Who are the most undervalued contemporary builders?

[uncle duke]

35 minutes ago, not telling said:

1.  You too, hmm?  2.  Six?  3.  Who are you?   4.  It's weird, you living in our area and making instruments. 

5.   Hey...how you doin this week? .  6.  Did the tornado stay away from you?  7.  Our town got smashed to bits. But then, you would know that already.

1.  Well, it takes up less space than guitars.

2.   That's what the tree section allowed.

3.  Do we need to go through that again?  I like my obscurity here.

4.  Others are starting to think so too though the interests of some are starting to be piqued.

5.  Can't complain - made it to the end of the month with leftover money.

6.  Yes , the tornado was actually drawing wind from the northeast here to strengthen itself southwest of here - 8 miles or so.  As soon as I saw Linwood thru the eyes of Rolands and his helicopter showing what was viewable we started thinking of what to do just in case the heading stayed true to it's previous course.  Glad the storm decided to take county road 2 northwards.  From my back porch it sounded like a pair of D-11 Cats with a tree trimmers branch shredding machine in tow heading north towards Bashor.  Then, just south of State Ave. it just went quiet.  Unbelievable and awesome sounding while it was on the ground.

7.  You know it's bad when the ex-wife tells the son to call dad to check out what's happening.  So among the the first words on the phone from me were "man, if it goes down in that valley Ashley's house is gonna get hit".  Jr. says "already thought of that".  I says "what about Zach's old farm?"  Jr. says "I'm checking that now".  This would be a half mile or so northwards from the old Zarco past the top of the hill. 

Then  I think we saw the storm heading towards you guys on radar or the news.  Then the power went out here for a bit.   I haven't figured out yet if that was west of 59 or east of 59 where Lawrence got hit.  We were following that storm when it was around Council Grove if I remember right.

[Andreas Preuss]

3 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Most of the people who worked alongside Rene have high respect for him.

Sure, I didn't have high respect for Hans Weisshaar when I first left that shop. It was something which developed later, with more experience to put it into better context.

People who left Renes shop often had quarrels with him. sometimes for the simple reason that he could not digest that a workman would choose another shop. For him this was maybe a sort of insult as if saying 'Your shop is not good enough for me.' I know one worker who was simply in need of a better salary to make a living for his family. 

I can't say that I left in good terms with Rene but I can't say either that I hated him when I was leaving. I was only a bit surprised that when I told him I will join the Machold workshop that he took it very calmly. But for different reasons Renes workshop in 2003 was not what it used to be, mostly for the reason that EGM was his partner. (those who know, know what I mean)

I met him thereafter only once after a concert in Carnegie hall. He was friendly shaking my hand and asking something like 'Ca gaze?' (do you you work hard?) In those days I became friend with other ex workers of the shop, Jim MacKean, Guy Rabut and others. I heard from them their stories in the shop and after leaving. Everyone had his own story. 

Now that I am in a country, where most makers don't know the legendary Rene Morel, I am telling my stories about Rene to young makers, mostly about the immense achievements and inventions he had made during his lifetime as one of the most celebrated restorer of old Italian violins. Thinking now of Rene looking down from heaven I am not sure what he would say seeing me doing this. Maybe: 'Ca gaze?' Yes Rene, ca gaze. In honor of the things I learned from you I should drink a glass of Sancerre each year on your birthday. I am still regretting that I missed to meet Rene one more time in 2010.

[PhilipKT]

8 minutes ago, Andreas Preuss said:

People who left Renes shop often had quarrels with him. sometimes for the simple reason that he could not digest that a workman would choose another shop. For him this was maybe a sort of insult as if saying 'Your shop is not good enough for me.' I know one worker who was simply in need of a better salary to make a living for his family. 

I can't say that I left in good terms with Rene but I can't say either that I hated him when I was leaving. I was only a bit surprised that when I told him I will join the Machold workshop that he took it very calmly. But for different reasons Renes workshop in 2003 was not what it used to be, mostly for the reason that EGM was his partner. (those who know, know what I mean)

I met him thereafter only once after a concert in Carnegie hall. He was friendly shaking my hand and asking something like 'Ca gaze?' (do you you work hard?) In those days I became friend with other ex workers of the shop, Jim MacKean, Guy Rabut and others. I heard from them their stories in the shop and after leaving. Everyone had his own story. 

Now that I am in a country, where most makers don't know the legendary Rene Morel, I am telling my stories about Rene to young makers, mostly about the immense achievements and inventions he had made during his lifetime as one of the most celebrated restorer of old Italian violins. Thinking now of Rene looking down from heaven I am not sure what he would say seeing me doing this. Maybe: 'Ca gaze?' Yes Rene, ca gaze. In honor of the things I learned from you I should drink a glass of Sancerre each year on your birthday. I am still regretting that I missed to meet Rene one more time in 2010.

That is a sweet story.

[PASEWICZ]

I certainly heard all the stories from Rene’ during my time at the shop, and afterward.  They were not always consistent, and I often worry if my own stories of the good old days are “developing” over time like his.  A few of the stories I have never asked any of my preceding fellow alumni about, specifically because I really do not want to know if they are not true.....they are good enough that if they are not true, they should be because they defined the man I knew, and his sometimes larger than life personality.

[Mansfield Piggot]

I remember hearing Rene, Rene, Rene all the time back in the 70s even on the out-most outskirts.  Interesting to read all this info about him by people who worked with him.  I can relate that if I had heard of him, he was very famous....

[PASEWICZ]

2 minutes ago, Bill Merkel said:

I remember hearing Rene, Rene, Rene all the time back in the 70s even on the out-most outskirts.  Interesting to read all this info about him by people who worked with him.  I can relate that if I had heard of him, he was very famous....

I think we all have interesting stories from the workshop.  It was certainly a pressure cooker, cranking things out for a man that many, if not all, of us were absolutely convinced could make or break our careers. 

[Moroni Larson]

 

[Don Noon]

8 hours ago, Bill Merkel said:

It's hard to believe it takes 200 hrs.  I think if everything was set up I could make one per week. I've never made one, but ...

It's a lot easier to believe if you actually have made one .

[Mansfield Piggot]

We have become weaklings.

[nathan slobodkin]

14 hours ago, glebert said:

Honestly asking because I don't know. If high throughput is a goal, are there efficiencies to be gained by doing multiple instruments at a time and do ribs for a week, tops for a week, etc. rather than doing each instrument sequentially? 

Absolutely more efficient to do more than one instrument at a time although for a quality product you can't get too carried away with that before losing individuality of style. In the Lee shop I always made two cellos at a time to halve any tool set up time and avoid down time for gluing. Matsuda generally did the same.

For more mechanical tasks such as neck sets you can group things together even more and I frequently set 6 necks in a day and while the first always came in at about 2 hours the last one of the day was getting to the 1/ 2 hour range. We also had a guy there who  at least once was given 6 finished ribsets and 6 sets of joined plates who gave us 6 finished bodies at the end of the week ready for me to put in the necks I had carved for them in my spare time. Those were more generic "cookie cutter" violins but in no way sloppy being smoother finished and more consistent than what I do now.

The workshop was open 7 to 7 and 7 to 12 on Saturday with most of us eager for as much overtime as we could get which certainly helped with productivity as well. 

Another comment from Rene  was that in Mirecourt they used bending irons which were heated on a stove and they were expected to bend all the ribs, the linings and the purfling for a violin without reheating the iron . As A432 said a lot of the work we value so highly today came from guys working as efficiently as possible and letting their training and natural sense of style run the show.

[sospiri]

On ‎6‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 3:25 AM, David Beard said:

It perhaps isn't the popular view, but I believe a players hand can add dampening and cushion as desired. So I tend to believe that as long as the stick is balanced and tracks straight and isn't too mushy or weak, then player who wants to can make do.  Though a great stick would be more pleasing than something minimal.

This is just a very personal opinion.

That is what I believe too. Regarding damping;  coming from a guitar playing background, it's obvious, but perhaps violinists are not aware they are doing it.

Regarding the bow, the wood has to have the right responsiveness and there is a big variation in this trait.

[Mansfield Piggot]

On 6/4/2019 at 6:57 AM, nathan slobodkin said:

 Lee shop ...

 I frequently set 6 necks in a day ...

The workshop was open 7 to 7 and 7 to 12 on Saturday with most of us eager for as much overtime as we could get which certainly helped with productivity as well.

What were these violins selling for new?  Has this kind of work in the shop been superseded by imports? 

[Kirk Hunter]

"Chris Ilbricht" was mentioned, but I believe it was meant to be Chris Ulbricht.  Having owed one of his violins, I can certainly say that it was among the most clear, in terms of sound, violins I've every played.

[Fossil Ledges]

On 6/3/2019 at 9:53 PM, PhilipKT said:

That is a sweet story.

Yes, thank you!