Official Luthiers Forum!

When I started making guitars ten or so years ago I promised that I would make a violin. Of course I was always going to start it "when I've finished this guitar/lute".....

Well. recently we were lucky enough to handle the Viotti Stradivarius and I became inspired to have a go at making a copy. So, using measurement and drawing from the Viotti my first violin was started.

Neck, back and sides are of course European maple, and the top is 'Fiemme' spruce. The finish is Baltic amber oil varnish, brushed on and rubbed out with rottenstone. It's a whole new set of skills to learn, but I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge.

Most importanly, the player is very pleased with it.

I guess you want some pictures.









It may be of interest, but my last four instruments have now been, Steel string, lute, classical, violin.



Colin

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

Colin...

























































I am speechless.

You are an extremely skilled craftsman of the highest callibre.

The violin is beautiful!!!!

Please post a sound clip.

Congratulations Colin....looks like a terrifically well executed first violin. You're right...whole new set of skills (carving the headstock is worth the price of admission in itself!)
You're very lucky to have a skilled player so close by to assess things. (After building my first violin - something I've always wanted to do - I went through a whole "who the heck can play one of these things" stage, and moved on to archtops!

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Dave
Milton, ON

Master! As Grumpy once said, "I genuflect!"

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Speechless...dang.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Sam, Thanks.

Colin

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

Very nice! The instrument sounds great, Colin....played wonderfully!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Goodness gracious me Colin, there is amazing complexity and texture in your wife's playing technique! Yes, I know she is a long term member of the LSO, it is such a pleasure to hear her playing without musical accompanyment, it's not often I sit and listen to violin pieces with such rapt attention.

The violin handled such high levels of musicianship incredibly well- the trebles sounded really sweet and crystal clear, and the lower notes were warm, mellow and sonorous. The projection was spot on too, and even the delicate notes. Gosh, what a way to get your newly made instrument tested!!

I have to admit, I am tentatively learning the violin and re-learning the cello; they are not easy instruments to learn; the guitar is a peice of cake in comparison!

Congratulations on another "first"!!!

Whoa!!! that fiddle looks awesome! I wish i were there to play it. Nice playing by your wife BTW. If it makes you feel any better, that fiddle sounds as good as my 4000$ one!

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-They made me do this-
My name is Matthew Luce

Beautiful!!!, playing ,sound, build all just excellent...

now that recording is that a studio recording? if not i'd like to hear what kind of setup she's got.
any chance of you posting a clip of the stradivarius, would be interesting to hear.

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Frank

Mmm... follow that with your sealions!!

Gorgeous violin! What an outstanding opportunity in being able to actually touch and measure a Strad -- I'm speechless. Last, but certainly not least, your wife's playing was a luscious treat!

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Colin,

I always look at your posts because I know there'll be something special within.

I'm not dissappointed. Fantastic job.

Cheers.

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Horton, MI

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Colin my friend this is one beautiful looking AND sounding violin.

I really scrutinized your excellent pictures taking it all in and I am impressed as can be. The finish is superb as is the carving and every other detail.

Then when I clicked on the link and listened like Sister Sam I was blown away too by Penny's playing. This is and was a real treat.

Many thanks!

Wow, that's beautiful. Where's the frets though?

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Colin,there aren`t any words that could ever express your talent and your wife`s.I`m honored that you share with us,and I feel good to be alive.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Colin,

Congratulations on such a wonderful instrument. You truly represent the luthier's craft as a master craftsman. Most of us here, as you well know, are guitar makers and we hopefully strive to obtain the requisite skill and temperament to become better at our craft and our art. The range of your builds speaks to your knowledge and skills.

The violin has a wonderful voice and though I'm sure that much of that is in the hands of the musician, the range and sonority have been created by your hand. Keep up the good work and continue to inspire the rest of us.

Did you find the construction of the violin to be more challenging than the guitar or lute? If so, in what respects?

Peter

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Peter

It has all been said. I can't improve on what others have written. I have tears in my eyes listening to that wonderful instrument.

Now, don't get a swollen head!

Seriously, a superbly crafted as well as played violin. Thank you for sharing with us.

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Both the instrument and the playing are very inspirational! Thanks!

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Colin a most impressive instrument in appearance and more importantly sound. I really enjoyed the sound clip of your wife's playing. It sounded wonderful even through my lap top. What was Penny's verdict of your first effort relative to her other violin(s)? I've heard violinists are more discerning about their instruments than the most exacting flattop players. I would imagine Penny would be most discerning on account of being your wife and secondly such a gifted player. So fess up dude, what was your pulse rate when you placed it in her hands the first time?

Colin did you rub out the finish with a pumice and rottenstone slurry using a felt block? If so, I know how fun that can be. When I knew slightly more than zero about finishing I rubbed out a brushed nitro finish using that technique on a large pair of cherry speaker cabinets. (What was I thinking?).

Un-freakin-believable, that is one beautiful violin. And that was the Missus playing? What talent she has. Both of you are gifted.

Thanks for sharing this thread with us, I am in awe!

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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

Colin,

That's fantastic. While most of use fiddle around making guitars and things there you are off making a fiddle - well violin. Fantastic craftmanship as usual, fabulous look and finish and divine sound. For a first attempt that is very impressive indeed.

Lovely playing by Penny and she obviously loves it - there are lots of marriages made in heaven in this one. To have slills like that betwen you and access to those fabulous old instruments - that's just Hog Heaven as the ex-colonials would say!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Lovely work as usual, Colin! Will you be making another one? Your wife's playing sound good to me, what kind of material do the two of you usually play together?

I am gearing up to make my first violin too, as my daughter soon will move up to 4/4 size and I'll let her have my nice turn-of-the-century 'factory' German violin, so I'll need one in order to keep playing with her in our amateur orchestra. I'll probably be back for questions once I get going if that's OK.

Keep up the good work!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

First, thanks to everyone for their kind comments, both on the violin and the playing, greatly appreciated.

Frank, yes it's a studio recording, we have access to a full pro studio.

Peter, I wouldn't say the violin was more challenging than the guitars or lutes, just a different set of skills to learn. I've built quite a number of guitars and lutes but I don't like to just keep doing the same thing over and over, so I like the occassional challenge of learning a different skill set. I've got an archlute on the go and a hurdy-gurdy and Irish harp on the horizon.

Anthony, my wife has about a dozen violins ranging back to the 18th century and she puts this one at #2 shaded out by her Hume violin. I used the rottensone and oil on a pad of felt in the traditional way. It's a system that I like and have used in the past on my French polish finishes, I still believe it gives me the type of lustre I like. We discount these old methods too easily now.

Arnt, for a guy that can make an F5 as good as you, you'll have no trouble making a violin!

Colin

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