New member question about 7/8 size violin

[KevinSjo]

Hello all

My name is Kevin and I'm new to violin building. I've completed my first and started my second. I don't presume that they are very good but I'm trying. I've built 17 acoustic guitars bur making a violin is a new and great challenge.

My question for today is about making a 7/8 size violin. I have a beautiful piece of high flame Birdseye maple that is about 3/8" short of being long enough for a regular size. I reduced full size plans to 7/8 size in hopes to use it. The violin will be for a 8 year old granddaughter.

If I do this, do I just reduce everything to 7/8. Not just the corpus but the neck and fingerboard too? What about the depth?

Any thoughts and advice would be most welcome for this 68 year old grandpa.

Thanks for your help.

[Brad Dorsey]

Do you understand that a 7/8 violin is not 7/8 the size of a full size violin?

Strobel’s “Useful Measurements” book says, “A useful APPROXIMATION is that most measurements decrease by about 8% for each downward step in the series 4/4, 3/4, 1/2…”  Since going from 4/4 to 7/8 is a half step, this rule suggests that most measurements of a 7/8 should be about 4% less than the corresponding 4/4 measurements.  But if you made the measurements 7/8 of the full size measurements, that would be about 12% less.

[FiddleDoug]

If I remember roughly, a 7/8 violin is only about 3/4” shorter overall than a 4/4. Your grand daughter will grow through that 7/8 size in a shot! Build a 4/4 size for her, and it will be something that she can treasure and use for the rest of her life.

[Wood Butcher]

11 minutes ago, FiddleDoug said:

If I remember roughly, a 7/8 violin is only about 3/4” shorter overall than a 4/4. Your grand daughter will grow through that 7/8 size in a shot! Build a 4/4 size for her, and it will be something that she can treasure and use for the rest of her life.

Considering it is for an 8-year-old girl, a 1/2 might be the most appropriate size now

[Mat Roop]

just so you know, a 7/8 violin is also known as a "ladies" violin... ie the permanent choice for the "petite" ladies. Is usually paired with a 7/8 size bow.

Hoping you can use up your birds eye!

 

[KevinSjo]

Brad

I did not know that. I've looked around and could not find dimensions for a 7/8.

She is small for her age and half east Indian. I like the idea of a "ladies" model. 

She has a small violin now buti don't know what size it is. Maybe a 1/2. I'll ask her momma.

I can always make her another full size later too if she sticks with it

The completed one is for her soon to be 14 year old sister who plays and likes the violin. Not interested in a guitar. The next one I'm building (pearwood and redwood top) is for the soon to be 19 year old who plays well, got one of my guitars last summer, but is getting less interested in violin now that she's in college. 

So Brad. Good info. So is everyone proportioned down equally on the 7/8 size?

You guys are great help. I appreciate it.

Kevin

[Matthew_Graesch]

This is all great information.  I was wondering the same things.  I am building my fourth violin at the moment and have a spectacular piece of spruce that is just about 1/4" too small for a 4/4 and was thinking of making a 7/8 for my next instrument.  

 

[David Rosales]

Here is one luthier's dimensions table:

http://www.alangoldblatt.com/specs/Violin.pdf

 

Here's another: 

http://www.makingtheviolin.com/Measurements

[Brad Dorsey]

2 hours ago, KevinSjo said:

...So Brad...is every[thing] proportioned down equally on the 7/8 size?...

I'm not a maker, so I don't really know.  I was just quoting from the book.  Different makers will have different ideas.  You can do it however you want.

Do you know about Henry Strobel's books?  "Useful Measurements for Violin Makers" has information about measurements and other things of interest to makers, and some of his other books have making instructions.  They are not very expensive.