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Hello. I’ve recently decided to start upgrading my violin and was informed by a luthier that one of the first things they’d recommend changing out to easily get one fine tuner on and improve the sound of the violin is the tailpiece. The tailpiece has 4 finetuners, appears to be made of ebony, and uses a metal strip instead of an actual tailgut. They offered a Wittner tailpiece, but after reviewing differences from the Wittner tailpiece and wooden tailpieces online, I preferred the sound of the wooden ones. Which then brought me to my next question, what wood is best for violin tailpieces? I can’t find many videos showing the differences between the most common tailpiece woods (Pernambuco, Ebony, Rosewood, and Boxwood) but heard that Boxwood and Pernambuco sound the best. Which wood in your guys’ experience has the best sound? I know that string after length, tailgut length, weight, and quality of the wood can affect the results. But it seems that Pernambuco might be the hardest to get wrong with the best reward in sound. IMG_2714.mov
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I have acquired this violin from my grandfather. I studied and worked as a luthier primarily on guitars, and the build quality to my eye seems rather high. Also the wood selection is good too. Very close grain spruce top very well quarter cut. The back is a single piece of quite highly flamed maple. However upon inspection I found a small letter A carved into the pegbox. There is no makers label in the inside of the instrument, however I've been made aware that with violins that not always the best means of identification. Can anyone shed some light on this instrument please. My grandfather said he thinks it was made around 1860.
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im looking to make a very simple clavichord for a school project. i want to know the essentials needed to make and clavichord and am also open to other uncommon string instruments to mak
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Good day everyone, i decided to pickup the cello about a month ago. i quit smoking and was looking for a reward/ distraction. Ive played electric bass off and on for 20 years. I purchased a super cheap cello on eBay and im in love. Tuning this new instrument has proven to be a pain. getting accustomed to the friction tuners is a struggle. I used my tuner that i have for my basses and guitars. Then i downloaded a tuner app and then another. All three are giving me different results. any advice on a specific tuner/ app that works best for cello. Im about to download a tone generator so i can just match the notes. any advice is greatly appreciated, john
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Hope you´re doing great! I´m a Beginner Maestronet user, Beginner Violinist, Beginner Woodworker and future Violin Maker (not fair to call myself a Luthier just yet), so beginner everything... Today I come to your aid to help me restore this Violin Coffin Case I got for 5 dollars equivalent! in Argentina. The Case is well worn and needs a new lining and interior everything (which I´m not terribly clueless about but if you have any tips I will definitely appreciate them), the main issue it has is that is doesn´t close flush on the left side, it stops way before it would be acceptable to me at least(maybe the side wood panels are bent outwards?). I´m new at this so any pointers are awesome! Greetings from the Land of Silver! PS: should I refinish the exterior with varnish or wax or just leave it as is? I intend to use it as a regular case.
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Hi All advice on good string combinations
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Hi all. I'm new to this forum and I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong section. I need help to ID my recently acquired violin. It has a Jules Merciolle label, but strangely no year or anything. I even don't think it's French but I have no clue actually except it sounds really great. Here are some pics. Thanks in advance!
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Hi Tuning problems! I'm very very inexperienced, took about ten lessons but couldn't afford to continue, so trying to teach myself. I also have a comparatively cheap violin - think it cost about £100. I use the fine tuners as much as I can, but inevitably I have to use the pegs. The pegs don't turn smoothly however - they're really stiff and 'jumpy'. I have to exert quite a lot of pressure to get them to turn, then they turn suddenly and I've a broken string on my hands. Or I get it tuned, but then the pegs just slip and unwind again. I've watched dozens of videos on YouTube about tuning, but everyone's pegs seem to turn easily and then stay put. Tried all sorts of methods, pushing/twisting simultaneously, pulling out slightly, turning, then pushing back in - no avail! This has cost me quite a bit in repairs as I am too inexperienced to attempt it myself - would probably do more harm than good. What am I doing wrong!? Any help much appreciated!
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I'm looking for some assistance in trying to determine the period in which a violin was made. For your perspective, I'm limited in experience having built just two violins, and have no experience in determining a violin's probable age or region of origin. The violin (pictured below) has no label, and I don't see evidence of label glue. I purchased the violin shown at auction. I got it on the cheap ($23 US). I thought it might be something beyond ordinary export grade based on the nicely figured wood, and that it appeared to have been played extensively. Some aspects of the craftsmanship would be considered to be poor by today's standards - but it does have character and the poor aspects are just symmetry issues. I have inspected it as best I can via external measurement and internal inspection with a mirror and peeping through the tailpiece pin hole. I noted the following aspects that might help identification: There is no neck block (it's a through neck); nor are there lower corner blocks. I don't believe there are upper corner blocks, but I haven't gotten a good look. The upper ribs appear to be inset into the neck. The plates are nicely formed. The fingerboard is stained. It is a firm wood, but I don't believe it is a hardwood. There is a tapered shim between the neck and fingerboard which is attached to the fingerboard. The shim appears to be a soft wood (a pine?). The neck is set between 4 and 5 degrees and the wedge adds 2 to 3 degrees. Both the neck and fingerboard have been channeled down their centers. Both the neck and fingerboard have the number "72" written in pencil in their channels, appearing 4 and 5 times respectively. On the lower end of both the neck and fingerboard channels, there is what appears to be a letter. It appears to me to be a stylized "E" or possibly a "G". There is plaster or similar material plugging both ends of the tunnel created by the fingerboard and neck channels. There is one locating pin which is on the lower belly (into the lower block). The purfling lines are clear/distinct/well defined, but they wander a bit. The f holes are pleasing, but they are positioned differently longitudinally by several millimeters (including their notches). It appears that the string length would be generous at about 335 to 337mm. You can't tell in the photo, but the belly is nicely figured (bear claw). The button is tapered such that it gets thinner as it progresses toward the neck. I do not see any obvious modifications to this instrument. The body dimensions are approximately: overall length excluding the button 14.25" (362mm); bout widths (upper/mid/lower) 167/111/213 at the plate edge, about 161/105/208 to outside of ribs; ribs are 32mm and not tapered; belly max height is slightly more than 17mm; back max height is slightly less than 15mm; f hole upper eyes are set 42mm apart. I don't know what exactly to make of this instrument. If anyone would like to provide me some guidance, I would be grateful. Thanks, Dave
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Anyone have any general starting points to ID a Romeo Antoniazzi violin? Features to look for? Identifying stylistic elements? Marks? Et cetera... I am working on a research project on the lineage of makers he is a part of but his style seems, to my extremely basic eye, to be all over the board and very diverse. So I’m having trouble nailing down some themes to note for his instruments. I also don’t have a paid Tarisio account which I suppose might help but I’m trying to save money for now. Any tips on his instruments much appreciated. Thanks much!
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Knilling Prague I Cannot find much on this instrument. Would appreciate any information available. I recently acquired one and would like to know quality and value.
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So, I'd like to thank you all in advance for potentially helping me sort through all of the general questions I have, and also welcoming me into this community(by allowing me to create a free account to quiz the people in the lifelong trade/journey about what I seem to have gotten myself into). Thanks again for reading. I am excited to become a part of this particular community!
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Pretty devastated as this is the nicest piece of maple I've had my hands on Do people splice buttons on or should I just order a new back? This is my 3rd violin. I was hoping to be making less mistakes by now!
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Hi guys - section leader here for a London non-pro orchestra that has programmed the Kodály next concert. Any idea how to lead a section to play the passage at 487 well? Syncopations are quite quick...
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Hi everyone! I am a newbie playing violin and was hoping you could help me out picking my first violin! I have practiced for about 3 months now on a beginner violin I borrowed. Now I know for sure I want to continue learning. My budget is 300€. The options I have found: Alfred Stingl by Höfner AS-180-V 4/4 Violin Outfit 260€ Karl Höfner SE II Violin Set 4/4 322€ Stentor SR1500 Violin Student II 4/4 192€ Stentor SR1542 Violin Graduate 4/4 240€ Stagg VN-4/4 HG Violin Set 229€ Artino VN-135 Violin Set 4/4 215€ They all come with a case and bow. I have read a lot about each one and they all sound good on paper.. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
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Dear violinists and friends, I first started the violin (with a private teacher) halfway through the 6th grade, when I was about to turn 12. At the time I was not very serious, and did not practice very much. However, ever since listening to maxim Vengerov live a few months back, I have been practicing seriously (4 hrs a day). The materials I am currently working on is as follows: Carl Flesch (just started this week), Czardas by Monti (just finished this week), Mazas (working on No. 3 this week), 2,4,6 positions by Harvey Whistler (I know how to play the positions, can't sight read in them yet though), Melodious Double Stops Book 1 (almost finished, I am working on No. 25 this week), and Sevcik Op. 2 Volume 1 (the one with bowings for the chords, we skip around in this one). I really love the violin, in its entirety. Given my current level, do you think there is a possibility for me to minor in violin performance (as in would I pass the auditions). I am currently in the 10th grade. Thx
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I have a 4/4 violin with a label that reads, "Joh.Bapt.Schweitzer fecit ad forman Antonii Stradiuarii Pestini 18__" ~ it is dark brown in color and looks very old. It also has a very skinny neck. I can't upload pictures/don't know how - and i know the lack of pictures make it hard to really tell anything but any advice would be greatly appreciated. I was told that it has a $5000 value but I personally would like to know if it is real or a copy -
Ok, so many of you might remember this violin as I used it to post my first post here on MN back in 2011. I have recently decided to do (and redo) previous work on this to get it up to speed. I have has this mostly kicking around my shop (instead of in the showroom) because: #1 is really wasn't finished (peg bushings etc), and #2, I can't quite get a hold on what it is. This is the link to the original thread....if anyone cares: http://www.maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/325080-old-saxony-violin-help-wid/ I now have it open, so I can see that it looks to be BOB construction. Not sure if those sweeping end/neck blocks are original. I think the corner blocks might be original. The rib extensions (depth) you see from the outside are put on top of the linings, ribs and blocks. I originally thought the the linings where replaced because from the inside I couldn't see the extensions, but not open its obvious. Corners looked to have been clamped together in the typical BOB construction and later fitted with full corner block inserts. What bugs me about saying this is Saxony??? 1. Neck block, attachment area 2. That scroll just doesn't seem to match. So tiny too. I know some others (Martin) on the old thread felt it to be original, but I'm struggling with that. It is an AMAZING sounding violin, almost a little scary. 352mm back. 30mm ribs (with the extension).
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I've been looking around to see what height my bridge needs to be because it seemed unnaturally high even though it's a medium sized bridge (about 15 mm on the C string and 12 mm on the A string). I was wondering if anyone knew what I need to do to lower it because I have been asked to join the Athens Youth Symphony and my audition for the Governor's Honors Program is coming up and it would probably sound a lot better if my bridge were lower. Please help.
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one day when I was practicing a noticed a slight buzz on my violas G string, open and fingered notes. I went ahead and checked the most usual suspects of buzzing ie the nut, bridge, strings, chinrest, tailpiece, fine tuners, shoulder rest, basically everything on the exterior of the instrument and could not find the source. I decided to let it sit for a night or two to see if it would go away. well, it did not. the next day I tried again and at first it sounded like the buzz had disappeared but soon after I finished warming up had it returned. this time, it buzzed not only on G but on C as well. I checked for open seams or cracks and could not find the problem. a few days later the buzz can sometimes jump to open D. I tried knocking my knuckles on the back of the viola and found that the knock sort of changes and I hear a slight vibration when I tap the back right side next to the right center bout. also when I knocked on the front next to the left corner of the fingerboard above the left f hole I got the same sound but nowhere else. after all that investigation I have no clue what this buzz is coming from. can anyone give me suggestions as to what it could be? I had been traveling the day before by plane, could that have caused something to unglue? sorry for the super long post but thank you!
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Dear All, Recently my godfather passed away and left a fairly considerable number of assorted stringed instruments and bows to me in his will. Despite being a professional violinist I am woefully ignorant when it comes to identifying instruments and wondered whether anyone on here could help? These two violins seem to be the most recent in the collection and despite not having been played for about fifteen years are still incredibly responsive. Apologies for the quality of the photos, the lighting in the house is incredibly poor. Thanks in advance. http://imgur.com/a/jJwyj#0
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I am new to the art of violin making. I am going to try first with a simple violin, this is really just a practice instrument, so I'm not bothering with using heat and pressure to bend the back and front, or stuff like that. I have a design to trace off of, (courtesy of Peter Horn) and I have the wood I need to construct the back and front. However, while I was talking with Peter, he did not give me actual rib measurements, so I'm floundering around looking for rib measurements. I understand that there are many different ways to make ribs, and that they vary from maker to maker. If someone could reply with a set of measurements (I can't find them on the web!) that would be great. Also, I'm still trying to figure out what a rib is. Looking through the first few pages of this forum, I found a drawing that had 6 blocks of wood at the top and bottom, and some at the corners near the middle. I think I have a good idea, but I'd like confirmation, as that piece of info is a prerequisite to making the ribs, obviously. A brief explanation would be excellent, thanks in advance if you do
