Exploring lost cello making practices 3: the rib structure

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. Videos of the cello making process are presented as well on this channel.
In the final stage of the study, the three replicas are played by the newly formed 'Ensemble Boussu' (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.
Verberkmoes' 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!

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Thanks for your kind comment, Edward, glad to hear you enjoyed the video!

[@mrsmd4616]

Amazing video. Watching this during break in my factory job. Oh how my life has been wasted... Thus I will now focus my efforts on the Violin build I've always wanted but never started. Before it's too late lol

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Thanks for your nice reply. It's never too late to make your first violin. I would recommend to use the "inside mould" method for your first instrument. See the book "The Art of Violin Making" by Courtnall & Johnson. Good luck!!

[@mrsmd4616]

@@Boussu_Inside_Out Thanks, yes I have a copy.

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

@@mrsmd4616Good luck & enjoy the making!

[@PaulLefebvre936]

I'm impressed, and I understand why nobody uses this method anymore ;)

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Thanks for your reply! I tried out this method in order to create the most authentic replicas for the performance of 18th century Brussels chamber music. In that respect, the way of working shown in the videos has its purpose. And, I have learned a lot about these old practices. Yes, to make modern violins, the current conventional methods are more suitable. But there are already enough present-day luthiers doing this (-:

[@PaulLefebvre936]

@@Boussu_Inside_Out I guess I had to be a great experience! Actually when I was at luthier school, a friend of mine copied the Double-Bass of Brussel's MIM. Your work was a good help for her! Maybe you heard about?

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Yes, that project regarding the Boussu bass is familiar. I advised your friend on how to approach the construction, and handed her my 2013 article in which these methods were proposed. Glad to hear that it helped her! By the way, I already built two previous violins after Boussu, exploring these ways of working, in 2009 (-;

[@edwardgorner8789]

Awesome!

[@happycampersminnesota7526]

so, you cut and hollowed the back then attached the side blocks?

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Indeed! This way, the corner blocks served as guides for placement of the pre-bent rib parts.

[@user-fm6cs9or8k]

браво- не нахожу слов юкак здорово вы с какого города

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Thanks for watching and for your kind comment! I'm based in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

Are you a violin maker?

[@user-fm6cs9or8k]

@@Boussu_Inside_Out нет скрипичный мастер более 100 скрипок сделал -ваш очень интересный подход к творчеству необычный

[@user-fm6cs9or8k]

@@Boussu_Inside_Out я с беларуси г копыль

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

@@user-fm6cs9or8k Impressive to hear you made so many violins! I wish you many more instruments to make. The way of working I show in the videos is part of an experimental research, to explore this particular way of working. I also make violins in other ways, for example with the neck nailed to body (as was done in Cremona and by Stainer), and also the modern way with "dovetail" joint.

[@18roselover]

Are you using spruce for the blocks ? willow. or linden wood tnx

[@Boussu_Inside_Out]

I used spruce, just like in the original instrument (see also the CT scan image in the violin rib structure video, at 1 minute 21 seconds). Thanks!
See:
ruclips.net/video/i4N5E8F5W64/видео.html