I'm just a retired old weekend wood hacker, but love watching Luthier's in thier work and I just watched you bring life back into that violin. fantastic job. I've watched tons and tons of videos and "restorers" that call themselves Luthers and they are butchers. even I could have done a far better job than some of the video's I've seen. you can tell by the Craftsmenship (I use that word loosely for some of the ones I've seen.) if they have their heart and soul into their work or if its just another "job". This one guy was just short of hitting the violin with an Automobile buffing machine! did his finish sanding with 120 grit!!! why not 60 or 80 grit and put it out of its misery! Olaf tnx for restoring my faith that there are still Artists / luthiers out there to keep my sanity going! thanks for sharing. ECF
You have done a beautiful job on this Hopf violin. I have had two of these violins, one almost identical to this one and I also own a much older one that I play all of the time. I love the sound and timber of these violins.
21:43 - what a stunning example. I've only played two Hopf's. Very deep sound! This one you have here might be the only example I've seen with a one-piece back PLUS very wide f-holes. From my experience as a maker, the wider placement of the f-holes give the instrument a more bass-y sound! Beautiful!
My first violin was a hopf. Here in Arizona it gets hot and I forgot that it was in my car. And when I open the case I found that it was all broken apart. A girl in our church wanted the violin so I gave it to her. She knew someone who could fix it and so it got fixed. Years later she is now playing it in our Church orchestra.
Hello, Mr. Grawert. Can you please tell me what your theme music is? I know it must be you playing, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to know the music. Thank you. I hope the owner keeps you up on what the Hopf is doing!
Hi Olaf, thanks for the brilliant videos. I do enjoy them, and always learn a lot from your commentary. Fantastic attention to detail and craftsmanship. May I ask about the retouching colours you use? Are they oil based, spirit based or watercolours?
Hi Olaf, I'm new to your channel and I'm really enjoying it. I have been a guitarist since I was 11 years old and I'm nearly 60 now and I have viewed many luthier videos of acoustic guitar repairs. I was wondering if you could give us some indication on the cost of a restoration like you have performed on that violin. Just a ballpark figure with an explanation would be wonderful. Cheers.
Do you ever ask yourself "What has the owner/previous owners been doing with this violin??" It's as if people toss their violins around. I can't get over how dirty and nasty some violins are. I wash many hands immediately after touching some.
I wonder why you don’t just strip off the really ugly finish and redo it from scratch. I don’t know violins, so I guess there must be a reason. I think you made the finish less ugly, but it’s still not very good looking with all those stains.
Impressive restoration breathing new life back into an old instrument allowing it to continue to give voice to music as it had done before for so many years. I can clearly see the joy you receive through this process of resurrection. Well done ✔.
I noticed the TwosetViolin Sticker in the background 😂! Such an informative and fun video to watch Olaf, I never thought i would be interested and excited in watching a luthier restore an old instrument. ❤
I acquired a Karl Joseph Schneider Master violin that I want to give to my grandson (so he can stop playing the VSO his school provided him). The back of the instrument appears to be the victim of a child who got a hold of finger nail polish and tried to decorate it. Recommendations on refinishing the back...PLEASE!
The story of the owner really spoke to me. I also believe instruments are a part of stories and have their own stories. I’ve started learning on a cheap violin and hope to one day own and play on an antique because I love knowing it has created so much music through its life, and want to be able to join along on a new phase of its journey.
I love watching that instrument steadily look 50 years younger (or more I guess, I'm using human aging as a reference rather than instrument aging lol). It's such a wonderful skill to be able to do that.
It’s amazing seeing the amount of work that goes into these repairs. Now I understand why repairs cost what they do. Glad you put your gentle touch into this instrument and brought it back to life!
Olaf: I hope this finds you well after your travels to Europe. One question- what do you use for varnish filler? I assume its podium (lycopodium and varnish) but I'd like to know. The internet usually has a million results for any search, but filler varnish, for violins has very little. I've had advice from elmers glue and sawdust to many other witches brew. Please help clarify the topic. Thank you!
Cheers on the restoration! I would really like to know how to get a similar sound from a violin. I'm a builder aswell and am restoring an old violin which is similar to this Hopf, would you have any hints or ideas as to how to get this deeper, 'solid' quality of sound concerning soundpost and bridge placement? I'd love to hear your thoughts, or those of any colleagues here in the comments :-)
Everything I know about violins I learned from Olaf. I am always amazed by the difference in sound coming from each violin. The hearing the violins for the first time is my favorite part of your videos.
I love, love LOVE the sentiment that each instrument, even when new, has a story to tell. I also play on many vintage pipe organs, the consoles tell a story of who played them and what their surroundings were when they were made or refurbished. My violin and my organ consoles, I hope, someday tell a story to someone new, excited or curious and so the story gets passed along. Bravo, good sir! You do AMAZING work! Love watching your videos!
Hello, I have a question. I recently replaced my side mounted chin rest to a chin rest that fits over the tailpiece. It's much more comfortable, but unfortunately my violin won't fit in my case with the new chinrest on. I have decided to take off my chin rest before putting it back in the case, and just putting on before I start playing it. Will the frequent on off hurt my violin wood, or is this ok?
Hi Olaf. You mentioned in the previous vide that there was a label in the violin from when it had been repaired befor but I havn't seen, or heard you mention in any of your videos, that you label any violins as you repair them. Do you not put a label to mark such an extensive repair as this one?
Hi Olaf Southern California here Just a few months before Christmas I had acquired Two violins one was a Nippon and the other was a Czechoslovakia for $60 and literally they both were in pieces including the cases also were split and warped and I repaired them by watching your videos and gave them to my wife for Christmas and she and her violin teacher said they played perfectly. Love to send some pics. Thanks
I want to believe that the maker's spirit, and its primary players are in part, there for moments during its revival, restoration, and rebirth. Even a bicycle can have parts of the spirits of those who designed and built it, and I'd say much more so for this. Olaf is a medium.
I never quite get to the end of many of your videos. I pause the video and get my fiddle out of its case. I almost never tune since it’s a carbon fiber five string and my apt is air conditioned. I made a very nice conventional violin a few years ago and played it int the white to try out. I never did get around to varnishing it. I gave it to my teacher to try and she made a face. I put her on the spot. Like what was she going to say if it was a piece if junk? As soon as she played the first few notes there was a huge smile on her face. She phoned her husband. She had a studio and they had an apartment in the same building. He came down and tried my violin and then paid me a huge compliment. Though he played the violin his instrument was actually the guitar. He went out and bought wood to make a guitar. He was intelligent and I saw no reason he couldn’t make one following a book. I made my fiddle reading Harry Wake and Henry Strobel books. I did visit a luthier acquaintance years earlier and I was familiar with all his tools and saw his moulds so I knew there was nothing beyond my understanding. YES!!! I did spend a long time making the fiddle. I followed L. Francis Herreshoff’ s recommendation of having a comfortable chair in my shop where I could sit down and think or read when I couldn’t decide what to do next. I worked slowly, read a lot and finally completed my violin. I build a sailboat. A windmill class sloop and a violin. If I wasn’t so old I’d build a plane. I’m a licensed glider pilot. As a kid my hero’s we’re all pilots. WWII was going full spate and pilots were the hero’s in most movies, doubling my desire to fly. Thanks for your wonderful videos.
You are right, the tone is darker, a bit husky and mellow, it's cello like and very pleasing to my taste. I've heard a tone like this before in a Bosendorfer concert grand. One doesn't forget the feel of certain tones. I would love to have heard it played seriously.
I loved this restoration video very much. I played violin in my youth before moving to bassoon. I enjoy it very much when somebody can take care of an old instrument like you, Olaf. It's part of a history that's so important to conserve for future generations.
14:30 - when you varnished, was it French polish? I'm so afraid to use it because I completely ruined a nice $6000 violin (thankfully my own) because the polish took off the oil varnish. I had to re-varnish from scratch.... not easy! Any advice on this please?
Your work is beautiful and passionate. I was wondering what a restoration like this costs your client. Although it takes several days, quite a lot of the time glue or varnish is drying which extends the repair time.
You must put in your will, what must happen to your really good instruments.Don't ever let our family just sell them. Hold a "young musician" audition, with aural tests as well, and let them have it for 6 years, then it moves on to the next one. beautiful instruments MUST be carefuuly saved fr the future.
My really good fake Amati cello, has a dark, rosewood fingerboard, and it has to be "shot" as we call it here , but "planed" as Olaf calls it, around very 10 years. My "fake" is my go-to cello, and my main player. He's a bit of a beast! My Forster i play at home as the insurance on him, is BIG, so because he's worth about half of my house (and it's a big house) so he only gets a rare outing. I play violin too, and a Hoft is very nice indeed. I'm running on a modern italien from 1947, just after ww2. So good , everybody loves it. However, there's problem with then varnish in 4th position.
Great video. I am one who plays for my own enjoyment and I have an antique violin with a deep history. It belonged to Austin 'champ' Pruitt that fiddled at all of the barn raisings and hoe downs in rural East Texas. The old wooden case looks like a minature coffin with a steam rolled top piece of wood. The back of the violin is one solid piece of maple tiger stripe wood. Recently, I got a 2/4 violin for my twin grand daughters to learn on and it is marked HOPF at the base of the neck on the back and inside the instrument. It has a great tone and is in decent shape. Under the lining on the case, I found the date of 1913. How can I tell if it is a genuine HOPF? I do have some pictures.
Nice work. I recently bought a restored "very old" (allegedly!) Hopf , with a single piece back ,looking very much like that one, so very interesting to see the work you did and compare and contrast. Plays like a dream, deep bass end but really responsive and lively as well as projecting well. Can't leave it alone!
I looked your video Sir. But what's the name of the past of wood mycelium do you using?the disappearance of wood mycelium is problem for me. T N xalot Sir ⚘
Client: "Hi Olaf, how is the violin coming along?" Olaf: "Great, really great! It looks so much better already! One question though, how much do you like the smell of coffee? Just asking out of curiosity..."
We get here good Aussie wine in Münster/Germany. Can compete with italian or French wine very well. Congrats to your successful restoration. The violin has a lovely sound.
Hi Olaf just found your channel. How tight should the sound post be? your instruments sound great so I think you have that really worked out. THANKS!!! Jerry Brisbane -- I wondered which town.
Amazing work, so nice to see the history of the instrument still shining through the repairs :) It made me think, have you ever worked on early instruments of the Viol family? Bass viol, pardessus and so on, or only violin family? Would be great to shed some light on the viol family as well :)
20:10 looks amazing - I have some old German and Czech violins.... they all look waxy. How do you get this violin to look so shiny?! When I make my own violins I just use a ground and then my own varnish. However - I can't just "plop" my own varnish over the top of the German or Czech violins because most of the time - my varnish doesn't "bind" well with the existing varnish and causes "bunching up" / that crackling effect. Would love to know how you get great results!
The music and sound of the angels what a violin, what a process what a man. Olaf you are a master craftsman with a deep well for a soul. You elicit emotions both deep and stirring. As you played that beautiful old violin I thought of the wonderful story I think it may be part (talking part) of an old religious poem and ultimately a song where a violin comes up for auction and the auctioneer starts out at like a dollar, maybe two. Then presently an old grey haired man steps up caresses the violin and bow and brings a melody sweet as the angels from what had been considered a worthless hulk. The auctioneer obviously moved and touched said softly what am I bid a for this old violin, a thousand maybe two. When asked why auctioneer changed his price so dramatically the reply was simply "It was the touch of the master's hands" I truly feel this battered and worn violin fell into the masters hands who gently loved and caressed it back to health and its former beautiful self. Olaf you have a skill from heaven itself. I found myself weeping profusely as you briefly played this old violin that was in so much need. But fortunately divine providence had that violin fall into the masters hands. I love your work, your spirit and passion and how you can see as the old man in the poem could see the music still inside that box the old violin desperately still wanted to give .The master's hands brought that music back to life as if the violin was dying in a sort but now is healthy again. God bless you my friend because watching you is a deep and rewarding blessing to me!
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Guys,
I may not have time for a chat, because I am currently in Europe, but I will give it a go
Oh my, in Europe at the end of November? You know how cold and rainy it is at this time of the year 🙈☔
Enjoy yourself, Olaf. Hopefully you will meet some relatives in this festive season. Amazing work on the violin. Thanks for sharing!
Come to the north of England. Some fabulous instruments made there way here as . as this was seriously wealthy "powerhouse".
I'm just a retired old weekend wood hacker, but love watching Luthier's in thier work and I just watched you bring life back into that violin. fantastic job. I've watched tons and tons of videos and "restorers" that call themselves Luthers and they are butchers. even I could have done a far better job than some of the video's I've seen. you can tell by the Craftsmenship (I use that word loosely for some of the ones I've seen.) if they have their heart and soul into their work or if its just another "job". This one guy was just short of hitting the violin with an Automobile buffing machine! did his finish sanding with 120 grit!!! why not 60 or 80 grit and put it out of its misery! Olaf tnx for restoring my faith that there are still Artists / luthiers out there to keep my sanity going! thanks for sharing. ECF
Ah yes. The artist's plight. Putting your paintbrush in your drink haha
I just found this channel and love it. I'm not even a violin player. Just a lover of classical music. That's a beautiful instrument there Olaf cheers!
You have done a beautiful job on this Hopf violin. I have had two of these violins, one almost identical to this one and I also own a much older one that I play all of the time. I love the sound and timber of these violins.
21:43 - what a stunning example. I've only played two Hopf's. Very deep sound!
This one you have here might be the only example I've seen with a one-piece back PLUS very wide f-holes. From my experience as a maker, the wider placement of the f-holes give the instrument a more bass-y sound!
Beautiful!
My first violin was a hopf. Here in Arizona it gets hot and I forgot that it was in my car. And when I open the case I found that it was all broken apart. A girl in our church wanted the violin so I gave it to her. She knew someone who could fix it and so it got fixed. Years later she is now playing it in our Church orchestra.
Hello, Mr. Grawert. Can you please tell me what your theme music is? I know it must be you playing, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to know the music. Thank you.
I hope the owner keeps you up on what the Hopf is doing!
Why didn't you melt the old spotty dark varnish on top and recolor?
Now we know Stradivarius used coffee beans in his varnish and it was definitely not de caf …
Greatness. Really loved both videos. Amazing craftsmanship and entertaining/informative narrative. Well done (as usual 🤓👍).
Hi Olaf, thanks for the brilliant videos. I do enjoy them, and always learn a lot from your commentary. Fantastic attention to detail and craftsmanship. May I ask about the retouching colours you use? Are they oil based, spirit based or watercolours?
Hi Olaf,
I'm new to your channel and I'm really enjoying it. I have been a guitarist since I was 11 years old and I'm nearly 60 now and I have viewed many luthier videos of acoustic guitar repairs.
I was wondering if you could give us some indication on the cost of a restoration like you have performed on that violin.
Just a ballpark figure with an explanation would be wonderful.
Cheers.
Do you ever ask yourself "What has the owner/previous owners been doing with this violin??" It's as if people toss their violins around. I can't get over how dirty and nasty some violins are. I wash many hands immediately after touching some.
I wonder why you don’t just strip off the really ugly finish and redo it from scratch. I don’t know violins, so I guess there must be a reason. I think you made the finish less ugly, but it’s still not very good looking with all those stains.
In what part of England is Brisbane?? LOL
Impressive restoration breathing new life back into an old instrument allowing it to continue to give voice to music as it had done before for so many years. I can clearly see the joy you receive through this process of resurrection. Well done ✔.
Hey Olaf,
Love your Videos!
I wonder where in Germany did you buy your tools from the beginning of the video?
Thank you very much😊
I noticed the TwosetViolin Sticker in the background 😂! Such an informative and fun video to watch Olaf, I never thought i would be interested and excited in watching a luthier restore an old instrument. ❤
Wow, you gave me hope. I have an 1850s French violin with two repaired cracks and I had no idea that they could be leveled and hidden. Most excellent.
I acquired a Karl Joseph Schneider Master violin that I want to give to my grandson (so he can stop playing the VSO his school provided him). The back of the instrument appears to be the victim of a child who got a hold of finger nail polish and tried to decorate it. Recommendations on refinishing the back...PLEASE!
The story of the owner really spoke to me. I also believe instruments are a part of stories and have their own stories. I’ve started learning on a cheap violin and hope to one day own and play on an antique because I love knowing it has created so much music through its life, and want to be able to join along on a new phase of its journey.
Coffee tinted varnish? Is that a family secrete?
I love watching that instrument steadily look 50 years younger (or more I guess, I'm using human aging as a reference rather than instrument aging lol). It's such a wonderful skill to be able to do that.
I have an HOPF violin with a few peculiar problems. It would be sweet to at least get it playable. Thanks for the inspiration.
It’s amazing seeing the amount of work that goes into these repairs. Now I understand why repairs cost what they do. Glad you put your gentle touch into this instrument and brought it back to life!
Olaf: I hope this finds you well after your travels to Europe. One question- what do you use for varnish filler? I assume its podium (lycopodium and varnish) but I'd like to know. The internet usually has a million results for any search, but filler varnish, for violins has very little. I've had advice from elmers glue and sawdust to many other witches brew. Please help clarify the topic. Thank you!
8:12 R.I.P. the morning cup
Love the story behind the violin.
Cheers on the restoration! I would really like to know how to get a similar sound from a violin. I'm a builder aswell and am restoring an old violin which is similar to this Hopf, would you have any hints or ideas as to how to get this deeper, 'solid' quality of sound concerning soundpost and bridge placement? I'd love to hear your thoughts, or those of any colleagues here in the comments :-)
Everything I know about violins I learned from Olaf. I am always amazed by the difference in sound coming from each violin. The hearing the violins for the first time is my favorite part of your videos.
I love, love LOVE the sentiment that each instrument, even when new, has a story to tell. I also play on many vintage pipe organs, the consoles tell a story of who played them and what their surroundings were when they were made or refurbished. My violin and my organ consoles, I hope, someday tell a story to someone new, excited or curious and so the story gets passed along. Bravo, good sir! You do AMAZING work! Love watching your videos!
Hello, I have a question. I recently replaced my side mounted chin rest to a chin rest that fits over the tailpiece. It's much more comfortable, but unfortunately my violin won't fit in my case with the new chinrest on. I have decided to take off my chin rest before putting it back in the case, and just putting on before I start playing it. Will the frequent on off hurt my violin wood, or is this ok?
Hi Olaf. You mentioned in the previous vide that there was a label in the violin from when it had been repaired befor but I havn't seen, or heard you mention in any of your videos, that you label any violins as you repair them. Do you not put a label to mark such an extensive repair as this one?
Super arbeit
Hi Olaf
Southern California here
Just a few months before Christmas I had acquired Two violins one was a Nippon and the other was a Czechoslovakia for $60 and literally they both were in pieces including the cases also were split and warped and I repaired them by watching your videos and gave them to my wife for Christmas and she and her violin teacher said they played perfectly.
Love to send some pics.
Thanks
I want to believe that the maker's spirit, and its primary players are in part, there for moments during its revival, restoration, and rebirth. Even a bicycle can have parts of the spirits of those who designed and built it, and I'd say much more so for this. Olaf is a medium.
It is so obvious that you love what you are doing. Keep up the good work 👏
I never quite get to the end of many of your videos. I pause the video and get my fiddle out of its case. I almost never tune since it’s a carbon fiber five string and my apt is air conditioned. I made a very nice conventional violin a few years ago and played it int the white to try out. I never did get around to varnishing it. I gave it to my teacher to try and she made a face. I put her on the spot. Like what was she going to say if it was a piece if junk? As soon as she played the first few notes there was a huge smile on her face. She phoned her husband. She had a studio and they had an apartment in the same building. He came down and tried my violin and then paid me a huge compliment. Though he played the violin his instrument was actually the guitar. He went out and bought wood to make a guitar. He was intelligent and I saw no reason he couldn’t make one following a book. I made my fiddle reading Harry Wake and Henry Strobel books. I did visit a luthier acquaintance years earlier and I was familiar with all his tools and saw his moulds so I knew there was nothing beyond my understanding. YES!!! I did spend a long time making the fiddle. I followed L. Francis Herreshoff’ s recommendation of having a comfortable chair in my shop where I could sit down and think or read when I couldn’t decide what to do next. I worked slowly, read a lot and finally completed my violin. I build a sailboat. A windmill class sloop and a violin. If I wasn’t so old I’d build a plane. I’m a licensed glider pilot. As a kid my hero’s we’re all pilots. WWII was going full spate and pilots were the hero’s in most movies, doubling my desire to fly. Thanks for your wonderful videos.
You are right, the tone is darker, a bit husky and mellow, it's cello like and very pleasing to my taste. I've heard a tone like this before in a Bosendorfer concert grand. One doesn't forget the feel of certain tones. I would love to have heard it played seriously.
I think this violin would be excellent for Gypsy music
I loved this restoration video very much. I played violin in my youth before moving to bassoon. I enjoy it very much when somebody can take care of an old instrument like you, Olaf. It's part of a history that's so important to conserve for future generations.
14:30 - when you varnished, was it French polish? I'm so afraid to use it because I completely ruined a nice $6000 violin (thankfully my own) because the polish took off the oil varnish. I had to re-varnish from scratch.... not easy!
Any advice on this please?
Your work is beautiful and passionate. I was wondering what a restoration like this costs your client. Although it takes several days, quite a lot of the time glue or varnish is drying which extends the repair time.
Is the old bridge ever part of the "historical" value of the instrument?
I love, love this story!!old instruments are like people to me. They have souls.
You must put in your will, what must happen to your really good instruments.Don't ever let our family just sell them. Hold a "young musician" audition, with aural tests as well, and let them have it for 6 years, then it moves on to the next one.
beautiful instruments MUST be carefuuly saved fr the future.
My really good fake Amati cello, has a dark, rosewood fingerboard, and it has to be "shot" as we call it here , but "planed" as Olaf calls it, around very 10 years. My "fake" is my go-to cello, and my main player. He's a bit of a beast! My Forster i play at home as the insurance on him, is BIG, so because he's worth about half of my house (and it's a big house) so he only gets a rare outing. I play violin too, and a Hoft is very nice indeed. I'm running on a modern italien from 1947, just after ww2. So good , everybody loves it. However, there's problem with then varnish in 4th position.
Great video. I am one who plays for my own enjoyment and I have an antique violin with a deep history. It belonged to Austin 'champ' Pruitt that fiddled at all of the barn raisings and hoe downs in rural East Texas. The old wooden case looks like a minature coffin with a steam rolled top piece of wood. The back of the violin is one solid piece of maple tiger stripe wood. Recently, I got a 2/4 violin for my twin grand daughters to learn on and it is marked HOPF at the base of the neck on the back and inside the instrument. It has a great tone and is in decent shape. Under the lining on the case, I found the date of 1913. How can I tell if it is a genuine HOPF? I do have some pictures.
Cliffhanger: the german tools you received and kept out of sight :)
Nice work. I recently bought a restored "very old" (allegedly!) Hopf , with a single piece back ,looking very much like that one, so very interesting to see the work you did and compare and contrast. Plays like a dream, deep bass end but really responsive and lively as well as projecting well. Can't leave it alone!
Was that licopodium filler?
Or is it ColorTone Waterbase Grain Filler or even Timbermate 250g Natural Wood Filler? 🙂
I looked your video Sir. But what's the name of the past of wood mycelium do you using?the disappearance of wood mycelium is problem for me. T N xalot Sir ⚘
Brilliant Work! What a beautiful instrument! The stories of that violin are very inspiring! Bravo!
Beautiful
Client: "Hi Olaf, how is the violin coming along?"
Olaf: "Great, really great! It looks so much better already!
One question though, how much do you like the smell of coffee? Just asking out of curiosity..."
Thanks! Happy holidays! 🌞🎅🏻🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
damn i just noticed the twoset sticker in the back
Olaf, you certainly do fine work. 😃😁
P.S.: It's always nice to hear Django and Stephan, in the background. 🥰🥰
We get here good Aussie wine in Münster/Germany. Can compete with italian or French wine very well.
Congrats to your successful restoration. The violin has a lovely sound.
Hi Olaf just found your channel. How tight should the sound post be? your instruments sound great so I think you have that really worked out. THANKS!!! Jerry
Brisbane -- I wondered which town.
If I hadn’t watched both videos on this restoration, I would say “what cracks?!?” Nicely done, sir.
Now that I have seen the view of your shop in one orientation and then the opposite orientation, I wonder which way it really is?
Truly amazing work Olaf....bravo
Amazing work, so nice to see the history of the instrument still shining through the repairs :)
It made me think, have you ever worked on early instruments of the Viol family? Bass viol, pardessus and so on, or only violin family? Would be great to shed some light on the viol family as well :)
The last Hopf I played seemed to sound best playing waltzes. You should ask if he got the old bow with the violin. Thanks for sharing Olaf.
That was wonderful!
20:10 looks amazing - I have some old German and Czech violins.... they all look waxy. How do you get this violin to look so shiny?!
When I make my own violins I just use a ground and then my own varnish.
However - I can't just "plop" my own varnish over the top of the German or Czech violins because most of the time - my varnish doesn't "bind" well with the existing varnish and causes "bunching up" / that crackling effect. Would love to know how you get great results!
Dude, you're a magician
I love the way you do your work, and how you talk about your clients 🥰
Wow bro as always Amazing work!
Thanks!
Classic video. You amaze us all!
I love the sound of this violin!!!!
Huge fan Olaf!
I love this kind of repair video. Please keep up the good work!
I have a hopf!
Beautiful
The music and sound of the angels what a violin, what a process what a man. Olaf you are a master craftsman with a deep well for a soul. You elicit emotions both deep and stirring. As you played that beautiful old violin I thought of the wonderful story I think it may be part (talking part) of an old religious poem and ultimately a song where a violin comes up for auction and the auctioneer starts out at like a dollar, maybe two. Then presently an old grey haired man steps up caresses the violin and bow and brings a melody sweet as the angels from what had been considered a worthless hulk. The auctioneer obviously moved and touched said softly what am I bid a for this old violin, a thousand maybe two. When asked why auctioneer changed his price so dramatically the reply was simply "It was the touch of the master's hands"
I truly feel this battered and worn violin fell into the masters hands who gently loved and caressed it back to health and its former beautiful self. Olaf you have a skill from heaven itself. I found myself weeping profusely as you briefly played this old violin that was in so much need. But fortunately divine providence had that violin fall into the masters hands.
I love your work, your spirit and passion and how you can see as the old man in the poem could see the music still inside that box the old violin desperately still wanted to give .The master's hands brought that music back to life as if the violin was dying in a sort but now is healthy again.
God bless you my friend because watching you is a deep and rewarding blessing to me!
💙
6th!
Can you restore my violin?