders-und-glues/solvent-soluble-binders/balsams-und-wax/5696/larch-turpentine-from-south-tyrol I know Mike Molnar was talking about it at one time. I don't know if he ever started experimenting with it. I can't get near turps, so I don't use any of their many forms.

From the what do you have to lose department: You could cook it down to a colored resin for adding color to a oil/rosin varnish. If it doesn't behave well you have more room in the closet.

I've seen Evah and Evah gold with Larsen or Jargar A recommended in the past for new instruments. How do these choices compare to the Warchal ambers? Thanks, Jim

I made "V" cuts with a chisel with one side of the cut 90 degrees to the surface of the wood. To the limits of my vision and a shop light the color appears to be on the surface of the maple and spruce of both treatments. I'm sure there is some depth, but I don't believe it's enough to make any practical difference so I didn't break out my microscope. What I gained from this is that I'm not going to undergo the bother and potential risk (heat, rain, gust of wind) of sunlight when I have a light box that can safely do the same job. Cheers, Jim

Any place you like is fine with me. I only recall the star on your logo which I looks nice.

Sounds gimmicky, but it works for you. At 4.5 billion years old it could be a piece of Theia. I guess you can't call it an Earth pigment.

That was one of your better puns.

The ultimate zombie thread! It will be 15 years old in December. That was my first fiddle and is my primary practice fiddle. It works well. The "platform shoe" heel extension was from the excess wood cut from the same neck block. Blends in perfect. I can only identify the glue line as a glue line and not a grain line because I put it there. Setting the neck without the back is an attractive option that I will think about. Unfortunately I tend to close the box long before the neck is ready. A change in order of operations would be in order. I'll try it sooner or later. Cheers, Jim

What would be the best way to measure that? Make a V cut with a chisel? How much difference, if measurable is meaningful?