Official Luthiers Forum!

Here is a photograph of a violin I made for a player in San Diego. Learning to take photgraphs is an art form in itself!! I am trying to learn.

Well done!

This is a side of the luthier trade that I havent explored yet. I am interested in all you can share.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Just Beautiful Barry! I've always wanted to build one of these, but just not enough hours in a day. I've always wondered this....do most violin builders make their own tail pieces and chin rests, or do they just buy them pre made? Great job, do you have any more pics you can share?

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

.... and thats not just any run of the mill violin.... I count five strings !!

Cool !!!

Mark

That caught my attention as well! Is this a Viola-lin? Very nice! Tell us more Barry.

Sweet -- I'd like to see more pics. How many have you made? What is the finish? It looks like a nice job of varnishing, in regard to its clarity. I'm just finishing my 2nd violin, but I must have missed one string on mine.

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Kent

Facebook Page

Man, that's beautiful... I love the way that top looks. The grain and the gloss. Wow. That is a very good photograph, and brings out great detail

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Love it Barry!

Is this instrument for a trad fiddler or more classically minded player? Do you build differenlty for either?

I know a lot of fiddlers like a different set up that clasical violinists.

Let's see a few more images!!??!!

Howdy Barry,
Nice violin. Do you use a dovetail to fit the neck to the top block? Also, do you size the end of the grain on the neck joint and if so what do you use? Could you use a diluted mixture of hide glue?

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Hey Andrew,
I can saw out a few tunes on the fiddle and I like my bridge a little flatter than a Violinist. It's easier to drone a second string. Also, I like a Thomastic tailpiece that has fine tuners on each string. I also use Dominant perlon strings with a wrapped E, seems to keep the sqeekin down for my crazy bowing. Other than that, there isn't any difference than a fiddle and a violin. Just all in the set-up. Some fiddlers such as Eck Robertson liked a real flat fingerboard and low bridge and lots of inlay and Bling!

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Beautiful job Barry! More pics please

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Great work Barry!
Your shop (from previous pics)looks like an old world shop with violins hanging all over and hand tools scattered everywhere. I am very curious how you do such a good job inlaying the purfling lines. Looks to me like cutting a groove with a critical margin both inside and out would be very tough.

We do need more pics.

John

Looks lovely from here as well.

As far as I know, the only difference between a violin and a fiddle is the spelling...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

That's great, any more pictures for us? I just started making my first violin for my wife, she is an Ex-LSO violinist, and plays 'fiddle' as well. I have real rspect for violin makers now I know the difficulty!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thanks for all of the nice comments!!
The violin is a 5 string design that has a low "C" string added for more range. It allows the player to play lead parts thay cannot play with a standard 4 string violin.
This violin was made for a 16 year old hot shot bluegrass/newgrass player in San Diego.

The neck is a standard mortise & tenon violin type neck. I will post some photos of the neck joint of a violin I ma working on now. I will cut the neck joint in the next few days. In the old days fiddlers many time were self taught. Older fiddlewrs many times like the bridge to have less arch in it. Today many of the players, Bluegrass, country, rock, jazz have classical training so they prefer something closer a classical set up but with closer action. The only difference between a violin and a fiddle is the music!!LOL.
The varnish is an oil varnish with color that I mixed myself. I use hide glue on everything on a violin and I do size the end grain with hide glue. Here is a photo of the scroll. All the work is hand done. the only parts that are pre made are the chinrest and the tailpiece. The scroll is hand carved.

Here is a shot of the back. This is Bigleaf Maple.

Very nice work Barry, I like the scroll a lot.
But what? You did not antique the finish? Make it look like a 300 year old Cremona?

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Beautiful instrument Barry!!!

Beautiful violin Barry. Makes me want to try and build one too. I have a godchild that is a very good violinist. It would be a nice collage graduation present.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Bob, I thoroughly recommend having a go, it's a whole new experience. After ten years of hints from the boss I have started making a violin for her, just got the plates joined, but have been working on the neck inbetween other jobs, you know glue drying etc. Carving the peg box is very therapeutic, this is the progress so far, 80% there.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

if you want to hear one of my 5 strings being player by a great Newgrass fiddler, David Blackmon, go to here http://www.myspace.com/dudleyviolins and listen to the tune that will start playing.

This photo is is of a violin before the neck was joined.
ColinS your scroll looks great!! keep moving forward with it!

John Kinnard, with the quality of your workmanship inlaying the purfling is something you could do in your sleep.
On the first few I cut it the way Stradavari did with a knife. But it takes several hours to complete one plate. Now I use a Foredom tool and a jig to cut the grove. I still have to cut the miters on the purfling and bend them on the pipe. Here is a shot of a corner.

Man, Barry, that workmanship is superb!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Definately a very precise bee sting on the end of your purfling. Perfect miter too. And nice channeling. Do you channel before or after purfle? and what size gouge would you use to do this? I have a #7 sweep in several different millimeters.
After I build this dreadnaught I'm going to attempt my first violin. I have all the wood except the neck block. Engelmann spruce and quilted maple with matched ribs. Spruce lining and bass bar. And of course big hunk of spruce for the six blocks. I'll attempt a Stradivari copy but I also like the Del Gesu. I'll just be glad if it sounds better than this old Schwiezer I have. Need more volume. Here's a question...Would you or have your ever re-graduated the table of an old violin if the thicknesses were not what you feel were close?
I love looking at your pics of your violin. Next time you build I'd love to see some pictures of the tenon neck joint. When I start it, would you mind if I picked your brain a bunch?

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Hey Chuck. I do my outside arching almost to the final stage then I do my purfling and then the channel work and blend to the final arching. That's just my way keep in mind. I use a # 7 sweep too and sometimes tighter in the "C".
Yes I would regraduate a top and or trim the bass bar. I have done both to some violins I made when I felt they could stand some improvement.
I'll be glad to help anyway I can. I think that is what this forum is for...to help each other out.

One side note, of all the forums I participate in the "tone" of this forum is the most friendly and Non-judgmental.
I appreciate that!