H.R.Fisher

Thanks so much Micheal, That has been very helpful.

My question is regarding the lower hole of the f when viewed from the side Should it run parallel with the edge in the north and south direction.

As a novice I never really paid much attention to it. I assumed there would be a correct way to position them in light of all the other important nuances in violin making. It's good to know there is some freedom here.

How should the lower f hole on a strad be situated in relation to the edge? Should it sit parallel with the edge or should it follow the arch? Thanks in advance Henry

I just purchased an engleman spruce top with a sg of 34.5, cut in 1979. I am under the impression that working toward a low plate weight and a high mode 5 ring tone will make a great sounding fiddle.I am aware that there are many factors as well that contribute to a great sounding instrument. Am I on the right track regarding my assumption about weight and ring tone? thanks Henry

I just got the medicei strad templates from IV and i now need the poster as well. Is it available? I been looking all over the web but cant find it.

Way to Go Ed! Congrats.

I am interested in understanding the tonal effects of various weights, heights ,shape and position of the base bar. Thank you in advance for your responses. Henry

I use a jointer with spiral cutting blades. It does an excellent job even on hard curly maple. The down side is they are very expensive. I am fortunate to have access to my sons jointer at his cabinet shop.

Looks like you have lots of creative and artistic talent. It is certainly apparent you have the inherent skills to excel in violin making. However you may find it somewhat frustrating because of the constraints required in violin making. The parameters are quite restricted and the self expression is very limited. Being able to emulate the classic masters seems to be the aspiration of most contemporary makers. I'm not suggesting you have to confine yourself to that but to become recognized in today's violin making community one must acquiesce to the status quo. The best to you; Henry

International violin has it's lowest grade at 19.00. You can't get it much better than that.

??? please elaborate.

What are some methods used to finish sound hole edges.Or what is considered proper in contemporary violin making.I prefer the dry, dark charcoal look. Is this an acceptable finish and if so, how is this accomplished? Thanks in advance for your responses, Henry

Fit the SP first. It's good if you can look through the end pin hole to see how the post is fitting.

Am I understanding this statement correctly? Are you suggesting that to build a violin with an award winning tone it can only be accomplished with top quality tone wood? This is really the question at the core of my original post.