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Technical
Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1948 violin by Zenon Wladimir Petesh
Bruce Braun Babbitt inspects the US maker’s mid-century instrument
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Reinforcing a violin bridge with carbon rods
A method to improve the bridge’s durability and long-term reliability
Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Making a custom cutter for a second-hole bushing
Adam Goltry introduces a specialised tool for bow makers to use when carrying out a tricky repair job
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A c.1850 violin by Lorenzo Arcangioli
Peter Körner examines the mid-19th century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Set-up guidelines for the five-string violin
Jennifer Halenar shares some tips that take into account the differences in bridges, strings, dimensions and fingerboards
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1776 mute violin by Nicolò Gagliano
Nazrin Rashidova and Peter Beare take a look at the unique instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: An innovative varnish recipe
Johannes Jacobs presents a method for making and applying both the ground coat and an emulsion varnish
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1757 violin by Joan Guillamí I
Jordi Pinto examines the mid 18th-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1718 violin by Francesco Gobetti
Michel Samson on the Italian maker’s late-period instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureMysteries of the soul: soundpost acoustics
Often called the violin’s ‘soul’, the soundpost is possibly the least understood part of the instrument. Joseph Curtin details a series of experiments that shed light on the acoustic role of this tiny piece of wood
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making cochineal-coloured lakes
A guide to creating a rich, warm red pigment for varnish preparation
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Camouflaging a patch using a veneer
An innovative and intricate method for a taxing problem in restoration
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1925 violin by Carlo Carletti
Leonardo Cella examines the early 20th-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: How to make a lighter viola
For some violists, playing on a lighter instrument is their holy grail. Laurent Zakowsky describes his methods to accomplish this, from thinning the back to changing the chinrest
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Final scroll refinement
Some notes on finishing off one of the trickiest parts of the making process
Premium ❘ FeatureIn a spirit of collaboration: Brandenburg experiments
Makers at the annual Brandenburg violin making workshop joined forces on a two-year project to build and test two identical violins, one of which was made with treated wood. The results were intriguing. Adam Winskill reports on the methodology and findings
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Even split, even grain
A simple method for joining plates with even grain orientation
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A c.1880–90 viola by Enrico Marchetti
Sean Bishop examines the late-nineteenth-century instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1822 violin by Georges Chanot I
Jonathan Marolle examines the French maker’s early instrument
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making a paper template for a scroll
A procedure that allows for accurate reproduction as well as being a stimulant to creativity
Premium ❘ FeatureBending the rules: arching constructions
How can luthiers create an instrument’s arching from scratch? Sebastian Gonzalez presents a possible solution to an age-old dilemma, using simple formulas and the latest technology
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Extending the reach of metal F-clamps
Making wooden jaws for a lighter, safer long-reach clamping alternative
Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Cutting the f-holes
The traditional method adopted by the luthiers of the old Mirecourt school
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Carving a Gofriller-style scroll
Alessandro Peiretti shares a method on making a personal interpretation of the Venetian scroll model
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A c.1850 violin by Lorenzo Arcangioli
Peter Körner examines the mid-19th century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Set-up guidelines for the five-string violin
Jennifer Halenar shares some tips that take into account the differences in bridges, strings, dimensions and fingerboards
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1776 mute violin by Nicolò Gagliano
Nazrin Rashidova and Peter Beare take a look at the unique instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: An innovative varnish recipe
Johannes Jacobs presents a method for making and applying both the ground coat and an emulsion varnish
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1757 violin by Joan Guillamí I
Jordi Pinto examines the mid 18th-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1718 violin by Francesco Gobetti
Michel Samson on the Italian maker’s late-period instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Mysteries of the soul: soundpost acoustics
Often called the violin’s ‘soul’, the soundpost is possibly the least understood part of the instrument. Joseph Curtin details a series of experiments that shed light on the acoustic role of this tiny piece of wood
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Making cochineal-coloured lakes
A guide to creating a rich, warm red pigment for varnish preparation
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Camouflaging a patch using a veneer
An innovative and intricate method for a taxing problem in restoration
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A 1925 violin by Carlo Carletti
Leonardo Cella examines the early 20th-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Making Matters: How to make a lighter viola
For some violists, playing on a lighter instrument is their holy grail. Laurent Zakowsky describes his methods to accomplish this, from thinning the back to changing the chinrest
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Final scroll refinement
Some notes on finishing off one of the trickiest parts of the making process
- Premium ❘ Feature
In a spirit of collaboration: Brandenburg experiments
Makers at the annual Brandenburg violin making workshop joined forces on a two-year project to build and test two identical violins, one of which was made with treated wood. The results were intriguing. Adam Winskill reports on the methodology and findings
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Even split, even grain
A simple method for joining plates with even grain orientation
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: A c.1880–90 viola by Enrico Marchetti
Sean Bishop examines the late-nineteenth-century instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
In Focus: An 1822 violin by Georges Chanot I
Jonathan Marolle examines the French maker’s early instrument
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Making a paper template for a scroll
A procedure that allows for accurate reproduction as well as being a stimulant to creativity
- Premium ❘ Feature
Bending the rules: arching constructions
How can luthiers create an instrument’s arching from scratch? Sebastian Gonzalez presents a possible solution to an age-old dilemma, using simple formulas and the latest technology
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Extending the reach of metal F-clamps
Making wooden jaws for a lighter, safer long-reach clamping alternative
- Premium ❘ Feature
Trade Secrets: Cutting the f-holes
The traditional method adopted by the luthiers of the old Mirecourt school
-
A subscription to The Strad brings you:
- Monthly issue in print and as a digital edition
- Three special supplements and The Strad Directory
- Archive of digital issues from January 2010
- Unlimited access to all premium subscriber online content
- Two detailed instrument posters a year
- Interviews with star string players
- Masterclasses with commentary
- Sheet music annotated by international concert artist
-
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