All Technical articles – Page 13
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Trade Secrets: Arching, channelling and edgework
A method that unites all three parts of the making process, for a more coherent and efficient way of working
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Making Matters: The simplest machine
The humble wedge is a stalwart of the luthier’s workshop. Joseph Campanella Cleary examines some of the myriad ways they improve the quality of life for craftspeople
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Ask the Experts: choosing a new violin tailpiece
A violinist asks what he should consider when choosing a new tailpiece – from the material used to the weight and shape
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Feature
Are dendrochronology reports useful in valuing an instrument?
Dealers and auction houses increasingly include dendrochronology reports along with high-value instruments, but how meaningful are they in verifying an attribution?
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Views on the Bridge
In the second of two articles on set-up, Joseph Curtin investigates the acoustical role of the violin bridge and the interconnected relationships between mass, frequency and resonance
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Trade Secrets: Recreating original purfling
Precision and care are prerequisites for this detailed restoration method
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Making Matters: Ten out of ten
The great 19th-century French bow makers had to produce a large amount of stock to make a living. Christophe Landon explores how their working methods differed from ours, as he makes ten simultaneous copies of one Peccatte bow
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Blogs
Postcard from the inaugural Australian Luthier & Archetier Congress
Peter Reid writes a first-hand account of the first international violin making workshop in Australia in decades
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Video
BBC Radio 4: The Instrument Makers
In this radio programme, cellist and presenter Verity Sharp hears the stories of four very different instrument makers
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7 things to remember when buying a bow
Bows, for so long seen as mere accessories, are increasingly attracting serious investors, writes Femke Colborne
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Video
Bass conversion from 4-string to 5-string
This is the first in a series from the workshop of Thomas & George Martin on re-converting a German bass from 4-string (with extension) back to its original state as a 5-string. View the whole series on the Thomas & George Martin YouTube channel
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Ask the Experts: how to fix a wobbling bow frog
A reader asks what should be done when a bow frog wobbles after a rehair – and what does it say about the rehairer? Two makers give their views
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All Set up and Ready to Go
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
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Gallery
Gallery: asymmetric instruments
These instruments are featured in The Strad’s September 2019 issue focus on experiments with asymmetry in instrument design
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Trade Secrets: Asymmetric neck shaping
A method that allows for deviation from the standard neck outline, for the comfort of the individual player
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Feature
Ask the Experts: protecting your instrument from chips and nicks
A panel of luthiers give their thoughts on some unusual marks that have appeared on the surface of a violinist's instrument over the course of his playing career
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Life out of balance
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