All Making articles
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FocusAsk the experts: What should a luthier look for when choosing tonewood?
For a beginner luthier, choosing the perfect spruce and maple for an instrument can be a confusing process. Three experts in wood selection offer some guidelines
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Premium ❘ FeatureBaroque Set-up: In a Land without Rules
With the growth in popularity of historically informed performance, more players are requesting Baroque-style instruments – but the process of converting an instrument is fraught with uncertainty. Sarah Peck presents an overview of the Baroque set-up process, and corrects some common misconceptions along the way
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Premium ❘ FeatureLutherie Collectives: The Wisdom of Crowds
Violin making is traditionally a solitary career, so why are so many luthiers and bow makers choosing to join collectives? Peter Somerford talks to the founders and members of such groups around the world to discover the benefits of pooling resources, knowledge and time
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Premium ❘ FeatureLuthiers and RSI: Taking the Strain
For instrument makers, repetitive strain injuries can mean untold pain and misery – and possibly the end of their career. Luthier Cameron Robertson explains how, with the help of occupational therapist Sara Propes, he adapted his work process to guard against the problems of RSI in the future
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Premium ❘ FeaturePöpel and Kurzendörffer: The Mists of Time Demystified
Just three Vogtland instruments exist from before 1700. All violas, they were made by two of the founders of the region’s first violin making guild.Klaus Martius explores what we know about the mysterious Johann Adam Pöpel and Johann Adam Kurzendörffer
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Premium ❘ FeatureDigital Amati: project luthier
A decade ago, François Denis’s Traité de Lutherie showed how the old Italians used Euclidean geometry to design their instruments. Now a computer program based on these principles allows luthiers to construct and adapt patterns quickly and easily. Its creator, Harry Mairson, explains the genesis of Digital Amati
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Focus9 tips on working with violin bridges
Advice on how to fit, adjust and design your bridge from The Strad Archive
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ArticleThe alchemy of the madder root
Madder root has been used since ancient times to create a deep red pigment – but the making process remains enigmatic
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FocusI shy away from copying models that are too individual, says violin maker Sam Zygmuntowicz
The luthier's favourite instruments provide ideal models for his own making
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Premium ❘ FeatureWhen does a violin copy become a forgery?
There's a fine line between copying an instrument and forging a masterpiece. Alan Coggins offers a humorous perspective on the perils luthiers face when interpreting past masters
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Premium ❘ FeatureLife out of balance
While many luthiers are happy making stringed instruments to the standard form, others are keen to explore the possibilities of alternative patterns. Peter Somerford discovers how asymmetric designs can affect tone quality, projection, acoustics and player comfort
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Premium ❘ FeatureAn unexpected twist
The few remaining guitars by Antonio Stradivari have distinctive characteristics – which proved useful when another example came to light recently in a museum collection. Emiliano Marinucci and Lorenzo Frignani tell the story
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Premium ❘ FeatureThe Jewel of Taiwan: The Strad Calendar 2020
The Chimei Museum in Taiwan houses the largest collection of stringed instruments in the world.The Strad Calendar 2020 marks 30 years since its founding, as Dai-Ting Chung and Andrew Guan highlight some of the remarkable treasures within its walls
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Premium ❘ FeatureShould violin makers embrace cutting edge computer analysis?
Violin maker Sam Zygmuntowicz explores how high-tech ways of analysing violins and their sound could help makers and even influence the future forms of instruments
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VideoCloser to Nature – a documentary about violin maker Dmitry Badiarov
The Russian violin-maker Dmitry Badiarov (based in the Netherlands) developed his love for carving wood after deciding to build his first sailing ship, aged 5. Since then his love for making violins has co-existed with his passion for sailing and the sea. In this film, which was presented at a ...
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FocusAlan Beavitt: how I became a violin-maker on a remote Scottish peninsula
The luthier shares his experience of living and working in Scorraig, a remote peninsula in the north-west Scottish highlands, recently featured in the news
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FocusJascha Heifetz – champion of modern violins
Dario Sarlo reveals a lesser-known passion of the great violinist, and how it led him to start his own lutherie competition
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VideoMaking fine violins out of fungus-treated wood
In this video we hear from the researcher Francis Schwarze, who, together with a Swiss violin maker has treated wood used for instrument making with Physisporinus vitreus, a white-rot fungus that attacks and destroys certain structures in spruce, in order to build violins that sound as fine as antique masterpieces.
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VideoThe most exotic violin woods
California-based electric violin maker John Jordan introduces us to some of his most exotic woods, ranging from the pricey Tasmanian tiger rose myrtle to the Swamp Kauri, which is dug up from bogs in New Zealand and is certified to be a minimum of 30000 years old. ...
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VideoMaking a cello from carbon
In this video Tim Duerinck demonstrates how to make a cello from carbon by hand. The music to the video is also performed on the carbon cello. To read his article investigating the possibilities of flax, carbon, aramid and more in violin making click here.
