All Technical articles – Page 6
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FocusSmall wonders: The soundpost
For John Dilworth, an instrument’s heart and soul lie in one tiny piece of spruce
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Repairing a broken bow head
A less invasive and more reversible version of a well-known repair method
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FocusSmall wonders: The tailgut
How gut, steel, nylon and now parachute cord have brought change to the luthier’s craft
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FocusSmall wonders: The linseed
For John Dilworth, the humble grain’s oil can enrobe a violin’s bare wood and flaunt its rippling curves
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Premium ❘ FeaturePlate archings and tone: Room to breathe
Nigel Harris presents evidence, theoretical and experimental, regarding the ‘breathing action’ of the plates
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FocusSmall Wonders: The top-block
For John Dilworth, a simple piece of willow or spruce can become a sanctum for covert messages
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Restoring the octagon of a violin bow
A repair method that avoids having to rebuild the whole octagon from scratch
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FocusSmall Wonders: In praise of purfling
John Dilworth has a soft spot for the slender ribbons that give the violin a vital part of its personality
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FocusSmall Wonders: The joy of pegs
Fitting a peg is not just a satisfying task, it can also be a sensuous pleasure
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FocusSmall wonders: A hymn to glue
John Dilworth sings the praises of natural adhesive in violin making in this article from February 2013
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FocusSmall Wonders: The corner-block
John Dilworth celebrates the more humble yet essential parts of a violin in the first of a series of articles from 2013
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Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: An 1824 violin by Nicolas Lupot
Richard Ward looks at an instrument made in the last year of the French luthier’s life
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making purfling with fish glue
A flexible method for luthiers who prefer to make their own purfling rather than buy it ready-made
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FocusBack in stock at The Strad Shop: The Best of Trade Secrets 1-5
The five volumes comprise articles on all aspects of stringed instrument making and restoration
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Premium ❘ FeatureUnder pressure: Dealing with humidity
Jacqueline Vanasse asks players and experts how to deal with the challenges of changing environments
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Premium ❘ FeatureHow did Cremonese luthiers use consistent measurements?
Simone Zopf argues that there was in fact a single unit of measurement from which most of the rest can be derived
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FocusCremonese measurements: the use of the Roman oncia
Video showing how an instrument outline can be created using just one measurement and a set of concentric circles
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ArticleMaking Matters: Off-Beat Violins
Luthier Andrew Carruthers demonstrates the sound quality of his ’X’ and ‘O’ violins, the ‘Tabolin’ and the ‘Ripple cello’
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: A new take on an old classic
To combat the tedium of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Andrea Schudtz embarked on a project to copy a decorated Andrea Amati violin – but with a modern twist
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Cleaning and repairing surfaces before closing an instrument top
An essential procedure for repair work on older instruments
