Emilg

Looks pretty much the real deal mr Butcher what would you want to improve on?

I know nothing other that it looks old, maybe 200 years? But i do feel a bit better about the overhang on my own violins ...

I doubt that his problem is about planing a flat surface, but rather the many variables Joerg has to get his head around (and additionally the many advises now). I don't use any planes at all for fitting the neck, just several sharp chisels and a fine rasp and slowly work toward the end goals. Takes me 2-3 hours in zen mode

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I second the Hargrave recipe, not much to go wrong. I make very small batches in a stainless steel sauce pan with a lid i bought for about 2 euro at the second hand store. Even a tiny amount of 50 ml should be enough for 2-3 violins.

Focus on the main aspects: - neck stop 130 mm - overstand 6-7mm, make sure they are the same on both sides of the fingerboard - fingerboard projection at the bridge 27.5-28 mm (this will lower a bit in time) Accept that the first violin will have many mistakes, but you learn from them, just try to make less the following ones It's better to make those mistakes than doing nothing for many months if you want to make progess. Work in small steps and build a mental picture of how it should work by dry fitting after every few shavings. I'm in Holland, where about are you?

Speaking of old Italians, this one made me laugh: spruce top..check, curly maple .. check, seperate bassbar .. check

Is the soundpost still there and in the right place?

In that case you can always consider a hair transplant to a better stick

I dont know if it is a HR, but looking at some auction prices from HR i safely estimated it at $1000. But you are right, could be alot more ..

Indeed, i have a $1000 Pfretschner now to rehair for a friend .. made me feel rather important

Very nice!

Hi Edi, i must admit i did this on my first 2 violins, but more out of impatience the gap was less that 1 mm, and i thought it would give a good fit. Now i make the neck fit to the button, and glue size the wood on both sides which makes the fit tighter again.

Hi Edi, that seems a bit dangerous And also, wouldn't this prevent determining a precise fingerboard projection?

There have been some threads about low arching in the past. This is an interesting one about old Italians, Melvin mentions a few in the 12-13mm range:

Beautiful clean work .. do you have a sound sample?

Wouldn't a flat top plate still technically have an 'arching height' of about 3 mm?

I think the one above is an early Norma Jean (very nice Murray!), later on she became more developed (sorry, again no bra):

And who would want 10 of the finest Strads if you can buy a steel rabbit for that money https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/16/jeff-koons-rabbit-fetches-a-record-91-million-at-a-new-york-auction.html

Tarisio only shows the Lady Blunt for 15.9M, and of course the Messiah is an estimate (20M plus). There are soms lists of the most expensive violins (no doubt outdated already), but it seems mainly DG's were sold for 10M plus.

It is probably the price when they accidently smash one Yes i remember only about 2 Strads being past the 10M mark, the Messie and the Blunt?

It always amazes me how seemingly easy people play, handle and lend out those 10 million dollar instruments .. i get nervous even from just watching

Don points out the difference is height will be marginal between 2mm and 1mm gut, as height is determined by half the diameter.

Would it be acceptable if the tailpiece touches or even rests on de saddle? with a 115mm tp and 54.5mm afterlength this is sometimes unavoidable, unless you shorten the tp. I understand you prefer a more rigid tp/gut system to avoid unwanted vibrations, but i also read some prefer kevlar cords because it is thinner and has lower bending stiffness, making the tp more free to vibrate.

Cool Andreas, keep us posted