Exploring lost violin making practices 4: the top plate
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.พ. 2025
- Around 2009, research was started on the life, instruments and working methods of the violin maker Benoit Joseph Boussu (1703-1773). As a first step, his previously unknown biography was disclosed in detail, demonstrating that Boussu first practised as a notary in the north of France until 1748, before working as luthier in respectively Liege (1749), Brussels (c1750-c1762) and Amsterdam (c1767-1772). The biographical results were published in the Galpin Society Journal of 2013 and updated in Early Music journal (November 2016). These investigations are part of the PhD project of violin maker/researcher Geerten Verberkmoes, initiator of the Boussu research project.
Next, many surviving original instruments by Boussu were studied, amongst these a violin and a cello in unaltered mid-18th century state from the collection of the Musical Instruments Museum in Brussels. The unaltered violin was CT-scanned and analysed in cooperation with dr. Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans (MIM Brussels), prof. dr. Danielle Balériaux (Erasmus hospital) and dr. Berend Stoel. The results of this study were published in the Galpin Society Journal of 2016. In a later stage, the unaltered Boussu cello was CT-scanned in the St. Luc hospital in Brussels under the guidance of professors Danse and Coche and their team.
Based on the CT-scan of the violin, two replicas were built in parallel between spring and fall of 2017 by Verberkmoes, using construction methods most likely employed by Boussu. These practices include an assembling process without the use of an inside mould. The replication process was captured entirely on video and is presented here as a series of videos. After finishing the violins, a cello replica was made in a similar way, during the end of 2017 and early 2018.
In the final stage of the study, the three replicas are played by the newly formed 'Ensemble Boussu' (dr. Ann Cnop, Shiho Ono and Mathilde Wolfs), to perform Brussels court music from the times of Boussu. The musicians perform the trio sonata repertoire using solely bowed stringed instruments, a nowadays abandoned practice, but apparently a more common fashion in the middle of the 18th century. Examples of these performances can also be found on this channel.
The PhD project 'Boussu Inside Out' is supervised by prof. dr. Francis Maes (Gent University), dr. Geert Dhondt (School of Arts Gent) and dr. Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans (Musical Instruments Museum Brussels).
Enjoy watching and listening!
A fascinating series of videos. I'm so glad there is no "music" to spoil it. The sound of tools and razor sharp planes is all that is needed.
Hello r1273m,
Thank you for your kind comment. Glad to hear you enjoyed the videos and the tool sounds (-:
Kind regards,
Geerten
This video is well done. Thanks.
Thank you, glad to hear you enjoyed it!!
That was fun watching you glue the top on. Really nice work!
Thanks again!
You’re kinda my inspiration to start making violins, lol.
That's nice to hear Chad, good luck with your first instrument!! Just start making, it's not so difficult as you may think. Best regards, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out What wood do I use? Maple, correct? Or is it spruce... I can't remember, was gonna go and cut some trees and start to dry it, gonna dry it for 2 seasons probably.
Spruce for the top plate, and maple for everything else! That's the classic combination. You can also substitute the maple for fruit wood, nut wood, ... Make sure it has been dried well tough. Good luck!
Boussu_Inside_Out Thank you for your help!
You're welcome!!
the construction method reminds me of a classical guitar construction a bit, definitely different than the inner mold methods I've seen often, excellent series so far
Hello cpage86! Thanks for your kind comment, glald to hear you like the videos. Yes, you're right, the construction is rather similar to classical guitar making (although there are differences too, as a classical guitar is built up from the belly). The aim of my project was to explore this method, that is no longer used by present-day makers.. It was nice to work this way, and made me realise that a violin can be made in many ways.
Are you a guitar maker?
Best regards,
Geerten
beautiful sound of making ... very meditative!
Thank you, NUBDUK
Wow, me encanta la paciencia y la dedicación para hacer un violín ¡Sigue así!
Thank you for your kind comment, Cinthy! Have a nice day!
Very enjoyable and informative!! Would love to hear the fiddle.
Thank you & happy 2020! Stay tuned for some new recordings soon, best regards, Geerten
Que madeira linda. Vai ficar um violino maravilhoso.
Thanks for your kind comment Silas! best regards, Geerten.
.... Sorry for the late reply, your message got buried under some other ones (-:
Very good
Thank you 😊
I am curious as to what species the top is and how you obtained the vertical grain plank.
Hi Gary, the top plate is made from European spruce, bought from a tonewood supplier in Mittenwald (Germany).
What is the name of the method you’re using for the neck? I’ve never seen that before
Hello Hunter, thanks for your comment. The method of neck attachment as shown in the videos is sometimes referred to as the "through-neck" method. It was one of the several ways for putting the neck to the body, as used in earlier violin making. Also used in Spanish (classical) guitar construction!
Best regards, Geerten
Geen tuning van de bladen? No tuning of the blades?
Nee. Ik kopieerde een oud instrument (1750), en heb de bladdikten 1:1 gekopieerd. Van de bouwer (Boussu) analyseerde ik 27 violen, waarvan de bladen allemaal een identiek diktepatroon hebben. Van mijn 3 kopieen heb ik voor de bladen natuurlijk wel de kloptonen (modes 1, 2 en 5) genoteerd. Maar dus niet specifiek naar een bepaalde kloptoon toegewerkt. Dat zou immers omgekeerde wereld zijn. Meer info hier:
geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf
Would it make any difference were it to be written or unwritten?
No, don't think so 😉
But to answer your original question: no I did not apply spring to the bass bar. I could not find historical sources for this, and current debate gives no consensus about the benefits of applying any pre-tension.
@@Boussu_Inside_Out I do, because the b bars I fit are in repairs, mainly to old trade fids bound for a thrashing in the bluegrass / old-time world. These fids sometimes have distressed tops. So a bit of spring helps, perhaps. I was surprised to see how much spring Davide Sora uses in a new fid th-cam.com/video/lTh8SKS3F4M/w-d-xo.html at about 18.02 - 03. Anyway nice work. You are young and have far to go! I am old, and not so much left!
Hi @GeoffreyBRIDGLAND, I have been thinking a bit more about your question. The bass bar as shown in the video is only 5 mm wide and 7 mm at it's highest point. Probably not a good idea to try and install this under tension. Hope this helps for your question...
@@GeoffreyBRIDGLAND Thank you for your reply and kind words, Geoffrey. Also thanks for the link to the video of D. Sora, I'll surely check it. To be honest, I did apply spring to bassbars in several modern violins I've built in the past. And in your case, when repairing violins, it might be a good idea to do so.
As for the bass bar as shown in my video, this is an instrument copied after an original 18th-century instrument which still has it's original bass bar. This bar is only 5 mm wide and 7 mm at it's highest point. I thought it was probably not a good idea to try and install such small bar under tension. Hope this helps for your question...
Good luck with your work on the violins and fiddles!
Best regards from Holland,
Geerten
Wow!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks Paul!
Why no spring in the bassbar?
Is (was) there a written rule that prescribes to put spring on a bass bar?
Can you explain about this wood .. what kind of wood using ..can find asian cuntry ..im from srilanka..sorry my friend my english is not good 😊 excellent hard work
Hello Singha, thanks you for your reply. The wood used is:
Top plate: spruce
Back plate/neck/sides: maple
These are the common woods used in violin making.
Maybe if you search, you can find these woods in your country, otherwise you have to import from Europe. There are many tonewood suppliers online which can ship to you.
Good luck,
Best regards,
Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out thanks my friend ..your valuable information and ill try .. Good luck ☺👍
@@singhaderana6861 Thank you too! 🎻👍
كیف تكبس الالواح بهاذا البساطه ؟ الیس قبل الكبس او الالتحام اي قبل الغراء ....لازم یكون اللوحتین یسد الضوء ولایدخل الضوء بینهما قبل الغراء والكبس ...ارید الجواب من فضلك ....لان هاذا ؟حیرني كل اساتذه الاروبیین یلتحمون الخشب بالغراء الحیواني ....بكل بساطه ....؟؟؟ 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Karzan, thanks for your comment, for which I used Google translate to translate from Arabic. I hope I understood well tho... In order to glue the two panels well, you have to make sure that you plane them very well, so they fit without any gap or rocking. This needs practice. Check with a very straight ruler, and also check if the plane on the wood is not "twisted" (you can check with two sticks, placed perpendicular at each end of the plane to be examined, and then looking over the two sticks to see if they parallel). You can also dry fit the two panels and see and feel if the fit is tight. At first it takes you a whole day, then half a day and finally 30 minutes. When the glue is applied, and the two parts are rubbed together, they are holding already really strong. Some people don't even use clamps, but I do. Good luck, just try it yourself and you'll learn quickly. Thank you.
Why are you calling these practices "lost"? Just curious.
Hi ajfmusical,
Because "no one" nowadays makes a violin using the shown methods in the video series. I wanted to try these methods, by making instruments that way. If you look at (and compare) other violin making videos on TH-cam, you will notice a full inner or outer mould is used, the neck is separate from the upper block, etc.. Such choices imply a whole other making sequence and construction techniques. Hopes this short explanation helps! Best regards, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Excellent! Thanks for that clarification. I've always wondered about the strength of the neck & the potential flaws of a separately constructed glued attachment.
@@ajfmusical The glued-on neck has its advantages too... like the more easy way of performing a "neck reset".
@Jean Claude Peeters Yes you're right, these techniques are still employed in classical and steelstring guitar making! Best regards, Geerten
vous êtes extra
Thank you Harakat, that's nice to hear! Nice that you enjoyed the channel! Have a great day!!
This is just click bait nonsense. This is one way of cutting shaping and glueing wood together and call it a violin which is not ' lost' at all . Shaping wood for a reason is not explained and measuring up an old violin achieves nothing .
too short belly...
Thanks for your comment. The belly length of this model is 362 mm, which isn't short, but rather long.
@@Boussu_Inside_Out But could be lenght like fingerboard.:D