Lutherie – Page 55
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FocusDo violin making competitions stifle originality in favour of perfection?
Peter Somerford asks what luthiers should do to maximise their success when entering a competition, and whether winning really is everything
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VideoThe most common types of violin makers, ep.2
Oslo based violin maker Jacob von der Lippe’s second compilation of violin maker types, from accident prone to always dusty. For the first video, click here
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FocusWhat's the difference between a £1,000 and a £20,000 violin?
How do violin dealers and auction houses settle on the prices of instruments in the ‘middle range’ – and what should a potential buyer bear in mind when browsing?
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GalleryIn focus: the 1744 'de Bériot' Guarneri 'del Gesù'
In this article from July 2015, David Rattray takes a look at a highly refined instrument that kicks against the constraints of conformity
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FocusIn focus: the 1686 'Helvetica' Stradivari
In this article from the December 2015 issue, David Bonsey takes a look at a violin from early in its maker’s career, but already a few steps along a crucial design evolution
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VideoExperimental 1872 cello played by Raphaël Pidoux
In this video from the Musée de la musique at the Philharmonie de Paris, Raphaël Pidoux plays an experimental cello made by luthier Thomas Zach in 1872. The piece is the Humoreske op.11 no.2 by David Popper, the cellist who showcased this very instrument at the Vienna World’s Fair in ...
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FocusNew materials: Comparing violin tops made from various composites
Tim Duerinck reports on a research project investigating the possibilities of flax, carbon, aramid and more in violin making, while describing the surprisingly simple methods luthiers could use to create their own
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FocusIn focus: cello by Giovanni Grancino, 1693
In this article from the January 2006 issue of The Strad, Ed Keohane studies a cello which had just been sold at Sotheby’s for nearly £210,000. Photographs by Richard Valencia
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FocusThe Strad poster: the 1741 ‘Vieuxtemps’ Guarneri
Additional measurements including weights and densities of the top and back plates
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FocusIn focus: The ‘Carrodus’ Guarneri ‘del Gesù’
In this article from the April 2007 issue, John Dilworth takes a close look at a violin made when ‘del Gesù’ was at his most imaginative and creative
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FocusCoruss synthetic bow hair
According to the manufacturer, Coruss synthetic bow hair matches natural horsehair in blind tests for tone and articulation. Compared with natural alternatives it offers greater durability and resistance to very humid or dry conditions, doesn’t degrade when stored for long periods of time, and uses no animal ...
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FocusHeart and soul: Anima Nova adjustable carbon fibre soundpost
An adjustable, carbon-fibre alternative designed to offer enhanced control to the luthier and superior sound to the player
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FocusMakers reveal their favourite technical solutions to common lutherie problems
Although new items for luthiers are always appearing on the market, violin making involves many tasks for which there is no perfect tool. Here, six makers describe the devices they’ve created for themselves
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NewsNew record set for G.B. Guadagnini at London auction
The ‘Sinzheimer’ violin pushes past $2m mark in Tarisio auction, breaking previous record for maker set in 2016
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GalleryIn focus: violin by G.B. Rogeri
In this article from the October 2009 issue, Philip Kass untangles Rogeri, Rugeri and the last Amati in taking a closer look at a late 17th-century violin by the first
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FocusMaxim Vengerov: Me and my Strads
In conversation with Sota Nakazawa, Russian virtuoso Maxim Vengerov explains his love for Stradivari instruments, and his long relationship with them
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GalleryThe ‘Sabionari’ Stradivarius guitar, 1679
Of the five or six Stradivari guitars still extant, it is also, thanks to a recent restoration, the only one that is currently playable. Violinmaker Gregg Alf takes a closer look[click + to zoom]
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GalleryCremona Triennale: the Olympics of violin making
Virginia Villa, director of Museo del Violino, previews the 15th edition of Cremona’s Triennale competition, which begins in September. Photos from the 2015 edition
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FocusFrom the archive: Violin by Santo Serafin c.1740
In the January 2013 issue, John Dilworth examined this fine example of the great Venetian craftsman’s work [click + to zoom in]
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VideoClarissa Bevilacqua plays Bach on the 1669 'Clisbee' Stradivarius
Seventeen-year-old violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua performs the Andante from Bach’s Sonata no.2 on the 1669 ‘Clisbee’ Stradivari from the collection of the Museo del Violino, Cremona. Clarissa Bevilaqua’s biography: She started playing the violin at age five, and debuted at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago in front of ten thousand people ...
