Luis Martins Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 23 minutes ago, Chris Llana said: Best looking spruce I've ever seen! Looks like micro-figuring. Same here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bress Posted March 3, 2018 Report Share Posted March 3, 2018 4 hours ago, Don Noon said: Just to show the reflectivity under directional lighting. With all the hoopla about how fabulous Cremonese instruments look, several examples I have seen show almost NO reflectance at all from the spruce. Go figure. Looks great. This is the look I'm going for. Whatever coloring and varnish concoction I come up with it needs to pass the reflactance and blotch test on spruce first before I start looking at maple. If you were at the 2017 VSA there was a 2010 Carl Becker Jr. violin with outstanding varnish like this. I took a bunch of iphone pics of it but I don't want clutter up your bench with someone else's work. Give a holler if you want them. Cheers, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted March 30, 2018 Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 See next post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted March 30, 2018 Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 On 3/3/2018 at 11:47 AM, Don Noon said: Just to show the reflectivity under directional lighting. With all the hoopla about how fabulous Cremonese instruments look, several examples I have seen show almost NO reflectance at all from the spruce. Go figure. 1 I love this post, Don, because it illustrates exactly what I have been saying about the mythicizing of "Cremonese" varnish. With modern materials and techniques, we can do better. Your top showing the silk reflection of spruce, which is masked in most Cremonese instruments, is a nice example. There is nothing to "go figure" here except our personal beliefs and perceptions about "Cremonese" which describes a bunch of makers whose varnish systems differed even over their own life. You are right that it is hoopla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Another month, another tiny step forward. The jointer got lifted up off the floor and reassembled, and is working fine. I rotated the carbide cutter inserts, as the finish it left on planed surfaces was starting to look a little fuzzy. #26 got the back, sides, and scroll varnished, and the antiquing work is done. I decided to just do minimal shading, patina, and texturing this time, rather than go with the full assault, wear, and scars. A little more polishing to go, then setup. Almost done! The wood got selected, glued up, and planed for the next group of 2 violins and 1 viola, hopefully to be done for VSA, but I'll have to work faster than I have at any time in the last 10 years. As a wood junkie, I'm really liking this bunch of sets. The spruce runs from .31 to .35 density with speed of sound around 6000 m/s, and radiation ratios from 17.5 to a ridiculous 19.4. The ridiculous RR wood is for the viola, and the back wood is just under .5 density too... probably won't be a blendy quartet viola, but intended as a soloist instrument (as are the violins). This is all torrefied wood, as you might guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Slight Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Some lovely looking pieces there Don. Are you sure you don't have time to squeeze in a cello too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Martins Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Beautiful crackling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Molnar Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 Good looking violin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bress Posted April 2, 2018 Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 The craquelure looks good. Is this a new technique for you or am I just now noticing? -Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2018 4 hours ago, Dave Slight said: Some lovely looking pieces there Don. Are you sure you don't have time to squeeze in a cello too? Time, yes... but space, no. The largest my chamber can hold would be for a small viola. 54 minutes ago, Jim Bress said: The craquelure looks good. Is this a new technique for you or am I just now noticing? I have been doing this for at least 2 years, but it didn't do much until I made the type of varnish I'm using now: 2 years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Byler Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 Beautiful work Don ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Szyper Posted April 3, 2018 Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 Beautiful violin Don. Btw, is the low Density maple from Pahler? I got a similar, very light one piece backs that look quite similar to yours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2018 57 minutes ago, Michael Szyper said: is the low Density maple from Pahler? Yes; bought at 2014 VSA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Szyper Posted April 4, 2018 Report Share Posted April 4, 2018 On 2.4.2018 at 9:19 PM, Don Noon said: As a wood junkie, I'm really liking this bunch of sets. The spruce runs from .31 to .35 density with speed of sound around 6000 m/s, and radiation ratios from 17.5 to a ridiculous 19.4. I'm interested to see that you are still using very low density woods. The benefit from good stiffness to weight ratio is clear. I think we did a similar observation with light woods having the tendency to sound "nasal". Do you have these days any concerns regarding sound quality when you use for example the .31 density spruce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2018 On 4/3/2018 at 10:35 PM, Michael Szyper said: Do you have these days any concerns regarding sound quality when you use for example the .31 density spruce? There is the issue of accidental damage, where a light soundboard is more prone to denting and worse if there is a major impact when using extremely low density wood. I think a viola (or cello, which I don't make) benefits most acoustically from the higher RR wood, and the .31 density stuff is designated for a viola. My previous viola, 2 years ago, was also .31 density spruce... giving more of a powerful, soloist instrument rather than one for a quartet. I wouldn't go below .33 for a violin; Annelle Gregory's violin had .33 density wood (C=5827), and seems to work well for her. I do have some denser wood too, .40 with very high stiffness, that I'm just starting to work with. It's on my current violin, pictured above and initial indications are that it fine too. I should note that the current violin is 353 body length, and the low density wood might be too extreme for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 #26 is now officially complete, so here are the official photos. At the moment, I'm happy with the sound and playability; very even, no wolfs even high on the G string. My opinion may change when a good player gets to work it over. Edit: audio of this violin (not Annelle Gregory playing, and not me): 26 180413 audio only.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeH Posted April 11, 2018 Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 Gorgeous violin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Húslař Posted April 11, 2018 Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 Beauty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
______ Posted April 11, 2018 Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 Very nice one! Don't forget to share with us with some sound samples of it. If you don't mind I have a question - is there a specific reason why you don't make 'cuts' over bridge legs? Thank you JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2018 8 minutes ago, ______ said: - is there a specific reason why you don't make 'cuts' over bridge legs? I usually do, but on this one I have a perfectly good reason for not doing it. A great reason. The best. I forgot. So I just added them now. Thanks for the catch. With Annelle out of town, I'm not sure I can get a good sound sample before it goes to the client, but I'll try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex l. Reza Posted April 12, 2018 Report Share Posted April 12, 2018 WOW, Great looking violin!! Love your bridge stamp/logo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted April 12, 2018 Report Share Posted April 12, 2018 Yes! Very nice indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Noon Posted April 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2018 A slight interruption in the discussion of the recent violin to post a link to a recent concert by Annelle Gregory in Kiev, Ukraine on my violin #21. Recent being 7pm today, or 9am here on the West Coast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4_BYajGRpE#t=16m44s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emilg Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 On 11-4-2018 at 7:13 AM, Don Noon said: #26 is now officially complete, so here are the official photos. At the moment, I'm happy with the sound and playability; very even, no wolfs even high on the G string. My opinion may change when a good player gets to work it over. good stuff Don! re wolves on the high G, do you have some advice on that? all my violins have that problem sofar, i understand many/most violins do.. on #4 the problem area seems to slowly shift upwards, after 4 months the G string is now OK till the high A, then it gets messy (used to start around F) when my teacher plays it does sound better in that range.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danube Fiddler Posted April 13, 2018 Report Share Posted April 13, 2018 16 hours ago, Don Noon said: A slight interruption in the discussion of the recent violin to post a link to a recent concert by Annelle Gregory in Kiev, Ukraine on my violin #21. Recent being 7pm today, or 9am here on the West Coast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4_BYajGRpE#t=16m44s Congratulation ! Sounds great ! And anyway Anelle Gregory is a wonderful violinist ! However synchronization very bad. Possibly because of the difference of soundspeed and light-speed on the longer way from Ukraine to USA.... Also congratulation for your new instrument ! Oil varnish ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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