All Lutherie articles – Page 5

  • Set up 3
    Premium ❘ Feature

    All Set up and Ready to Go

    4 September 2019

    In the first of two articles looking at instrument set-up, Joseph Curtin examines the acoustic roles played by the tailpiece and fingerboard in affecting vibration, frequency and resonance 

  • Tim Phillips Revolin 2
    Premium ❘ Feature

    Life out of balance

    31 July 2019

    While many luthiers are happy making stringed instruments to the standard form, others are keen to explore the possibilities of alternative patterns. Peter Somerford discovers how asymmetric designs can affect tone quality, projection, acoustics and player comfort 

  • Joseph Tarr_Scroll Side 2 1
    Premium ❘ Feature

    Northern double bass makers: Northern lights

    17 July 2019

    The 19th century witnessed a thriving double bass making scene in the Manchester area of England. This northern school, which had its own distinct style points, flourished for a longer time than its southern counterpart, as Thomas Martin, Martin Lawrence and George Martin explain

  • fig 2 Monochord (1618) section horiz
    Feature

    First principles of violin making: Music of the Spheres

    17 July 2019

    In an age of little numeracy or literacy, how did luthiers settle on the proportions of stringed instruments, with hardly any variation in their basic design? François Denis shows how the principles of the classical Greeks – notably Pythagoras – informed their thinking

  • 00 Chamfer by Knife, Dominic Wilson
    Premium ❘ Feature

    Inside information

    10 May 2019

    Very often neglected, the chamfers of a bow head can give intimate clues as to a maker’s working style and personal characteristics. Anton Lu and Dai-Ting Chung compare and contrast bows from the Baroque era to the present day