All lutherie articles – Page 4
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ReviewBook review: Feine und bedeutende Streichinstrumente
Benjamin Hebbert reviews an anthology of instruments by German violin dealer Rudolf Eckstein, witht text in German and English
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FocusA weighty argument: wood density in violins
John Waddle, Steve Rossow and Steve Sirr discuss how wood density can vastly affect the acoustic properties of violins
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FocusCT scanning and the ‘Betts’ Stradivari
John Waddle shows how CT scanning technology is used to examine the structure and wood density of the ‘Betts’ Stradivari
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FocusFreehand carving: identifying historical violins from Markneukirchen
In this extract, Enrico Weller and William Wisehart analyse trademark features of violins from the southern Saxony instrument-making town
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NewsViolin crafted entirely from wood of indigenous African trees
Scientists at Stellenbosch University in South Africa embraced the project as a way to investigate new potential tonewoods and their acoustic properties
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FocusCutting corner blocks: inside the Markneukirchen violin factory
Our August 2021 issue features the bow making legacy of the Herrmann family in Markneukirchen. In this extract from April 2011, Arian Sheets describes the rise and fall of factory violin making in the 20th century in the same city
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Premium ❘ FeatureMarkneukirchen: The rise and fall of Germany’s first violin factory
A small German town was the setting for an early experiment in violin mass-production. But outside economic forces threatened it from the very start. Arian Sheets traces its history, in this article from the April 2011 issue of The Strad
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VideoTesting the waters with ‘Noah’s violin’
Ahead of its official launch on 18 September, the 12-metre long violin by Livio di Marchi enjoyed a test voyage in the Venetian canals
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FocusStick your neck out: the pros and cons of adjustable necks
In this extract from the August 2021 issue, Joseph Curtin discusses how he experimented with adjustable necks, progressing from the various changes made in connecting an instrument’s neck to its body since the Baroque era
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Gallery‘Noah’s violin’ to take to the Venetian canals in September
The latest sculpture by wood carver Livio de Marchi will symbolise the ‘rebirth’ of Venice following Covid
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Focus‘Makers should pay attention to these three modes’ - Joseph Curtin on violin acoustics
In the August 2021 issue, Joseph Curtin examines the evolution of neck setting. Twelve years ago he looked into a violin’s acoustic behaviours, and how its signature ‘modes’ indicate its sound and response
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ReviewBook review: Monograph of the Antonio Stradivari Cello c.1690 ‘Barjansky’
Florian Leonhard reviews an extensive study of the famous cello, including dendrochronology, CT scans and posters
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FocusViolin making at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music
In this excerpt from the July 2021 issue, Sisi Ye examines a violin making programme in Beijing
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NewsPhilharmonie de Paris announces lutherie competition
The contest will be held next January for students and professional instrument makers
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FocusTalking heads: 'Bergonzi definitely did not mean to make Stradivaris'
In this extract from the July 2021 issue, Andrea Zanrè examines Carlo Bergonzi’s unique head craftmanship
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FocusViolin making at Xinghai Conservatory of Music
In this extract from the July issue, Sisi Ye examines one violin making school in China teaching the art of lutherie to young people
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VideoThe Quest for Tonewood trailer
Watch the trailer for a documentary that follows luthier Gaspar Borchardt on his journey to find the perfect tonewood to build a violin for Janine Jansen
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NewsNew study reveals the wood treatments used by Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri
The report reveals how the luthiers changed the molecular structure of the spruce used for instrument tops
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NewsHigh school luthier creates cello for Arts Without Boundaries
The cello will be provided to a student in need of a quality instrument
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ReviewBook review: My Violin Needs Help!: A repair diagnostics guide for players and teachers
Celia Cobb reviews a manual that explains the basics of violin maintenance to the layperson