Davide Sora

I don't see why with flatter undercuts the chamfer must be thin, I don't see any relationship. However, to dig the volute and the turns more, you will simply have to use more curved gouges, because as the depth increases, the flatter ones are no longer able to turn well making clean cuts. Another suggestion is not to use the scrapers but only the gouges, because scrapers have the tendency to flatten the surfaces to the outside. If you want to make your undercuts deeper you will have to pay attention to the transition between the pegbox and the volute, increasing the depth very gradually so as not to end up with the end of the pegbox too narrow or not to leave an abrupt change between the flat pegbox wall and the beginning of the volute hollowing (unless you are making a Del Gesù copy)

Even a quartet with a uniform sound can be fine, if one so wishes, the variety of ideas is always welcome. I would probably agree that it would be boring, but it's just one opinion among others. An entire orchestra ordered to the same luthier? Well, there are authoritative precedents, such as the orchestra that Carlo IX had commissioned to Andrea Amati, so perhaps for the music of that period could be a good choice.

Exactly, there is no formula that can be suitable for everyone, because the playing style of the players is also decisive, and it is exclusively up to them to find the right balance between instruments and playing style, also determined by their taste for the aesthetics of the music, which makes the sound of each Ensemble different from one another (thankfully). This is why I am always amazed when someone orders a quartet from the same luthier with the aim of obtaining a homogeneous sound through the same wood and the same style of construction. I don't think the musicians would agree, and they won't necessarily agree to play on those instruments. And then it would be a condemnation to have to play those four instruments of the same luthier in order to respect his intentions, without the possibility of change if they felt the need based on their sensitivity.

For me a quartet must be "assembled" on the basis of the sound characteristics, not on the aesthetic aspect of the wood. The wood could also be, and maybe it would be even better, not from the same log. As first violin I would choose the brightest, trying to get a darker sound for the second, the viola should be different enough to be able to stand out and not be confused with the cello or the violins (in the case of a too bright viola).I think that the stylistic coherence of the luthier should emerge from his working style, rather than from the choice of similar models, which would only make the whole more boring. Just my personal opinion, maybe that's why I never even remotely touched the idea of making a quartet to participate in a competition.

I don't know if all varnishes darken over time, I suppose most do but probably others might lighten as well. Certainly some varnishes colored with pigments or fleeting dyes will lighten, a compound of linseed oil and rosin with no added colors I suppose will certainly darken by oxidation. But getting dark is one thing, turning red is another.

I honestly don't know, the presence of oil could make it too soft to be finely ground like a pigment. But if your waste varnish really got super hard and brittle, you might give it a try. Maybe we discover the still unknown way to color the varnish that Stradivari used, and start a new trend.

As Jackson says, that is, by previously dissolving the rosin in the alkaline solution where the coloring extract will then be added. When the alum is then added, a compound of resin + alum + dye will settle on the bottom of the jar. Wash, filter, dry, grind, etc. like any other pigment

Yep, thanks for pointing out. In fact, not all rosinates can be effective as a pigment, the presence of a coloring principle is required, such as madder for example. And a pigment cannot be regarded as a resin for making varnish, unless it is properly formulated as a rosinate for that precise purpose.

In fact some systems for making lakes include rosin, so they can perhaps be considered rosinates. For example, I do this for the red madder pigment, and transparent verdigris has been known since ancient times, probably the first rosinate that has ever been made. In addition, powdered rosinatas can be used as lakes, simply by mulling them in the varnish instead of cooking them together or by dissolving them in turpentine. I think it was Frank Ravatin who used them that way, and me too.

If the two pieces are actually of the same size and shape (they must be in order to compare them), the second (higher) tone indicates a stiffer wood, therefore probably a more performing wood than the first with the same geometry and dimensions. This data should at least be associated with the density and weight of the logs to have additional indications to be evaluated, listening to a recorded tap tone is not enough, the only thing you can actually evaluate is the difference in pitch, you can't get much information about the quality and feel the tap tone gives when listened live with the board between your fingers

In 20 years I just hope to still be here making violins, and posting on Maestronet

Thanks for the kindness, but I'm a pretty well seasoned kid, I'm 58 years old.

What a nightmare!

I don't know, it's hard to tell without seeing the violin and knowing what height the sides currently have and what the transverse curve of the fingerboard is (i.e. how much wood is available). Maybe it could be possible without changing the fingerboard, distributing the straightening equally between nut side and bridge side, but you have to consider the effect on the projection at the bridge too, and you should have to live with the sides that will become irregular and the neck that will become a bit thinner towards the nut. There are too many aspects to consider, the decision rests entirely with the luthier who will eventually do the job.

Super fast!!! Well, maybe the word "super" is excessive, but still a respectable speed. I'm more in the line of JacksonMaberry, at least 4 hours from start to finish, probably more including the shaping after gluing (on my violins). I can't take the bass bar as a routine thing, it's too critical and important to be rushed.