Trade Secrets: Preparing a two-piece violin top

By Rudolf Pilsel

Luthier based in Crewe, UK

The finest tonewoods are expensive and increasingly rare. To get the maximum usable billets out of a tonewood log (and to maximise profit), suppliers trim the individual billets so there is as little wastage as possible for them, but which leaves little wiggle room for the luthier as they prepare the billet for use. Usually coming as a wedge, the billet will require further processing or conversion that calls for considerable accuracy. In this article, I demonstrate the method I use for converting the billet from a wedge into the form required for working a back or front. It reduces the process of conversion to a speedy but accurate exercise, making maximum use of the material available…