Kohi's bench

kohi · May 13, 2018

Hi, last year I asked people here on Maestronet for informations about P.Guarneri di Venezia.

I spent a long time with that ( I am not really supersonic fast maker :)) and this is a result.

https://m.facebook.com/jaroslav.kohout.37/albums/10210440710328671/?ref=bookmarks

I will be happy for your observations and mentions...

Andreas Preuss · May 14, 2018

Looks like a copy based on the 'Baron Knoop'.

First: Compliments for the violin as a whole. The character is just dead on what a copy needs. You look at it and you know instantly what maker was copied. (Flash!)

Looking into the details you have also a very good feel for how the original was executed, making convincing looking tool marks where one would expect it. I only can applaud your beautiful work.

BUT (maybe you expect this comment as well)

judging from the photos I am not so happy with the appearance of the varnish. The red color is fairly well matched (even though the more typical color for Pietro Guarneri is yellow) but lacks the dark hue (if you really made the Baron Knoop as your model). And in total it looks too shiny for my personal taste. Speaking so to let you let you you know what you can improve.

You displayed as well pictures of the surface of the back showing flames which chipped away. Though this looks pretty cool, my general view on Pietros work is that he was not that rough. (But maybe you have seen something like this, then just ignore my comment.)

But altogether you made a really nice copy!

kohi · May 15, 2018

On 5/14/2018 at 4:38 AM, Andreas Preuss said:

Looks like a copy based on the 'Baron Knoop'.

First: Compliments for the violin as a whole. The character is just dead on what a copy needs. You look at it and you know instantly what maker was copied. (Flash!)

Looking into the details you have also a very good feel for how the original was executed, making convincing looking tool marks where one would expect it. I only can applaud your beautiful work.

BUT (maybe you expect this comment as well)

judging from the photos I am not so happy with the appearance of the varnish. The red color is fairly well matched (even though the more typical color for Pietro Guarneri is yellow) but lacks the dark hue (if you really made the Baron Knoop as your model). And in total it looks too shiny for my personal taste. Speaking so to let you let you you know what you can improve.

You displayed as well pictures of the surface of the back showing flames which chipped away. Though this looks pretty cool, my general view on Pietros work is that he was not that rough. (But maybe you have seen something like this, then just ignore my comment.)

But altogether you made a really nice copy!

Hello to Japan, thanks for your comment. Good to know view through the eyes of somebody other! What you wrote about warnish ( too shiny), I agree this kind of surface does not match with true true copies.

But, on the other side, customer´s taste can be very diverse - if player will like dim surface, its very easy to do it. You also write P.Guarneri is typical yellow. It could be very hard and tricky try to get "right" character of colour by photos. Unfortunatelly I have no any original P. Guarneri in my action radius so I used pictures. And if you check documents and pictures about P.Guarneri from Cremona Books, it looks more orange I think. If you have any ideas for share, how to improve it for next time, I am listening very clousely.

And last thing about roughness - also have to agree with you, the P.Guarneri seems to me more delicate than I did.

Actually, this was first test what I can do with one gouge only, and I enjoyed it very much! ( I always can say, this style can P.Guarneri made after big and long party with Del Gesú :-). )

Andreas Preuss · May 15, 2018

I see. If you are working from pictures this gives you some excuses for the varnish.

I usually do some thorough research before I start to copy a new maker. How did his life look like and what sort of pictures is available.

i think there is a splendid yellow sample in the Albert cooper book stamped Carlo Tononi!

I find your idea working with only one gouge just brilliant! Limiting our tools is a very intelligent way to get closer to the originals. Would you mind to show me a picture of the gouge you used?

did you use it for the entire instrument, top back and scroll?

kohi · May 16, 2018

20 hours ago, Andreas Preuss said:

I see. If you are working from pictures this gives you some excuses for the varnish.

I usually do some thorough research before I start to copy a new maker. How did his life look like and what sort of pictures is available.

i think there is a splendid yellow sample in the Albert cooper book stamped Carlo Tononi!

I find your idea working with only one gouge just brilliant! Limiting our tools is a very intelligent way to get closer to the originals. Would you mind to show me a picture of the gouge you used?

did you use it for the entire instrument, top back and scroll?

I also try to get as much information as I am able to find about the maker what I copy, but I did not find some much about P.Guarneri, just general things.

To get info what kind of sources you use? Books ofcourse, some kind of archives in Italy? I will be really happy to get any more info about this maker.

Good to know I can check "Tononi´s" instrument, I will. For top and back I used these gouges ( attached photo ), for scroll I also used flat chisels for pegbox and some more scroll chisels. But think its cool to try make scroll with same tools, I go for it next time :-)...

Húslař · May 16, 2018

Velice pěkná práce! Pošlete i další fotografie toho, na čem právě pracujete.

Very nice work! Show us more photos of Your works.

kohi · November 25, 2018

Hi everybody, here is my last opus, enjoy it and Im looking forward for your view:)!

Nick Allen · December 1, 2018

As clean as they come.

FoxMitchell · December 4, 2018

Looks so beautiful!

Andreas Preuss · December 14, 2018

Would be helpful for a good critique to know what you had in mind. With just some guessing I would say I am looking at a G pattern Strad?

Nice and clean work, well chosen wood for back and top. But if I would sit as a juror in a competition I would point at certain weaknesses I see.

this is only my personal opinion but if someone makes a Strad model I want to see the whole thing and not just some elements of Strad. No matter how I look on the f holes I don't get the Strad feeling. Somehow they look more like Carlo Bergonzi to me, rather close to the edge. With a closeup of the f hole so could maybe say more.

Hard to judge from the pictures but it looks very symmetric, so could it be that you fixed the ribs to the back while they were still on the mound?

i like the side view of the scroll the volute had a very nice elegant flow, with the axis leaning a bit towards the pegbox as expected from Strad.

The double fluting nice and sharp peg box sides seem to be one flat surface just like Strad.

The front view of the scroll is actually too nice for Strad because I am missing the feel of straight lines. (see diagram below, it is a quick drawing without looking at the right proportions) On the real thing it doesn't look so extreme because he apparently smoothed it off a little bit, but you still have the feel of underlying straight lines. More so on the second turn than the first turn.

And again the varmish. Nice color hue, application looks even, but as far as I can see on the pictures it looks a little bit too thick and could be more transparent to show more of the reflection of the ground.

Nice shadings especially on the edge of the head. On the back I would have done it not only on the lower end but also on the left upper shoulder. (That's a bit a madder of taste)

Very good work though, but what I was trying to explain is how to make it a little sexier. If you know what I mean.

kohi · February 26, 2019

Hello after long time:-)!
I have to say thank you for your opinion and view. Its very helpful for me, mainly for "real Strad style". I found ( after 15 years of making ) I need rebuild my eye on Strad:-). You right about effholes, I tried to cut something different and I have to say now it was bad way.
About fixing the ribs, yes, I normally do this way - keep the ribs on the mould and take it out when the back is glued. I suppose you do it different, right?
Scroll - Actually I had a chance to keep the scroll from one modern maker, which has high rating in competitions, so I tried to make the same, more or less. Some parts was not so "Strady" , but looked elegant than I did it.
But from my experiences with competitions, it can be handicap for judgement.
With warnish, here I can be more assertive, therefore expecially on this violin I can say, I m satisfied with warnish ( I know, it can be just my point of view, but what I sew on the instruments from Patrick Robin or R. Hargrave, its very simmillar and I m glad for that :-). You are right, it looks very thick although there is only three layers .
Enough about Strad!
I finnished new instrument now , so here is some photos to check. I will be very happy to hear your opinion and observations, because this is my first dance with Del Gesú model...
All the best!

On 5/15/2018 at 5:33 PM, Andreas Preuss said:

I see. If you are working from pictures this gives you some excuses for the varnish.

I usually do some thorough research before I start to copy a new maker. How did his life look like and what sort of pictures is available.

i think there is a splendid yellow sample in the Albert cooper book stamped Carlo Tononi!

I find your idea working with only one gouge just brilliant! Limiting our tools is a very intelligent way to get closer to the originals. Would you mind to show me a picture of the gouge you used?

did you use it for the entire instrument, top back and scroll?

I also try to get as much information as I am able to find about the maker what I copy, but I did not find some much about P.Guarneri, just general things.

To get info what kind of sources you use? Books ofcourse, some kind of archives in Italy? I will be really happy to get any more info about this maker.

Good to know I can check "Tononi´s" instrument, I will. For top and back I used these gouges ( attached photo ), for scroll I also used flat chisels for pegbox and some more scroll chisels. But think its cool to try make scroll with same tools, I go for it next time :-)...

kohi · February 26, 2019

My last violin , January 2019, Del Gesú. I will be happy for your comments:-)...

Andreas Preuss · February 28, 2019

Hi Kohi

in short I like your Del Gesu copy much more. For different reasons.

The overall impression looks more natural. In particular much of the antiqueing seems to come from the woodwork underneath. And less is more. It seems you have done just the minimum with great taste for the overall balance.

Last not least the varnish looks much more Italian though I can't say from the picture how the reflection of the ground is.

I think you are on the right track here.