The stringed instrument repair world varies greatly. Many repairs are done by poorly trained techs and not people like Olaf who is classically trained and does repairs the correct way. Thanks, Olaf!
How many trained luthiers are there? Olaf trains his kid and no one else. Thats so he can keep competition down to nothig and charge small fortunes for his work.
@@adamhurst9491 that is so ignorant. There are lutherie schools where anyone can learn to make instruments. Three years. Five instruments. $32000 a year tuition. And then you spend years learning repair which is a whole different skill set. And when you set up shop you pay rent and fees and taxes. Snd in yhe US you pay your own health insurance.
When I first saw that restoration video with quite a few questionable procedures (I'm just a violin-learner who has visited video workshops for a few times to take care of my violins), I immediately thought how Olaf may respond to it... Thank you!
NoOooo Olaf beat me to this reaction idea! 😱 Oh well, he did an excellent job of it! Great video, Olaf! 👍👍❤ That Titebond glue he used is a type of hide glue, sure. The big problem with it is that unlike the normal hot hide glue that luthiers use, the Titebond reacts very easily with moisture, and can become soft. Some folks swear by it, but really, there's no substitute for real hide glue that you cook yourself!
Tite bond hide glue is not well looked upon in the Piano rebuilding industry. Although the 2 have very different concerns. Hot hide glue has actually been replaced a lot of this industry simply because there are glues that are a lot stronger and less reactive to moisture that have been adopted, but hide glue is still the preferred glue for parts that will need replacing such as hammers, felt and other common replacement parts. Lot more brute force in the piano industry given the size of many parts and the forces involved.
Dear Olaf, I work with microcontrollers and stuff like that but your dedication and detailed attention inspire me during handworking tasks. Those tasks are different but the attitude is common to both.
I saw the video that you're reacting to several months ago and was cringing the whole time. I'm a musician and have played cello, bass, guitar, and violin for 50 years. So nice to see your reaction to this!
In the beginning when he showed the tools I giggled so much lol. And at the part when he started to scratch (?) the violin, I can feel the pain, let alone Olaf! I love reaction videos like this! Thanks for sharing the pain (?), I mean the knowledge of violin repair. Please do more when you got time!
@@piteusx8440 Haha! Yes, very wounded indeed! I actually believed that the original "Stradivarius" restoration video was absolutely legit. It was only when i saw poor Olaf so baffled and dismayed by the "restoration" that i truly understood just what was really going on. Thank you, Olaf.
Or, people who bought the violin themselves and want to have go because they own it. I repaired a cello for a friend. I know absolutely nothing about repairing these instruments other than what I gleaned from RUclips and in no way skilled with woodwork either. I took the top cover off, repaired multiple cracks, part of the edge of the top cover split-off and had to be glued back on, and I used PVA glue to glue it back together. In short most people would consider that to be complete abuse but it belonged to his young son who will never be able to tell the difference and my friend did not want to pay anyone to have it repaired. And given it was a cello that was only about $1,000 new and had been badly cracked in a number of places there is no way anyone's ever going to repair it again. How does it sound now? I really don't know as has not been reported back to me. Ultimately these are just objects and many of them aren't really worth a lot of money so if someone repairs them like a hack who cares? And let us not forget something also quite important. As it is now clear that experts can't tell a Stradivarius from another high quality violin, I would imagine most people could not tell a poorly repaired violin or cello etc from a professionally one. But they will swear blind can, of course
That must have been painful for you to watch. Sadly it is one of quite a few videos along similar lines. What is worse, a lot of people, even if they recognise that the ‘restorer’ is not a luthier, still believe that the procedures and advice are correct, and genuine. Enough to make you cry. PS Looks like a garage or basement ‘home workshop’. His t-shirt gives away his guitar repair background, but he’s just a happy hack, not a professional or an accomplished amateur, so many give-aways. PPS Just seen the guitars hanging up, but as I said, his way of working, doesn’t impress. I wouldn’t let him fix an instrument of mine. The worst kind of channel, and will attract huge subscriber numbers. People who have a short attention span. “Hey look, someone’s going to restore a priceless violin. It’s only a 15 minute vid”. “Gee, I gotta watch that”. Oh god! He sells violins? Don’t support his shop. PPPS That’s the other thing, these aren’t videos titled, “I fit new tuning pegs to a violin”. No, it’s always “Bringing a 200 year old violin back to life”. “Restoring violin found in trash can”. “You won’t believe what was under the dirt”. Sensationalism, pure and simple. Cynicism or self delusion on the part of the vlogger? You decide. Apologies for rambling. RUclips has its faults, and it’s full of rubbish, so maybe that’s why I get so emotive. I want to see the good channels get recognition, and the fakes and frauds exposed.
Precisely. You get this in guitar repair land too. Some hack chops up a guitar and receives thousands of (probably monetized) views and hundreds of positive comments from people who don't know how the job is done properly. So it goes.
The reason they get the views is they play the algorithm's game... clickbait titles & thumbnail images, 20 mins duration to maximise the number of ads played while capturing the widest viewer pool (because people either don't have time or a long enough attention span). Unfortunately RUclips is more interested in promoting videos that garner the most views (and therefore generate ad revenue) than genuine content from genuine creators... they won't even monitor or take down channels shilling demonstrable scams & fake info. The best thing to do is leave comments explaining your concerns about the video (like many people have done on the original "restoration" video) & hope that other viewers get to read it before the channel deletes them!
@@medea27 5 months on, I sit on my hands whenever I feel the need to witter on, or I should say, I type with gusto, then delete it. What I would say is, leaving a comment on said type of videos is not advised. It seems watching for only 30 seconds is logged as a view, and bingo, they've made their money. I just stick to my subscriptions now. There is more than enough in the real world to wind me up, sadly not all avoidable. Hey ho.
The thing is, whenever I see the, "OMG, I restored a thing!" type video, I calmly select the "Don't Recommend Channel" option and continue to live a happy life!
I'm so glad you reviewed this! After watching your videos for a while, when this came up in my feed I was suspicious because even though I'm not a luthier, it seemed to not fit the standards you've always talked about in your videos. It's great to see that my intuition was spot on and I have learned things from your videos after all!
I saw this "restoration" video before I saw any of Olafs videos, but I knew he did it wrong. I've watched videos on how they make violins and why they use certain things. Everything makes a difference in the sound of the violin. It's too bad he did such a terrible "reparation" job on such an old and beautiful violin. I'm sure Olaf would've done a much better job. It's also unfortunate for whoever buys this violin, someone who might not know how it was "repaired."
Ernie Ball shirt, defiantly guitar guy. The Titebond was hide glue, not PVA (wrong but not horrible). From what I found, its the closest to real hide glue that doesn't require heating. I never used it (it expires quickly), but looked into it for convince. Its for people that want to use hide glue, but don't want to mix/heat it. Olaf is right, just use hot hide glue. Its not hard and has way more advantages over anything else.
@@forkless Yea, most guitar makers slather the glue for the nut on, at least he didn't. I have no idea why he used titebond for fingerboard and CA for nut, they are same woods. Made no sense, unless he was in real hurry.😅
Okay, i just viewed the restoration video post and i heard the narrator say that the instrument was a Stradivarius (not a copy - he neglected to mention that little bit of info). Then i watched how the luthier haplessly bonked and banged the instrument about with rather wreckless abandon; so when i saw this reaction video, well, first of all - when the "restoration" was completed the narrator said, "Now as we leave you you'll hear the final sound of the restored Stradivarius Violin." And it sounded like tin. When i saw this review of the restoration i kind of knew what was in store. I'm a guitarist from the Pacific Northwest and that restoration video is how i handle my own instruments, haha. I already love the guy doing the review; "No! Nah! Oh ... Oh!@#$% Phffft! Agh!!!" I love this. Great job. I'm enjoying this greatly. Thank you very much.
@Olaf, if you have any of those cheap violins behind. Or broken and unable to be repaired. Why not buy a bunch of modern glues and hang them somewhere to experience weathers. See how they fare? Don't have anything against hide glue, but I think a long-term test under your eyes would be more valuable than mere saying the words. Then again, maybe you've already experienced cracking open other violins with these glues?
(1) Olaf is talking about glue longevity in terms of 100+ years. I doubt he will live long enough, for that experiment. (2) Hanging the instruments, on the wall, in a controlled environment, is no experiment, at all. (3) I am beginning to see the benefits of hot hide glue, for violins. Violins are very delicate instruments and using a glue which requires heat and moisture, to break the bond, could be injurious, to the instrument you are trying to repair. For guitars, mandolins, zithers, dulcimers and such, it's fine, but not violins, with any value.
There was more wrong with the producer of the video than with the work done. I've seen scores of old Bohemian fiddles like that one. For a general instrument repair shop (glue aside) they delivered a decent, playable workaday violin. That hoke about the instrument being 'ancient' and in need of total restoration, is of course absurd. One of the arguments in the comment field was about whether the top should have been removed in order to complete any necessary work inside. This is a matter for the luthier to decide. If there is no damage as viewed from the endpin hole or the f holes, it's perfectly OK to flow in some hide glue and clamp up the top plate. Even Cremona-trained masters do this.
It said Hide Glue on the container. The company states; "Its sensitivity to moisture allows for easy disassembly of parts, a critical benefit in antique restoration or the repair of musical instruments." Seems like it should be okay to use, but are there any disadvantages to the ready to use stuff like this?
Unless it's epoxy, pretty much most glues are reversible. That wasn't standard "Titebond" which is aliphatic resin glue....it was "Titebond Hide Glue" It dries a bit more crystaline than standard Titebond and is even easier to heat and remove than standard Titebond which also responds to heat. Hide glue is the best, to be sure...but it has its drawbacks in that it's weaker and more susceptible to humidity. Point being that he didn't irreversible damage the violin using that glue.
I've done quite well for myself making guitar's and occasionally mandolins. But I would seek help for a violin. Although I recently met a retired fiddle maker so soon I'll be making my first. Thanks for posting.
I studied violin making / repair with my friend Bob Portukalian at Providence Violin in Providence, RI many years ago. I agree completely with your comments. Some of what this guy did made me cringe, especially his not using proper hide glue., but also the ham fisted way he went about some of his other work. One of the things I had to purchase to do this work was my set of proper tools, and even back then they were not cheap. Seeing the tools he intended to use at the beginning would have been amusing were he not serious. As it was, it was just shocking.
What always sounds funny to me is the term of "hide glue" English speaking people use to speak about the hot glue used for violins. In fact there are no hides involved but bones and nerves. (hide glue only is too soft, the mixture of bone glue & nerve glue makes the best compromise between the hard (brittle) and soft (that could damp the vibrations)). You do not mention the other option often used by old German violin makers : fish glue. This is easier to use because you do not need heat and the time to set is longer... which is also a disadvantage in some cases. Thank you for your interesting and instructive comments particularly on this video. In general thank you for the topics you choose, the way you skilfully cover them (and also the pinch of humour you use to season them). I am a big fan : two thumbs up ! Sorry for my perfectible English (some may have guessed that I am French), this is a matter I try to improve day by day. I do think that there are many old violins that deserve some work to get back to life again. Unfortunately, the labour costs of a professional luthier is generally far higher than the commercial value of most of these violins and this is the reason why some are thrown away and lots of them are just not taken care of. I try to contribute (and I am certain to be one amongst many) to resurect (for free) some outcasts and try to do this better and better... Best regards, Thierry-Antoine
When I got my violin restored the luthier assured me that he only used hide glue, the proper traditional tools for the repair, and hand-blended varnishes to match the color of my violin. In other words, he was a stickler for doing the job properly.
Olaf: "There's nothing too wrong with the way they fitted the pegs . . . I think my son can do better, though." That was the greatest roast I've heard in a long time, OMW-- ~ Ana
I thought you were incredibly gentle to this guy. The whole style of the original video is laughably pretentious, with gentle music and super-serious voice over. This is in unfortunate contrast to the performance of the repair guy. I went and looked at some of the comments on the original, and there are plenty of people who think this is excellent work. It is not. As for being kind to content creators - I wouldn't be too hung up on that. Content creators are putting their work out there, and often making money from it. I'm an amateur guitar maker and repairer and I could do a better job than this guy. I wouldn't, because it still wouldn't be good enough, and I know my limitations. The finessing of the bridge is a classic instance of this. It's what happens when a generalist tries to do specialist work. There is a similar vid out there about a furniture restorer 'restoring' an old guitar. Quite horrific, but with loads of positive comments. What he's doing is a real Frankenstein job, and this isn't much better. It's an inexpert repair, not a restoration. He has no idea about cleaning or finishing an acoustic instrument. Well that's enough of a rant for now. One ray of hope is that the Titebond is a cold hide glue, and actually has been tested and found to make a less strong bond than hot hide glue. It's a shortcut, but it will come apart easily enough if it needs to (or maybe even if it doesn't). Great video from you with lovely touches of humour as well as excellent info, but honestly, you were too, too kind.
Yes, I saw a video of an Indonesian guitar shop, in which the "repair" person used a house painter's paint scraper, to remove the finger board. OY.....VEY !!!! 😨😰😱
The joys of the internet... Anyone... And I mean anyone can be the 'expert' Our BS detectors have to be finely tuned. I didn't express all my thoughts in the video... Trying to keep things kind... And PG 🤣
The modern glues are not removable. Titebond is polyvinyl acetate. It has absolutely no relationship to hide glue. I did an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker restoring 17th and 18th century English and American Furniture and we used nothing but hide glue. You can use fish glue which is quite similar, but tight Bond does not break. The wood around it will break before the joint made with tight Bond will break. So that is a real problem with anything done with tight bond. Modern guitar makers use it a lot because they don't want to ever come apart. But I understand that violins are quite different from guitars. The problem is guitar makers are not violin makers and the two don't come together. It's a completely different ideology in terms of repair
I've seen worse bridges. Some shop charged money for a local student and cut their bridge in line with the fingerboard leaving zero height and leaving the student to find another shop and another bridge.
I watched the restoration video before, and all I could think was "I wonder what Olaf would have to say about that", cause even though I don't know much abou restoring violins, it seemed kinda sacrilegious to me
He probably works at a local music shop that has a contract with a school district to do repairs. Quick, cheap and barely playable. The repairs I've seen are absolutely horrible.
I did happen to see that video. I agree with you 100%. I will even be more blunt than you are, the guy is a butcher. I'm a retired machinist,welder and machine repairman. I'm very skilled at using the proper tools, the proper way. There is also, regardless of what you are repairing or rebuilding, a step-by-step process. I found that the restorer was doing things in reverse. I would have cleaned everything first. This way you're finishing your restoration on a solid base that has already been repaired and cleaned. In my opinion to do the heavy cleaning after you have restored it is a dangerous procedure. I also watched the way his hands were using simple files and reamers. He was too aggressive with the reamers and somebody should tell him that files are not used with a back and forth action. As I stated the guy is a butcher not a craftsman.
a machinist would clean the parts but here he should be careful with surfaces he has to glue later. and since he's using turpentine... You're right it's a true hack job compared to people who went to one of the big violin making schools like chicago or salt lake city, who are the only people who'd touch an instrument of mine. olaf is being very ...diplomatic might be the best word
Funny, I thought of Uncle Rog as soon as he started! It won't be his genre but the odd one like this is great. So this violin 'restorer' is the Jamie Olive Oil equivalent!
I only made it to the point where he was using the scraper in that his video. I cringed like you did. I'm not a luthier but even I know you shouldn't do that. I also noticed that when he pulled his new chisel out of the box he didn't bother to hone the edge; I guess that's why he was using it as a scraper. 😄
Loved this reaction vid, Olaf. So when we purchase a violin we are totally at the mercy of all the luthiers through which hands it's passed and the glue they used. Oh my!
This is why Olaf, strongly, recommends buying through a reputable shop, such as his own. A place where they will not sell you such an instrument, or at least they will tell you about it.
Thats by design. Does Olaf ever hold actual courses on violin making? Of course not that would mean competition. Instead he is critical of others to further decrease competition
@@adamhurst9491 'critical of others'??? I think we can safely say this guy has little knowledge about restoration work... As Olaf says, look round his workshop. Is he a WOODworker? Maybe he went on YT to find which chisel to buy! Not a 'master craftsman' in my book.... And were a valuable instrument to fall into such hands.... 😧
Love your videos! I played violin for a few years in the mid 50's when I was about 12. Started with a "practice" instrument when an uncle who was 2nd chair with the Hollywood Bowl sent me a violin that he had made in Nancy France when he was there in WW1. It was like getting out of an old rattletrap and into a Jaguar! It went back to him a few years later...but I still miss it and long for the feel of it - it was a work of art and a delight to play. Ah the memories!
Would you not like to take up the violin again, Mike? I'm not quite as old as you are, but (thanks to TwoSet) I'm 10 months 'in' learning this super challenging instrument. My tutor told me today that my 4th finger is very good... Didn't mention the other 3 though! Lol. But I'm loving it; the sound and beauty of this instrument never ceases to amaze and inspire me...
Cassandra, I actually have an old instrument that hasn't seen the light of day for decades! Maybe I will unearth it and see if I can find reliable luthier!
@@publicclammer Yes, do, Mike. These old violins need to be played... Feel so sorry for all those Strads locked away as 'investments'. Mine may be a rental but it's a lovely instrument. I love my BAE and already we're beginning to make beautiful music together. Can't wait to practice every day now! I can only improve as the months go by...
I know which channel you are talking about, because I watched one of their videos (not this one) for 5 min and became very sceptical. Apparently, the creator of the videos doesn't understand what he is talking about.
Unfortunately he only needs to act like he knows what he's talking about and the people who don't know any better will fall for it. No animosity meant for the people who just don't know, but he's a real scumbag for fooling people and making money off it.
I was going to take on a violin repair but i think ill wait and watch all tour videos... get a little you tube certification going into the repair first
Hello Olaf! I watched that violin restoration video a few weeks ago and was reacting to it much in the same way! Though, I was surprised to hear that super glue is really frowned upon for gluing in the nut in violin making. I work on guitars as a hobby, and I've seen it become quite a common practice to use about two drops of some kind of liquid super glue on the fingerboard side (not the neck) to secure the nut. The nut comes off pretty easily when you need it to, you just put a little block of wood up to it and give it a soft strike with a fretting hammer. The glue usually breaks first since it's brittle. I'm curious what a violin maker has to say about this method.
Please check out RSW Chocolate. It's the Rosa String Works channel and he restores a very broken violin called Chocolate. He uses tite bond original for a lot of things and says it's not harder to take apart than hide glue but I'd be interested in seeing your opinion.
It's a actually not difficult to remove titebond original it just takes longer. For cracks repaired with titebond if you leave a damp cloth over the area in a few hours it softens, I still would prefer hide gule. Now in the case of Chocolate I feel that there was nothing to lose at that point, most luthiers would have called it a loss and would have just called it a loss and make a new top for it rather then repair the old one.
zapa1pnt 1 second ago I doubt Jerry Rosa would even Want to work on a $10,000 violin, with the exception of the completely crushed "Chocolate" violin, which no one else would touch. Also, anyone with such an instrument would not be likely, to take it to their local luthier. However, all of that is up to the owner of the instrument. Many owners of old instruments just want them to be playable and cannot afford or want to pay high dollars, to get them fixed. Most of them, floating around, aren't Really worth it, anyway.
@@TXCrafts1: I am beginning to see the benefits of hot hide glue, for violins. Violins are very delicate instruments and using a glue which requires heat and moisture, to break the bond, could be injurious, to the instrument you are trying to repair.
No doubt, I would always prefer hide glue particularly for major repairs but you could get away with pva for something like a chipped corner or something like that.
Some Luthier Channels like Rosa Strings Works say he finds Titebond Easy To work with and do repairs and reopen Instruments..like playing by ear or sheet music.... metronome time or "felt time" .I don't think In terms of a right and wrong way rather a preferred and more preferred way depending on the customer...I Think Luthier Making Instrument should be open To Creative license like different woods shapes etc....
Olaf, I felt your pain! What bridge do you recommend? Also, I had an instrument repaired for cracks and they changed the fingerboard and the nut. It totally changed the sound for the worse. What would you adjust to get the old sound back? Thanks.
Wow... How frustrating. They probably also adjusted the soundpost. So that would be a good starting point... Maybe go to a different place? Get some recommendations from local string players
If you look at the channel’s other videos, you’ll see they cover restoration of a wide variety of objects including an actual pony. If these are all they’re work, it would seem they possess a limited knowledge of restoration, perhaps as hobbyists, but master of none. To be candid I didn’t watch the other restorations with exception of the pony rehab, very entertaining and good to see the pony apparently has a good home.
The thing is, the original restorations, including the pony, (and a cat who sadly is no longer available to watch, but that's besides the point) were made by a guy who did the things himself. Then, after a long hiatus, the channel (formerly called "Andre will do it") was rebranded, its contact info chnged fom that of Andre to that of BeAmazed, an "surprising news" website, and started uploading things clearly not made by Andre himself. At the same time, many of old Andre's videos (like, the one mentioned of a cat's rescue) were first moved to his second channel, then made private. And Andre has not uploaded his own work since. Draw your own conclusions...
I am a master carpenter and have been doing furniture repair and restoration for 30 years. I cringed when I saw him go after the neck with a scraper, and I noticed there was not a plane onsite. Over the years I have had several customers approach me to repair various stringed instruments.... I always refer them to reputable luthiers, with all my experience I know it takes a special craftsman to work on these instruments. Thanks for a great video.
I only know about violin repair work from your videos and even I could see that guy hasnt a clue what hes doing. Kinda makes me wonder do other places do repairs like that.
there's a dude who never fails to remove the original varnish. I don't mind sometimes when it's a guitar, but I roll my eyes when he does it to a violin
The left shoulder of my violin where as you go up with your hand your wrist touches that area and if you're sitting down with your violin on your lap a lot of times you hold it in that area was very dirty. The violin maker cleaned it off and polished up the violin but right in that area there is no varnish the rest of the violin has thin varnish because it's about a hundred year old violin. what would you suggest?
12:34 "they just use hide glue ... its being used for over 500 years by violin makers..." Of course they had no other glues to use! What could we expect from that? If today they would perhaps use Titebond or another similar glue. We call it: Evolution.
Titebond is definitely insoluble in water once dry. That fingerboard is not coming off clean ever again... Afair it polymerizes into a plastic and can basically only be removed with harsh chemicals like acetone and in higher temps(like 80C) in methanol..? and ofc physically by literally just sanding or chiseling the wood and glue. Most of the time i'm not even using it for my woodworking projects because of the fact that it's basically just plastic. I'd rather just build things well instead of hiding mistakes and bad design choices behind a layer of cheap plastic..
I noticed that most of the videos will start with telling you these things are very old, but then they treat them like this. I think the channels name it a load! I just saw them take a supposedly 1000 year old Viking axe head and do all kinds of craziness to it
I am an old fiddle trader. (you wouldn't approve of my methods either) But what this boy done was just a fingerboard and a set of pegs. He didn't even bother to French Polish it!!! While tightbond is great for grandma's rocking chair, it is very poor for an acoustic instrument! Being plastic it acts like a rubber gasket and will not transfer sound. Call it a mute LOL! But hey, he ain't never going to see it again anyway! You buy 'em in pawn shops and flea markets for $100, put them back together, and according to the tone you get $500 to $2000 for them at Bluegrass festivals ;) It is a whole different universe from the one your in! Fiddlers could care less how it looks. If it plays well and has the fiddle sound they are looking for, it's good ;) The two groups never mix! Violinists can't really play. They are human juke boxes that memorize a set of notes. They usually have no idea how to transpose for say the key of A to G if the vocalist moves the song. Playing by ear is above their pay grade. They are totally lost in a band setting. Isaac Stern was the last violinist I heard that could walk out with a country band and play "Orange Blossom Special". He could do both!!! Itzok sure can't LOL! Curley Fox, the second time he played Carnagie Hall, was asked by the Director of the New York Symphony "Mr. Fox, do you read music" to which Curley answered "Not enough to screw up my fiddle playing" ;)
Having been in the Navy I learned early that the only tools needed for anything are, a can of WD-40, a large pair of ViseGrips (the bigger the better), a roll of EB Green (the Navy's version of duct tape) and a deck screwdriver (at least 36"). With those you can lubricate, hammer, pry etc. 😅🤣😂😛
Thanks Olaf. Yes, I cringed too, however those threaded fingerboard clamps can work OK, but obviously the fingerboard still has to be kept perfectly positioned when tightening them up. I looked up that Titebond glue "The Titebond Liquid Hide Glue is the first hide glue to be available in liquid form, it requires no mixing, stirring or heating." but I'm curious to know what keeps it liquid in its cold state & can it be cracked open later? It obviously dissolves with water still & probably fine & convenient for gluing the nut back on. I'll stick with my standard Russian hide glue. :) As I've said before, there's a certain Cremona trained 'luthier' that calls himself Maestro & he uses Titebond Original Wood Glue (red label) with this description (part of), "This glue is so strong, it has a stronger than timber bond, so the timber surrounding the joint is going to break before the joint releases. It is the glue of choice for instrument makers around the world." So he uses it for crack repairs, saying that it is a 'permanent' repair, including centre joins. I told him no repair should be considered 'permanent' & I'm sure a luthier in later years will not thank him if faced with a follow up repair. Thankfully he still uses hide glue for gluing the belly on etc.
Wow... Yes, Many years ago I restored a Gagliano cello with well over 40 cracks. A 'repairer' here in Brisbane glued most of them with PVA glue... It literally took us a couple of years to remove the glue and then reglue and restore each crack correctly.
That guy is wearing an L.R.Baggs Tee shirt, so I bet he is a guitar "Luthier" and probably "self-taught" so he doesn't even know what he is not doing right. I too am a hack guitar Luthier, but I know enough to know not to do what he is doing. I would have taken it to a proper violin maker for restoration. Guitar making skill set is NOT equal to violin making skill set. Ahh, an Ernie Ball Tee Shirt now, DEFINITELY a guitar guy trying to be a violin repair gu, but without the requisite training.
I'm not a luthier, and I saw the 'Ancient Violin Restoration' video before I saw your reaction. My first reaction to the 'Ancient Violin Restoration' was - "What is he doing?" Thank you for your review of that restoration, I thought I was crazy when I thought that the restoration seemed to proceed out of order, and in some parts just wrong. Glad to know that I wasn't the only one to think so (viewing the comments), and along with your expert review, now I know I'm not crazy. (I really didn't like the final product in that restoration video. When he first started I said to myself: No, put it down.)
Hi Olaf, I really like you channel, you are doing amazing job! What would you recommended for cleaning process, I can tell you for sure you not recommended to use turpentine. What is better and what is the best for instrument in general is it anything special for really old instruments. Thank you very much!
Titebond is fine to use. It's reversible and removable. Yes, hyde glue's been tested for centuries...and FAILS. You see failed hyde glue joins all the time. How can you say it holds up? It's terrible.
LOL I have a violin that is about 100-125 yrs old (belonged Tommy Gr. Aunt) that needs to be restored but I am not going to try and do it myself, and I am going to look for a proficient luthier to restore it. 😊
I have restored Antique furniture for a couple of decades..This guy is horrible makes me cringe. These amateur youtube vids really get my lunch. See them all the time "homesteaders" and "Preppers" are the worst.. Ignorance on Fire and teaching people ! I loved this video and you pointing out the BS ( tools ha ha) and cringing and at the horrors. Thank you so much. P.S. I hope in the comment section others that knew better did the same. P.S. just found you tonight ..subbed and hit the alarm button
Yeah i saw that wideo yesterday and my thoughts was like: wtf? Antique violin restoration? He just rubbed the body and changed bridge and pegs which you can buy from aliexpress… very strange
Hi and its really fun ::)))) plainning means plainning how we say don't use sandpaper becase what ever you do the wood with sandpaper shapes trapezoid and wobbley shape. (if you use a different type of sanding machine) maybe you have sucseed but its not legal we say one knife one true cut (this is the way). ::)))
Fascinating, simply because I watched that exact video last week (I’m a metal fabricator) and I was very suspect of the job he had done, it just did not look correct to me and I know nothing about it!
So I acquired a fairly new student instrument on eBay. The varnish ended up looking like someone dragged it across gravel and a luthier told me the neck had been snapped/reglued improperly. I ended up purchasing a violin to play and decided to play with the other one. I’m going to try to redo the varnish but nothing else. I figure it’s already been messed up by someone else, I can’t make it worse lol
Cyanoacrylate were invented by mistake... or lets say not by mistake... but but hazard during second world war when they try to find a solution for clear plastic for gun sights or to other problem they face quite often: during air fights, crashes or other type of accidents, airplane pilots get glass pieces on their eyes from the googles they use as protection. The lentils use to be made by thin normal glass pieces, the tempered glass was not invented yet... so they search or a clear plastic. The commercial application comes around 1960 when the potential of this as a glue surface on the market.
Funny, I just ran across that video and was wondering what the hell was going on. Even a dope like me could tell the host was full of Thanksgiving stuffing. Read some of the comments.
I actually watched that "restoration" video you are reacting to. I watched it a few days ago before I ever saw any of your videos. I saw one of your restoration videos and realized right away that he hadn't restored it correctly, although I had already suspected that when I watched his video. I've seen restoration videos where they restore different musical instruments, but if you know anything about musical instruments, then you know that lots of things can affect the tone of the instrument. Restoring them wrong could ruin them. The guy in this video does restoration videos for a lot of old things, but not usually musical instruments. He has done a lot of restoration videos for things like wood stoves, and that seems to be what his work shop is actually set up for.
The main problem with the video is the narration makes it all sound like he's doing such an expert job when there are so many things that are not expert. Without the narration, it would be just an okay video. "He carefully belt sands the neck..."
It's not a Strad. It's an old German violin and he made it function as a tool for making music. There are thousands of them out there. Everyone has their own opinions on how to repair a violin. I'm sure it sounds and plays fine and unless it's a historically significant piece or collector's item I think people need to calm down and just play music.
It's fun to watch untrained idiots destroying things, at least when they have little value. My other favorite are those cretins who "restore" rusty firearms that they caused to be rusty by their own deliberate actions. Guns that are covered in bright orange (and thus FRESH) rust, and the moron is trying to say it's an "old" rusty gun. Nope. Bright orange rust is fresh. It fades to darker shades of brown as it gets older but it takes months for the process to start and many decades to fade to black rust.
the thing is, not everyone has access to a violin maker that can do that kinda repair for them. like i wanna restore a violin in pieces and will do it on a regular wood workshop because i cant afford/dont want a brand violin right now and the only violin luthier in town is really not reliable. most of the tools a violin maker works with are probably meant to save time or provide precision for details while yes, you can restore a violin with a tooth brush and hair pins but it wont sound and look like a million bucks especially with ittle knowledge. what i find problematic is to make a video of it that encourages other people to do so with no proper disclaimer of this situation. thank you for the honest and very educational video. notable mentions: sniffing turpentine, sanding fingerboard, crazy glue, when auto subtitles said "dementia on this one" instead of dimension, vietnam 100//
My greatest peeve is that this guy refers to himself as "we". There's nobody else but him, "we" is a giveaway of low self-esteem as one avoids referring to himself as "I" as he thinks that he's not enough, hence "we".
On the topic of glue, I do think that it would be possible to develop a better glue and guarantee its longgenvity, but I understand tradition and also why change a working system and spend possibly millions on development, when most ppl will pretend on tradition anyways?
The fish glue he uses will seperate with heat just like a hide glue does, turpentine is absolutely safe and a good cleaner especially for any shellac based polish, meths however would make shellac soluble again
The stringed instrument repair world varies greatly. Many repairs are done by poorly trained techs and not people like Olaf who is classically trained and does repairs the correct way. Thanks, Olaf!
Sounds like phone repair stores
How many trained luthiers are there? Olaf trains his kid and no one else. Thats so he can keep competition down to nothig and charge small fortunes for his work.
@@adamhurst9491 that is so ignorant. There are lutherie schools where anyone can learn to make instruments. Three years. Five instruments. $32000 a year tuition. And then you spend years learning repair which is a whole different skill set. And when you set up shop you pay rent and fees and taxes. Snd in yhe US you pay your own health insurance.
@@edmiller4149 Only 32000 per year huh? At one place. Thanks for proving my point.
@@edmiller4149 This is why so few exist. Then trash people for doing good work. Its all to protect your monopoly.
When I first saw that restoration video with quite a few questionable procedures (I'm just a violin-learner who has visited video workshops for a few times to take care of my violins), I immediately thought how Olaf may respond to it... Thank you!
NoOooo Olaf beat me to this reaction idea! 😱
Oh well, he did an excellent job of it! Great video, Olaf! 👍👍❤
That Titebond glue he used is a type of hide glue, sure. The big problem with it is that unlike the normal hot hide glue that luthiers use, the Titebond reacts very easily with moisture, and can become soft. Some folks swear by it, but really, there's no substitute for real hide glue that you cook yourself!
quick, you can still react to Olaf's reaction before someone takes that too :O
@@diethylmalonate 😁👍👍
Tite bond hide glue is not well looked upon in the Piano rebuilding industry. Although the 2 have very different concerns. Hot hide glue has actually been replaced a lot of this industry simply because there are glues that are a lot stronger and less reactive to moisture that have been adopted, but hide glue is still the preferred glue for parts that will need replacing such as hammers, felt and other common replacement parts. Lot more brute force in the piano industry given the size of many parts and the forces involved.
Dear Olaf, I work with microcontrollers and stuff like that but your dedication and detailed attention inspire me during handworking tasks. Those tasks are different but the attitude is common to both.
I saw the video that you're reacting to several months ago and was cringing the whole time. I'm a musician and have played cello, bass, guitar, and violin for 50 years. So nice to see your reaction to this!
RUclips: You like restoration videos *and* you like musical instrument videos. You’ll really like this video! Me: Oh, dear god, no. Make it stop.
In the beginning when he showed the tools I giggled so much lol. And at the part when he started to scratch (?) the violin, I can feel the pain, let alone Olaf! I love reaction videos like this! Thanks for sharing the pain (?), I mean the knowledge of violin repair. Please do more when you got time!
Olaf is in serious pain. His soul is in pain.
@@piteusx8440 Haha! Yes, very wounded indeed! I actually believed that the original "Stradivarius" restoration video was absolutely legit. It was only when i saw poor Olaf so baffled and dismayed by the "restoration" that i truly understood just what was really going on. Thank you, Olaf.
Olaf I feel your pain😎
He isnt sharing anything. He is dissing a stranger.
Olaf is discussing why you should not do what the person on the video was doing. The techniques tools and material.
The only people who should do violin restorations is an experienced violin maker with years of knowledge and proper tools.
Or, people who bought the violin themselves and want to have go because they own it.
I repaired a cello for a friend. I know absolutely nothing about repairing these instruments other than what I gleaned from RUclips and in no way skilled with woodwork either. I took the top cover off, repaired multiple cracks, part of the edge of the top cover split-off and had to be glued back on, and I used PVA glue to glue it back together. In short most people would consider that to be complete abuse but it belonged to his young son who will never be able to tell the difference and my friend did not want to pay anyone to have it repaired. And given it was a cello that was only about $1,000 new and had been badly cracked in a number of places there is no way anyone's ever going to repair it again.
How does it sound now? I really don't know as has not been reported back to me.
Ultimately these are just objects and many of them aren't really worth a lot of money so if someone repairs them like a hack who cares?
And let us not forget something also quite important. As it is now clear that experts can't tell a Stradivarius from another high quality violin, I would imagine most people could not tell a poorly repaired violin or cello etc from a professionally one. But they will swear blind can, of course
That must have been painful for you to watch. Sadly it is one of quite a few videos along similar lines. What is worse, a lot of people, even if they recognise that the ‘restorer’ is not a luthier, still believe that the procedures and advice are correct, and genuine. Enough to make you cry.
PS Looks like a garage or basement ‘home workshop’. His t-shirt gives away his guitar repair background, but he’s just a happy hack, not a professional or an accomplished amateur, so many give-aways.
PPS Just seen the guitars hanging up, but as I said, his way of working, doesn’t impress. I wouldn’t let him fix an instrument of mine. The worst kind of channel, and will attract huge subscriber numbers. People who have a short attention span. “Hey look, someone’s going to restore a priceless violin. It’s only a 15 minute vid”. “Gee, I gotta watch that”.
Oh god! He sells violins? Don’t support his shop.
PPPS That’s the other thing, these aren’t videos titled, “I fit new tuning pegs to a violin”. No, it’s always “Bringing a 200 year old violin back to life”. “Restoring violin found in trash can”. “You won’t believe what was under the dirt”. Sensationalism, pure and simple. Cynicism or self delusion on the part of the vlogger? You decide. Apologies for rambling. RUclips has its faults, and it’s full of rubbish, so maybe that’s why I get so emotive. I want to see the good channels get recognition, and the fakes and frauds exposed.
I wouldn’t let him breath on my violin. I’m horrified.
Yes, as horrified as you are... "Sacrilegious" TwoSet would mutter. It was heartbreaking to watch...
Precisely. You get this in guitar repair land too. Some hack chops up a guitar and receives thousands of (probably monetized) views and hundreds of positive comments from people who don't know how the job is done properly. So it goes.
The reason they get the views is they play the algorithm's game... clickbait titles & thumbnail images, 20 mins duration to maximise the number of ads played while capturing the widest viewer pool (because people either don't have time or a long enough attention span). Unfortunately RUclips is more interested in promoting videos that garner the most views (and therefore generate ad revenue) than genuine content from genuine creators... they won't even monitor or take down channels shilling demonstrable scams & fake info. The best thing to do is leave comments explaining your concerns about the video (like many people have done on the original "restoration" video) & hope that other viewers get to read it before the channel deletes them!
@@medea27 5 months on, I sit on my hands whenever I feel the need to witter on, or I should say, I type with gusto, then delete it. What I would say is, leaving a comment on said type of videos is not advised. It seems watching for only 30 seconds is logged as a view, and bingo, they've made their money. I just stick to my subscriptions now. There is more than enough in the real world to wind me up, sadly not all avoidable. Hey ho.
Olaf! Hold the line for luthiers! Bravo!
The thing is, whenever I see the, "OMG, I restored a thing!" type video, I calmly select the "Don't Recommend Channel" option and continue to live a happy life!
That’s what I do with anyone that shows painted vintage furniture 🤣
good god, i agree. It hurts my heart and my brain to see people paint over beautiful wood. What are they THINKING? @@Azzne-
I'm so glad you reviewed this! After watching your videos for a while, when this came up in my feed I was suspicious because even though I'm not a luthier, it seemed to not fit the standards you've always talked about in your videos. It's great to see that my intuition was spot on and I have learned things from your videos after all!
I saw this "restoration" video before I saw any of Olafs videos, but I knew he did it wrong. I've watched videos on how they make violins and why they use certain things. Everything makes a difference in the sound of the violin. It's too bad he did such a terrible "reparation" job on such an old and beautiful violin. I'm sure Olaf would've done a much better job. It's also unfortunate for whoever buys this violin, someone who might not know how it was "repaired."
Ernie Ball shirt, defiantly guitar guy.
The Titebond was hide glue, not PVA (wrong but not horrible). From what I found, its the closest to real hide glue that doesn't require heating. I never used it (it expires quickly), but looked into it for convince. Its for people that want to use hide glue, but don't want to mix/heat it.
Olaf is right, just use hot hide glue. Its not hard and has way more advantages over anything else.
The Titebond hide glue was one thing, using CA glue for the nut however made me cringe.
@@forkless Yea, most guitar makers slather the glue for the nut on, at least he didn't. I have no idea why he used titebond for fingerboard and CA for nut, they are same woods. Made no sense, unless he was in real hurry.😅
And make some sous vide with the heater!
Okay, i just viewed the restoration video post and i heard the narrator say that the instrument was a Stradivarius (not a copy - he neglected to mention that little bit of info). Then i watched how the luthier haplessly bonked and banged the instrument about with rather wreckless abandon; so when i saw this reaction video, well, first of all - when the "restoration" was completed the narrator said, "Now as we leave you you'll hear the final sound of the restored Stradivarius Violin." And it sounded like tin. When i saw this review of the restoration i kind of knew what was in store. I'm a guitarist from the Pacific Northwest and that restoration video is how i handle my own instruments, haha. I already love the guy doing the review; "No! Nah! Oh ... Oh!@#$% Phffft! Agh!!!" I love this. Great job. I'm enjoying this greatly. Thank you very much.
I would love to see you do a restoration. I love to see you work 😍 It is always interesting ☺️
ruclips.net/user/AskOlaftheViolinmakersearch?query=restoration
Thankyou. I really enjoyed this and would love to see more.
@Olaf, if you have any of those cheap violins behind. Or broken and unable to be repaired. Why not buy a bunch of modern glues and hang them somewhere to experience weathers. See how they fare?
Don't have anything against hide glue, but I think a long-term test under your eyes would be more valuable than mere saying the words. Then again, maybe you've already experienced cracking open other violins with these glues?
They don't come apart easily that's the point. Likely to get damaged when doing so. I'm NO expert... just watched a lot of Olaf and TwoSet vids.
(1) Olaf is talking about glue longevity in terms of 100+ years. I doubt he will live long enough, for that experiment.
(2) Hanging the instruments, on the wall, in a controlled environment, is no experiment, at all.
(3) I am beginning to see the benefits of hot hide glue, for violins. Violins are very delicate instruments and using a glue which requires heat and moisture, to break the bond, could be injurious, to the instrument you are trying to repair.
For guitars, mandolins, zithers, dulcimers and such, it's fine, but not violins, with any value.
There was more wrong with the producer of the video than with the work done. I've seen scores of old Bohemian fiddles like that one. For a general instrument repair shop (glue aside) they delivered a decent, playable workaday violin. That hoke about the instrument being 'ancient' and in need of total restoration, is of course absurd.
One of the arguments in the comment field was about whether the top should have been removed in order to complete any necessary work inside. This is a matter for the luthier to decide. If there is no damage as viewed from the endpin hole or the f holes, it's perfectly OK to flow in some hide glue and clamp up the top plate. Even Cremona-trained masters do this.
its more useful hearing the things you are doing wrong then right.
The photos of the tools reminds me of: "What is the fastest way to tune a banjo? With wire cutters!"
legit luthier, sassy sense of humor, reaction video, just perfect.
It said Hide Glue on the container. The company states; "Its sensitivity to moisture allows for easy disassembly of parts, a critical benefit in antique restoration or the repair of musical instruments."
Seems like it should be okay to use, but are there any disadvantages to the ready to use stuff like this?
I saw that video a while ago, and imagined Olaf’s reaction. And i did a better job guessing his reaction than the dude did repairing the violin…
The major concern, for me, is the use of non-reversible glue. Titebond is a nice glue for usual woodworking… not for violin restoration.
Unless it's epoxy, pretty much most glues are reversible. That wasn't standard "Titebond" which is aliphatic resin glue....it was "Titebond Hide Glue" It dries a bit more crystaline than standard Titebond and is even easier to heat and remove than standard Titebond which also responds to heat. Hide glue is the best, to be sure...but it has its drawbacks in that it's weaker and more susceptible to humidity. Point being that he didn't irreversible damage the violin using that glue.
I've done quite well for myself making guitar's and occasionally mandolins. But I would seek help for a violin. Although I recently met a retired fiddle maker so soon I'll be making my first. Thanks for posting.
listening and watching, there is a big difference between both your work. You Sir are a Craftsman, the person in the video you watch is a tradesman.
I studied violin making / repair with my friend Bob Portukalian at Providence Violin in Providence, RI many years ago. I agree completely with your comments. Some of what this guy did made me cringe, especially his not using proper hide glue., but also the ham fisted way he went about some of his other work. One of the things I had to purchase to do this work was my set of proper tools, and even back then they were not cheap. Seeing the tools he intended to use at the beginning would have been amusing were he not serious. As it was, it was just shocking.
You should ask him to send you the violin so you can restore an ancient destroyed violin
What always sounds funny to me is the term of "hide glue" English speaking people use to speak about the hot glue used for violins. In fact there are no hides involved but bones and nerves. (hide glue only is too soft, the mixture of bone glue & nerve glue makes the best compromise between the hard (brittle) and soft (that could damp the vibrations)). You do not mention the other option often used by old German violin makers : fish glue. This is easier to use because you do not need heat and the time to set is longer... which is also a disadvantage in some cases.
Thank you for your interesting and instructive comments particularly on this video.
In general thank you for the topics you choose, the way you skilfully cover them (and also the pinch of humour you use to season them). I am a big fan : two thumbs up ! Sorry for my perfectible English (some may have guessed that I am French), this is a matter I try to improve day by day.
I do think that there are many old violins that deserve some work to get back to life again. Unfortunately, the labour costs of a professional luthier is generally far higher than the commercial value of most of these violins and this is the reason why some are thrown away and lots of them are just not taken care of. I try to contribute (and I am certain to be one amongst many) to resurect (for free) some outcasts and try to do this better and better... Best regards, Thierry-Antoine
When I got my violin restored the luthier assured me that he only used hide glue, the proper traditional tools for the repair, and hand-blended varnishes to match the color of my violin. In other words, he was a stickler for doing the job properly.
Olaf: "There's nothing too wrong with the way they fitted the pegs . . . I think my son can do better, though."
That was the greatest roast I've heard in a long time, OMW--
~ Ana
What makes Stradivarius so special and so expensive
I thought you were incredibly gentle to this guy. The whole style of the original video is laughably pretentious, with gentle music and super-serious voice over. This is in unfortunate contrast to the performance of the repair guy. I went and looked at some of the comments on the original, and there are plenty of people who think this is excellent work. It is not. As for being kind to content creators - I wouldn't be too hung up on that. Content creators are putting their work out there, and often making money from it. I'm an amateur guitar maker and repairer and I could do a better job than this guy. I wouldn't, because it still wouldn't be good enough, and I know my limitations. The finessing of the bridge is a classic instance of this. It's what happens when a generalist tries to do specialist work. There is a similar vid out there about a furniture restorer 'restoring' an old guitar. Quite horrific, but with loads of positive comments. What he's doing is a real Frankenstein job, and this isn't much better. It's an inexpert repair, not a restoration. He has no idea about cleaning or finishing an acoustic instrument. Well that's enough of a rant for now. One ray of hope is that the Titebond is a cold hide glue, and actually has been tested and found to make a less strong bond than hot hide glue. It's a shortcut, but it will come apart easily enough if it needs to (or maybe even if it doesn't). Great video from you with lovely touches of humour as well as excellent info, but honestly, you were too, too kind.
Yes, I saw a video of an Indonesian guitar shop, in which the "repair" person used a house
painter's paint scraper, to remove the finger board. OY.....VEY !!!! 😨😰😱
The joys of the internet...
Anyone... And I mean anyone can be the 'expert'
Our BS detectors have to be finely tuned.
I didn't express all my thoughts in the video... Trying to keep things kind... And PG 🤣
My son recently constructed his first classical guitar for himself. He researched how to do it by watching people like Olaf not the other fellow.
Epic!
Im planning on making a violin, any suggestions or possible roadblocks?
The modern glues are not removable. Titebond is polyvinyl acetate. It has absolutely no relationship to hide glue. I did an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker restoring 17th and 18th century English and American Furniture and we used nothing but hide glue. You can use fish glue which is quite similar, but tight Bond does not break. The wood around it will break before the joint made with tight Bond will break. So that is a real problem with anything done with tight bond. Modern guitar makers use it a lot because they don't want to ever come apart. But I understand that violins are quite different from guitars. The problem is guitar makers are not violin makers and the two don't come together. It's a completely different ideology in terms of repair
This looks like an episode of "The Repair Shop". Filmed more for infotainment than education.
I've seen worse bridges. Some shop charged money for a local student and cut their bridge in line with the fingerboard leaving zero height and leaving the student to find another shop and another bridge.
10:48 Perhaps you are right this guy is a guitar tech. "L. R. Baggs" is a manufacturer of pickups and preamps for (mostly steel string) guitars.
I also cringed when I saw "Ancient Violin Restoration" and was delighted when I was fed your offering, my faith in your profession is "restored".
I watched the restoration video before, and all I could think was "I wonder what Olaf would have to say about that", cause even though I don't know much abou restoring violins, it seemed kinda sacrilegious to me
The fingerboard wasn’t 4/4?
He probably works at a local music shop that has a contract with a school district to do repairs. Quick, cheap and barely playable. The repairs I've seen are absolutely horrible.
Hey olaf! Im getting a new violin around 3-5k usd tomorrow and im wondering what i should look for.
I made a couple of videos about that as well as writing the 7 essentals book which is in the description.
Have fun trying instruments!
I would buy it with a professional you trust. Maybe your teacher.
I did happen to see that video. I agree with you 100%. I will even be more blunt than you are, the guy is a butcher. I'm a retired machinist,welder and machine repairman. I'm very skilled at using the proper tools, the proper way. There is also, regardless of what you are repairing or rebuilding,
a step-by-step process. I found that the restorer was doing things in reverse. I would have cleaned everything first. This way you're finishing your restoration on a solid base that has already been repaired and cleaned. In my opinion to do the heavy cleaning after you have restored it is a dangerous procedure. I also watched the way his hands were using simple files and reamers. He was too aggressive with the reamers and somebody should tell him that files are not used with a back and forth action.
As I stated the guy is a butcher not a craftsman.
a machinist would clean the parts but here he should be careful with surfaces he has to glue later. and since he's using turpentine... You're right it's a true hack job compared to people who went to one of the big violin making schools like chicago or salt lake city, who are the only people who'd touch an instrument of mine. olaf is being very ...diplomatic might be the best word
yt is full of hack violin fixers. the violins were mostly worthless before though
A high ‘uncle Roger’ vid, but I am glad I did not waste my time watching the original video.
Keep on doing the good work, love you!
Funny, I thought of Uncle Rog as soon as he started! It won't be his genre but the odd one like this is great. So this violin 'restorer' is the Jamie Olive Oil equivalent!
I only made it to the point where he was using the scraper in that his video. I cringed like you did. I'm not a luthier but even I know you shouldn't do that. I also noticed that when he pulled his new chisel out of the box he didn't bother to hone the edge; I guess that's why he was using it as a scraper. 😄
Loved this reaction vid, Olaf. So when we purchase a violin we are totally at the mercy of all the luthiers through which hands it's passed and the glue they used. Oh my!
This is why Olaf, strongly, recommends buying through a reputable shop, such as his own.
A place where they will not sell you such an instrument, or at least they will tell you about it.
Thats by design. Does Olaf ever hold actual courses on violin making? Of course not that would mean competition. Instead he is critical of others to further decrease competition
@@zapa1pnt Thats to continue his family monopoly and make money.
@@adamhurst9491 'critical of others'??? I think we can safely say this guy has little knowledge about restoration work... As Olaf says, look round his workshop. Is he a WOODworker? Maybe he went on YT to find which chisel to buy! Not a 'master craftsman' in my book.... And were a valuable instrument to fall into such hands.... 😧
You dont know anything besides what Olaf tells you@@wakingtheworld
Love your videos! I played violin for a few years in the mid 50's when I was about 12. Started with a "practice" instrument when an uncle who was 2nd chair with the Hollywood Bowl sent me a violin that he had made in Nancy France when he was there in WW1. It was like getting out of an old rattletrap and into a Jaguar! It went back to him a few years later...but I still miss it and long for the feel of it - it was a work of art and a delight to play. Ah the memories!
Would you not like to take up the violin again, Mike? I'm not quite as old as you are, but (thanks to TwoSet) I'm 10 months 'in' learning this super challenging instrument. My tutor told me today that my 4th finger is very good... Didn't mention the other 3 though! Lol. But I'm loving it; the sound and beauty of this instrument never ceases to amaze and inspire me...
Cassandra, I actually have an old instrument that hasn't seen the light of day for decades! Maybe I will unearth it and see if I can find reliable luthier!
@@publicclammer Yes, do, Mike. These old violins need to be played... Feel so sorry for all those Strads locked away as 'investments'. Mine may be a rental but it's a lovely instrument. I love my BAE and already we're beginning to make beautiful music together. Can't wait to practice every day now! I can only improve as the months go by...
Were can I get an Olaf Grawert Violin Studio T shirt?
I know which channel you are talking about, because I watched one of their videos (not this one) for 5 min and became very sceptical. Apparently, the creator of the videos doesn't understand what he is talking about.
Unfortunately he only needs to act like he knows what he's talking about and the people who don't know any better will fall for it. No animosity meant for the people who just don't know, but he's a real scumbag for fooling people and making money off it.
Show us video so that the viewer could know the right glue and how its done the correct way to repair a violin.
I was going to take on a violin repair but i think ill wait and watch all tour videos... get a little you tube certification going into the repair first
Hello Olaf!
I watched that violin restoration video a few weeks ago and was reacting to it much in the same way! Though, I was surprised to hear that super glue is really frowned upon for gluing in the nut in violin making. I work on guitars as a hobby, and I've seen it become quite a common practice to use about two drops of some kind of liquid super glue on the fingerboard side (not the neck) to secure the nut. The nut comes off pretty easily when you need it to, you just put a little block of wood up to it and give it a soft strike with a fretting hammer. The glue usually breaks first since it's brittle. I'm curious what a violin maker has to say about this method.
well - thats why there are professionals, and just others...
Please check out RSW Chocolate. It's the Rosa String Works channel and he restores a very broken violin called Chocolate. He uses tite bond original for a lot of things and says it's not harder to take apart than hide glue but I'd be interested in seeing your opinion.
It's a actually not difficult to remove titebond original it just takes longer. For cracks repaired with titebond if you leave a damp cloth over the area in a few hours it softens, I still would prefer hide gule. Now in the case of Chocolate I feel that there was nothing to lose at that point, most luthiers would have called it a loss and would have just called it a loss and make a new top for it rather then repair the old one.
zapa1pnt
1 second ago
I doubt Jerry Rosa would even Want to work on a $10,000 violin, with the exception of the completely crushed "Chocolate" violin, which no one else would touch. Also, anyone with such an instrument would not be likely, to take it to their local luthier.
However, all of that is up to the owner of the instrument. Many owners of old instruments just want them to be playable and cannot afford or want to pay high dollars, to get them fixed. Most of them, floating around, aren't Really worth it, anyway.
@@TXCrafts1: I am beginning to see the benefits of hot hide glue, for violins. Violins are very delicate instruments and using a glue which requires heat and moisture, to break the bond, could be injurious, to the instrument you are trying to repair.
No doubt, I would always prefer hide glue particularly for major repairs but you could get away with pva for something like a chipped corner or something like that.
How much to spend for a beginner to learn the basics of playing?
I wouldn't go under US$500
Maybe read my 7 essentials to buying a string instrument book...
Link in description of most of my videos.
Some Luthier Channels like Rosa Strings Works say he finds Titebond Easy To work with and do repairs and reopen Instruments..like playing by ear or sheet music.... metronome time or "felt time" .I don't think In terms of a right and wrong way rather a preferred and more preferred way depending on the customer...I Think Luthier Making Instrument should be open To Creative license like different woods shapes etc....
a review of when a guitar guy tries to repair a work of art.
Best bow rosin and best strings 4/4
I laughed sooo hard at the cutaway showing the tools "needed" 🤣 man come on, i'm here to be educated, not to make a six pack 🤣
he dubbed over the sound. The sound is of a high E string notes but when he cuts to fingers 00:17:12 and they are on the A string.
Saw a spanner too - om
Olaf, I felt your pain! What bridge do you recommend? Also, I had an instrument repaired for cracks and they changed the fingerboard and the nut. It totally changed the sound for the worse. What would you adjust to get the old sound back? Thanks.
Wow... How frustrating.
They probably also adjusted the soundpost. So that would be a good starting point...
Maybe go to a different place?
Get some recommendations from local string players
If you look at the channel’s other videos, you’ll see they cover restoration of a wide variety of objects including an actual pony. If these are all they’re work, it would seem they possess a limited knowledge of restoration, perhaps as hobbyists, but master of none. To be candid I didn’t watch the other restorations with exception of the pony rehab, very entertaining and good to see the pony apparently has a good home.
The thing is, the original restorations, including the pony, (and a cat who sadly is no longer available to watch, but that's besides the point) were made by a guy who did the things himself. Then, after a long hiatus, the channel (formerly called "Andre will do it") was rebranded, its contact info chnged fom that of Andre to that of BeAmazed, an "surprising news" website, and started uploading things clearly not made by Andre himself. At the same time, many of old Andre's videos (like, the one mentioned of a cat's rescue) were first moved to his second channel, then made private. And Andre has not uploaded his own work since. Draw your own conclusions...
I am a master carpenter and have been doing furniture repair and restoration for 30 years. I cringed when I saw him go after the neck with a scraper, and I noticed there was not a plane onsite. Over the years I have had several customers approach me to repair various stringed instruments.... I always refer them to reputable luthiers, with all my experience I know it takes a special craftsman to work on these instruments. Thanks for a great video.
I only know about violin repair work from your videos and even I could see that guy hasnt a clue what hes doing. Kinda makes me wonder do other places do repairs like that.
Oh, you can bet on it.
there's a dude who never fails to remove the original varnish. I don't mind sometimes when it's a guitar, but I roll my eyes when he does it to a violin
There’s a closeup of the glue he’s using and it says Titebond - hide glue.
Olaf mentioned Titebond is a "type" of hide glue, but he wondered why not use the real thing.
Titebond has solvents added to it to keep it in liquid form.
@@williamstephens9945:
Yes and that makes it very different from hide glue.
I am assuming you know that already. I'm just saying.
The left shoulder of my violin where as you go up with your hand your wrist touches that area and if you're sitting down with your violin on your lap a lot of times you hold it in that area was very dirty. The violin maker cleaned it off and polished up the violin but right in that area there is no varnish the rest of the violin has thin varnish because it's about a hundred year old violin. what would you suggest?
how much is that "old" hoffmeister you make? HOw does one buy your stuff?
Don't forget the wire-cutters
12:34 "they just use hide glue ... its being used for over 500 years by violin makers..." Of course they had no other glues to use! What could we expect from that? If today they would perhaps use Titebond or another similar glue. We call it: Evolution.
Titebond is definitely insoluble in water once dry. That fingerboard is not coming off clean ever again... Afair it polymerizes into a plastic and can basically only be removed with harsh chemicals like acetone and in higher temps(like 80C) in methanol..? and ofc physically by literally just sanding or chiseling the wood and glue. Most of the time i'm not even using it for my woodworking projects because of the fact that it's basically just plastic. I'd rather just build things well instead of hiding mistakes and bad design choices behind a layer of cheap plastic..
When you speak of Varnish and French Polish (shellac) you are referring to two different finishes. Correct?
I noticed that most of the videos will start with telling you these things are very old, but then they treat them like this. I think the channels name it a load! I just saw them take a supposedly 1000 year old Viking axe head and do all kinds of craziness to it
I am an old fiddle trader. (you wouldn't approve of my methods either) But what this boy done was just a fingerboard and a set of pegs. He didn't even bother to French Polish it!!! While tightbond is great for grandma's rocking chair, it is very poor for an acoustic instrument! Being plastic it acts like a rubber gasket and will not transfer sound. Call it a mute LOL! But hey, he ain't never going to see it again anyway! You buy 'em in pawn shops and flea markets for $100, put them back together, and according to the tone you get $500 to $2000 for them at Bluegrass festivals ;) It is a whole different universe from the one your in! Fiddlers could care less how it looks. If it plays well and has the fiddle sound they are looking for, it's good ;) The two groups never mix! Violinists can't really play. They are human juke boxes that memorize a set of notes. They usually have no idea how to transpose for say the key of A to G if the vocalist moves the song. Playing by ear is above their pay grade. They are totally lost in a band setting. Isaac Stern was the last violinist I heard that could walk out with a country band and play "Orange Blossom Special". He could do both!!! Itzok sure can't LOL! Curley Fox, the second time he played Carnagie Hall, was asked by the Director of the New York Symphony "Mr. Fox, do you read music" to which Curley answered "Not enough to screw up my fiddle playing" ;)
Having been in the Navy I learned early that the only tools needed for anything are, a can of WD-40, a large pair of ViseGrips (the bigger the better), a roll of EB Green (the Navy's version of duct tape) and a deck screwdriver (at least 36"). With those you can lubricate, hammer, pry etc. 😅🤣😂😛
Thanks Olaf. Yes, I cringed too, however those threaded fingerboard clamps can work OK, but obviously the fingerboard still has to be kept perfectly positioned when tightening them up.
I looked up that Titebond glue "The Titebond Liquid Hide Glue is the first hide glue to be available in liquid form, it requires no mixing, stirring or heating." but I'm curious to know what keeps it liquid in its cold state & can it be cracked open later? It obviously dissolves with water still & probably fine & convenient for gluing the nut back on.
I'll stick with my standard Russian hide glue. :)
As I've said before, there's a certain Cremona trained 'luthier' that calls himself Maestro & he uses Titebond Original Wood Glue (red label) with this description (part of), "This glue is so strong, it has a stronger than timber bond, so the timber surrounding the joint is going to break before the joint releases. It is the glue of choice for instrument makers around the world."
So he uses it for crack repairs, saying that it is a 'permanent' repair, including centre joins. I told him no repair should be considered 'permanent' & I'm sure a luthier in later years will not thank him if faced with a follow up repair. Thankfully he still uses hide glue for gluing the belly on etc.
Wow... Yes,
Many years ago I restored a Gagliano cello with well over 40 cracks.
A 'repairer' here in Brisbane glued most of them with PVA glue... It literally took us a couple of years to remove the glue and then reglue and restore each crack correctly.
@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker Ouch! I bet there were tears & some 'sweet' words during that time.
@@rossthefiddler5890 haha... Yes. Some non PG content right there...
That guy is wearing an L.R.Baggs Tee shirt, so I bet he is a guitar "Luthier" and probably "self-taught" so he doesn't even know what he is not doing right. I too am a hack guitar Luthier, but I know enough to know not to do what he is doing. I would have taken it to a proper violin maker for restoration. Guitar making skill set is NOT equal to violin making skill set.
Ahh, an Ernie Ball Tee Shirt now, DEFINITELY a guitar guy trying to be a violin repair gu, but without the requisite training.
I'm not a luthier, and I saw the 'Ancient Violin Restoration' video before I saw your reaction. My first reaction to the 'Ancient Violin Restoration' was - "What is he doing?" Thank you for your review of that restoration, I thought I was crazy when I thought that the restoration seemed to proceed out of order, and in some parts just wrong. Glad to know that I wasn't the only one to think so (viewing the comments), and along with your expert review, now I know I'm not crazy. (I really didn't like the final product in that restoration video. When he first started I said to myself: No, put it down.)
Hi Olaf, I really like you channel, you are doing amazing job!
What would you recommended for cleaning process, I can tell you for sure you not recommended to use turpentine. What is better and what is the best for instrument in general is it anything special for really old instruments. Thank you very much!
Titebond is fine to use. It's reversible and removable. Yes, hyde glue's been tested for centuries...and FAILS. You see failed hyde glue joins all the time. How can you say it holds up? It's terrible.
LOL I have a violin that is about 100-125 yrs old (belonged Tommy Gr. Aunt) that needs to be restored but I am not going to try and do it myself, and I am going to look for a proficient luthier to restore it. 😊
I have restored Antique furniture for a couple of decades..This guy is horrible makes me cringe. These amateur youtube vids really get my lunch. See them all the time "homesteaders" and "Preppers" are the worst.. Ignorance on Fire and teaching people ! I loved this video and you pointing out the BS ( tools ha ha) and cringing and at the horrors. Thank you so much. P.S. I hope in the comment section others that knew better did the same. P.S. just found you tonight ..subbed and hit the alarm button
Yeah i saw that wideo yesterday and my thoughts was like: wtf? Antique violin restoration? He just rubbed the body and changed bridge and pegs which you can buy from aliexpress… very strange
Hi and its really fun ::)))) plainning means plainning how we say don't use sandpaper becase what ever you do the wood with sandpaper shapes trapezoid and wobbley shape. (if you use a different type of sanding machine) maybe you have sucseed but its not legal we say one knife one true cut (this is the way). ::)))
Fascinating, simply because I watched that exact video last week (I’m a metal fabricator) and I was very suspect of the job he had done, it just did not look correct to me and I know nothing about it!
You said adeeneighties? You mean 1880s right?
75% of those "restoration" videos are fake just so you know.
I call them out all the time.
I saw that vid you are spoofing and reviewing only yesterday. I, and a lot more like me, cringed in horror. Thanks for YOUR response.
So I acquired a fairly new student instrument on eBay.
The varnish ended up looking like someone dragged it across gravel and a luthier told me the neck had been snapped/reglued improperly. I ended up purchasing a violin to play and decided to play with the other one. I’m going to try to redo the varnish but nothing else. I figure it’s already been messed up by someone else, I can’t make it worse lol
Cyanoacrylate were invented by mistake... or lets say not by mistake... but but hazard during second world war when they try to find a solution for clear plastic for gun sights or to other problem they face quite often: during air fights, crashes or other type of accidents, airplane pilots get glass pieces on their eyes from the googles they use as protection. The lentils use to be made by thin normal glass pieces, the tempered glass was not invented yet... so they search or a clear plastic.
The commercial application comes around 1960 when the potential of this as a glue surface on the market.
Those wittner clamps for fingercoard are not very good...
Funny, I just ran across that video and was wondering what the hell was going on. Even a dope like me could tell the host was full of Thanksgiving stuffing.
Read some of the comments.
I actually watched that "restoration" video you are reacting to. I watched it a few days ago before I ever saw any of your videos. I saw one of your restoration videos and realized right away that he hadn't restored it correctly, although I had already suspected that when I watched his video. I've seen restoration videos where they restore different musical instruments, but if you know anything about musical instruments, then you know that lots of things can affect the tone of the instrument. Restoring them wrong could ruin them. The guy in this video does restoration videos for a lot of old things, but not usually musical instruments. He has done a lot of restoration videos for things like wood stoves, and that seems to be what his work shop is actually set up for.
The main problem with the video is the narration makes it all sound like he's doing such an expert job when there are so many things that are not expert. Without the narration, it would be just an okay video. "He carefully belt sands the neck..."
It's not a Strad. It's an old German violin and he made it function as a tool for making music. There are thousands of them out there. Everyone has their own opinions on how to repair a violin. I'm sure it sounds and plays fine and unless it's a historically significant piece or collector's item I think people need to calm down and just play music.
It's fun to watch untrained idiots destroying things, at least when they have little value. My other favorite are those cretins who "restore" rusty firearms that they caused to be rusty by their own deliberate actions. Guns that are covered in bright orange (and thus FRESH) rust, and the moron is trying to say it's an "old" rusty gun. Nope. Bright orange rust is fresh. It fades to darker shades of brown as it gets older but it takes months for the process to start and many decades to fade to black rust.
the thing is, not everyone has access to a violin maker that can do that kinda repair for them. like i wanna restore a violin in pieces and will do it on a regular wood workshop because i cant afford/dont want a brand violin right now and the only violin luthier in town is really not reliable. most of the tools a violin maker works with are probably meant to save time or provide precision for details while yes, you can restore a violin with a tooth brush and hair pins but it wont sound and look like a million bucks especially with ittle knowledge. what i find problematic is to make a video of it that encourages other people to do so with no proper disclaimer of this situation. thank you for the honest and very educational video.
notable mentions: sniffing turpentine, sanding fingerboard, crazy glue, when auto subtitles said "dementia on this one" instead of dimension, vietnam 100//
My greatest peeve is that this guy refers to himself as "we". There's nobody else but him, "we" is a giveaway of low self-esteem as one avoids referring to himself as "I" as he thinks that he's not enough, hence "we".
On the topic of glue, I do think that it would be possible to develop a better glue and guarantee its longgenvity, but I understand tradition and also why change a working system and spend possibly millions on development, when most ppl will pretend on tradition anyways?
The fish glue he uses will seperate with heat just like a hide glue does, turpentine is absolutely safe and a good cleaner especially for any shellac based polish, meths however would make shellac soluble again