Don't let the tradition of tone woods hold you back. There are plenty of wood species out there that are wonderful and suitable for making violins and, if nobody tries to make them work, then the world will never know how those choices will color the sound and expression of the instrument. Spruce and maple were the woods of choice historically because of their availability, stability, and tonal properties. There's no telling what Stradivari would have chosen if he had the ability to get wood shipped to him from across the planet like we have now. I've seen some videos of a guy making violins out of various woods and it does have a noticeable impact on the sound. Obviously he tunes the thickness of the sound board and back so they're capable of being tuned to the correct register, but it can really change how the instrument sounds. He made one out of oak that has an interesting raspy quality to the sound but lacks projection and one with, if I remember correctly, a walnut back. That one has a much darker sound since it doesn't resonate as strongly as the maple and damps the higher harmonics. I think more people popularizing violins made of alternate woods can only be a good thing, as long as it isn't the plywood construction of the cheapest Chinese-made violins. Plywood is a fantastic material, but not for violins.
There is a lot to respect about a job where you take something that may have been forgotten or left to rot because it wasn't in a usable condition and then, through your own efforts and expertise, restoring it to something that not only works, but that places it into a position that someone else can see it and fall in love with its charms and it can then become a cherished item for them. Even if he may describe it simply and off-handedly as "wheeling and dealing", that's the kind of impact he has on these old, beautiful instruments. Also, one thing to note about the finish on violins: it is perfectly acceptable, sound-wise, to make the finish glass-smooth. The primary reason for the modern aesthetic trend toward a rougher, more textured finish is mainly due to the reverence that people hold toward the works left by the great historic craftsmen, and of course the varnish, where original is still extant, will have a more textured appearance. Given how particular those makers were about the fit and finish of their masterpieces, it was entirely likely that they did at one point have very finely polished surfaces and, as shellac and varnish does over time, it has degraded into the more mottled orange-peel texture that we see today. I would be very interested to see a fully French polished violin made with some lovely figured wood. Aside from the choice to use a non-depositing abrasive vs. pumice, I think that method of applying shellac or varnish then polishing it out with a drying oil before lightly abrading it and working the fine powder into the crevices in the wood produces one of the finest possible finishes for wood.
I’m a beginner violin maker and always wanted to make a redwood violin!
Don't let the tradition of tone woods hold you back. There are plenty of wood species out there that are wonderful and suitable for making violins and, if nobody tries to make them work, then the world will never know how those choices will color the sound and expression of the instrument. Spruce and maple were the woods of choice historically because of their availability, stability, and tonal properties. There's no telling what Stradivari would have chosen if he had the ability to get wood shipped to him from across the planet like we have now. I've seen some videos of a guy making violins out of various woods and it does have a noticeable impact on the sound. Obviously he tunes the thickness of the sound board and back so they're capable of being tuned to the correct register, but it can really change how the instrument sounds. He made one out of oak that has an interesting raspy quality to the sound but lacks projection and one with, if I remember correctly, a walnut back. That one has a much darker sound since it doesn't resonate as strongly as the maple and damps the higher harmonics. I think more people popularizing violins made of alternate woods can only be a good thing, as long as it isn't the plywood construction of the cheapest Chinese-made violins. Plywood is a fantastic material, but not for violins.
Magnificent ❤ Proved what I suspected all along. The science of violin making can be adapted/applied to materials available worldwide.
Such a beautiful violin and inspiring project. Thank you for doing this and sharing your process Andrew!
Can you tell me what tune you are playing in a minor at 9:56? Thanks!
Thanks all you guys for sharing! And all your vids, Andy, wonderful to see the process of making a fiddle. Looks great, sounds great!
Thanks Bernard! I hope that we can hear you play it before too long. :-)
There is a lot to respect about a job where you take something that may have been forgotten or left to rot because it wasn't in a usable condition and then, through your own efforts and expertise, restoring it to something that not only works, but that places it into a position that someone else can see it and fall in love with its charms and it can then become a cherished item for them. Even if he may describe it simply and off-handedly as "wheeling and dealing", that's the kind of impact he has on these old, beautiful instruments.
Also, one thing to note about the finish on violins: it is perfectly acceptable, sound-wise, to make the finish glass-smooth. The primary reason for the modern aesthetic trend toward a rougher, more textured finish is mainly due to the reverence that people hold toward the works left by the great historic craftsmen, and of course the varnish, where original is still extant, will have a more textured appearance. Given how particular those makers were about the fit and finish of their masterpieces, it was entirely likely that they did at one point have very finely polished surfaces and, as shellac and varnish does over time, it has degraded into the more mottled orange-peel texture that we see today. I would be very interested to see a fully French polished violin made with some lovely figured wood. Aside from the choice to use a non-depositing abrasive vs. pumice, I think that method of applying shellac or varnish then polishing it out with a drying oil before lightly abrading it and working the fine powder into the crevices in the wood produces one of the finest possible finishes for wood.
Sounds amazing
Can't understand a thing you're saying wearing that mask