All Technical articles – Page 12
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Making Matters: Beauty and the bridge
The acoustic role of the violin bridge is well known, but what about the aesthetic choices that luthiers make when carving them? John Beames gives a detailed analysis of a favourite bridge to elucidate the process
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Lutherie 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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Video
Cremona Mondomusica trade fair confirmed for 2020
The event for stringed instrument players, makers and dealers will take place from 25 to 27 September
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News
New software allows users to recreate the sound of a Stradivarius
Native Instruments’ ‘Stradivari Violin’ uses tones captured at Cremona’s Museo del Violino in January 2019
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News
Luthier creates tiny playable violins during lockdown
Bavarian violin maker Maria Sandner’s creations can be just 10cm long
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Trade Secrets: Designing a bridge for a violin with distorted arching
A solution to a common problem in antique instruments
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Making Matters: In praise of cypress
The wood of the cypress tree can seem like an unusual alternative for spruce, but both its figure and relative density make it a desirable option. Alan Beavitt explains why he has used it for several instruments
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Trade Secrets: Lengthening a violin neck
An alternative to performing a neck graft, without the need for making a replacement
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Making Matters: Pearls of wisdom
One of the most mysterious parts of bow making is the production of mother-of-pearl slides and eyes. John Matthews provides a guide to the process, and explains why ormer is the best shell to use
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Unvarnished Instruments: Team Building
For luthiers, finely sourced white instruments may well be the perfect accessory – offering the double opportunity for varnishing practice and to sell less expensive models to students and those with shallower pockets. But, writes Peter Somerford, the issues of provenance and labelling are of utmost importance when marketing such ...
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Article
Converting an instrument to Baroque set-up
Sarah Peck demystifies the process of (re)converting an instrument for Baroque playing - and focuses on the neck in this extract from the May 2020 issue
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News
Double-blind test reveals sound properties of instruments made from composites
The research has been published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
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Video
Luthier Peter Westerlund shares ‘unique methods’
The video is part of a series by the Swedish violin maker
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Luthiers 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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Making Matters: In search of the ‘missing link’
Stefan Hersh examines a Tourte-school bow that might provide a connection between the master bow maker’s conventional style and the earlier Cramer-head bows
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Trade Secrets: Repairing damaged blocks
A conscientious method that preserves as much information as possible for future restorers
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News
Violin and bow makers collaborate to raise money for musicians’ fund
Luthier Jacob Brillhart is live-streaming the building of a $10k violin for ’Musician Aid’