Michael Darnton Violin Maker

Michael Darnton is a Chicago-based violin maker, restorer, writer and teacher.

Platform for a Post

Here’s another strange one. I didn’t open this violin, so it’s still there. As always, I have no idea what the person who did this thought he was going to accomplish. Posts and bars, perhaps because they’re not usually visible, seem to be common targets for violin vandals with ideas.

Musical Instruments Making Music

It’s nice to have music in the shop. This device was made to turn a wall into a speaker, by fastening it behind a wall to the wallboard. The round pads on the ends of the legs are glued to the wall, and the middle section is like the middle of a speaker, minus the cone, […]

Nailing Down That Attribution

Understandably, violin makers like to be credited. The usual strategy is to put in a label under the left f-hole, and this violin has that. Just to be safe, Mr. Carletti also signed the top. Then, to be sure, he put another label on the upper block, visible only through the end pin hole. He […]

Exquisite

Here’s a repair! I guess someone felt that a shim was needed under the board. I’m not even sure what the fix was supposed to be fixing. From this view, outside, I couldn’t see what I was looking at. Removing the board, I found a spruce shim of sorts. I still don’t know what the mess […]

Corners and Edgework

Cremonese edgework starts from edge thickness. Almost invariably, the thickness of the unworn edge on a Cremonese violin (in the upper and lower bouts, not the corners and c-bouts, which run by different rules) is equal to or slightly less than the distance from the edge to the purfling. This leads to the easy conclusion […]

Workshop, the Wi-i-ide view!

Things have been busy in the shop. I’ve got some help now, someone who does really fine bow work, whom I worked with 25 years ago—James Min—is doing our bow rehairs and repairs two days a week. When you follow this link, you’ll see why I don’t show the photo at its full size in […]