All Technical articles – Page 9
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NewsUK ivory ban comes into force
As of 6 June, anything made of or containing ivory must be registered before a sale in Britain
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Premium ❘ FeatureIn Focus: A 1904 violin by Erminio Montefiori
Alberto Giordano looks at the self-taught Italian luthier’s 20th-century instrument
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Premium ❘ FeatureFluorescence: Reflected glories
Viewing instruments in different kinds of light has become standard in documentation and assessment. Leonhard Rank explains how, in addition to ultraviolet light, researchers can now use infrared, and even parts of the visible spectrum, to reveal even more secrets
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Historically Informed?
Are the gut strings used in HIP really true to those used by 18th- and 19th-century players? Kai Köpp examines the technical reasons why today’s strings might sound quite different from their predecessors
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VideoThe Essence of a Sound: luthier Hans Johannsson at TEDx Reykjavik
Icelandic violin maker Hans Johannsson gives a talk exploring ‘a fascinating juxtaposition of an age-old traditional craft on the one hand and the pursuit of science and technology on the other’, filmed at a TEDx event at the Tjarnarbíó theatre in Reykjavik on 4 November 2018. The listing for the ...
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Premium ❘ FeatureMaking Matters: Shaping the head
Violin makers have always been aware of physical issues like repetitive strain injury – but it’s just as important to take care of their mental health and wellbeing. John Beames examines some of the most common problems, and suggests some ways to combat them
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FocusOvercoming our addiction to tropical hardwoods: the latest alternatives
As ebony and rosewood become endangered, the likes of spruce, maple and boxwood are being scientifically modified to offer luthiers alternatives. Tom Stewart explores the brave new world of sustainable fittings
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Carving a ‘Hill-style’ saddle
Care and accuracy are needed to make a two-piece ebony saddle – in this case for cello
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Premium ❘ FeatureMy Space: Rainer W. Leonhardt
A Mittenwald luthier with an almost 100-year family tradition
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FeatureAsk the Experts: how to correct a violin bridge position
Three top luthiers answers a reader's query on preserving the correct instrument geometry after changing strings, in this feature from 2014
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FocusWhat to do if your violin pegs keep slipping or sticking
Korinthia Klein presents a simple player’s guide to violin maintenance, without encroaching on luthiers’ territory
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making a Parisian-eye ring
A step-by-step guide to this intricate part of bow repair
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NewsInaugural Philharmonie de Paris lutherie competition names winners
A total of 89 cellos were submitted for the competition, to celebrate excellence in the field and promote emerging talent
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: A tool to measure string tension
How luthiers can create a device to find the optimum tension of a string – and a few good reasons to use it
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VideoThe violin made from indigenous African tonewoods
Listen to the violin made from Knysna Blackwood and Hardpear
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Premium ❘ FeatureTrade Secrets: Making purfling
A guide for luthiers who prefer to create their own strips to use in their instruments, rather than buy them ready-made
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Premium ❘ FeatureWood treatment: The magic touch
New research has revealed how Stradivari, Amati and Guarneri ‘del Gesù’ all used tonewood that had been heavily treated with chemicals prior to carving. Wenjie Cai and Hwan-Ching Tai explain the study’s findings, and suggest it could indicate that the Cremonese makers were influenced by the contemporary alchemical beliefs
