All Lutherie articles – Page 21
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Premium ❘ FeatureJacob Stainer’s birth: A question of dates
For centuries, historians have tried to settle on a definitive birthdate for Tyrolean luthier Jacob Stainer. Heinz Noflatscher explains how we now have an upper limit for his birth year – and why researchers were foxed by the elegant handwriting of the master
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NewsThe String Circle launches in Cremona
The initiative supports both both the art of master luthiers and the needs of young string players in search of high quality instruments
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FeatureAsk the Experts: how to correct a violin bridge position
Three top luthiers answers a reader's query on preserving the correct instrument geometry after changing strings, in this feature from 2014
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: In tune with the types
Luthiers often examine a musician’s way of playing before setting to work on their instrument. David Leonard Wiedmer explains why it can be helpful to categorise players into two different ‘types’
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FocusMy experience: John Wright, Newark School of Violin Making
Luthier John Wright recalls his transition from violin playing to making, as well as how his time at the Newark School of Violin Making empowered him to stand up to a fear of failure in order to seek improvement
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FocusWhat to do if your violin pegs keep slipping or sticking
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
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Premium ❘ FeatureSchroetter and Roth: Two of a kind
With the demand for mass-produced German instruments skyrocketing in the 1920s, enterprising makers sent family members to America to represent them. Clifford Hall explores the careers and legacies of Andrew Schroetter and Heinrich Roth
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FocusChallenges at the bench: mental health and luthiers
Mental illness is often comorbid with chronic physical conditions, resulting in multiple challenges for many luthiers, as Peter Somerford examines
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Premium ❘ FeatureLuigi Cavallini: A maker in the rough
Tuscany in the 19th century was home to numerous luthiers, some of whom were carpenters who turned their hands to instrument making. Florian Leonhard examines the career of Luigi Cavallini, a lesser-known self-taught maker whose work, while unusual in parts, displays a surprisingly high level of craftsmanship
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Premium ❘ FeatureGame, set and match: quartets of instruments
Four instruments from the same tree, varnished from the same pot, played by a single quartet. Is this the way to perfect harmony? Katherine Millett investigates in this article from August 2008
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Focus‘Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people in the trade’: how to enter the lutherie profession
In this extract from March 2022, luthiers reflect on their early professional experiences and give advice to those entering the profession
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FocusThe Strad Podcast Episode #37: Paris Andrew from Women in Lutherie
’It feels good to have a space where women can be talking about issues. It can feel comforting, but at the same time, it’s infuriating how many of these stories we come across’
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GalleryPhoto gallery: the unusual violins of Antoni Hybel (1872 – 1946)
Yes, they are meant to look like that!
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Premium ❘ FocusMy Space: Orest Putsentela, Lviv
In March 2018, Orest Pusentela invited us into his workshop in Ukraine’s cultural capital. Now in 2022, he updates The Strad with his current situation in Ukraine
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DebateIs sexism to blame for the scarcity of women in the violin making business?
German violin maker Ute Zahn asked why there are so few female luthiers in The Strad's March 2013 issue
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GalleryPhoto gallery: 1714 Stradivari ‘da Vinci, ex-Seidel’ violin
Take a look at the Stradivari violin formerly owned by Toscha Seidel, due to be auctioned by Tarisio on 9 June
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Premium ❘ News'You raise me up': Women in Lutherie
An online community founded by and for women in lutherie has grown in leaps and bounds over the past three years. What are the benefits for the female contingent? By Harry White
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Premium ❘ FocusFemale luthiers: And justice for all?
In light of the #MeToo movement, women from all walks of life have been reporting incidents of sexist behaviour in their workplaces. Is a violin workshop any different? Femke Colborne discusses the question with a range of female luthiers – and gains a grim perspective of the industry
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NewsViolin dealer and expert Norman Rosenberg has died
The London-based dealer was a respected authority on stringed instruments and an occasional contributor to The Strad
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Premium ❘ FeatureEarly lutherie experience: The journeyman years
The time spent between finishing at violin making school and striking out on your own can be critical to a luthier’s learning experience. Peter Somerford finds out what makers should expect from their first jobs in a workshop – and how they can make the most of their time