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For those who have seen my posts, you already know I'm very new to violin making, but am enthusiastically enjoying the frustration and the challenge. I'm going to pretend my 1st attempt at building a violin doesn't exist, as I would be embarrassed to show the disaster it's turning out to be. We'll call this next one "1a" I guess, and I'm optimistically assuming this one will be better. For this first (non-existent) violin, I built my form based on a photo of the 'Forma PG'. I didn't realize however until after building the rib structure and cutting the outline of the plates, that this photo has the distortions inherent in all photos... never the less, it is and was a tremendous learning experience simply building an instrument... er, if it would have existed. I intend to soldier on until it's complete, before casting it into the fire never to be heard from again. I would actually keep it as a reminder of my venture into the world of violins if it existed. For my next 1(a), I have used the 'Forma P' Frankensteined together with the 'Forma PG', and I've made so many adjustments so many times, for now we'll call it version 3? At some point I just printed it out and used it as I could meddle with things forever. The second is the Strad 'Forma P' sort of "as is". I've taken the forms from the "Forma by Addie" and tweaked them to a degree in Adobe Illustrator. To smooth out the dings and bumps, as well as to tweak the block sizes I guess to something I think might be ok, though I have no idea what a good neck block for example should be. I'm going to call it roughly 60mm X 18mm. Hopefully it will work. I've also squared up the corner blocks, though now I see how angling them could assist in getting the grain direction correct. I've messed up two of the P corner block angles, but I've glued a thin piece of "extra" (broken) rib to straighten things out on one at least. My Frankenmould which I'm calling my A mould, is built using a walnut plywood (roughly 12mm thick or 1/2in), because of course using walnut moulds is I'm sure the secret of Stradivari! I've used double sided tape to stick the printout to the wood before cutting it out, hoping that it will not deform as a wet glue might do, though the plywood isn't as truly flat as I would like. My P mould is made from actual walnut lumber, jointed to produce a handy, permanent centerline. This is roughly 14mm thick, I say roughly because I did the old fashioned hand plane thicknessing from 4/4 dimensional lumber and it's probably not as precise as I would like. For this I taped down the printout, and very carefully scribed the outline with a knife, hoping this will hone my skills for purfling later. It seems I may have trouble with putting in both sets of linings with the thicker form, but I'm sure I can get through it somehow. I've maintained the asymmetries from the forms, as I don't feel qualified to 'fix' Tony Strad's work, and I actually believe them to be purposeful. (I do have some ideas about disproving this wild theory in the future... once I can actually build something worthwhile.) I've already jointed the backs for both instruments, the first (for the P), I may have gone a little thick with the hide glue and there seems to be a bit of a visible glue line. I did also pretreat the joint with hide glue before glueing. I did the same with the second (Frankinmould A) but a slightly better job of it so not the seam like the first. I used my trusty Lie-Nielsen rip saw, which I love and works very well. Though my concerns about the blade width and tonewood dimensions might lead me to try and make my own rip saw for this purpose. For now that would interfere with making progress on my violin(s) so that's a future project. I do have a frame saw, with a presumably thinner blade, but I'm not as confident or comfortable with a frame saw, particularly for book matching expensive tonewood. For these backs I'm still over 20mm thick, and only seemed to lose about 1/8in (3mm) from the sawing, so it's fine. I have my rib wood selected, though I wish they matched more closely the wood from the back and neck... not sure how often tonewood suppliers actually give back, neck and ribs from a single piece of maple. Incidentally I got this particular tonewood (p) from https://www.tonewoodforviolin.com, and for the Frankenmould, from https://www.internationalviolin.com. I do like seeing and selecting the wood from the websites, though I'm not sure I know what to look for. I do prefer a broader, random flame pattern to a tight and consistent one, but I do like both pieces. I didn't measure the density of the back for this project, but will in the future. The tops (not yet jointed) are .38 and .40 respectively. The lighter top has a couple of darker lines along it's length. I'm not overly bothered by this but I wonder if it could be lightened somehow. I've also accumulated more tools than I have found places for, so my bench is more often a disaster than a good working environment, but I'll try to hide the mess from view when sharing photos of my progress. With any luck, I'll at least learn some more lessons about 'what not to do'... and eventually the 'what to do, and how to do it' will be all that's left! Hopefully I don't destroy too much tonewood in the process. This will take a long time as I'm not afforded many opportunities to get in the shop these days, but I truly enjoy the work and hope that I can get to the bench as often as possible. My Frankenmould is attached for those interested... I realized after the fact that I can't cut out the block templates if they're adhered to the mould... Frankenmould-A-v3a.pdf
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I'm looking to buy this violin and have it restored, but being new to violins I'm not sure what it is, so looking for a bit of a steer from experienced minds. I've asked about the label, which I'm still waiting to hear back from, but to me it looks a nice violin with a nice top, flaming on the back and sides, and a nice overall colour and feel to the look of it. It looks like it should be a quality instrument that has been played for a long time, but again, I'm a bit of a newbie with things violin. If you could give many any ideas at all as to it's age, or where it's from, anything, I'd really appreciate it.
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Content (the first figure (001 etc.) refers to the page the second figure refers to the number of my own posts. 001-1.1 Part 1 Building the experimental super light violin ————————— 008.100.1 Part 2 Debugging the sound, birth of the model of the NEW CONCEPT VIOLIN 008-100.1 Outlining possible changes for eliminating the over resonance of the low strings Experimental alterations 009-104.1 fernambuko neck 009-105.1 diminish interior air volume 009-106.1 Doubling the linings. 009-109.1 The Bayon Bass Bar 009-112.1 first rib height reduction 009-113.1 cross bars at the top side c bouts 010-116.1 overview of the previous alterations 010-119.1 x-shaped bass bar 010-121.1 trimming the x-shaped bass bar 010-123. weight reduction at edge and other places coming down 297g 010-125.1 bent top plate arriving at lowest weight of 286g 012-135.1 description of main points of the new concept (at this stage) 012-136.1 flat walnut back 136.3 one string tailpiece 012-137.1 discussing main problems (too viola like sound) and further possible alterations 012-144.1 experiment replacing the back with paper 012-148.1 string angle adjustment 012-149.1 sound comparison test of four instruments including the NCV 013-150.1 comparison of same instruments for each string alone (G D A E) 013-154.1 new (arched) back 013-157.1 enlarging upper block massively 013-159.1 further adjustments with sound post, bridge and tailpiece 161.3 adding to the x-shaped bass bar two ‘legs’ pointing to the top and lower block 013-162.1 making a bigger lower block 013-164.1 building the arched rib garland, first convex surface for the top plate 014-170.1 making concave rib surface for the back 014-174.1 final result with mp4 sound sample which can be downloaded. 014-177.1 summary and outlook on future challenges —————————- 014 - 180.1 Part 3 Building the first New Concept Violin based on the experimental insights. ————— 001-1.1 This thread is about building a violin which doesn't follow a symmetric outline for ergonomic purposes. At the same time the weight was initially kept at the bare minimum to find out in which parts of a violin mass and accompanying stiffness is needed to produce a 'good' sound. 1.2 It was the idea that starting from unconvential patterns and working with a different concept would necessarily and automatically lead to failure. Thus this would have become additional proof to the idea that the violin seen as a concept of classical makers can't be improved. While this seemed to be true at the beginning, it came clear in the continuation of various constructional experiments, that a different construction concept at least seems to be possible. 1.3 As said, it was in the first place not the goal to produce a violin with 'superior' sound characteristics but while experimenting with the violin useful hypothesis were elaborated to link constructional features with various characteristics of the sound. Princples were tested and judged by playing the instrument as well as recording sound spectra for objective comparison. 1.4 Currently this project finds itself at the turning point from being merely experimental. (Andreas Preuss, Tokyo, 2021/5/11) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.5 Though the original introduction of this thread has outlived itself, I believe that the general mindset is still valid. Serious violin making must not always follow already explored paths and even if there is the risk of making something foolish, there is ALWAYS the benefit of learning from unusual experiences. Everything below is the unaltered original text of this thread: 1.6 Here you can follow me constructing the super-light violin. It will be the craziest thing I ever made and please don't take it too seriously. It is the violin maker joke from my workshop. But at least I am serious enough to make it the most professional way I can imagine. So following the footprints of Antonio Stradivari everything starts with a drawing. I decided to throw over board symmetry as well and came up with the funny design below. To save weight the length is only 351mm and all distortions follow the 10 percent rule which means that one f-hole is 10 percent longer than the other.
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Hello everyone. This violin in my family for 4 generations now. As far as I know, it's a German make. Seems like early 1700's. Maybe 1732. Still working perfectly. I like to know its authenticity. All your opinions are welcome. Thanks all. 20250113_220428.heic
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Can anyone tell me if this is an authentic Bisiach violin? This was passed down to my grandmother who gave it to me to get appraised. If it is authentic, how much could this be worth?
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Anybody knows Albert Szilagyi violin maker?
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I bought a violin at an estate auction and am trying to get it identified & appraised. The violin’s hand-written label reads: Mathias Albani contrada largo da Milano anno (illegible) It also has an adjacent label reading “Milanollo,” and I can make out the words 24 Rue and Paris. There is some handwriting in this label that I cannot make out. The same luthier also repaired the instrument more than once, signing the instrument A. Blanchette, Montreal (with 1949 in one spot; I’m unable to read the other label but presumably, these repairs occurred on separate occasions.) Unique features: Neck graft, purfling wraps around the corners of the instrument. Neopolitan(?) scroll. I took the instrument to three different luthiers/appraisal experts and got vastly different opinions as to the instrument’s origin, age, and overall value. The first was a young appraiser at a high-end metropolitan shop. She told me that the instrument will cost $5000 in repairs alone, which far exceeds the instrument’s value. She said the instrument is “at least 100-150 years old” and that she believes it is German or Polish or Romanian in origin. The second was a luthier with extensive experience working with Neopolitan violins. He told me that this is “definitely a Neopolitan violin,” made prior to at least 1820, and that with the appropriate repairs, it would be a very decent instrument with great sound (if I’m willing to spend the money on it.) The third is a very young luthier with experience working with old and high-end violins (I was referred to him by my city’s symphony orchestra.) He told me my violin was made in 1800s Germany and is worth 1000-2000 maximum and that repairs would cost about $1000 (not worth it.) For good measure, I also sent photos of the instrument to Tarisio, which valued it at about $5000 but couldn’t estimate a date or place of origin. I’m thinking of taking this on as a restoration project, and given the varied responses (and the money I have already spent on this instrument), obviously I’m more hopeful that Luthier #2 was correct. However, I’m curious to know if anyone has additional input. More information: The previous owner was a multi-millionaire that had an extensive old and high-end violin collection, and he took this particular instrument from California to Montreal (3,000 miles away) for repairs on two separate occasions to see A. Blanchette, who specialized in rare instruments. (Who would make that effort for a garbage violin?) Photos attached: Any experts on Neopolitan violins or Matthias Albani violins, I’d especially appreciate your input. Thanks!!
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Hi! Could strings for a 1/4 size violin be used on a 1/8 inch violin? The smallest size on the strings I want is a 1/4, or I would order 1/8 size strings.
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To my dear Pegbox Friends , I am seeking suggestions/advice/ideas on ideal designs/models for - and how to voice, string, and set-up - a Violin or Viola that is specifically well-matched to play folk and spiritual music with one Steel String guitar and one Mountain Dulcimer and 1 -3 adult voices. The guitar is an all-Koa 00 12-fret which I designed, the dulcimer will be American Chestnut or Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos). Sometimes playing instrumental and sometimes with vocals. Performed unplugged in a house with hardwood floors and plaster walls and ceilings. No rush on replies. This is a coming winter project. Feel free to design and build vicariously through me. In the future, we could all publish an article together and include recordings of the finished product(s). If you have what you feel is the perfect finished instrument for this assignment, please tell us all about it. I may be willing and able to buy it. I have lots of well-aged violin-family tonewoods on my shelves to choose from: Sitka, Engelmann, Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Tulip Tree (liridendron tulipifera), Black Walnut, Butternut, Boxwood, Osage Orange, Ebony, African Blackwood (dalbergia melanoxylon) I look forward to your thoughtful, useful replies and clean jokes. To show my appreciation for your time and effort I will make a blood donation on your behalf - hopefully none of you will need it. Thanks in advance. Sincerely, Randy O'Malley -
I don’t have a lot of information about this violin, can anyone help me Label : D’Orso Trady Marky Antonio Stradivari
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Hello I have a violin in my hands which says inside Jacobus Stainer in Absam prope Oenipontum 17. Any chance to be genuine and not copy? Thanks.
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Important note: I will be updating this thread over the next coming days and weeks to try and show as much of the strings that I can and to see if it's just the honeymoon phase and how long lasting the strings are. I recently bought a set of Rondo Gold strings that were recommended to me by my teacher who's in Vienna. She recommended both the Dynamo and Rondo Gold sets as she had good experiences with them, but I aimed for the more cost effective Rondo Gold which came in at $110.95 (May have been a pricing issue by the shop, but that's what they quoted). The violin I chose to put these strings are is a violin that's around 100 years old from Germany. With the Helicore strings it had on before the projection was very good and it had a rich sounding tone, although I wasn't a huge fan of the Helicore strings as they didn't fit what I wanted from the violin's sound and I wanted a nice little upgrade since I've never done a set of strings over $75. We kept all 4 fine tuners on as the tailpiece had slight damage to where they would go. We also changed out the plastic tubes on the A and E for a parchment piece for the E string. We tried it out in the shop and I could hear a nice difference. But waited until we got home to hear the difference fully. We tried it out in the living room with several pieces. Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5, Brahms Violin Concerto, Bach Partita No. 2, Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3, Vivaldi Summer, Paganini Caprice 24, and Vivaldi Violin Concerto A Minor. The major differences I noticed are, the colors of these springs explodes, and it somehow gets better the higher you go on the strings. The projection and control now is insane, it can output so much volume when I need it to, and soften up to a nice Pianissimo where needed and without losing quality of it's sound. Before it already projected pretty good, now it's just a beast waiting to be awakened. It also has so much color to them which is exactly what I wanted. The strings also have a very nice grip to them. Other notable differences is I don't notice any whistle on the E string since I hear that some gold strings has that issue. But this one doesn't seem to have that as an issue at all although it could just be that my violin accepted these strings very well as all violins are different and will react differently to different variables and items. And the chords for Bach Partita No. 2 comes out very nicely on these strings. I have nothing but praise for these strings. They're affordable and come with two E strings, one being gold plated, the other is tin plated. I will add some recordings as I get them done and I will update this thread over the coming days and weeks, especially after my solo performance is done where it'll matter most.
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Hello there, Recently; I noticed that the fingerboard on my instrument has developed significant wear and tear; affecting both playability and tone. As I am quite attached to this violin; I am eager to explore options for restoring it to its former glory. What material would be best suited for a replacement fingerboard? I have heard ebony is traditional; but are there other materials worth considering for tonal or durability reasons? How crucial is it to find a skilled luthier for this task? I want to en;sure that the replacement fingerboard is expertly crafted and prop;erly fitted to my violin. What should I expect in terms of cost for a fingerboard replacement? Are there any factors that might influence the price significantly? How long does the process typically take from start to finish? I am hopi;ng to minimize the time my violin is out of commission. Are there any special consid;erations or maintenance routines I should be aware of after the replacement is completed? I want to ensure the longevity of both the fingerboard and the violin as a whole. Also, I have gone through this: https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/358410-violin-id-and-neck-repair-uipath-please-help-/ Additionally; if anyone has personal experiences or recommendations they would like to share regarding fingerboard replacements; I would greatly appreciate any insights you can offer. Thank you in advance for your help and advice. -
Last weekend I had the opportunity to photography this truly rare instrument: Crafted in 1755 by the renowned luthier Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in Milan, it's in amazing condition, with almost no repairs save for a beautifully crafted soundpost patch. This exceptional instrument is part of the NZSO Foundation’s collection, following a generous donation from Ainsley Walter. The photograph was achieved through the use of advanced medical endoscopy lenses and high-resolution Lumix cameras. In a meticulous process, I combined 613 individual images to craft an optical illusion that amplifies the internal space of the violin, presenting it with the grandeur of a concert hall. Part of my Architecture In Music series
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This is a new violin I found in Korea. The label says, "Alievo di morassi Y. C. Lee." Looks good to me… But Is it worth paying $4,000 for?
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Hello, I've been searching the Roth threads on this site and others and haven't found an answer to my question yet. I have a violin with a label that reads "Ernst Heinrich Roth Markneukirchen anno 1925 Copie Antonio Stradivarius" and has a stamp in the middle of the back that reads "Ernst Heinrich Roth Markneukirchen" in an oval pattern. The previous owner's deceased father bought it in the UK sometime in the 1920s (I assume no earlier than 1925). However, there is no serial number and there are no other markings. I am trying to find out whether this is an authentic Roth, and also what model it may be. Does anyone have information on this particular type of Roth label?
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Hi, I was browsing ebay for violins, and I came upon this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTHENTIC-OLD-FRENCH-EXPERIMENTAL-VIOLIN-GUSTAVE-TARLE-/161047958256?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257f34d2f0 What is that metal pin under the bridge foot for? It says the violin is experimental, but what is the use of that? Anyone have some insight on this? Thanks.
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Looking for assistance in identifying origin of this violin. It is labeled Friedrich August Heberlein Leipzig 1917. As you may already be aware, this is a distinction from the oval label cursive “Heberlin”. From my understanding, “Friedrich August Heberlin” was not a maker or relative of the famed Heberleins but just a name made by the distributing company, J.W. Jenkins and Sons started in 1912 according to one source. Could it be possible this 1917 violin was among the early years before they changed to the oval “Heberlin” or is there no connection there to begin with? In my research I was unable to find any more information online. Maybe there is something I missed or insight someone is willing to share. I’d also appreciate if you provide what you think an estimated value would be based off the photos provided. Thank you!
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Can you help me identify this violin, here are some pictures.
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Hi All, A friend of mine bought this violin for £1 at a carboot sale. Madness regarding even the amount of flamed maple. I ran a google image search and found this - https://www.isabellesviolins.com/gandbernardel/?photo=Back - by way of the purfling around the button (see image) - the perfling has the same diagonal split near the neck too - similar single piece flamed back and scroll - I can also see similar grafting on the head / scroll - F holes and perfling looks a bit different on front but have found others by the same maker that match. - It looks like someone has attacked it with a sander and crappy varnish on top?
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I’m not a full time professional player. However I do appreciate the different tones that different instruments provide and I have found that my preference in tone of a violin changes over time. I currently own a violin that likely is higher in price than what I “need” for what I use it for. While I did love the sound of this violin a couple of years ago when I purchased it, I’m finding it’s not necessarily what I’m wanting out of a violin now. The question is, when do you stop trading in or upgrading your violin? Obviously - if you have a violin that you absolutely love the sound of, you wouldn’t upgrade it. On the other hand, if the violin you own isn’t a violin you love the sound of any longer, do you continue to trade/upgrade until you do find that sound even if it goes above the price of what’s needed for your level of playing/use? Or do you stay with that violin and go on a search for different strings hoping to find a sound you’ll love? On the other hand, are you a person who appreciates the quality of instruments as the price goes higher and are interested in upgrading slowly as a manner of owning/playing some different, yet amazing, instruments over the course of your life? I’d be very interested in knowing how others feel about this topic and what your “strategy” has been in life as a violin player and owner!
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Hello Everyone, My name is Danielle and I am the grandaughter-in-law of San Diego violin maker, William Fulton. When he passed away, all of his violin wood, tools, books, etc were passed down to his daughter Shannon (my mother-in-law). Unfortunately, Shannon has become ill, so her son and I have been handling a lot of her personal affairs. We need to sell some of this in order to pay for some of Shannon's treatment, and I'm curious if anyone would be interested in purchasing any of these violin supplies. Everything is located in Rancho Bernardo, and I'd be more than willing to show someone what we've got. My email is danielletrains@gmail.com. Thank you! We'll be taking photos before the new year, to share with you. -
...I think. The Violin at the Amati auction today made 3000 UK pounds, that's $4000 American, $5000 Canadian (3600, 4800, 6000 with buyers premium). I was a disappointed underbidder, but well I stuck to my budget, or who knows where it would have ended! Sadly, no pictures to post, I always think it sad that they vanish from the Amati site as soon as the lot closes. There are some beautiful photos that would be a valuable resource if only we could see them, and would make a valuable addition to the images that we have in the Cozio Archive.
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I have a Roman Teller violin. The year appears to be 1966 and the model is 40/4. I am trying to get some information on the instrument and a value. Thank you.
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