Andro

Are you referring to the Surgeons End Loop? What I know as a Surgeons Knot is to tie two lengths together. This one: https://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/surgeons-end-loop

Thanks @jandepora for the remarkable iconographic reference. While it is generally dangerous to rely on paintings, this instance has acutely finely observed detail. These are bowline knots, and precisely identical to what the Aquila website shows in their video for fitting gut strings to a viola da gamba. I wonder what the G and D strings here have. :-)

@J.DiLisio that's exactly what I am after. So what type of knots are they? Are they the bowline type? And any info on how to learn how to make them?

Some misunderstanding here, maybe I was not clear. I am referring to the knots in the playing strings, not the tailpiece gut. I suppose my thread title was badly worded. I have edited the title to be more clear.

Being new to gut strung baroque instruments and a total klutz at tying knots, I am seeking instructions on how to tie the knot for A and D strings for the tailpiece. The E string I just use a quick double hitch which seems to be popular with players, and the all the G gut strings I have come with the knot already done (thank goodness). It's the ones in the middle supplied as lengths with no knots that have me in diffculty. The knots I see seem to be bowlines, but I only rarely see the string passed through the loop as well, and the bowline knot seems to only serve as a stopper for the small tailpiece hole (I am only referring to baroque violins in this post). So I am confused and inexperienced, and wondering why you need a bowline anyway, apart from the fact that it does not slip. Any pointers/videos/diagrams and so on most appreciated! Aquila has a video of how to tie a bowline, but it's about sailing knots, with thick flexible rope, and I just cant get it on thick gut, which is very stiff.

When did makers first start producing fractional size violins for children, historically speaking? I don't recall seeing fractional sizes from the Cremona period etc.

What is BOB?

I do not know the number of extant violins by Lorenzo Storioni. You'd have to take it to an expert dealer/appraiser. But have a look here, this may be of interest: https://tarisio.com/cozio-archive/browse-the-archive/makers/maker/?Maker_ID=720

Do we know much about original baroque violin soundposts, in particular average diameter? Would they have been thinner than today's norm? Do makers of contemporary baroque setup instruments use thinner soundposts? Is the standard today about 6.2-6.4mm?

I guess this is a useful paper on bridge resonance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3871102/ It's not directkly concered with wood species, but I extract from this paper that stiffness of the material is a very important controlling factor, and obvioulsy different wood species will have more or less stiffness.

Hello @JackSchmidling can you give some details about the equipment you are using to determine bridge resonant frequency? That would be of interest. But wouldn't a bridge have many modes of resonance possibly, as it is a rather complex shape? And given that the bridge partly acts as a spectrum filter, how does the resonant frequency come into play in terms of affecting the sound? Speaking from my own experience as a harpsichord maker, I know that a desirable, indeed essential, property of soundboard wood is high cross grain stiffness, leading to very high speed of sound transmission in the wood. Spruce of various types is ideal. I would imagine that the fine quality hard maple that has come to be used for bridges may also have very high speed of sound transmission and so be very responsive to fine detail. Only guessing here about that.

In general, do we know who Stradivari's customers were? Courts, or individual musicians? Would violinists at that time have been able to afford such fine intruments? Are there any pertinent records? I am aware he made some for courts, but what was the main customer base? Question not specifically for Stradivari, but the Cremonese makers in general.

I'm not sure this is totally stupid. I am an adult beginner at the violin and a keyboard player of 50 years standing. I am having some pain in my hands, and also, as a beginner currently without a teacher in these covid times, having trouble keeping my wrist straight. I was in fact thinking of using some sort of glove for pain relief and training my hands and wrist for violin, so different to keyboard, including considering one of the longer wrist supports with a metal splint in it. I know this sounds like utter heresy, but I see this sort of thing as similar to training wheels on a bicycle. Sometimes a beginner needs help to set correct position and I see no objection to this glove, even though it's just a slightly formally dressed bicycle glove. I am actually quite interested to try it.

Well you could do worse than hear the sublime Rachel Podger's recording, Bach - Complete Partitas and Sonatas for Violin Solo, on Channel Classics [not sure if it is against board policy to post a link to where you can obtain this.] I understand that while she used to play a Strad she now uses a Pesarini from 1739 in Genoa https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Podger-Rachel.htm Superb playing in any case. I'm pretty sure she uses the Baroque instrument on that. but I will have to search my shelves. I am assuming that Genoa is far enough away from Cremona for you! :-)