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.
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, …
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 …
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 …
This funky thing showed up in my shop last week with a visitor. The violin is Chinese, about ten years old. The owner said it doesn’t sound horrible. I don’t think I need to say much, so I won’t.
Maybe you’ve heard violin makers talk about violins with “integral” bassbars (cut from the top, not separate) and carving straight from the gouge. This is one of those. It doesn’t get much worse than this. Usually they might smooth a bit around where the post would go, but not this time! A violin like this …
