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Technical
Premium ❘ Feature
Stars of Africa: South African tonewood
Wood physicist Martina Meincken presents the results of a study investigating whether indigenous woods of southern Africa might be suitable for use as tonewood for instruments
Premium ❘ Feature
A unique poster: ‘Paderewski, Wendling’ violin – part two
Expert and conservator Balthazar Soulier has curated this month’s poster which, for the first time, features an ‘original composite’ violin: the ‘Paderewski, Wendling’, made by Montagnana and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’. Here he places this unique instrument in context and highlights complementary information to enable a better understanding of the poster ...
Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1937 violin by Giuseppe Castagnino
Alberto Giordano examines a 20th-century violin by the Chiavari-based luthier
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1924 violin by János Spiegel
Zoltán Délczeg examines a 100-year-old instrument by Hungarian maker János Spiegel
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making a wooden peg shaper
A method for creating a model with an interchangeable blade
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A c.1740 viola by Johann Christian Hoffmann
Alex Krieger examines a viola by one of the best-known German luthiers
Premium ❘ FeatureIn the zone: a one-person double bass repair method
For luthiers working alone, double bass repair can be a difficult task to take on. US bass maker Nick Lloyd presents his ‘Zone method’ for re-gluing a bass top using just one pair of hands
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A c.1750 violin by Michele Deconet
Peter Koerner examines the French maker’s mid-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Preparing the wood surface before varnishing
Samuel Peguiron shares a method involving a bespoke mixture and wood shavings
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Purfling and edgework after closing the box
A method that allows for more aesthetic freedom than completing the plates before finishing the soundbox
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1845 violin by Johann Georg Stauffer
Jakob Nachbargauer and Adrian Elschek examine a mid-century violin by the successful Austrian guitar maker
Premium ❘ FeatureCentre of attention: centring and alignment
Inspired by the work of the Cremonese masters, David Folland explains his method for finding the centre line of an old instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1796 viola by Sebastian Dalinger
Rainer Michael Cocron examines the Austrian maker’s late 18th-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureWhere science meets art: Positioning the f-holes
Inspired by the work of the illustrious Cremonese masters, Alvin Thomas King presents a practical method for modern-day luthiers to position the f-holes on an instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Bow tip replacement – part two
How to shape the new tip after having replaced the ebony and ivory
Premium ❘ FeatureRaising the bar: Bass-bar experiments
Joseph Curtin reports on a series of experiments at the 2023 Oberlin Acoustics Workshop, which attempted to ascertain the acoustic effects of altering the height and scoop of the violin’s bass-bar
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1969 viola by Gio Batta Morassi
Yuri Pochekin examines his own mentor’s viola
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Bow tip replacement – part one
Jenelle Steele explains a detailed method to remove an old tip and fit a new one, before shaping
Premium ❘ FeatureA closer look: Examining the ‘Salabue, Martzy’ violin
The Strad’s lutherie consultant Philip Ihle put together this month’s poster of the ‘Salabue, Martzy’. Here he points out several extra details to help luthiers make an exact copy of the instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: A workshop facility to measure violin family acoustics
Creating an apparatus for routine quick and easy measurements while making and setting up the violin and related instruments
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1927 violin by Evasio Emilio Guerra
Andrea Schudtz examines the Turin maker’s early 20th-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTaking acoustic measurements from internal vibrations
Normally, acoustic measurements are taken from outside the instrument – but the internal vibrations can reveal even more. Colin Gough presents a method for listening inside the soundbox and demonstrates what it can tell us about the sound
Premium ❘ FeatureDecorating a bow frog: let the flowers bloom
A very specialist part of the bow maker’s craft is the addition of decorative inlay into a bow frog. Vladimiros Sorokin-Andreou presents his method for this intricate and delicate part of the process
Focus8 tips for perfecting your violin varnish
Advice from The Strad Archive on preparing, applying and drying varnish for best results
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1924 violin by János Spiegel
Zoltán Délczeg examines a 100-year-old instrument by Hungarian maker János Spiegel
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Making a wooden peg shaper
A method for creating a model with an interchangeable blade
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A c.1740 viola by Johann Christian Hoffmann
Alex Krieger examines a viola by one of the best-known German luthiers
- Premium ❘ Feature
In the zone: a one-person double bass repair method
For luthiers working alone, double bass repair can be a difficult task to take on. US bass maker Nick Lloyd presents his ‘Zone method’ for re-gluing a bass top using just one pair of hands
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A c.1750 violin by Michele Deconet
Peter Koerner examines the French maker’s mid-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Preparing the wood surface before varnishing
Samuel Peguiron shares a method involving a bespoke mixture and wood shavings
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Purfling and edgework after closing the box
A method that allows for more aesthetic freedom than completing the plates before finishing the soundbox
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: An 1845 violin by Johann Georg Stauffer
Jakob Nachbargauer and Adrian Elschek examine a mid-century violin by the successful Austrian guitar maker
- Premium ❘ Feature
Centre of attention: centring and alignment
Inspired by the work of the Cremonese masters, David Folland explains his method for finding the centre line of an old instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1796 viola by Sebastian Dalinger
Rainer Michael Cocron examines the Austrian maker’s late 18th-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Where science meets art: Positioning the f-holes
Inspired by the work of the illustrious Cremonese masters, Alvin Thomas King presents a practical method for modern-day luthiers to position the f-holes on an instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Bow tip replacement – part two
How to shape the new tip after having replaced the ebony and ivory
- Premium ❘ Feature
Raising the bar: Bass-bar experiments
Joseph Curtin reports on a series of experiments at the 2023 Oberlin Acoustics Workshop, which attempted to ascertain the acoustic effects of altering the height and scoop of the violin’s bass-bar
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1969 viola by Gio Batta Morassi
Yuri Pochekin examines his own mentor’s viola
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Bow tip replacement – part one
Jenelle Steele explains a detailed method to remove an old tip and fit a new one, before shaping
- Premium ❘ Feature
A closer look: Examining the ‘Salabue, Martzy’ violin
The Strad’s lutherie consultant Philip Ihle put together this month’s poster of the ‘Salabue, Martzy’. Here he points out several extra details to help luthiers make an exact copy of the instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: A workshop facility to measure violin family acoustics
Creating an apparatus for routine quick and easy measurements while making and setting up the violin and related instruments
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1927 violin by Evasio Emilio Guerra
Andrea Schudtz examines the Turin maker’s early 20th-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Taking acoustic measurements from internal vibrations
Normally, acoustic measurements are taken from outside the instrument – but the internal vibrations can reveal even more. Colin Gough presents a method for listening inside the soundbox and demonstrates what it can tell us about the sound
- Premium ❘ Feature
Decorating a bow frog: let the flowers bloom
A very specialist part of the bow maker’s craft is the addition of decorative inlay into a bow frog. Vladimiros Sorokin-Andreou presents his method for this intricate and delicate part of the process
- Focus
8 tips for perfecting your violin varnish
Advice from The Strad Archive on preparing, applying and drying varnish for best results
-
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- Three special supplements and The Strad Directory
- Archive of digital issues from January 2010
- Unlimited access to all premium subscriber online content
- Two detailed instrument posters a year
- Interviews with star string players
- Masterclasses with commentary
- Sheet music annotated by international concert artist
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