Exploring lost violin making practices 5: finishing
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2018
- 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! 
Видеоклипы
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It was a pleasure to watch you work. I was equally impressed with your calm and respectful demeanor in answering criticism from arm chair critics that have no idea of what a baroque violin is! You are a gentleman and a great craftsman.
Dear Bravura House, thank you so much for your kind comment! Good to hear that you enjoyed the videos. And regarding your very supportive remark about some of the comments on the channel: I appreciate each reply, and learn from each of them. Also, my aim is to inform people about violin making, not to offend them (-: Wishing you all the best, Geerten
This is wonderful. They all sound so good. I wish I could hear them in 50 years
Thank you so much, ErinRose. Yes, it would be great to be able to hear them in 2070, but I think I will not reach the age of 102 (-:
On the other hand, we hear them now in new state, which was also the case when people heard instruments like this in the middle of the 18th century! Best wishes, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out You might haha. I'm hoping to make it past 90 years old. More time to listen to beautiful instruments and baroque.
@@druidsongevergreens Thank you! Yes, wishing you the best, with much joy from listening to your favourite music (-;
Just a pleasure watching a artist in motion. Skillful and deliberate in his craft. Thanks
Wow, very nice comment! Thanks a lot, it's good to hear you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for posting this video series. I was absolutely fascinated by your skill in building a violin in that way. The result was fantastic!
Dear Tim, what a nice compliment, thank you so much! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the video series. Kind regards, Geerten
Your violins sounds beautiful. I have never seen a neck and bridge made before. Thanks for sharing your expertise. incredible work!
Thank you very much, Kim. I'm glad you like the sound of the violins, and have enjoyed the videos. Happy Easter to you!
Also, the laminated fingerboard was super cool! Such beautiful work!
Thank you so much!
Oh, well done. Enjoyable both to watch and to hear.
Hello @NMranchhand, thank you for visiting the channel and watching the videos! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the video footage, and liked the sound of the tools on the wood (-:
Best regards, Geerten
beautiful work. i love the varnish. simple, thoughtful, and beautiful. perfect for a period instrument. a good match for the playing style.
Dear Philip, thank you so much for your kind comment. We are really happy with your appreciation of the project. The varnish is based on shellac with added mastic and sandarac. All colour comes from the shellac. Kind regards, Geerten
Once again thank you for the video. Will have a go at making this Varnish.
Good luck!
Amazing craftmanship!!
Thank you so much, Rodger!
Incredible. Thank you. Using your techniques on old American built economy archtop guitars. A+
Thank you, Paul! Please make sure to use a technique appropriate to the instrument on the bench (-:
Very relaxing to watch. 🙂 Beautiful and nice sounding violin. 👍Bravo 👏 Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Carlos, happy to hear you enjoyed the videos!
Magnificent instrument. I like the arching and the varnish colour as well as many other details not commonly seen.
Thanks a lot Charles, for your kind reply. I'm happy with your comment, but I guess we should thank Boussu for designing these extraordinary isntruments in the first place!!
I am aware of the difference between different versions of fingerboards. You really did a good job.
Dear Dy Liu, thank you for your kind comment! Glad to hear you like the fingerboard making. In the video #5 for the cello making, you can see how the cello fingerboard was made. Best regards, Geerten
Красивая работа!
Сегодня существует много талантливых мастеров по изготовлению уникальных по красоте и звучанию скрипок.
Великие творения Антонио Страдивари для многих являются образцом достижения творческого мастерства!
Было бы правильно создать Фонд Антонио Страдивари для выявления и поддержки талантливых мастеров и школ!
Главный лозунг - музыка и инструменты неотделимы!
Thank you!
love the fact that the woman playing the violins is extra careful when laying them down :)
I love that too! So I don't have to repair the instruments (-:
Thank you C V! Best regards, Geerten
Good example of a complete master work!
Thank you very much, Ioan! Best regards, Geerten
I bought an antique violin and wanted to do some paintwork on it, the reason why I stopped here! After watching this I don't think I can do it hh
Excelente trabajo 👌
Thank you, D.G.! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Best regards, Geerten
Well, that was worth the time watching! Thanks! The fiddle and viola don't have much bass, pretty thin sounding. The cello sounded pretty good. I know everything is new, and needs some playing in. And, the playing was excellent! All in all a really beautiful job! I've never seen anyone make a bridge like that. And the bone nut really pops! Very cool! When you were tuning up for the first time, you were cross tuning g to g, and I got all excited to see some baroque music played cross tuned. But, then the girl tuned standard ... oh well ... heh heh.
Please check some of the later videos at my channel where the ensemble plays. After some time and some adjustments, the violins opened up and the sound became at bit fuller. But remember, these are instruments with quite thick top plate, plus with gut strings. So, a sound is expected that is different from a modern violin.
Here is a recording made after the violins were played in:
ruclips.net/video/UwdR6wFfon8/видео.html
I hope you can hear the difference
Amazing sir.. 👍👍☕☕
Thank you so much, Calv! I'm happy that you liked the video's. Our album is now out on Spotify, search for "Project Boussu Brussels Trio Sonatas". Have a nice day, Geerten
You did not show how to close up the veneer on the end. Do we just slap a piece of veneer over it??
Hi, thanks for your comment. If you mean the terminal end of the fingerboard: there is no veneer on that. I just stained the underlying spruce core end grain with black ink (same as was done on the original instrument that I copied).
Muy interesante. Nunca había visto hacer así el diapasón.
Thank you, Fernando. The fingerboard construction is copied from the original instrument from 1750. Making a fingerboard with a spruce core and hard wood top veneer was one of the several ways of making this part in the 17th and 18th century. Best regards, Geerten
Hi Gerteen.
I have watched the full video series with great interest, beautifully done. Thank you for sharing the process with us.
Are the dimensions for those instruments available for purchase? Like with templates and stuff or in a manner that even a beginner like me can build templates to guide me through the process?
I am looking into building a violin (purely for entertainment) and it would be awesome to stray from the Strads and Amati replicas.
Thank you.
Alberto,
Да, скрипка это инструмент Души
Nice words, thank you Андрей Колосов!
Wooow 👏👏👏👏
Thank you!
Uitstekend control with your chiseling that literally was an intriguing joy to watch throughout your series... I too love to investigate as far as I can before getting my feet wet: But also watching how much in depth you have gone in research is mind blowing.
I have a great respect to the beautiful work you have presented us here.
May I though bother you with a few questions?
_ Does having the neck protrude this deep into the sound-box effect musical properties in a different way?
_ Why did you use horsetail instead of sandpaper? Does it have any additional properties other than its abrasive abilities? I mean: were you just trying to keep to it being of traditional nature? Or did you have any other reasons?
_ I am aware that in the period of mention (Not to mention the actual violins you are replicating) "ebony" was not so easy to come by... But this must be the first time I see ebony veneer used in modern builds... But (assuming the core we see here is spruce) may I please ask your opinion if you think that also by doing so the superior tone-wood qualities of the underlying spruce has any effects on acoustic qualities?
Watching you work: I am very tempted to add taper on my build to the linings/supports of the ribs since unlike working with a mold-block... you have access to the ribs with the linings glued onto them. I wonder if it would enhance its projection or effect is sound in any other way...
Thank you so much for this outstanding series... It was an outstanding joy to watch and every step was shared in such digestible measurements.. Thank you so much!
Thanks a lot BlackDidThis, happy 2021! I tried to combine as many aspects as I could in my research (biography, social context, instrument study, making, music, etc.), to hopefully arrive at "informed replicas". And then still I'm wondering about how the original instruments were made for real (-:
Is there a reason you shape the neck after it is attached to the varnished body? Seems a risky sequence to do things in.
In the original instruments that I copied, varnish is applied on the top plate underneath the fingerboard, but also on the entire neck and fingerboard sides. Therefore, I shape the neck after varnishing the body. Since, after varnishing the body, the first thing I do is attaching the fingerboard. Attaching the fingerboard is (for me) easier when the neck is not yet shaped to its final dimensions. This way, I can make sure that there is a seamless transition between the neck and the fingerboard. After all shaping of the neck has been done, it can be varnished, together with the fingerboard sides.
I do not find shaping the neck after varnishing the body especially risky... did it for five instruments now without any trouble. But of course, you should only do this kind of work with a fresh mind (-:
É uma obra de arte especializada parabéns susseço muito bom Essa pintura e feita com goma laca
Obrigado pelas suas palavras gentis! Sim, o verniz é realmente goma-laca.
Hello "tropicaljam73"! Thank you for your comment. I accidentally deleted it, and could not recover... But great to hear you also varnish the neck and sound box separately. I did it, since the original I copied has the neck and fingerboard entirely varnished.
Are you a baroque violin maker yourself?
Best regards,
Geerten
a PhD in violinmaking, how cool is that!?
Wooow so beautiful jop, Is too nice the fingerboard and all 😀
Thank you very much, glad to hear you like the video! Best regards, Geerten
Would it be possible for you give the ingredients and the amounts used for the spirit varnish used in this video. I have made spirit varnish before, and also used shellac or French polish on a violin, de waxed shellac as a ground coat followed by garnet shellac to finish off. I am interested in trying different recipes of spirit varnish. Thank you for demonstrating your techniques. I forgot to ask what is the plant you are using to clean the wood and why do you use it?
Dear bluehoo0,
Thank you for your kind reply. The varnish consists of 210 g/l raw sticklac (the least purified version of shellac), 55 g/l sandarac, 15 g/l elemi and 15 g/l mastic. All dissolved in 96% ethanol. This gave a varnish that had a natural amber color, and is not too hard.
The plant is horsetail, which you can find (in Europe) near lakes and ditches. In dried form, the inside of the stem can be used as mild abrasive.
Good luck with your own projects, Best regards,
Geerten
Boussu_Inside_Out Thank you very much for the ingredients. Take care and hope your keeping healthy in these uncertain times. Am I correct in thinking that g/l is the weight in grams?
You're welcome, bluehoo0. Yes, concentrations are given in grams/liter. Take care & stay safe too! All best, Geerten
Geehrten, I'm 2 years late in commenting. Incredible workmanship and display of knowledge of Baroque violins! You are a master. I suppose I have one question (if you ever read this due to being two years late), and one comment. The question is complex, I guess: Being a maker myself, from where did you begin to amass your knowledge, from what pictures, etc.? And my comment is that your kindness and graciousness as you answer comments is, if possible, more incredible than your knowledge and master craftsmanship. My batteries are charged and I am excited about making a Baroque instrument. Thank you many times over for sharing! David Lee
Dear David, thank you for your nice comment, good to hear from you, and I'm also pleased to hear that the channel served as an inspiration for your own making!
To answer your question, since I started studying Benoit Joseph Boussu in 2009, I was lucky to be able to see and measure around 50 instuments of this maker. In addition, for 6 instruments, CT scans could be made, in kind cooperation with hospitals, owners and the Brussels Musical Instrument Museum. So, over these years, I was able to really learn to know the style, characteristics and techniques of Boussu. Next to that, archive research revealed many details of his life.
I guess all this information allowed me to understand how Boussu made his instruments, his wood choice and also a little bit of his mindset and personality. I hope some of this has seeped through in my copies (-:
Good luck in making your Baroque instrument, please keep us informed about the progress!
Best wishes from Bergen op Zoom,
Geerten
wow!
Thanks!!
What is the little plant stem that you rub on the instrument and why . Thank you .
Hi Kendy, it horsetail plant, and when dried, it acts as a kind of abrasive. Baroque sandpaper so to say (-:
Best regards, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Thankyou so much for replying . I have just started making stringed instruments and I have studied your videos at length . They have been very helpful
@@kendyboston4225 Good luck with your building project! Please notice that some of the methods shown in my videos are not the "normal" way to make violins nowadays. Rather, it is an exploration of certain methods that were used in the past. That said, it can always help to take notice of things left and right of the main road.
Enjoy making and thank you for your interest in my channel!
Why is the bows overtensioned on all of the the bows they play with? Am i missing something?
They use "Baroque bows", which have a different shape than modern bows. maybe that's what you see?
Beautiful❤
Hello I am from India
An artist, a painter and a violinist
I like to see videos of violin making and first time I saw you are making it in a different style. Above all a very good result came with beautiful sound. If I want a violin of your making then how to get it
Dear Ranjeet. Thank you for your reply, it's good to hear from you! I'm happy to learn that you enjoyed the videos! In case you are interested in my violins, please send me an email through the email address given in the 'About' section of my RUclips channel. Best regards, Geerten
Why are you using a veneer fingerboard??
Why not (-:
These instruments are copies of 18th-century instruments. In that period, it was common for fingerboards to use ebony (or pear) veneer over a softwood core.
Where did you go to school? Or, who did you apprentice with?
I went to school in Belgium, first at CMB Puurs and later at the Conservatory in Ghent, where there is a program for historical instrument making.
My sugar maple tonewood does not carve that easily. It was cut 100 years ago and aged indoors.
North American sugar maple is much harder than the European maple I use. Furthermore, the age and storage conditions may have hardened your wood even more. Just sharpen your tools and you'll be able to work it!
what part of this is the "lost" practices?
Please read my PhD thesis:
geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf
very nice work, although, I can't help but be a bit disappointed that it is a not a modern violin because I'm quite fond of our 19th and 20th century repertoire so it's not really the kind of instrument I would be interested in.
But I'm sure that whoever is playing this beautiful instrument now is very happy with it.
Yes, one has to make choices in life (-: Tip: there a plenty of videos on YT showing how to make a "modern" violin!
Good luck, Geerten
That’s a baroque bow. It looked like it was set up normally though.
Hi KillerSugar, Yes, that's a Baroque bow. The setup is quite close to what is normally called "Baroque" (gut strings, wedged fingerboard, short and low bass bar, Baroque style tailpiece with gut loop). These elements were copied directly from the original example instrument (1750, Boussu). The neck and fingerboard are not as fat as on early Baroque violins, actually quite close to modern shape. The bridge is also transitional, since 1750 is at the end of the Baroque going into the Classical period. Newer style bridges came into use then. But please note that the so-called Baroque period itself was 150 years long, and spread through the whole of Europe. This means that within this period, we see a lot of local and chronological variety.
Hope this helps, Geerten
I am wondering why you applied the finish on the body of the violin prior to finishing the neck?
Hi Gary, thanks for your interesting question. The reason for varnishing body and neck separately, is that (also in the original instrument on which I based my copy) the entire neck including the fingerboard sides are completely varnished as well. In order to achieve this, and at the same time have varnish on the top plate underneath the fingerboard, varnishing had to be performed in two steps. Hope this helps!
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Sorry what I meant by finishing the neck was the actual carving and scraping of the neck. It looked like you were doing that after applying the varnish on the body.
@@gary24752 Hi Gary, allright, now I understand. I shape the neck after varnishing the body, since after varnishing the body, the first thing I do is attaching the fingerboard. Attaching the fingerboard is (for me) easier when the neck is not yet shaped to its final dimensions. This way, I can make sure that there is a seamless transition between the neck and the fingerboard. After all shaping of the neck has been done, it can be varnished, together with the fingerboard sides.
You did not clean or prep the back of the ebony after your heat treatment?
My bad. Your are doing as you were taught! Long standing traditions that have worked for hundreds of years!
Dear Frank, thank you for your comments. I heated the ebony with an alcohol burner. That should give little to none deposit, so therefore, I did not clean the ebony. The veneer was glued with hot bone glue, and has held without problem. The gluing surface is very large, that helps too!
Thanks for the info!
Q: weren't baroque instruments designed to tune for an A = 432 Hz instead of A = 440Hz?
Hi White Dragon, Thanks for your comment. During the Baroque era, many different pitches were used, from around A = 400 Hz or even lower to higher than 440 Hz. It depended on the time and place. In our project, we used A = 415 Hz, based on the pitch of a surviving Brussels oboe from the second half of the 18th century. Hope this answers your question!
Best regards, Geerten
Tooop
Thank yooou (-:
This reminds me of the surviving Mozart's violin.
Happy Easter, Thodeus!
Why is Benoit Joseph Boussu (1703-1773) interesting to study? What is this master known for?
He is "known" for his unusual life (was both violin maker and notary). For me personally, it was interesting that two instruments, a violin (1750) and a cello (1757) are preserved in a state that is basically the same as the state they were in when they were made. You don't often find bowed string instruments from that age preserved so well.
What varnish did you use and how do you prepare? How do you incorporate color into the varnish? Do you use dragon's blood as a color ingredient and whether you use it in oil or alcohol varnish
Dear Soheil, thank you for your reply. I used alcohol varnish, just as on the original instruments (this was determined by UV inspection). The shellac used was the least purified version, the sticklac. This contains a lot of natural yellow/brown colorants. Some dragon's blood was added to give a bit of warmth. Also, to temper the hardness of the shellac, a bit of sandarac and elemi were added. Preparation is, as you will know, easy: just weigh all ingredients, and dissolve in 96% alcohol, followed by filtering the solution. About 20 layers were applied, with polishing by pumice (as shown in the video) in between each 4 to 5 layers. Thanks!
Thank you. Have you ever used pterocarpus indicus wood powder as colorant or pterocarpus santalinus and what results did you get? The former is called red narra in the Philippines it's burl is called amboyna burl
Dear Soheil, I know of the sandalwood (the second you mention), but have never used it yet. The other, I don't know. Thanks for the tip, will go more deeply into this. Have you used one of the these?
Hi Boussu, I haven't used them but I read about them in a book called violin making as it was, and is by Ed Heron Allen. I have used saffron on a piece of pine and it gives a beautiful lustrous yellow. But saffron is expensive and on maple if I remember correctly makes it splotchy but plain maple I haven't tried on flame maple. I am going to try asphalt. I used once on a piece of plain maple don't remember well but on a piece of ash it looks really nice
It's great to experiment, isn't it. Keep on doing it, good luck!
What are you using to clean the scroll? Could it be a piece of pumice stone.
Hello Bluehoo0, thanks for your message. I used a thick piece of felt, shaped to the inner curve of the scroll, to lightly level the varnish. In combination with the felt, water and pumice powder were employed, so the felt peice was dipped in the water/pumice. Hope this helps, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Thank you, I made your recipe varnish easy to make and I love the colour. I also bought some dragons blood, and that produced a beautiful red. Do you have any more violin projects planned for the future?
@@bluehoo0 You're welcome! Good to hear that you liked the varnish. Was it easy to apply?
As a followup to the trio sonata project, I now expanded the ensemble with a viola in the same style. Some first videos are now on the channel. Hope to be able to make some more recordings, and who knows, another album...
@@Boussu_Inside_Out I found the varnish reasonably easy to apply, my first time using spirit. I had slightly overlapping brush marks and a few runs. But I used a polishing compound to level everything ( I applied several coats to allow for this) which resulted in a mirror finish. I now need to leave the varnish to harden, as when I was polishing I found I was leaving a few finger prints which I had to polish out. I was polishing it two days after applying the varnish. Next time I will leave it a week or more before the finishing process. Do you apply anything on top of the varnish? I have some True Oil it’s used for polishing gun stocks. I am considering applying a coat I was thinking it might protect the varnish. I will test it on a separate piece of wood to make sure there’s no reaction with the varnish. Are you a professionally trained luthier? I’m an apprentice trained carpenter and have turned my hand to violin making as a retirement hobby. I give the instruments to family members and friends who play.
@@bluehoo0 That sounds good! Yes, indeed, it would be best to let the varnish harden some time before starting the final polishing and the setup. Normally, I don't have any problem with fingerprints, the varnish itself dries well (given the recipe used). Sometimes, I apply a few thin layers of french polish (which is also shellac) over the brushed layers (as you can see in the 5th cello video on the channel). I'm not sure if oil over shellac will work...
Yes, I received training in violin making school for several years. But you can learn a lot by trying things out yourself, with the help of some books, especially when you have a woodworking background. I would recommend getting the book "The art of violin making" by Johnson and Courtnall. And looking at nice violins by others wil also help a lot to learn about the details and craftmanship. Great that you make instruments for people close to you! Best regards, Geerten
Beautiful, meticulous work!!! (I am a maker and violinist). But a question: why finish the body before carving the neck? Aren't you worried about damaging the varnish while you finish the neck?
Hello John, thank you for your kind reply! In the original instrument (that was copied), the entire neck (also the holding area) and the sides of the fingerboard were covered with varnish, and the transition between neck and fingerboard was seamless. To achieve a similar finishing, I imagined that it would be best to first vanish the entire sound box, then attach the fingerboard, finish the neck shape and finally apply the varnish to the entire neck and fingerboard sides. I saw it as a challenge to do it this way, to see if it could be easily achieved. Alternatively, I could have attached the fingerboard to the neck before any varnishing, finish the neck shape and then apply the varnish to the entire instrument. But in that case, no varnish could be applied to the top plate underneath the fingerboard.
I had no problems with damage to the sound box varnish while finishing the woodwork of the neck... just had to be careful (as usual)! That said, I made sure that the woodwork on the sides of the neck root close to the ribs was already finished smooth before varnishing the sound box, so that I did not have to work on that area while shaping the neck. That helped!
BTW, for the violin copies I applied masking tape to the ribs when varnishing the neck, but omitted that for the cello. It worked well without the tape.
What kind of instruments do you make... Baroque violins?
Best regards, Geerten
Hi is the brush natural hair?.........animal hair?
Hello Giancarlo, thanks for your comment! Yes, the brush is ox hair. It's a painter's brush which I bought from an artist supply store. I also tried synthetic, but that didn't work for me with alcohol varnish. Hope this helps! Are you maker yourself? Best regards, Geerten
Que hermoso violín quiero saber cuánto ese violín por favor respuesta
Dear Miguel, thank you for your reply and interest in my instruments.
Please send me an email, directed to:
boussu.inside.out@gmail.com
Please include your full name and further contact info.
Best regards,
Geerten Verberkmoes
While I do understand ebony is not always black, I’d like to know why it looks like real ebony is being glued to something else.
I thought fingerboards were one piece of ebony. Obviously I have no clue what I’m talking about, but I’m curious all the same.
Nice video! Good luck if your thesis isn’t already over!
Hi Misoman, thank you for your kind reply! Nowadays, violin fingerboards are almost always made of solid ebony. In the 18th century, fingerboards were often made by veneering ebony onto a core of a lighter wood (spruce, maple, etc.). This was done to make the fingerboard less heavy, and to save expensive ebony... Hope this explanation helps!
Boussu_Inside_Out thank you, that cleared it up a lot. Thank you!
@@misoman You're welcome!
This is a baroque violin, in baroque times ebony was very expensive, so they glued strips of ebony to spruce. As shipping got more efficient ebony became cheaper so big blocks og ebony were used instead as it was less work.
@@floriantennapel6908 There is no reason to copy cheap and poor techniques. Ebony is not expensive now. Someday some poor slob will be forced to pay for having his fingerboard replaced. Early violins were made of anything a maker could find. Is that any reason to do the same today?
какой лак вы используете
Hello Alexander! Thank you for your comment. For these instruments, I used an alcohol varnish containing raw shellac (sticklac), sandarac and mastic or elemi.
@@Boussu_Inside_Out спасибо успехов в творчестве инструменты интересные а вы сами откуда
I really don't see where the "lost practices" are.
Hi, thanks for your comment. Please watch the whole series of violin making videos on this channel, and then read my PhD thesis on this topic:
geertenverberkmoes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PhDthesis_GeertenVerberkmoes_A4_drukversie_15-10-2021.pdf
Then compare the methods I explored to present-day mainstream violin making.
After you've done this, please comment back on this channel.
Are your violins offered for sale ?
Hello AH H, thank you for your comment. The instruments shown in the videos are currently in use for our musical project. If you would like to purchase a violin made by me, please contact me on the email address in the "About" section. Thank you, best regards, Geerten
Hair net , keep the dandruff out of the varnish
Haha! Thanks for your comment!
Why use a soft wood for the fingerboard? Won't it wear down quickly?
Hello Maximino, thank you for your reply. I copied the fingerboard from the one on the original instrument. Indeed, it has a spruce core, but is covered with ebony veneer (c1.5 mm thick). So, this veneer protects against wear. In addition, fruit wood was used for the core (in that case, no side veneers needed). This type of construction was common practice in the eighteenth century, since ebony too expensive to make solid ebony fingerboard. Also, this composite construction has much less weight (about half of a soild ebony fingerboard), which is also an advantage. Hope this helps! Best regards, Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out
Ok, didn't know you were making a copy of an older instrument.
Thanks for the reply! Love watching you make instruments.
Yes, I copied a violin and cello from 1750 and 1757 respectively. If you have a few minutes time, please look at the introduction video of this channel, which explains it all (-:
ruclips.net/video/j3EbbbXzVD8/видео.html
Have a nice day,
Geerten
@@Boussu_Inside_Out I have never seen a fingerboard made that way. I love that it is lighter weight, and I would think the sound is better.
I would not want that instrument. The finger board is not solid ebony and subject to drift due to moisture plus the nut is not ebony. Why use substandard materials?
Dear White Dragon, thank you for your expertly reply. You must be a violin maker yourself!
I made these instruments as copies of (non-modified) mid-eighteenth-century originals. In that time, fingerboards were made this way, and musicians could perfectly play on such violins (as is the case for present-day specialized Baroque musicians). In order to experience these making techniques, I copied the instruments, including all features.
Thanks a lot and good luck with building your own instruments!
@@Boussu_Inside_Out Ah... did no know you were making a baroque copy. My apologies. Imagine if those makers had advanced material knowledge? But you made it beautiful none he less. An artist.
@@WhiteDragon689 These old makers had advanced material knowledge! That's why they used a laminated fingerboard, which has half the weight of a solid ebony one.
I can make a violin but why bother?? I repair and recarve old Mittenwald violins and make them better. I can buy a violin with excellent wood for much less than the wood alone would cost me. I can get a Mittenwald violin for less one hundred dollars and turn it into a easy $1,000 violin.
Well done!
The bridge is pretty but it isn't made correctly. The kidneys need to be much larger so that the bridge can vibrate more, making a better sound come from the violin.
its a baroque violin
@@ironmonkey1512 Thank you for this comment! I am happy that you gave the explanation to Richard Pope, so I don't have to do it myself (-:
Happy Easter & kind regards, Geerten
this turns out to be a total waste of time watching this if you can't say 2 words about what you're doing or using
Dear Bob, thank you for your comment! You can read some words (more than 2!) in this introduction video:
ruclips.net/video/j3EbbbXzVD8/видео.html
Hope this helps, otherwise, ask any question you might have.
Have a nice day, kind regards,
Geerten