My Observations (Large and Small) About Violin Making and Restoration
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Prime Choice
Modern makers think they need the very best wood but the old makers weren’t so fussy, as seen in this cello from around 1780.
Texture
I have quite a few shots of varnish texture in my collection, such as this example from a Gand & Bernardel violin from the 1860s.
Printed Antiquing
I’ve seen maple curls that were painted on the violin’s surface, but how about some stamped-on antiquing?
Good News
A violin, bought as a fake, with this obviously fraudulent label. The violin looks like it’s from the same town that the label indicates, but it certainly isn’t as old as the label says.
A Personal Billboard
Some violin labels are better than others!
Pinpricks and Dimples
There’s a tool in Stradivari’s collection of tools that’s designed to prick depth marks to be used in the graduation of the plates. It looks somewhat like the sketch above, which is a drawing of the device I made for use in my own shop. It is used to punch holes to a depth that leaves unpunched the desired graduation…
Varnish Pinholes
Old violins often have pinholes in the varnish. No one knows exactly how they got there, but they imply some things about how makers 300 years ago varnished their instruments.
Finger Painting
The varnish in this Peregrino di Zanetto viola appears to be original, and seems to have been applied with fingertips, not with brushes,