Burnham Violin Co. Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 What are your favorite things you've heard a luthier say? My favorite was when one day I was showing an instrument of mine to luthier Nick Frirsz. He looked it over for several minutes with a rather inquisitive expression and said: "Well, it's pretty cool. It was made by someone, who was sitting next to someone, who knew what they were doing." I got a big kick out of this and will never forget it. I still have the instrument, which has since been restored and is really quite exceptional, and I think about that line all the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wood Butcher Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 It’s going to be hard to beat the quotes of “do you have a dustbin?” and “bugger off!” ”can you send it back?” Is also a good one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle duke Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 i like darnton's "pontificating". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Dorsey Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 When I showed Hans Nebel a bow stamped FRANCE, he said "It might have passed over a map of France once." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nathan slobodkin Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 It is not a spoken comment but some one who was there told me about a student at the VMSA showing a fiddle to Peter Prier who walked over to the bandsaw and sawed it down the middle lengthwise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 At a VSA “please don’t look at ugly fiddles, it will damage your eyes”, said to someone looking at one of my violins (owned not made). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JacksonMaberry Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 "nice looking Posch, but why keep it in such a cheap case" - a dealer across the room when I was trying to get one of my Stainer copies out to sell him Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Three13 Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 The old posh Posch gambit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JacksonMaberry Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 My favorite, though, was what my teacher Tom Sparks always said when you showed him something, regardless of whether it was good work or terrible work. He'd take it in his hands, look it over for a moment, and hand it back to you saying "s'nice". You had to get good at reading his body language to determine whether or not he meant it in a good way or a bad way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shelbow Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I think my favourite quote was from Jacob a few days ago in regards to worn corners on violins, it had me in tears. Quote If they were all the result of “wear” they would all be different. Otherwise it is tantamount to believing you can get two separate accidental dents in your car, exactly symmetrically, one on each side. One is tempted to ask if you believe in fairies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jacobsaunders Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 40 minutes ago, Shelbow said: I think my favourite quote was from Jacob a few days ago in regards to worn corners on violins, it had me in tears. Ooooh! Famous at last Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Noon Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I don't know where it came from originally, but I heard repeated: "You can make a bad violin out of good wood, but you can't make a good violin out of bad wood." I know the first part is true, the second part is debatable (and has been). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shelbow Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 I can't remember the exact words, but when I was at uni studying instrument making one of the lectures (I think) said: Violin makers spend half their career trying to build the perfect instrument, they then spend the next half trying to find the instruments they made in the first half and destroy them. Anyone heard something similar before? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Burgess Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 When I was working in the Weisshaar shop, and Jacques Francais dropped by for a visit: Hans: "Take a look at this violin (one I had made). Jacques, upon examining: Prolonged silence. Hans: "It's his first violin." Jacques: "Oh, then that's quite nice." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jacobsaunders Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 16 minutes ago, David Burgess said: When I was working in the Weisshaar shop, and Jacques Francais dropped by for a visit: Hans: "Take a look at this violin (one I had made). Jacques, upon examining: Prolonged silence. Hans: "It's his first violin." Jacques: "Oh, then that's quite nice." I bet you couldn’t get your head through the door after that Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Burgess Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 34 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said: I bet you couldn’t get your head through the door after that Actually, the experience was quite humbling. I had access to teaching and feedback from some really experienced and talented people, so it was difficult to place blame on anyone other than myself. Afterwards, I resolved to try harder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mysticpaw Posted November 23, 2020 Report Share Posted November 23, 2020 When I was a teenager in rural NSW I knew an old luthier ( Hugh Cumming ) who showed me how to carve and fit a bridge. After my first attempt he quietly said... " not bad.....open your other eye next time !! " Quote Link to post Share on other sites
arglebargle Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 "Come on, we're making violins, not watches." Said in response to me fussing over some minor detail. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim Bress Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 8 minutes ago, arglebargle said: "Come on, we're making violins, not watches." Said in response to me fussing over some minor detail. Brings RH to mind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davide Sora Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 When I was a student at the violin making school, showing my just finished first violin to Francesco Bissolotti (who in those times was an irreducible rival of my teacher Gio Batta Morassi), after a quick glance he said to me : "When you are eighty years old you will be an old luthier". However, ignoring the subtle irony, he basically told me that I would go up to eighty making violins... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moroni Olsen Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 This is not from me but from the man who made my cello, referring to another contemporary American maker: ”His cellos look like he hacked them out with an Axe.” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dominik Tomasek Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 Not exactly related to violins (at least I hope so) but my teacher used to have this conversation with me all the time - "How are you?" I asked..."It is bearable" he replied. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Three13 Posted November 24, 2020 Report Share Posted November 24, 2020 20 minutes ago, Dominik Tomasek said: Not exactly related to violins (at least I hope so) but my teacher used to have this conversation with me all the time - "How are you?" I asked..."It is bearable" he replied. You clearly weren't asking that question in 2020. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moroni Olsen Posted November 25, 2020 Report Share Posted November 25, 2020 On 11/23/2020 at 8:36 AM, Burnham Violin Co. said: What are your favorite things you've heard a luthier say? My favorite was when one day I was showing an instrument of mine to luthier Nick Frirsz. He looked it over for several minutes with a rather inquisitive expression and said: "Well, it's pretty cool. It was made by someone, who was sitting next to someone, who knew what they were doing." I got a big kick out of this and will never forget it. I still have the instrument, which has since been restored and is really quite exceptional, and I think about that line all the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.