Plans "Published by Roth Violins"-- are these things usable?

[lambert]

Hey all, 

 

A friend of mine gave me a lot of violin related literature, and these plans were included. Can anyone tell me if they are decent enough drawings of Strad and Villuame models to build with?

 

[Christopher Jacoby]

As good a place to start as any. And you might get lucky with your wood combination, and produce a really great fiddle!

[Thomas Coleman]

In my limited experience, they seem to include all the info you could need to build a violin from, although I see no info about rib thickness, corner blocks or fingerboard

[Luigi]

No, those are not made from any particular Italian instrument.

Use a Strad poster of a good, famous violin, although be aware that the photos are a little bit off.  Use measurements.  CT scans are the most accurate illustrations.  CT scans are included in the newest poster of the Gibson violin.

[Will L]

Lambert,

 

It looks like the angle of the corners is wrong for Guarneri.  A typical mistake.  

 

It's not that you couldn't make something out of these plans but I think you'll get better results with what's available today.  The current posters are better, and give MUCH more information.  Also, IMO, working in millimeters is much easier.

 

What else did your friend give you?  There are probably improvements there too.  The Johnson Courtnall book titled, "The Art of Violin Making," for example.   

[Wm. Johnston]

Hey all, 

 

A friend of mine gave me a lot of violin related literature, and these plans were included. Can anyone tell me if they are decent enough drawings of Strad and Villuame models to build with?

 

These remind me a lot of the plans that used to be sold by International Luthiers Supply out of Tulsa. I never paid much attention to them. It's possible that these very generic plans were sold by many different sources. They are probably based off of no particular violin and maybe even just some factory violin that the original author thought was nice enough.

 

Sure you would be able to make a violin from them but whether the violin turns out well or not will have more to do with your skill rather than the plans themselves.

[Don Noon]

Since the plans are only half-patterns, you will have symmetric graduation patterns.  Most good violins don't seem to be symmetric.

 

I agree with Wm. Johnston in that these appear to be some generic patterns that someone drew up.  I wouldn't use them, when you can get something much better.  I would recommend the "Titian" Strad poster as the best plan to work with; the Gibson looks a little abnormal for Strad, and might not work out as well.

[Michael_Molnar]

These remind me a lot of the plans that used to be sold by International Luthiers Supply out of Tulsa.

 

 

I think so too.

[Violadamore]

One wonders what relationship (if any) these plans have to what comes off Roth's assembly line?

[lambert]

Thanks for the responses folks. I will try to hunt down a strad poster instead of using these for when I build my next mold 

[uncle duke]

 

photo 1 (1).JPGphoto 2 (1).JPG

I stumbled across these earlier today- the graduation contours are the same as the plan I used excepting the thicknesses.  They are different by being thicker than what I used.  Using the above pattern gives a different sound than a Stradivarius plan, a deeper, woody sound.  I only made one DG and haven't fine tuned anything yet.

  If I can get the violin patterned after this guys plan here to sound like my other builds, Strad patterns, then this DG pattern here may be bogus if one is trying to chase DG himself.   If I remember right it was easier inside carving following this plan here as compared to Heron-Allen/Chanot Strad plan.  Can't say anything opinion wise of the arching patterns, I went a different route.   

[Ben Hebbert]

Thanks for the responses folks. I will try to hunt down a strad poster instead of using these for when I build my next mold 

 

You can't do any harm by making a second mould, with a bit more experience - but carrying on with the building of a whole violin based on these plans will be something that you'll regret. I'd start from the beginning with a good Strad poster. 

[captainhook]

I started with similar plans 15 years before I even heard of Strad posters. I don't regret it a bit and still have never made a mold from a poster. So far, not one of my few customers has asked what pattern I used.

[apartmentluthier]

These plans originally came from Voight and Geiger in the mid thirties.  Drawn by Leroy Geiger.  Roth must have obtained them. 

[uncle duke]

On 1/18/2016 at 2:56 PM, uncle duke said:

1.    I only made one DG and haven't fine tuned anything yet.  If I can get the violin patterned after this guys plan here to sound like my other builds, Strad patterns, then this DG pattern here may be bogus if one is trying to chase DG himself.

  2.   If I remember right it was easier inside carving following this plan here.    

1.  Clearly a difference with this DG back contour as compared to the Stradivari Heron-Allen back plan.  A stronger player could  possibly like the pattern for a back, assuming the carver knows what he's doing.   

2.  These two builds I have going now were patterned after this Roth plan excepting what I had found elsewhere was named a Maggini pattern - same contours, different thicknesses - thinner.  I won't say this plan led to enjoyable carving sessions but I feel pretty good with the finished product.  .