My Observations (Large and Small) About Violin Making and Restoration
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Gouges
Over at the Maestronet forum I posted this photo of the collection of gouges I use, and I’m going to repost here what I wrote there.
New Stradivari Violin Photo Set
One of the finest Stradivari violins in existence, the 1721 ex-Lady Blunt, is going to be auctioned in a couple of weeks at the Tarisio online auction site.
More Ground Samples
In the last year my sample set for violin varnish ground coat tests has grown to about 40. I may not have solved anything, but have come away with a full set of criteria that a nice varnish ground needs to meet.
Grinding Pigments
I’ve often used home-brewed pigments for varnish colors. When they’re finished, they are clumped, and sometimes gritty, in large pieces. To put them into varnish, one first needs to grind them to a fine powder.
Old Pegs
A friend pulled these out of an old violin, and knowing I was interested in this kind of stuff, sent them to me.
A Nearly-Perfect F-hole
This f-hole is on a Brothers Amati cello dated around 1615. It’s one of the most beautiful I’ve seen, and is perfectly executed.
It’s All In the Details
People who aren’t intimate with violins don’t have to consider all of the things a maker has to. There are all sorts of details on a violin that have to be done in some intentional way, but not necessarily just one way.
A Really Baroque Bridge
I hope the friend who created this drawing will not mind if I share it with you.